“
Allah tests our patience and our fortitude. He tests out strength of faith. be patient and there will endless rewards for you, insha'Allah" - Utaz Badr
”
”
Leila Aboulela (Lyrics Alley)
“
At the same time believers realise that the defects they see in one another are tests from Allah. For this reason they don't call attention to these defects, but compensate for them by acting positively. They carefully avoid the slightest action, facial expression or word that would suggest ridicule
”
”
Harun Yahya
“
In his mercy, He sent the storm itself to make us seek help. And then knowing that we’re likely to get the wrong answer, He gives us a multiple choice exam with only one option to choose from: the correct answer. The hardship itself is ease. By taking away all other hand-holds, all other multiple choice options, He has made the test simple.
It’s never easy to stand when the storm hits. And that’s exactly the point. By sending the wind, He brings us to our knees: the perfect position to pray
”
”
Yasmin Mogahed (Reclaim Your Heart: Personal Insights on Breaking Free from Life's Shackles)
“
At the same time believers realise that the defects they see in one another are tests from Allah. For this reason they don't call attention to these defects, but compensate for them by acting positively. They carefully avoid the slightest action, facial expression or word that would suggest ridicule.
”
”
Harun Yahya
“
So often we think that Allah only tests us with hardships, but this isn’t true. Allah also tests with ease. He tests us with na`im (blessings) and with the things we love, and it is often in these tests that so many of us fail. We fail because when Allah gives us these blessings, we unwittingly turn them into false idols of the heart.
”
”
Yasmin Mogahed (Reclaim Your Heart: Personal Insights on Breaking Free from Life's Shackles)
“
Think for a moment about an emergency siren. What is its purpose? The siren is an indication and a warning that something harmful is coming. If we hear it, we naturally panic. But what happens when they need to test the siren? What happens when it’s just a drill to see how we will react? The test siren sounds exactly the same, but it is “only a test.” Although it looks, sounds, and feels real, it is not. It is only a test. And we’re reminded of that again and again throughout the test. This is exactly what Allah tells us about this life. It is going to look, sound, and feel very, very real. At times it’s going to scare us. At times it’s going to make us cry. At times it’s going to make us flee, instead of standing firm—even more firm—in our places. But this life and everything in it is only a test. It is not actually real. And like that test of the emergency broadcast system; it is training us for what is real.
”
”
Yasmin Mogahed (Reclaim Your Heart)
“
Every Islamic value I had been taught instructed me to put myself last. Life on earth is a test, and if you manage to put yourself last in this life, you are serving Allah; your place will be first in the Hereafter. The more deeply you submit your will, the more virtuous that makes you.
”
”
Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Infidel)
“
If you complain that Allah is testing you too much, you're failing the test.
”
”
Omar Suleiman
“
But human beings are amazing like that. We're resilient. And Allah tests us with the things we love so that we can return to Him and long for His love, not the love of His creation. That was when I realized that this life isn't meant to be perfect. It's a place for test and examination. The true happiness, the true bliss, will be in the afterlife, Akhirah. That's when I hope to taste pure happiness, with no loss, no tears, ever.
”
”
Na'ima B. Robert (She Wore Red Trainers)
“
In Arabic, the word fitna, meaning “hardship,” stems from the word fatanah, which means “to test gold, burn with fire.” Just as gold is heated to extract valuable elements from the useless surrounding material, it is through the fire of our trials that our golden essence is unearthed.
”
”
A. Helwa (Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam)
“
REMEMBER: No matter what happens in your life, if it turns you towards Allah, it is a blessing. Whether Allah is testing you to strengthen you or holding you accountable for a sin you may have committed, the response is the same: turn to Allah and ask for His help and guidance.
”
”
A. Helwa (Secrets of Divine Love Journal: Insightful Reflections that Inspire Hope and Revive Faith)
“
Five reasons why Allah ﷻ puts us through trials: To direct you (He wants us to always return to Him). To inspect you (to test your faith). To protect you (from misguidance). To correct you (from your sins and straying). To perfect you.
