Why Is God Testing Me? The Philosophy Of Divine Tests

'A'udhu bi’l-Lahi, min ash-Shaytan, ar-rajim. Bismi-Llah, Al-Rahmani, Al-Rahim. "Tabaraka alladhi bi ahdih al-Mulk wa Huwa 'ala kully sha'in qadir" (67:1). "Alladhi khalaqa al-mawta wa al-hayata liyabluwakum ayyukum ahsanu 'amala. Wa Huwa al-'Azeezu al-Ghafoor" (67:2).

There is no question that the year 2020 has been a difficult year. A year of tests, a year of trials, where we were quarantined in our homes, and we are still dealing with this COVID-19, which has impacted our lives. It shut down the mosques. It shut down Masjid al-Haram, the Prophet's Mosque. The shrines of the Ahl Al-Bayt, and it even canceled the Hajj.

Everyone was impacted, in one way or another, by a small virus, a virus that is not seen by the naked eye. Some people ask, What is the philosophy of these tests? Why does Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala test us in such a way? Why does God create evil? Why is there evil in the world? Is it God that is allowing this to happen? Is it God that is causing this? If it is not God that is causing it, then why is God allowing it? If Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala is the all-Powerful, why doesn't Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala stop the evil in the world?

This is an issue that often arises when people go through struggles. People begin to question. Why does Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala allow bad things to happen to good people? This is a question that Muslims deal with, Jews deal with, Christians deal with. People from all faiths, they try to answer this question to find a solution because God, as we know, is the merciful Lord. So then why is there suffering in the world? Why is there evil in the world?

This is a question that we must answer. This is an issue that must be examined, because we must be able to defend our faith, and we must be able to defend our values, and what we stand for. If I believe in a merciful Lord, then I should be able to answer this question. Then I should be able to have an answer for those who raise misconceptions against religion, and against faith.

This problem of evil, this is one of the arguments that those who do not believe in God use against those who believe in God. The problem of evil debates. Why is it that God creates evil? If God did not create the evil, why doesn't God stop the evil that is going on in the world? What is the answer to this question, my dear brothers and sisters?

The first point is that we have to acknowledge and understand that evil is not a creation of God. Evil is the absence of good. Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, is the Creator of Mercy. Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, is the One who is all-Merciful: "Wa rahmati wasiat kulla shay'i" (7:156). And the mercy of Allah encompasses everything.

Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala did not create the evil. Evil is the absence of good. Wherever the mercy of Allah is rejected, wherever the mercy of Allah and the plan of God is stopped, then you will find that there will be problems that will arise. There will be problems that will occur. But Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala is the all-Merciful. Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala is the all-Compassionate. Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala does not create evil. In fact, we believe that the purpose of creation, one of the majour purposes of creation is for the sake of Mercy. Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala created us to be merciful with us.

Allah says in the Qur'an: "illa im rahima Rabbuk wa li dhalika khalaqahum" (11:119) [Only those were to be kind to God and to them that were kind and to themselves]. One of the majour reasons for the creation is for the sake of mercy, so that people witness and testify the mercy. Of Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala. If God is the all-Merciful, people need to feel that mercy. People need to see that mercy. People need to experience that mercy. How will people experience that mercy? Through the creation.

Once Allah creates people so that they feel and experience the mercy of God. Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala is the all-Merciful, and Allah does not create evil. But because of the mercy of Allah, Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala has created a system. Allah is the omnipotent, Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala is the all-Knowing, the all-Powerful, and due to His Mercy, Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala created a system in everything.

You see, from the minute, from the small, DNA, from the small virus that cannot be seen by the naked eye, there is a system to that. There is an order to the grand cosmos system and universe and the solar system, there is an order. This, my dear brothers and sisters, this is one of the majour proofs for Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala. And the majority of the problems are caused by people. Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala says that people, they bring the punishment and the evil upon themselves. Allah talks about the villages and the nations and groups of people who were punished prior to Islam. Allah talks about the villages, the people of Salih and houd and Thamud, what happened to these people? They were punished. But why were they punished?

Allah says in the Qur'an: "Wa tilka al-qura'a ahlaknahum lamma dhalamu" (18:59) [We destroyed them when they were wronged]. The punishment came upon them based on their own actions. The punishment was a consequence of their own actions. It says that a lot of the people, many people, they die not because of the natural way Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala has caused for them, but because of a way that they expedite death upon themselves. A lot of us, we expedite death. We live in an unhealthy way. We do things, we drink, we smoke, we do things that are unhealthy for us, and then it ends up harming us and it ends up killing us.

So, this is the first answer, my dear brothers and sisters. A lot of the evil, a lot of the wrong that we perceive to be wrong, is not caused by God, but rather it is caused by us and our own actions. Second, we need to understand that Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala created us for a purpose. We mentioned the first purpose was to be Merciful with us. There's a second purpose that is mentioned in the Qur'an, and that is that every single person must be tested.

How is Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala supposed to distinguish between the good and the bad, between the one that goes to heaven and between the one that goes to the hellfire? How is Allah supposed to reward and punish people? Allah rewards and punishes people based on their own actions, based on the results of the tests that they take in this life. Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala created us in this life so that He tests us.

