Hardships Benefit the True Believer

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Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
Wa Sall Allahu ta ala alaa Sayyidinaa wa Mawlaanaa Muhammadin
wa alaa Aalihi wa Sahbihi wa sallim


Hardships Benefit the True Believer

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O ye who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer;
Indeed Allah is with those who patiently persevere.
[Suratul Baqarah ayah 153]

Allahu ta ala has decreed that, in this life, hardships and disasters strike both
believers and non-believers. For a non-believer, they are inconveniences that
hinder him from proceeding with his normal involvement in the worldly life.
For a believer, on the other hand, they are instances of rest and remembrance,
tests that promise great rewards, and indications of atonement and expiation
of sins.
Regardless of how little the harm is that strikes a believer, it carries with it
glad tidings of forgiveness and elevated rank (in Jannah). Our Pious
Predecessors from amongst the Ashabul Kiram and Taabien and those who
followed them, used to be pleased when hardships afflicted them, seeing it as
a token of Allah's forgiveness and benevolence.
Hardships as Expiation of Sins

Sayyidinaa Abu Hurayrah (Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (Sall
Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) said:" Hardships continue to befall a
believing man and woman in their body, family, and property, until they meet
Allah burdened with no sins. "[ Tirmithee]


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Hardships as a Sign of Allahs Love

Sayyidinaa Abu Hurayrah (Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (Sall
Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) said: "Whenever Allah wills good for a
person, He subjects him to adversity" [Bukhari and others]
Hardships as a Sign of Imaan

Sayyidinaa Abu Hurayrah (Radhi Allahu anhu) and Kab Bin Maalik (Radhi
Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa
sallim) said: "The parable of a believer is that of a fresh and moist plant; the
wind tilts it this way and that way; and so is the believer; he continues to be
subject to affliction. And the parable of a hypocrite is that of a firm cedar tree;
it does not shake - until it is uprooted all at once." [Bukhari and Muslim]
Hardships a Sign of Righteousness

The prophets and righteous people are afflicted the most, and their rewards
are the highest. Sayyidinaa Saad (Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the
Prophet (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) said: "The most in their
suffering among the people are the prophets, then the best, then the (next)
best. One is afflicted in accordance with his deen (faith). If his deen is firm his
affliction is hard, and if his deen is weak, his affliction is light. Indeed, one
would be so much subjected to adversity until he walks among the people
without any sins." [Ahmad, Tirmithee]
Hardships as Early Punishment and Expiation of Sins in this World

Sayyidinaa Anas (Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (Sall Allahu
alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) said: "When Allah wills good for a servant of His,
He expedites his punishment in this life; and when He wills retribution for a
servant of His, He holds his sins for Him to judge him by them on the Day of
Resurrection." [Tirmithee]
Hardships as a Means for Multiplication of Rewards

Sayyidinaa Anas (Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (Sall Allahu
alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) said: "The amount of reward is in accordance with
the amount of suffering. When Allah loves some people, He tries them (with


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affliction). He who then is content (with Allahs decree) has achieved the
acceptance (of Allah), and he who is dissatisfied (with Allahs decree) will
attain the anger (of Allah)." [Tirmithee]

The Rewards for Sickness
One should not look to sickness as a gloomy episode, but should remember
the great good in it. It is one form of affliction with which Allahu ta ala tests
His servants, giving them a chance to acquire rewards, as was explained
above, and further emphasized below.
Sickness as a Removal of Sins and Elevation in Ranks

Sayyidinaa Abu Hurayrah (Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (Sall
Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) said: "Whenever a Muslim is afflicted by
harm from sickness or other matters, Allah will drop his sins because of that,
like a tree drops its leaves." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Sayyidinaa Abu Saeed al-Khudri (Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the
Prophet (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) said: "A Muslim is not afflicted
by hardship, sickness, sadness, worry, harm, or depression - even if pricked by
a thorn, but Allah expiates his sins because of that." [Bukhari and Muslim]

Ummul Mumineen Sayyida Aishah (Radhi Allahu anha) narrated that once
some pain afflicted the Prophet (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim)
causing him to suffer and turnabout in his bed. She said: "Had one of us done
this, you would have blamed him." He (SAW) replied: "An ailment is
intensified for the righteous. Whenever a believer is afflicted by a hardship,
whether it is a thorn or more, a sin is taken off from him because of it, and he
is elevated by one rank (in Jannah). [Ahmad]

Retaining Rewards for Deeds Before Sickness

Usually, when a believer falls sick, he is not able to do the same amount of
good (prayer, fasting, helping Muslims etc.) that he used to do when he was
well. But Allah out of His great mercy continues to record for him the good
deeds that he was forced to stop because of his sickness.



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Abu Musa Al-Ashari (Radhi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (Sall
Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) said: "For a traveling or sick person, his
deeds will be recorded in accordance with what he used to do when he was
resident or well." [Bukhari]
Sayyidinaa Abdullah Bin Amr Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet
said: "No (believing) person gets sick, but (his deeds) will be recorded for him
in accordance with what he used to do when he was well." [Bukhari]
Sayyidinaa Uqbah Bin Aamir (Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet
(Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) said: "Each day's deeds are sealed with
it. Thus, when a believer gets sick, the angels say, Our lord! Your servant such
and such, You have restrained him (from doing good this day)." And the lord
replies, Seal his day in accordance with his (usual) deeds, until he is cured or
dies". [Ahmad]
Reason for the Reward

Sayyidinaa Atta Bin Rabaah (Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that Ibn Abbaas
(Radhi Allahu anhumma) told him, "Do you want to see a woman from the
people of Jannah (paradise)?" He said "Yes". He said: It is this black woman.
She came to the Prophet (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) saying, "I
have (epileptic) seizures, and I get exposed, so supplicate to Allah for me." He
(Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) said: If you wish, be patient and you
will attain Jannah; or if you wish, I will ask Allah to cure you." She replied, I
will be patient! But my body gets exposed (because of the fall), so supplicate
to Allah for me that I do not become exposed." and he (Sall Allahu alaihi wa
Aalihi wa sallim) did." [Bukhari and Muslim]


The Ulama have differed as to whether a sick person will be rewarded for the
sickness itself or for being patient during it. The correct opinion is that if he is
patient and submits to Allah's will, as in the above hadith, he would be
rewarded for both the submission and the sickness, otherwise, he would not
be rewarded at all; because he resented Allah's decree. This is what should be
understood from Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaanees words: "The authentic
hadiths are clear in that the rewards are recorded once affliction strikes a
Muslim. As for patience and acceptance, they are virtues for which a person
may get additional rewards over those for the affliction." 'Abdullah Bin 'Amr


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(Radhi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi
wa sallim) said: "If a Muslim is pricked by (as little as) a thorn in the worldly
life, and he seeks its reward from Allah, some of his sins will be removed,
because of it, on the Day of Judgment."[Bukhari]

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"True believers are only those whose hearts are filled with awe whenever
Allah is mentioned, and whose faith is strengthened whenever His revelations
are recited to them. In their Lord do they place their trust." (Holy Quran 8:2)

We pray that Allahu ta ala include us in the company of those who exhibit the
best of manners towards Him and His decree through patience and humility
when tested with hardship. And we pray that he includes us among those
whom He chooses to help alleviate the suffering and hardship of His servants,
ameen.