Shaykh Faraz Rabbani presented a class on The 17 Benefits of Tribulation. This class was based on a treatise written by one of the great scholars of Islam, al-Izz ibn Abd al-Salam. The following is a transcript of the class.
The 17 Benefits of Tribulation
Since many people are worried and concerned about what we are facing, we’re going to look at one of the great summaries on the benefits of tests and tribulations called “The Benefits of Tribulation,” by one of the great scholars of Islam: Sultan al-Ulema al-Izz ibn Abdis-Salam (Allah be well pleased with him).
Are There Tests In Life?
Are There Tests In Life? Tests are essential to the life of this world. Allah (Most High) tells us that He is “the One who has created death and life to test you,” (Qur’an, 67:2).
Testing is from the very wisdom of life. which is why one of the great early muslims, Abu Abdullah as-Saji (Allah be pleased with him) says: “if you wish to be of the “Abdal,” the unique servants of Allah, or the highest of the categories of the beloved servants of Allah…. They’ve come in many hadiths, so much so that ibn Taymiyya (Allah be pleased with him) included belief in the abdal in one of his aqida statements; the Aqida Wasatiyya; not that we necessarily take that as authoritative… But if you wish to be of the unique elect servants of Allah, then love what Allah has willed, (And what Allah wills; he manifests). Because then nothing will befall from Allah’s decree and his judgments, except that you’ll find it beloved to you.”
So this is one of the ways of becoming of the truly beloved servants of Allah (Most High). But we will look at this treatise of al-Izz ibn Abdus Salam (Allah be pleased with him), it’s about tests and trials and tribulations. And he mentioned 17 (virtues).
The First Benefit: To Know Divine Lordship
The first of these is to know divine lordship and the overwhelming Power of Allah; in his grasp are all things. As long as we imagine we’re in charge and we’ve built this and we’ve done that; Allah will send us things that show us who is the lord.
The Second Benefit: To Know the Weakness of Slavehood
The second is related to that; it is to know the weakness and loneliness of slavehood. Who are we? We are Allah’s weak creation and this is affirmed.
The Third Benefit: To Acquire Sincerity
The third is acquiring sincerity. Allah (Most High) tells us; “and if Allah touches you with hurt, there is none to lift it except him,” (Qur’an, 6:17)
Even just the expression, “if Alllah touches you with hurt,” (wa in yamsaska), and that if the difficulties that befall us (result in us) getting so shaken up; (realize that) we’re just being touched by it! It could be a lot more intense, a lot more encompassing. This is just a touch. “When they ride the stormy ocean, they call upon Allah making their devotion purely for his sake alone,” (Qur’an, 29:65). Thus the wisdom of the storms of the ocean of life is that this makes the heedless servant of Allah become conscious of Allah, become sincere.
The Fourth Benefit: To Penitently Turn to Allah
The fourth is to penitently turn to Allah and to direct oneself towards him (Glory be to Him). “When the human is touched by hurt, they call upon their lord turning penitently to him,” (Qur’an, 39:8). So don’t look at the pain, look at what it’s a means for ‘inaba’ to Allah. And what does penitently returning to Allah result in? Finding the closeness of Allah (Most High).
The Fifth Benefit: To Humble Yourself in Front of Allah
The fifth wisdom of tests and tribulations is that one humbles oneself and beseeches Allah and calls upon Allah (Most High). Allah tells us; “when the human is touched by any hurt, they call upon us,” (Qur’an, 39:49). Meaning of course, that when things are easy, most people don’t; that’s mercy from Allah (Most High). Why? Because we’re given to heedlessness. And even the weakest of faith realize this. “Say who is there who can save you from the darkness of land and sea? Whom you call upon, beseeching him, imploring him in your fear”, and that’s Allah (Most High).