”
”
B.B. Abdulla (Timeless Seeds of Advice: The Sayings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ , Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn al-Jawzi and Other Prominent Scholars in Bringing Comfort and Hope to the Soul)
“
You obey, and you serve Allah—that is the test. If you submit to God’s will on earth, you will attain bliss in the Hereafter. The rule is strict and pure. My doubts severely diminished my chances for eternal bliss, but I found that I couldn’t ignore them. I had to resolve this. *
”
”
Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Infidel)
“
Allah did not create man so that he could have fun. The aim of creation was for mankind to be put to the test through hardship and prayer. An Islamic regime must be serious in every field. There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam. There can be no fun and joy in whatever is serious. Islam does not allow swimming in the sea and is opposed to radio and television serials. Islam, however, allows marksmanship, horseback riding and competition.
”
”
Ruhollah Khomeini
“
I thought that perhaps Boqol Sawm was translating the Quran poorly: Surely Allah could not have said that men should beat their wives when they were disobedient? Surely a woman’s statement in court should be worth the same as a man’s? I told myself, “None of these people understands that the real Quran is about true equality. The Quran is higher and better than these men.” I bought my own English edition of the Quran and read it so I could understand it better. But I found that everything Boqol Sawm had said was in there. Women should obey their husbands. Women were worth half a man. Infidels should be killed. I talked to Sister Aziza, and she confirmed it. Women are emotionally stronger than men, she said. They can endure more, so they are tested more. Husbands may punish their wives—not for small infractions, like being late, but for major infractions, like being provocative to other men. This is just, because of the overwhelming sexual power of women. I asked, “What if the man provokes other women?” Sister Aziza said, “In an Islamic society, that’s impossible.” Furthermore,
”
”
Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Infidel)
“
Allah saved him from the grief of the ark, so he pierced natural darkness by what Allah gave
him of divine knowledge, while he did not depart from nature. He tested him with many trials
(9) and gave him experience in many places so that he might realize patience in himself in the
trials Allah gave him.
”
”
Ibn ʿArabi (The Bezels of Wisdom)
“
Grandpa, what do you think, who’s a better creation of Allah’s, woman or man?" Mad winked at me, suggesting he knew the answer and was just testing the old man.
"Woman, my boy. He managed to make woman much more accomplished and better-looking than man. After all, He created Adam first. And whenever you do something for the first time,my boy, you’re bound to make mistakes. You end up with some bits that hang out, some that are protruding, superfluous or missing…You’re bound to do a better job the second time around, especially if you’re God. So it’s obvious that Eve, as His second attempt at creating a human being, has turned out a much better specimen.
”
”
Petra Procházková (Freshta)
“
Why did Allah have to create Shaitan, or God have to create Satan? Why create evil? We were told then—as I was told at home—that it was to test humanity. But why test humanity if you are all-powerful and purely good? Why not just drench humanity in pure goodness, as if in your divine rays? The answer—don't laugh at me—that I have now is this: Evil is precondition to goodness. Goodness reveals itself only in its capacity to tolerate the pettiness and dullness of evil. Goodness has to live with the possibility of evil, not eradicate it. As long as it does so, the evil that confronts goodness stays petty, dull, limited, essentially unimportant. But when goodness wants to become pure and alone, that is when it turns evil, truly evil; not the grubby evil that it has to tolerate in order to be goodness, but Evil itself.
”
”
Tabish Khair (Jihadi Jane)
“
Intuition is that internal eternal tutor that has experienced all but nothing, tests one's knowledge on everything by subjecting them to smilingly complex questions, riddling them with life's perplexities whose answers are never wrong or right, then mocking her student with radical paradoxes and experiences that yet seem real but are merely illusions. There is no greater teacher, Buddha, master... in tuition; serve the one that comes by simply tuning in to one's inner Lord and savior. Say "I Am...". Class dismissed.
”
”
Kayambila Mpulamasaka
“
Au nom d'Allah, le Tout Miséricordieux, le Très Miséricordieux. 1. Par le Jour Montant ! 2. Et par la nuit quand elle couvre tout ! 3. Ton Seigneur ne t'a ni abandonné, ni détesté. 4. La vie dernière t'est, certes, meilleure que la vie présente. 5. Ton Seigneur t'accordera certes [Ses faveurs], et alors tu seras satisfait. 6. Ne t'a-t-Il pas trouvé orphelin ? Alors Il t'a accueilli ! 7. Ne t'a-t-Il pas trouvé égaré ? Alors Il t'a guidé. 8. Ne t'a-t-Il pas trouvé pauvre ? Alors Il t'a enrichi. 9. Quant à l'orphelin, donc, ne le maltraite pas. 10. Quant au demandeur, ne le repousse pas. 11. Et quant au bienfait de ton Seigneur, proclame-le.
