When Does a Slave Know that a Trial is a Test or a Punishment?

When Does a Slave Know that a Trial is a Test or a Punishment?

Taken From
the Fatawaa of our
Shaykh, Allaama Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Abdul Azeez bin Abdullaah Bin Baz

Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya

Question: If a person is put to trial with a sickness or an evil affliction physically or with his wealth, how does he know that this trial is a test or Anger from Allaah?

Answer: Allaah Azza Wa Jal tests His slaves in prosperity and adversity, in hardship and ease. He sometimes tests them with these things to raise their grade and to enhance the status of those people and to double their good deeds. Like what Allaah did for the Prophets and Messengers - alayhim as-Salat wa Sallam, as well as the righteous people from the worshippers of Allaah.

Like the Prophet - sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – said: the most severely of the people to be trialed are the Prophets, then those who are next in grade, then the next.

Sometimes Allaah does this due to the sins and transgression of the people, so that the punishment can be hurried.

Like Allaah Subhanahu said:

<<>>

So, what is general for humans is that they are deficient, and they do not observe all the obligatory duties. Therefore, what afflicts them is due to their sins and shortcomings with regard to Allaah's commands.

For this reason, if someone from the righteous slaves of Allaah is afflicted with some disease or something similar, then this is from the type of trials for the Prophets and Messengers, raising of their grades and increase of reward, to be an example for others, in having patience and contentment.

So briefly, it could be a test to raise grades and to make the reward greater, like Allaah does for some of the righteous people. It could be expiation for evil deeds, as is mentioned in the saying of Allaah Ta'ala:

<<>>

Also the saying of the Prophet - sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam –: A Muslim is not afflicted with distress, nor sorrow, nor disease nor hardship, nor sadness nor any harm except that Allaah expiates from his sins even by a thorn that pricks him.

The saying of the Prophet - sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – whom so ever Allaah intends good for, Allaah compels him with a trial.

It could be that this is a punishment which has been hastened due to transgression by the slave and him not having hastened in repenting as is mentioned in the hadeeth of the Messenger - sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – that he said: 'If Allaah intends good for His slave then He hastens his punishment in this world, and if Allaah prescribes evil for His slave, then Allaah holds back his sins until He recompenses them for him on the Day of Judgment.'

Narrated by Tirmidhi & he declared it hasan






Taken from : binbaz.org.sa via Sahab.net




All Praise belongs to Allaah, may His peace and blessings be upon our final Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions and all those who follow his guidance.

Retraction of Shaykh al-Albaani regarding the Hadeeth of Worldly Affairs

Retraction of Shaykh al-Albaani regarding the Hadeeth of Worldly Affairs

Compiled and Translated

by

Abbas Abu Yahya

"Indeed Allaah hates every person who is arrogant, rude, rough, and is greedy, thinks he knows it all and shouts loudly in the market places, who is like a corpse during the night and a donkey during the day, knowledgeable about worldly affairs, ignorant about the matters of the hereafter."

Da'eef - 'Silsilah Ahadeeth ad-Da'eefah' no. 2304

This hadeeth which has been narrated by Ibn Hibban and al-Bayhaqi, it has been declared weak by Shaykh al-Albaani.

Initially the Shaykh had authenticated this hadeeth in 'Silsilah Ahadeeth as-Saheehah' no.195. However, the Shaykh retracted and declared it to be weak. He removed it from 'Silsilah as-Saheehah' and placed it in 'Silsilah Ahadeeth ad-Da'eefah' no.2304. The Shaykh also declared it Da'eef in his book 'Daeef Targheeb wa Tarheeb' no.378.

Although this hadeeth can be found authenticated in his book 'Saheeh al-Jami as-Sagheer', the Shaykh didn't rely upon this book since it had been in the hands of untrustworthy publishers. The Shaykh never amended the book. However the Shaykh in latter part of his life began a journey to divide the Ahadeeth of 'Saheeh al-Jami as-Sagheer' into a more precise division of hadeeth terminology of 'Saheeh li dhaatihi' ( authentic by itself) and 'Saheeh li ghayreehi' (authentic due to other hadeeth) and 'hasan li dhaatihi' (hasan by itself) and 'hasan li ghayreehi' (hasan due to other hadeeth). This is a colossal task in itself. The Shaykh - may Allah have mercy on him- was sadly unable to complete this work.

The Shaykh commented on the hadeeth after declaring it weak by saying: "how applicable is this hadeeth - even though it is weak - to those kuffar who do not pay any importance to their hereafter, despite them having knowledge of many worldly affairs, Allaah Ta'ala says about them:

<< They know only the outside appearance of the life of the world, and they are heedless of the Hereafter.>>

[ Soorah ar-Rum : 7 ]

Many Muslims have a large percentage of this characteristic in them. Those who spend their days roaming around in the market places, shouting and yelling in those places, and they neglect the obligatory actions and prayers.

<<>Salaat from their stated fixed times, those who do good deeds only to be seen (of men), and refuse Al-Ma'un (small kindnesses)>>

[Soorah Maa'oon : 4-7]

Taken from: 'Silsilah Ahadeeth ad-Da'eefah' no. 2304

All Praise belongs to Allaah, may His peace and blessings be upon our final Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions and all those who follow his guidance.