The Sixth Benefit: You Acquire Forbearance
The sixth is that you acquire forbearance, Arabic: “Hilm.” One is forbearant with the one tested, but the one tested becomes forbearant. Why? Because when you can’t do anything about the difficulty, you’re forced to not react and wait it out, and that is forbearance – “Hilm.” Not that you’re not shaken by things, but you await for their unfolding. The early muslims would say it is the foremost of traits of character. “Indeed Ibrahim is ever (in treating us) yearning for us and deeply forbearant,” (Qur’an, 9:114).
Tests train one in forbearance, in clemency, and in calm. Because what else are you going to do? So it’s a training ground for that. As the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to al-’Ashaj ‘Abd al-Qays – who was part of one of the delegations that came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), “you have two traits that are beloved to Allah (Most High). You have forbearance and circumspection.” Circumspection – you think things through, you’re not hasty.
The Seventh Benefit: You Overlook the Mistakes of Others
A seventh of the benefits of tests and trials and tribulations is the opportunity to overlook those who err against you. That’s one of the qualities of those beloved to Allah, “those who overlooked what others do,” (Qur’an, 3:134). (For example) someone accidentally did something to you; made a big mistake… But instead of reacting to it or responding; you took the opportunity to take the high road and you got the great reward, “so whoever overlooks and rectifies, their reward is upon Allah,” (Qur’an, 42:40). And this applies to situations particularly if someone did so out of mistake, they got very upset with you and it wasn’t reasonable but you overlooked it.
The Eight Benefit: You Learn Patience
An eighth benefit of tests and tribulations is to have patience in the tribulation. This patience in tribulation necessarily results by the promise of Allah; in the love of Allah (Most High) in immeasurable reward. Why? Because Allah (Most High) says; “Allah truly loves those who remain steadfastly patient,” (Qur’an, 3:146). The steadfastly patient are only given their reward beyond measurement, the only way they’re rewarded is in a manner that is beyond measurement. It does not enter into any expressible measurement; it comes from our beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that no one was granted any gift that is better or more expansive than patience or steadfastness – it’s related by Imam Bukhari and others.
The Ninth Benefit: You Have the Opportunity to Rejoice
The ninth benefit in having tests, trials, tribulations, loss, difficulties is that you rejoice in the test because of its benefits. Our beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: that “truly those before you used to rejoice in tribulations as you rejoice in ease,” (Ibn Majah).
Why? Because the smart person is the one whose heart is connected to consequences. If you get sick and you get medicine; the fool complains “oh my goodness I have to have this medicine it is bitter” this and that… But it’s effective medicine. The intelligent person will be happy, why? Because this medicine will be a means to their healing, the bitterness is not the concern. It’s fleeting.
”I don’t place my love in the things that are fleeting.” Ibn Masud (Allah be pleased with him) said: “What a great thing are the are two disliked matters; death and poverty. The righteous before you rejoiced in them because the difficulty doesn’t hurt you and their bitterness does not hurt you – if compared to their fruits and their benefits”.
That’s a ninth benefit and this is a general sunnah of our deen; to rejoice. That’s one of the amazing sunnahs that in times that appeared most difficult historically, the Ulema emphasized to people of the importance of gratitude and rejoicing in Allah (Most High). Saydi Abdul Hassan as-Shadhili (Allah be pleased with him) was blind, but he participated in some battles against the eastern hordes that were invading the muslim lands as they caused chaos and commotion… He fought even though he was blind! He participated in the jihad! But those were difficult times, and he built his spiritual path around rejoicing in Allah.
You find a similar pattern in the life of Moulana Rumi; why did he build his path around the love of the divine and expression of this joy of slavehood? Because everybody was down, everybody was going through difficult times around him. And that’s really important, and that’s part of the ingratitude of the human being that we see one thing that we have, one thing that we dislike, or even that we’re not even touched by it – yet everyone’s like “oh my god!” whereas in comparison; where’s your rejoicing at all that Allah has blessed you with? The wisdom of everything in existence being in orbit, it’s as if all of existence is expressing a state of ecstasy and rejoicing at the gift of existence. So if you consider; what about the gift of life? What about the gift of faith?