”
”
Anonymous (Le Coran)
“
Malcolm had often proudly boasted that a sure sign of NOI conversion was a black man’s ability to look a white man dead in the eyes without flinching. He had tested the faith of acolytes in Harlem by challenging them to attempt it on the job. Many were surprised and ashamed by their reflexive diverting of their eyes in the presence of white supervisors. “The Messenger had told me if you trust in Allah, the devil can do nothing to you,” said Jeremiah. “He will take the fear [off] of you. I never was afraid of those crackers.” Long before encountering Elijah Muhammad—as a child, in fact—Malcolm had been conditioned by his parents with a fearless sense of racial pride, combined with an assured equanimity.
”
”
Les Payne (The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X)
“
Easterners who embrace an authoritarian mindset need to be reminded that religious authorities are not all created equal; some are worth following, and some are not. If the credentials of the leaders are not scrutinized and their messages not weighed, how can one know which should be followed? The Bible encourages us to “test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21 ESV) and warns, “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1 ESV). The question is, Will Easterners have the courage and tenacity to apply the needed tests? This can be challenging because, as Nabeel reminds us, “When authority is derived from position rather than reason, the act of questioning leadership is dangerous because it has the potential to upset the system. Dissension is reprimanded and obedience is rewarded.
”
”
Nabeel Qureshi (Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity)
“
To lay it more bare, look at how the varying faiths interpret the same evidence. Fundamentalist Christians have interpreted earthquakes as punishment from God for giving homosexuals a chance at equal treatment before the law. Fundamentalist Muslims have interpreted earthquakes as warnings from Allah for women dressing immodestly. Some more liberal believers have interpreted these events as having been caused or allowed to happen so as to teach people personal lessons of strength or compassion. Neither can these claims can be verified directly, nor do any of them have utilizable explanatory power. They also follow, and do not lead, belief. Notice, for instance, that the fundamentalists' claims could easily be tested (while the liberals' are exercises in solipsism). Unsurprisingly, however rigorously the tests were done, the fundamentalists' beliefs are unlikely to be shaken. This is how confirmation bias works.
”
”
James Lindsay (Dot, Dot, Dot: Infinity Plus God Equals Folly)
“
Every human has a divine spark veiled by the layers of personality. Whether we call it Allah, Jesus, Elohim, Krishna, or any other name, that spark is the same and we are foolish not to realize our astounding potential. An essential spiritual practice is to observe and witness oneself continuously and compassionately, acknowledging and laughing at foibles and weaknesses while working relentlessly to evolve into higher consciousness. The light of persistent awareness is bound, little by little, to dissolve our false self and bring us closer to our authentic self. We may not become perfect human beings, but that is not the goal. The goal is to become more aligned with our higher self and expand our worldview as we learn to see the Face of God in everyone we meet. Institutions and those who serve institutions cannot be trusted to acknowledge their weaknesses and serve the common good, and we would be wise to emulate the Mulla’s healthy skepticism about their moral leadership. Our human understanding of divine verses, such as those in the Qur’an, can be less than divine. With grace and courage we must work to change or eliminate religious customs and scriptural interpretations that do not meet the test of divine compassion and generosity
”
”
Imam Jamal Rahman (Sacred Laughter of the Sufis: Awakening the Soul with the Mulla's Comic Teaching Stories and Other Islamic Wisdom)
“
To use divine scales - to prefer what Allāh prefers, to set aside what Allāh sets aside, to take as an ally those who Allāh takes as allies, to take as enemies those who Allāh takes as enemies, to give for Allāh, to hold back for Allāh, to love for Allāh, to hate for Allāh, you even smile when it would Please Allāh – this is an affair that cannot be fulfilled except by the mightiest of souls which the purest of hands have tired and exhausted themselves in nurturing, upon a long road and throughout difficult tests that condition the souls. When you condition your soul to withstand the sting of tests and the heat of tribulations, it will then be ready for the path and be obedient to directives.
