Why is Allah testing me?
Everyone is tested. Even Nabi ﷺ, the one Allah loved most, was tested more than anyone.
When life gets hard, a thought can come into your head: “Why is Allah doing this to me? Maybe He does not love me.”
Do not let your sadness take you that far. Feeling sad is normal. Doubting Allah is not.
Does a test mean Allah does not like you?
No. If it did, then Allah would not like anyone, because everyone is tested.
Allah tells us in the Quran that He will test all of us with some fear, some hunger, and the loss of money, of people we love, and of crops. And He gives good news to the people who stay patient.
Not some people. All of us.
The people Allah loved most were tested most
A companion once asked Nabi ﷺ, “Which people are tested the hardest?” He said, “The Prophets, then the next best and the next best.” The stronger your faith, the harder your test can be.
Allah loved Nabi ﷺ more than anyone. And he went through more hardship than you or me.
Once he had a fever so high that a companion could feel the heat through his blanket. The companion said, “How hard it is for you!” Nabi ﷺ said that the Prophets get heavier tests, and a bigger reward too.
A test can be a sign of love
Nabi ﷺ said that when Allah wants good for someone, He tests them.
He also said that when Allah loves people, He tests them. Whoever accepts the test, Allah is pleased with them.
Nothing you go through is wasted. Nabi ﷺ said that every bit of tiredness, sadness and pain a Muslim feels, even the prick of a thorn, wipes away some of their sins.
A hard chapter is not your whole story. And it is not proof that Allah has forgotten you.
“When will this end?”
If you have asked this, you are not the first.
The believers before us had it so hard that even their Messenger asked when Allah’s help would come.
Allah answered them: His help is near.
Allah never gives a person more than they can carry. And He says this twice, one line after the other: “With hardship comes ease.”
Crying does not mean your faith is weak
When Nabi’s ﷺ son Ibrahim was dying, Nabi ﷺ cried.
One of the companions was surprised and asked, “Even you are crying?” Nabi ﷺ said, “This is mercy.” Then he said that the eyes cry and the heart feels sad, but we only say what pleases our Lord.
So cry if you need to. Feel the pain. That is allowed. What we do not do is turn against Allah.
And if the sadness does not go away, or you start to feel hopeless, see a doctor or someone trained to help. That is not weak faith either. Nabi ﷺ said that Allah did not create any sickness without also creating its cure.
What to do
- Keep praying your salah, even on the days it feels empty. Those are the days it matters most.
- Make dua in your own words. Tell Allah exactly how you feel.
- When something bad happens, say “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” (To Allah we belong, and to Him we return). Allah promises mercy to the people who say it.
- Talk to someone you trust. You do not have to carry it alone.
What not to do
- Do not say “Allah hates me.” Allah tested the person He loved most, Nabi ﷺ, more than anyone.
- Do not give up hope in Allah. Prophet Yaqub told his sons never to lose hope in Allah’s help.
- Do not decide how your story ends. You cannot see the way out yet. That does not mean there is no way out.
One last thing
Allah says that if you fear Him, He will make a way out for you, and give you what you need from where you never expected.
May Allah make our tests easy, reward us for every one of them, and open a door we never saw coming. Ameen.
Source: Quran 2:155-157; Sunan Ibn Majah 4023; Sunan Ibn Majah 4024; Sahih al-Bukhari 5645; Sunan Ibn Majah 4031 (hasan per al-Albani); Sahih al-Bukhari 5642; Quran 2:214; Quran 2:286; Quran 94:5-6; Sahih al-Bukhari 1303; Sahih Muslim 2315; Sahih al-Bukhari 5678; Quran 12:87; Quran 65:2-3
SM
The teaching in this post comes from the Quran and the hadith listed above. I only put it in plain words. The tips on what to do and what not to do are my own advice. If you want to talk about anything in this post, write to me at salam@sunnahdaily.com.
For a ruling on your own situation, please speak to a qualified local scholar. You are welcome to email me about it as well, and I will help if I can, or point you to someone who can.