Allah says in the Qur'an: "Tabaraka alladhi bi ahdih al-Mulk wa Huwa 'ala kully sha'in qadir" (67:1). "Alladhi khalaqa al-mawta wa al-hayat, liyabluwakum ayyukum ahsanu 'amala" (67:2). Allah says: God created death and life to test you, to see who of you is the best of action, who has the best of action, the best of deeds. We think that only those who we assume, we think they are being tested, we think of them as being tested. Allah is testing them, but we are comfortable as long as we are happy.

Allah talks about this in the Qur'an in Surat Al-Fajr. Allah says in the Qur'an: "Fa amma al-Insanu idha ma abtalahu Rabbuhu fa akramahu wa na'amahu, fa yaqulu Rabbi akraman" (89:15). "Wa amma idha mabtalahu fa qadara 'alayhi rizqahu, fa yaqulu Rabbi ahanan" (89:16). Allah says, people are in two categories. Some people, they think that as long as they are comfortable, as long as they are happy, as long as their life is going smooth, they say, God honoured me. God chose me. I am not being tested. But then someone who they are going through some difficulty, they have some financial difficulties, they have some health difficulties, they say, God is against me. God is turning against me, and God is humiliating me, and God is punishing me.

The answer, Allah says in the Qur'an, both of you are being tested. Whether you realize it or not, whether you acknowledge it or not, everyone is being tested. If you have wealth, Allah is testing you with your wealth. If you have health, Allah is testing you with your health. What are you doing with your money and your bank account? Allah is going to test you with that. Allah is not only testing the one who does not have money, Allah is testing the one who has money. And in fact, the one who has, their test is more difficult.

But a lot of times people don't realize it. They think that the test is only for those who don't have. One who has the attitude that every day, whatever happens in life, we are being tested, these are the ones who are the greatest of the worshippers. These are the ones who are the greatest 'Ibad of Allah.

And Allah says in the Qur'an. Allah says in the Qur'an: "Wa ma khalaqtu al-Jinna wa al-Ins, illa liyabudun"(51:56) [I have not created the jinn and the men of the people, but they have been worshipped]. The only reason the jinn and the humans were created was that they worship Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala.

You worship when you understand that every day, and everything you go through in life, that is a test. Why is Allah putting me in a difficulty? I did not do anything wrong. I am a believer, I am a Mu'min. I pray, I fast, I go to Hajj, I make sure that I fulfill my duties and my obligations. The answer, my dear brothers and sisters, is that the trials, they are not always necessarily God punishing someone. For some time, for some people, it is a punishment. For other people, it is a reminder. For other people, it is a wake-up call. For some people, it is an opportunity to cleanse themselves. For others, it is an opportunity to raise their ranks and seek a closer position to Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala.

Amir Al-Mu’minin, he says: "Inna al-bala' li 'dh-dhalimi adab, wa li 'l-mu'min intihan, wa li 'l-anbiya'i daraja, wa li 'l-awliya' karama" . Amir Al-Mu’minin, he says: the tests that people go through in life, each test, it has a different meaning for a different person. For some people, it is a way that God is disciplining them. "Inna al-bala' li 'dh-dhalimi adab", it is a way that Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala is rebuking someone, it is a way that Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala is giving a person a wake-up call. It is a discipline. Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala does not punish people in this life, because the punishment is in the afterlife.

However, these tests, these difficulties that we go through in life, they are a chance, an opportunity for us to fix our lives. Because sometimes we live as if we are as if we are invincible, as if nothing harms us, as if our life is going perfect, nothing could go wrong. I have my money, I have my children, I have my family. Oftentimes, when we are too comfortable, we begin to stray away from Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala. So, Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala throws small tests towards us, so that they keep bringing us back to Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala. So we gravitate back to Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala.

Inna wa Ta'ala, this is the Hadith of Imam as-Sadiq. He says, Allah will allow that person to have a minor stumble in their life so that the person falls and has a minor mistake in their life, why? So that the person wakes up and repends and does Istighfar and fixes their life and turns closer to Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala.

Sometimes when you have a minor issue, a minor stumble in your life, this is not because Allah is punishing you. This is Allah giving you an opportunity. This is Allah showing you the way. Just like a parent or a teacher, sometimes if they have a student that they prefer, a student that they love, that they respect, they will give the student a harder question. Why? Because they want to make sure that the student is able to deal with this hard question in the presence of the teacher so that once they go out in public, they will be able to achieve anything. So, Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala tests the mu'min, so that the mu'min turns closer to Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala.

So, the Imam, alayhi as-salam, he tells him, he tells him if the mu'min, he tells him if the mu'min knows the position that they have for every moment of difficulty that they faced in this dunya, they will wish that they were cut by the scissors in this life. "La tamanna law quradha bi 'l-makaridh". If a mu'min, they see the reward of the difficulties that they went through in this life, they will wish in the afterlife, on the Day of Judgment, they will wish that their test was much more severe.

In a Hadith a mu'min, on the Day of Judgment, when they see the reward of one night, one sleepless night with a fever, someone has a fever, they are suffering. That person is going through adhab. They are suffering. In this life, they might say, Why does this have to happen to me? But the Hadith says that on the Day of Judgment, when the mu'min, the believer, we are not talking about the non-believer. When the mu'min sees the reward that Allah gave them because of that one night of having a fever, they will wish that their whole life they had a fever.

Allah is Arham ar-Rahimin. Allah is the most Compassionate. Allah is the most Merciful. Allah will not allow a person to go through a difficulty in this life without rewarding, without compensating this person.