”
”
عبد الله یوسف عزام (The Scales of Allah)
“
~ Allah determined Arabic to be the language of Islam. ~ A Muslim must perform the five daily prayers in Arabic to be accepted by Allah. ~ The Quran is written in ancient Arabic, and Muslims believe that its meaning transcends translation. ~ After death every Muslim must answer the angel’s questions in Arabic as a test.
”
”
Samya Johnson (The Simple Truth: The Quran and The Bible Side-by-Side)
“
From the perfection of Allah's ihsan is that He allows His slave to taste the bitterness of the break before the sweetness of the mend. He does not break His believing slave, except to mend him. And He does not withhold from him, except to give him. And He does not test him, except to cure him.
”
”
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
“
I said, "Allah wouldn't test us on whether we condemn somebody who became pregnant outside of marriage; He would test us on our hospitality and charity.
”
”
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
“
You’ve been tested.’ He advised me to try and ‘forgive and pardon, and this way seek to become beloved by God’ without my forgiveness being tied to the one who wronged me. ‘This is the Divine remedy,’ he emphasised, ‘remind your ego when it resists. Don’t you love for God to forgive you on the day, too?’
Reflecting on what the Shaykh said, his advice undid a knot in my heart and I resolved to work on my forgiveness purely for the sake of God. The Shaykh also recommended: ‘Be careful about what you pray for in the future.’ He promised to pray for me personally, asking God to send me a Muslim husband who would value and cherish me for who I am. Insha’ Allah!
”
”
Kristiane Backer (From MTV to Mecca: How Islam Inspired My Life)
“
What do you want to write on?”
“On loss and healing, on storms that break you and the faith that fixes you, on the test of letting go of your dreams to accept Allah’s plans for you, ones that may not make sense initially, but always end up benefiting you. I want to explore lessons. I want people to know life was never meant to be easy, and that each of us is fighting a battle at our level. Perfection is a myth, happy is the man who does not let hardships get to him. Who knows in this temporary dunya, no pain and no happiness lasts. The ordeal we tackle is a guiding lamp to find our path to Allah, and our days must be spent between shukr and sabr. Gratitude for what we have, and patience over what we don’t.
”
”
Sarah Mehmood (The White Pigeon)
“
O ne of the most reassuring phases of life is when you’re anticipating justice from Allah. You’ve finished the most difficult test, the ache of what you were put through still visits once in a while, the memories haven’t faded yet but you’re focusing on something bigger, something better. You haven’t yet figured out the entire purpose of the journey but it doesn’t bother you anymore, because your eyes are gazing at the door that is placed right in front of you. You stare and touch it, all these gruesome steps have led you to it. Although you aren’t aware of what lies on the other side, you know Allah can open it any moment and it contains the treasure of your blessings. And you’re certain that your reward is massive, boundless and so amazing that your heart is going to burst in gratitude. You hold on to that hope because your Lord is the Most Just. There’s no other way to recompense what you went through except by filling your hands with so much joy that you no more have a moment to spare at what you lost.
”
”
Sarah Mehmood (The White Pigeon)
“
When we speak of the tests Prophets were put through, we must also remember when their reward came, it was in leaps and bounds. This helps regain balance. Personally, this thought helped me evolve. When I remind myself that this life is a test, it’s not in a hopeless form where I’m doomed, but it is to look at it positively. Allah promised that with every hardship is ease, He repeated this twice. Ever since I read the hadith thatb - on the day of judgment the people who were not tested in this dunya will wish their skins were cut up when they see the rewards for those who were tested - I stopped viewing my trials as rivals against me, and began considering them as opportunities for me.
”
”
Sarah Mehmood (The White Pigeon)
“
While several people faced post-marriage trauma, she took the encounter as a sign that Allah was making her wait now to give her the best later. Allah had reserved for her the world’s treasure, this patience was only a small test she was being put through. The reward ahead would blur the tedious steps leading to it.
