Trials of Evil and Good

Bismillah 

 

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says in the Quran,

 

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ ‎﴿٣٥﴾‏

 

Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned. [Quran, Al-Anbiya' 21:35)

 

The word fitnah فِتْنَةً is a stern tribulation or test. It is generally used in a negative way. The stern test can be with the bad and it can be with the good.

 

A fitnah is a test that is deeply testing that many are likely to either fail or fall short. Fitnah could be something good. 

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says,

 

وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَأَوْلَٰدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ ‎﴿٢٨﴾‏

 

And know that your properties and your children are but a trial and that Allah has with Him a great reward. [Quran, Al Anfal 8:28]

 

Allah says wealth and offspring are ftnah. This is a warning to take exceeding care. The fitnah of the good is more testing than the fitnah of evil. Your excessive attachment to them can cause grave harm. If a faithful believer committed a sin, he repents and broken hearted. But the ftnah of apparent good in one's life can turn one away from Allah -- you succeeded in life, you passed your college exam, got a good job, you accomplished what you want to do, got engaged, got married, have a kid -- in those situations did you turn to Allah or turn away from Allah? Did you have gratitude or you ascribe them to yourself. 

 

People's fitnah is the tests in their families, their wealth, their children, their neigbors. The test is to remain within the limits of Allah with respect to them. How? Fufilling their rights, what is rightfully your spouse's and you child's. Secondly, not doing wrong either by not fulfilling their rigths or fulfilling their rights but in a bad way or by demanding from them what is more than what is rightfully due to you.

 

From the fitnah with one's spouse is ingratitude. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, "You are ungrateful for your spouse's companionship."

 

There is another aspect of them being the fitnah that these matters become for dunya, and it is busying one away from Allah, which is a grave harm. One might fulfill the rights with excellence, but there is a little of breaking of law, nepotism, corruption, etc. Going against the commands of Allah, busying one away from Allah are all from the fitnah. 

 

Imam Ghazali cautions that one of the great potential harms of marriage is that it can turn people away from the path to Allah, putting Allah and the Hereafter first goes away from people's lived priorities and in their wealth by earning it in the halal, spending it in the halal, spending on those you are obligated to spend on, giving zakat, and performing fard kifayah.

 

The beginning of fulfilling the rights of others is to do them no wrong. This is the foundation of adab (good manners) is that you don't inconvenient or harm anybody, and then you try to do good to them. Honor your guests and respect your neighbors, and to be patient with their annoyance. 

 

One's shortcomings with respect to one's own famly, wealth, neighbors, are expiated by the prayers because the prayers are consistent good deeds. Good deeds wipe out bad deeds. Hwever, actual wrong doing is a major sin and requires repentance and not fulfilling rights requires redress. 

 

One of the key things to change one state and to cover over one shortcomings is first to recognize Allah has rights over you and people have rights over you and the righteous believers is the one who fulfills the right of Allah and Allah's creations as best they can and strive for exellence therein. 

 

May Allah grant us the prayer, the reverence, and the adab of those close to Him. Aameen.

 

Allahumma salli ala Muhamad wa ala aalihi wasahbihi wassalaam