The Tenth Benefit: The Intrinsic Benefit in the Tribulation
A tenth benefit of tribulation is gratitude for it because of its benefits; just as the sick person thanks the doctor who cuts a limb that needs cutting. For example, there’s some doctor who opens up someone’s father and takes out his kidney because he needed a kidney transplant… But are they sad by the fact that they lost their kidney or are they grateful that this is a means of healing? They have gratitude. Because of what one is expecting of consequent healing.
Similarly, the servant sees that these tests and this prevention is a means of eternal reward from Allah (Most High); so one has gratitude. “If Allah loves a servant he sends him trials,” so one sees the trial as also being a gift from Allah (Most High).
It’s said that the difference between the grateful and the truly grateful is that the grateful person is someone who has active gratitude for every clear blessing. That everything that is clearly a blessing; you have active gratitude for it; you are of the grateful. And that’s not easy, that requires reflecting (Arabic: Muhasaba), what is everything Allah has blessed me with? How do I express calm comprehensive gratitude? Not just now, but what he blessed you with before.
Which is why when someone came from Bani Sa’d, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) stood up, took off his cloak, and put it down for her to sit on. Why? That person didn’t do anything, but she was an infant when the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was an infant, and she was related to Sayyida Halima (Allah be pleased with Her).
Ibn Tuloon has a treatise that Halima came and believed in the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), there are sound hadiths about it. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) would send gifts to old friends of Sayyida Khadijah (Allah be pleased with Her); they didn’t do anything for him, but they did something for his wife.
So that’s thankfulness, and thankfulness is not easy, to be thankful is not easy. That’s something we should all commit to, but higher than being thankful is to be grateful, not just for the obvious blessings but the things that don’t appear to be blessings; you are grateful for both easy and pleasing things and also for stressful things.
Why? Because Allah is giving you both in what he obviously gives you but also in his withholding. As Ibn Ata-illah says, “if you can behold Allah his giving when he appears to be withholding, then his withholding becomes from giving itself.” Why? What is he giving you? All these gifts above, to recognize his lordship, to reflect on his name’s, to recognize your weakness, and neediness, to cultivate sincerity, to turn to him… All these gifts!
The Eleventh Benefit: Sins are Forgiven
The eleventh is that tests wipe away sins and shortcomings. “All that befalls of distress is through what your own hands have wrought and he wipes away much,” (Qur’an, 42:30). A lot of the Ulema explain that Allah wipes away much of the sins that you do through your patience in difficulties.
There are numerous hadiths of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), if you look in the chapter of patience in Riyad us-Saliheen that the believer is not touched by any distress nor hardship – even the worries that affect them and the thorn that pricks them except that Allah will expiate for you through it from your ill deeds on one condition; patience without objection.
The Twelfth Benefit: You Become Merciful to Others
The twelfth blessing of tribulations he says: Allah sending you tests is to stir within you mercy for those who are being tested and to help them in their distress. People right now are going around, freaking out about being short of toilet paper.
You realize that there are hundreds of millions of people around the world that don’t have basic sanitation and we’re worrying about whether we can get enough toilet paper!
There’s a state in India where in all local elections they made a rule: that the only candidates that could run were people who had toilets in their homes. Why? Because they’re having a major health crisis, it was the norm (people just not using the toilet) and not because they didn’t want to, not that they were being lazy, but because these people have so much poverty in so many regions in that state. And we take these things for granted; there’s at least one in seven people in the world that don’t have access to clean water.
We’re not worried about our water supply right now, may Allah protect it. So part of this then; when you have a little bit of a test; think of those who have difficulty, have mercy on them and actively assist them in their tribulation. Express your concern. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in a hadith related in the Muwatta of Imam Malik said: “people are between those who are in wellness and those who are in tribulation, so have mercy to those in tribulation and have gratitude to Allah for wellness.”
