for sins; they summon the servant to patience, for which he is rewarded, and they impel him to turn back to Allah, to humble himself before Him, and to cease relying on created beings—together with many other great benefits. The calamity itself is what Allah uses to wipe away sins and misdeeds, and that is one of the greatest favors. In this sense, afflictions are mercy and blessing for people at large—unless, because of the trial, a person plunges into sins worse than those he previously committed. In that event the calamity becomes an evil for him inasmuch as it harms his religion. For some people, when tried with poverty, illness, or pain, fall into hypocrisy, panic, spiritual disease, open disbelief, neglect of obligations, or perpetration of what Allah has forbidden; all of which damages their faith. For such a person soundness would have been better than the consequences the calamity produced, though not better than the calamity itself. Conversely, for one whose trial produces patience and obedience, the calamity is a religious blessing. Because the trial comes from the Lord, it is a mercy to creation, and Allah is to be praised for it. Whoever is afflicted and then granted patience finds that patience itself is a grace in his religion; after his sins have been erased he receives mercy, together with his Lord’s commendation, as Allah says: “Upon them are blessings from their Lord and mercy” 1. He attains forgiveness of sins and elevation of rank. Whoever fulfills the obligatory patience obtains all of that.” End of quotation.
Among the divine wisdoms in ordaining calamities is to test the servants when they strike: who will be patient and content, and who will panic and resent. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The magnitude of the reward corresponds to the magnitude of the trial; and when Allah loves a people, He tests them. Whoever is content will have His good pleasure, and whoever is displeased will earn His displeasure.” Al-Tirmidhi transmitted it and declared it sound.
Contentment (riḍā) means that the servant surrenders his affair to Allah, thinks well of Him, and longs for His reward. Displeasure (sakhaṭ) is to loathe what occurs and refuse to accept it—that is, whoever is displeased with Allah concerning what He has decreed will encounter Allah’s displeasure.