”
”
Sarah Mehmood (The White Pigeon)
“
What I know is that if Allah put you through a test, He will reward you for it, even if the reward at the moment isn’t apparent. You may feel you lost the best, but wait till Allah recompenses. This would be a minor impediment, a drop in exchange to the oceans of blessings it’ll lead to, in sha Allah.
”
”
Sarah Mehmood (The White Pigeon)
“
Most of life’s actions are to test our reaction, whether we treat our scars as a map that brings us closer to Allah, or allow them to drift us from Him.
”
”
Sarah Mehmood (The White Pigeon)
“
Endure the trials from our Lord with patience and obedience. Realize that our All-Powerful Creator made us in order to test us. Affirm that the trial could never have been avoided. Keep in mind that all our statements and actions are being recorded. Plead to Allah for the relief of burdens and recovery from losses. Continue to worship Him alone, without partners.
”
”
Shaykh Saalih Aal Shaykh (The Never-Ending Trials of Life: Islamic Guidance Derived from a Brief Thematic Study of Soorah al-'Ankaboot)
“
While certain aspects of personality are genetic, experience and the choices that we make also shape who we are. As mentioned earlier, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) created humans with the potential for both good and evil. The test for every human being is to choose which of these characteristics we will support and develop, and which we will attempt to control or eliminate.
”
”
Aisha Utz (Psychology from the Islamic Perspective)
“
No matter what the difficulties we're going through,know that we are fully capable of handling them. Remember Allah promises that he will never test us with more than we can handle. Stay strong. Keep praying. Put your trust in him. In'sha Allah He'll paves the way!
”
”
Syedhamzamallik
“
With this much background, the reader should now be able to grasp that the "extravagant metaphors" in love poets like Vidal, Sordello, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Donne, etc., are often not a matter of flattering the lady but serious statements of a philosophy which runs directly counter to the basic assumptions of our anal-patriarchal culture. Specifically, the repeated, perfectly clear identifications of the poet's mistress with a goddess are part of the mental set, or ritual, connected with this cult. Tibetan teachers train disciples of Tantra to think of the female partner as being literally, not metaphorically, the goddess Shakti, divine partner of Shiva. The Sufis, working within the monotheistic patriarchy of Islam, could not emulate this, but made her an angel communicating between Allah and man. The witch covens made her the great mother goddess. Aleister Crowley's secret teachings, in our own century, instructed his pupils to envision her as the Egyptian star-goddess, Nuit.
”
”
Robert Anton Wilson (Coincidance: A Head Test)
“
In the realm of Maya's veil,
Where illusions dance and sway,
Ram and Krishna, wise and true,
Saw through the world's ephemeral hue.
Allah, the All-Merciful, proclaimed,
"This mortal stage, a fleeting game,
Where egos strut and passions flare,
A testing ground, a soul's repair."
Muhammad, the Prophet of Light,
Expounded on the material plight,
A transient realm, a fragile guise,
Where true treasures lie beyond the skies.
Oh, heed their words, their wisdom deep,
And seek the essence, the soul to keep,
For in the depths of spirit's embrace,
Lies true reality, time's endless chase.
”
”
Aiyaz Uddin (The Inward Journey)
“
We experience loss or “little deaths” throughout our lives as a means of reminding us that nothing on this Earth is forever. Only Allah is eternal. Everything here will one day return to Him. As the Qur’an says, “And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives, and fruits, but give glad tidings to the patient” (2:155). We are mere sandcastles near a rising shore, and it’s only a matter of time before the ocean of unity pulls us back into its embrace.
”
”
A. Helwa (Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam (Studying Qur'an & Hadith Book 2))
“
155. We will certainly test you with some fear and hunger, and some loss of possessions and lives and crops. But give good news to the steadfast. 156. Those who, when a calamity afflicts them, say, "To Allah we belong, and to Him we will return.
”
”
Talal Itani (Quran: English Translation. Clear, Pure, Easy to Read, in Modern English.)