That is the adab – that people are between those in states of wellness and those in states of tribulation. So have mercy for those in tribulation, and one of the worst of bida’s (innovations) is when you decide to judge why people are dealing or having difficulties. “Do you say about Allah what you don’t know?” (Qur’an, 2:80). Why do you know? How do you know why Allah is testing particular people? How do you know? How do you know? And all of this is the test for you, how are you responding? The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) told us “people are between those in wellness and those in tribulation, so have mercy for those in tribulations and have gratitude to Allah for your wellness,” (Bukhari). When you ever see someone in tribulation, remind yourself of wellness.
There’s a beautiful dua that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) told us; “if you see someone who is being tested… And the greatest test is in their faith, the Shafi’s mentioned if you see a disbeliever, make this dua. “All praise is due to Allah who granted us wellness from what he tested so much of its creation and granted us great rank over so much of his creation.”
Imagine the existence as some little critter, just to get randomly squashed… Are you ever afraid of being squashed by something when you’re walking down the street? No! Nobody sprays you with pesticide.
I remember once with Sheikh Mohammed Juma’, we were sitting in the Umawi mosque; we’re having class and these Christian Priests came in with these long cloaks. I thought they were just coming out of the middle ages. These long cloaks; the whole cloak and actually from the top of their head, they had a big cross. He just looked at them teary-eyed and is repeating this dua; “all praise is due to Allah who granted us wellness from what he has tested so much of his creation from.” And his creation; they’re not just human beings, think about the animals, so many creatures don’t last a whole season let alone a whole year! Imagine if you were a butterfly and you were stuck in one of those intermediate stages, like you think it’ll be boring being at home? How long do they stay in their cocoon? And not much to do in there. Of all things but Allah made us human. Imagine if you were a bear and woke up in the middle of hibernation, like go back to sleep. “Be grateful to Allah for wellness.”
The Thirteenth Benefit: You Learn the Worth of Wellness
The thirteenth he says is that tribulations remind us and help us know the great worth of wellness and to have greater gratitude for wellness. Because blessings are not typically known by their true worth except when one loses out on them.
The Fourteenth Benefit: The Reward in the Hereafter
A fourteenth benefit of tests and tribulations is what Allah has prepared for all these benefits of reward in the hereafter; we’re just talking about the dunya right now, this is the short-term reward of it, short term benefits. But what’s the true benefit? It’s the reward in the hereafter, and in reality the reward for any action is not in this life because what Allah has prepared for his believing servants does not fit in this world. There is no reward truly in this life and there’s no actual punishment in this life, these are just light indicators for us. Because the rewards are eternal, even for the littlest thing which is why the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said; “never deem anything of the good to be small.” Why? Because that good; what is its consequence? Eternal reward!
That’s who you’re dealing with. Imagine if you did a favor to someone and they from there till the end of their life – they’re always thanking you. For one thing you did! That’s just till the end of their life, just one action into eternity – you have reward after it’s multiplication at least ten fold.
The Fifteenth Benefit: That Which is Within of Subtle Benefits
The fifteenth benefit of tribulations is what is within the tribulation of subtle benefits, because you may feel the bitterness of it, but you now may not see the subtle benefits. Allah (Most High) tells us of the above as a reality in the Qur’an; “it may well be that you dislike something and Allah places in it tremendous good,” (Qur’an, 2:216).
She’s not here today, so I’m going to mention it. I was engaged to marry someone before Umm Umar. I lived on cloud 11 for months on campus. Literally I’d walk down the street, and everybody would be smiling at me, in MSA meetings I’d be like staring into the sky and they’d say “Faraz what do you think?” And my friend Abdurahman would say; “don’t ask him, he’s lost, his head’s in such-and-such state in the US.” And then it didn’t work out. But Allah placed a tremendous substitute for it. You know, you may dislike something but you don’t know what the outcome is. Sometimes the greatest blessings in our lives begin with bitterness. How many a person – their marriage failed, but that was the greatest blessing they had. How many a person – lost a job and it opened doors for them that they could never have imagined.
