Passing The Life Tests

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Allah says in Surah Al Balad,

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ ‎﴿٤﴾

We have certainly created man into hardship. (4) [Quran, Al Balad 90:4]

The first requirement to pass the difficult test is generosity. But this is not enough, the person must also have iman (Faith in Allah). 

How have we perceived the religion to be? Our understanding of religiosity is primarily rituals. We forget the early Makkan surahs emphasized charity more than rituals. They emphasize kindness, giving to others and feeding others. Along with iman, they are helping others in patience and compassion, even while they themselves are in hardship and struggling. They are not selfish and only caring about themselves. Rather they are a source of good for others, giving people hope, advising them to be patient, giving them the patience they need, a kind word, maybe a generosity or just a shoulder to cry on, and showing compassion. These are the fortunate and blessed people. These are the ones who have passed the tests and saved themselves.

The opposite are those who have rejected Allah. They are the unfortunates. They are the ones who are going to be saddened, lacking any blessing. They will be punished in the fire that is surrounding them.

And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass? (12) It is the freeing of a slave (13) Or feeding on a day of severe hunger (14) An orphan of near relationship (15) Or a needy person in misery (16) And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion. (17) Those are the companions of the right (18) But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left. (19) Over them will be fire closed in. (20) [Quran, Al Balad 90:19-20]

Surah al Balad tells about the reality of why Allah created us and the arrogance of mankind, that no one should feel that they are doing something amazing if they are simply spending money. What you have of your blessings (your eyes, your tongue, your lips, etc) are more precious than all the money you have and you have them for free. All of these blessings we have Allah gave them. The response to these blessings should be that we are overcoming the struggles. And those struggles are what Allah tells us in the Quran -- being generous to others, helping people out, advising people and have iman in Allah.

May Allah increase us in iman and make us of the companions of the right. Aameen.

www.darannoor.com