“
Then, in 1933, a follower named Elijah Poole took over an obscure sectarian offshoot of the Moorish-American Science Temple called the Nation of Islam. From its pulpits he preached a millennialist version of Garvey’s black Genesis. White Caucasians were a “degenerate race,” he announced, to whom God had given six thousand years of domination in order to test the strength and endurance of His black children, the true chosen people. However, the end of this Babylonian Captivity was at hand. The Caucasian white devils and their satanic religion, Christianity, were about to disappear forever. Poole changed his name to Elijah Mohammed and rapidly expanded the Nation of Islam’s membership. He preached that God, Allah Himself, was a black man, “the Supreme Being among a mighty nation of divine black men,” while the Negro was “the first and the last, maker and owner of the universe.”68
”
”
Arthur Herman (The Idea of Decline in Western History)
“
A horrible year in which faith was tested and justice was betrayed transitioned into a new year, one filled with the joyful and tangible rebirth of love, justice, faith, and, as Allah willed it, salaam. Peace.
”
”
Mark M. Bello (Betrayal of Justice (Zachary Blake Betrayal, #2))
“
Fiecare valoare islamica ce mi se insuflase ma invatase ca eu sa fiu ultima in lista prioritatilor. Viata pe pamant este un test si, daca reusesti sa nu-ti acorzi importanta in viata asta, il servesti pe Allah; si astfel vei avea intaietate in viata de apoi. Cu cat iti suprimai mai mult dorintele, cu atat mai virtuos deveneai. Dar Johanna, Ellen si toti ceilalti din Olanda pareau sa creada ca era firesc sa-ti cauti fericirea pe pamant, aici si acum.
”
”
Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Infidel)
“
Allah tests people in the world to distinguish the ones who believe in Him from those who don’t, and to determine which of the believers are best in their behaviour. Therefore, it is not enough for an individual to say “I believe”. As long as one lives, his faith and devotion to Allah, his perseverance in religion, in short, his steadfastness in being a servant of Allah are tested in specially created conditions and environments. Allah states this truth in the following verse: He created death and life to test which of you acquitted himself best. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving. (Surat al-Mulk: 2)
”
”
Harun Yahya (Understanding Islam - Quick Grasp of Faith)
“
Allah does not always open Its Jamal. The Murid's assignment is to unite the Jalal and the Jamal. These two are projected from, and absorbed back into, the black nothingness called Allah's Kamal - a state of invisible, neuter, annihilation. Jalal is Allah's power, force and strength. It often manifests as trials and tests for the Murid. Jamal is Allah's sweetness, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness. Kamal is the whispered breath of nonexistence.
”
”
Laurence Galian (The Sun at Midnight: The Revealed Mysteries of the Ahlul Bayt Sufis)
“
Some people argue that why Allah despite being most merciful, does not end suffering and evil. Charles Darwin also had problem with understanding why there is evil. We know Allah by His attributes, which are informed to us by the divine scriptures. Even if one does not believe in the divine scriptures, one has to refer to the scriptures to understand the religious viewpoint. Allah is merciful as well as just and He is consistent in His attributes. The hardships people go through in this world are not necessarily a punishment in response to disobedience only. The blessings that we enjoy in this world are also not necessarily in response to virtuous actions alone. The endowment inequality in this world is a way to test thankfulness and patience in us. The test concerns the choices we make with free will and Allah will reward the quality of actions and sincerity of intentions in afterlife.
”
”
Salman Ahmed Shaikh (Reflections on the Origins in the Post COVID-19 World)
“
As per the faith of Islam, human beings are created for a test by Allah and we live in His universe under finely tuned life-supporting systems. Our success in this test depends on moral excellence in matters involving free will. The nature of the test examines human actions made with free will. The wish to see absolute justice around us and to achieve everlasting happiness would be possible in afterlife provided we use our free will in choosing moral actions in this life. Success in this test is possible even for those who suffered injustice throughout their lives. Failure is also possible for the richest, powerful and outlaws who nonetheless might be able to evade law enforcement all their lives in this world.
”
”
Salman Ahmed Shaikh (Reflections on the Origins in the Post COVID-19 World)
“
It is ignorance if, when Allah afflicts someone by what gives him pain, he does not call
on Allah to remove that painful matter from him. The one who has realization must
supplicate and ask Allah to remove that from him. For that gnostic who possesses unveiling,
that removal comes from the presence of Allah. Allah describes Himself as "hurt", so He
said, "those who hurt Allah and His Messenger." (33:57) What hurt is greater than that Allah
test you with affliction in your heedlessness of Him or a divine station which you do not
know so that you return to Him with your complaint so that He can remove it from you?