It happens all the time, that’s why in the Istikhara after we ask Allah for the good and it’s facilitation and to turn us away from harm we say; “destine the good wherever it may be,” because the good may be in the apparent good that we’re seeking, but the good may be in the things you didn’t want, and then; “make me content with it.”
“It may well be that you dislike something and it’s better for you,” (Qur’an, 2:216).
An example of that is the story of Sayyida Hajar (May Allah be well pleased with Her). Ibrahim (Allah have mercy on him) was commanded to leave her in the middle of the desert, it looks like what could be worse than that? And it was painful for him to walk away, she just asked; “did your lord command this?” And it was heavy for a Prophet of Allah to walk away but she told him that “continue to where your lord has commanded you.” It seems to be a tribulation, but that was the result says al-Izz ibn Abdis-Salam for the birth of Sayyidana Ismail (Allah have mercy on him) and that was the means for the coming of Rasulullah (Allah bless him and give him peace), so things aren’t as they appear.
One of the poets said; “how many a great blessing is folded up for you between the folds of tribulation,” but you have to pay attention to it. And one of the ways as Ibn Ata says: “the fool looks at the clouds and complains that it’s cloudy but the wise person is the one when they see the clouds they realize that this will bring good fruit down the road.” The fool complains about the clouds, the simpleton says well, it’s gonna rain – but the wise person recognizes the outcomes.
The Sixteenth Benefit: Trials Prevent One from Evil
The sixteenth benefit of tribulations is that tribulations and hardship prevents one from evil and haughtiness. You’re not able to do what you’re able to do before, and prevents you from arrogance and and haughtiness and pride and arrogance.
So al-Izz ibn Abdis-salam says:
Imagine if Nimrod the ruler, who was against Ibrahim (Allah have mercy on him) was poor, and weak, and deaf, and blind; would he have argued with Ibrahim (Allah have mercy on him) about his lord? No! It’s only ease and strength that causes people to inflate and arrogate. So many of the wrongs that we do; the tests and trials in different ways curb our bad tendencies and that’s why Ibn Ata says; “whoever doesn’t direct themselves to Allah with the garlands of divine grace’s will be dragged to him in the chains of tribulation,” but they too are great blessings from Allah (Most High) in different ways. And one of the things; they prevent one from turning away, from running away.
If Firawn had been tested with poverty, and sickness, and weakness, and loss of power he would not have claimed ”I am your lord almighty,” (Qur’an, 79:24), because he would see his abject weakness, and there are countless examples.
How? Because one of the key causes of the human turning away is thinking they have no need. “Truly the human goes beyond all limits when they see themselves as having no need,” and this is one of the characteristics of all people who went astray. He gives many examples and this why he says here “the poor and the needy, they are the elect servants of Allah and the followers of the Prophets (peace be upon Them),” and for these tremendous benefits the author says: our beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said; “the people most intensely tested are the Prophets (peace be upon Them), then the righteous, then the foremost after them, and then the foremost after them.” The hadith is related in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad.
The Prophets (peace be upon Them), were called mad and magicians and sorcerers and they were mocked and derided, ”but they remain steadfast regarding what they’re denied about and heard about,” (Qur’an, 6:34).
“Do you imagine you will enter Paradise and there has not come to you the like of what came to or befell those who were before you? And they were tested with distress and difficulty and they’re shaken as if by an earthquake until the very Prophet amongst them and the believers close to him ask ‘when is Allah’s victory?’ Indeed Allah’s victory is close,” (Qur’an, 2:214). That’s a divine promise and many of the verses in the Qur’an are about Allah (Most High) testing us and highlighting all these wisdoms.
Likewise, if we consider the life of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) his tests began before he was born! He lost his father before he himself was born (Allah bless him and give him peace), then he lost his mother, then his grandfather, and one loss and difficulty after another. His uncle loved him, he proposed to his uncle’s daughter but his uncle Abu Talib rejected the proposal of the messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace)! Years later, she asked, but then he was not in a position to marry her. Moment of ease from distress in the life of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), what do you find? “Constantly cheerful (Allah bless him and give him peace).”
Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) relates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) did not eat bread from barley on any two consecutive days; sometimes an entire month would pass, and not one fire was lit to cook food in any of the houses of the wives of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). And all the tribulations in his life; it was within his lifetime that the false Prophets; Musaylima and Tulayha and al-Ansi and these others appeared and all the different tribulations that he witnessed befalling his companions. He himself was poisoned (Allah bless him and give him peace). And it’s come from the beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) “the example of the believer is like the example of the crop, wind continues to blow it in one direction and the other, likewise the believer keeps being afflicted with tribulations one time in this direction one time in that.” And this hadith is related by Bukhari and Muslim and there are many many similar hadiths.
So the situation’s of difficulty and tribulations are means (he said) for the servant to go to Allah (Most High). And times of wellness and ease could well be causes for a servant to turn away from Allah (Most High).
As Allah warns us, “in difficulty and in distress, they call upon Allah with sincerity, but when we lift distress from them, they return as if nothing had ever happened,” (Qur’an, 10:12). Now people are rationing, this morning one of the kids went to the supermarket, and they’re only letting twenty people in at a time.
What did the righteous do? The Prophets (peace be upon Them) chose to do with less of this world – out of choice! Many of the Sahaba – look at Uthman ibn Affan (Allah be pleased with him) who was so wealthy he funded a whole army, but how did he live? Exceedingly simply. Why? Not because he didn’t have, he didn’t have to, but he chose the way of poverty.
Imam ‘Abd il-Aabir al-Kitani, in his abridgement of the Shama’il, says; “anyone who says that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was poor; committed disbelief.” Now we don’t call someone a disbeliever for that, we just say just they don’t get it. But why? Because did the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) choose poverty? Yes did he choose to do without food. Did he choose hunger? Yes but what does Allah say about him? In Surah Duha: “and he found you in need and he freed you of all need,” (Qur’an, 9), he chose the way of poverty. That’s why the righteous chose to do with less food, and less drink, and less of the pleasures, and less when it came to their dress, and less in terms of marital pleasures, and less when it came to social gatherings, and less when it came to dwellings, and less when it came to their means of transportation and so on. Why? So that they be in a state that would keep them close to returning to Allah (Most High).
The Seventeenth Benefit: Contentment
Then the final benefit of tests and trials and tribulations: contentment, the greatest benefit of tests and tribulations is contentment. It is the means to attain unto the absolute divine contentment. Because difficulties (he says) befall the righteous and the corrupt, so whoever is upset by difficulties and trials, they have divine upset. They have lost in this life of sorrow, and heaviness, and dejection, and depression, and all that accompanies this; and they have loss in the next life.
Someone asked on our facebook page, “how come the Sahaba didn’t suffer from PTSD?’ Now this is a serious condition right, it’s a serious condition. Even many of the righteous suffer from these conditions and it’s a part of the reality of our humanness. But these were people who had degrees of contentment, degrees of gratitude that were beyond that. Some of them suffered emotionally and had many burdens, but they had unshakable contentment and whoever’s content with tribulations; they have divine contentment. Contentment is better than paradise
And all it contains because Allah (Most High) says; “an absolute contentment from Allah Is greater,” (Qur’an, 9:72). And this is Allah being content with you, but the state of contentment you find within yourself is greater than paradise in all it contains, by the text of the Qur’an.
He finishes saying that this is a little that we have that has occurred to us of the benefits of tribulations, we ask Allah most high and we ask by the asking of this great scholar and we ask Allah likewise for his overlooking and wellness from him in this life and the next. Because we are not of the people who can bear tribulations. May Allah grant us the facilitative grace to act upon that which is beloved to him and pleasing to him and may Allah heal us from tribulations and distresses.
Transcribed by Zain Ali
If you would like to watch the video of “The 17 Benefits of Tribulation” please click here