Thus the need which is your reality will be proven. The hurt is removed from Allah by your
asking Him to repel it from you, since you are His manifest form.
”
”
Ibn ʿArabi (The Bezels of Wisdom)
“
One of the gnostics was hungry and wept. Someone who had no tasting (dhawq) in that area
censured him for that. The gnostic said, "But Allah makes me hungry so that I might weep.
He tests me by affliction so that I might ask Him to remove it from me. This does not lessen
my being patient." We know that patience is holding the self back from complaint to other-
than-Allah.
”
”
Ibn ʿArabi (The Bezels of Wisdom)
“
Let’s take a look at three key ways in which science and faith differ in their methods of arriving at the truth. First, science relies on evidence. No matter how elegant or beautiful an idea might be, science will discard it mercilessly if it isn’t backed up by nature and its laws: it simply must stand up to the scrutiny of experiment. On the other hand, faith—by definition—is belief in the absence of evidence. When there is evidence, it isn’t called “faith”; it’s called “knowledge.” You don’t have “faith” that the chair you’re sitting on exists; you know it does, and you can physically demonstrate its existence. In this way, faith quite literally means to unquestioningly believe—and even revere—rumors and hearsay, usually from centuries past. Second, any scientific inquiry must start with the assumption that it could be wrong. Falsifiability—the ability of a proposition to be proven false—is a necessary component of the scientific method, which begins with a hypothesis, tests it via experiment, and either verifies or nullifies it based on the evidence. Faith, in contrast, begins with a definitive conclusion believed to be correct—such as “Jesus is the son of God” or “Muhammad is Allah’s messenger”—and then works backward, cherry picking pieces of evidence (or perceived evidence) in an attempt to support it. This preconceived conclusion is most often accepted on the authority of men who died over a thousand years ago, or the books they left behind. In essence, science poses questions before attempting to provide answers, whereas faith provides answers that it deems unquestionable. Third, science is not only open to but also thrives on innovation and modification. Faith—particularly Abrahamic faith—is fundamentally characterized by infallibility, divinity, and the immutability of its holy texts. Those who challenge or modify these precepts are called blasphemers, heretics, or apostates, and have paid in horrific ways for their digressions throughout history. On the other hand, critical scrutiny and skepticism are key components that lie at the very heart of science. They are welcomed.
”
”
Ali A. Rizvi (The Atheist Muslim: A Journey from Religion to Reason)
“
Intuition is that internal tutor that has experienced all but nothing, tests one's knowledge by subjecting them to smilingly complex situations, riddling with life's perplexities whose answers are never wrong or right, then mocking her student with radical paradoxes and experiences that yet seem real but are merely illusions. There is no greater teacher, Buddha or master in tuition; serve the one that comes by simply tuning in to one's inner lord and tutor. Say "I Am"... Class dismissed.
”
”
אני קאיה
“
The beauty of the tests Allah (set) is that after notifying us that they're coming, He gives us the exact recipe for succeeding in them: Sabr (patience) and Taqwa (God-consciousness)
”
”
Yasmin Mogahed (Reclaim Your Heart: Personal Insights on Breaking Free from Life's Shackles)
“
know that your wealth and your children are only a test and that with Allah is a great reward.
”
”
Mustafa Khattab (The Clear Quran : A Thematic English Translation : English Only)
“
The love of neighbor, whom we see, is the test of our love of God, whom we do not see (see 1 John 4:20). Not to love the neighbor means not to know God and not to love God and therefore not to worship God. The fifth-century church father Augustine, one of the most influential Christian theologians ever, put it well: “Whosoever therefore violates charity, let him say what he will with his tongue”—let him have all proper beliefs about Christ and God—he still denies Christ and “acts against God.
”
”
Miroslav Volf (Allah: A Christian Response)
“
Bir de tahtla Süleyman buluştu mu artık insan hep O'nu düşünür, iç mülâhazalarında O'nunla hasbıhal eder, yudumladığı suda, çiğnediği yemekte, teneffüs ettiği havada gayet açık ve net olarak hep O'nun teveccühlerini duyar; O'nun yakınlığının sıcaklığıyla oturur kalkar. Kurbet-sevgi arası gel-gitler münasebeti daha da kızışır ve sinesi ocaklar gibi yanmaya başlar. Yer yer aşk u muhabbetle alevlenir, zaman zaman vuslat iştiyakıyla yanar tutuşur; ne var ki, aşkını da, iştiyakını da O'ndan gelen bir armağan bilir ve kat'iyen gam izhar eylemez; gam izhar edip ağyarı âhından âgâh eylemez. İçten içe fırınlar gibi yanar; fakat, ne alev çıkarır ne de duman.. namus gibi saklar aşk u iştiyakını ve sır vermez halden anlamayan nâdanlara.
Bu yol herkese açık olsa da yolcunun samimi ve kararlı olması şarttır. Herhangi bir mü'min bütün cemallerin, kemallerin, azametlerin, ululukların, ihtişamların, ihtişam üstü ihtişamların O'na ait olduğunu görüp hissedebildiği takdirde bütün bu vesilelerin gönülde hâsıl ettiği alâka, muhabbet ve iştiyakla O'na yönelir ve O'nu zatına münasip bir sevgiyle sever ki işte bu tutku -ve tabir yerindeyse- bu sevda O'nadır ve tevhid edalı bir aşk u iştiyak kaynağıdır. Zaten, tevhide kilitli ve İslâmî esaslara bağlı bir sinede sevgi inhirafı da düşünülemez.. ve hele asla muhabbet kaymaları olmaz ve olamaz. Bir muvahhid O'nu O olduğu için sever ve sevgisini de dünyevî-uhrevî hiçbir mülâhazaya bağlamaz. O, her zaman gönlünde köpürüp duran sevgi fevvarelerini, aşk u iştiyak çağlayanlarını Kur'ân'la, Hazreti Ruh-u Seyyidi'l-Enâm (aleyhi ekmelü't-tehâyâ)'nın vaz'ettiği düsturlarla filtre ve test eder ve bunları insanî heyecanlarla yürüdüğü yollarda birer bariyer gibi kullanır, aşk ateşiyle cayır cayır yandığı zamanlarda bile hep istikamet soluklar; O'nu her şeyin gerçek mâliki, sahibi, görüp gözeteni, esmasıyla mâlum, sıfatlarıyla muhat bir Zât olarak kendine has münezzehiyeti, mukaddesiyeti, mübecceliyeti içinde derin bir aşkla sever; severken de kat'iyen şatahat ve laubaliliğe girmez.
Muvahhid mü'min, her şeyden evvel, her şeyden sonra, her şeyin önünde, her şeyin arkasında mutlak Mahbub, mutlak Maksud, mutlak Mâbud olarak Allah'a dilbeste olur; O'nu diler ve her haliyle O'nun kulu olduğunu haykırır; sonra da O'ndan ötürü, başta İnsanlığın İftihar Tablosu olmak üzere -ki O, Hakk'ın matmah-ı nazarı, memur-u sadığı, Zât, sıfât ve isimlerinin yanıltmayan tercümanı, divan-ı nübüvvetin hâtemi, risaletin özü, usaresi olması itibarıyla O'nun hatırına sevilenlerin başında gelir- bütün nebileri, velileri, O'nun saflardan saf berrak aynaları, daire-i ulûhiyetin has bendeleri olmaları ve O'nun maksatlarını takip ve temsil etmeleri, dahası hilâfet-i tâmme unvanıyla dünyanın imar, tanzim ve dizaynına nezarette bulunmaları yönüyle; gençliği, şu fâni hayatı tam duyup değerlendirebilme adına Hak tarafından insanlara avans mahiyetinde bahşedilmiş bir parametre olması cihetiyle; bu âlemi, O'nun güzel isimlerinin bir tecelligâhı ve sıfât-ı sübhâniye tezahürlerinin meşheri, öteki dünyaların da bir mezraası olması açısından; anne-babaları, birer şefkat ve merhamet kahramanı olarak evlâtlarının bakım ve görümünü yüklenmeleri, evlâtları da ebeveynlerini görüp gözetme hissiyle onlara gönülden yakınlık duymaları mülâhazasıyla... sever ki bunlar Allah'a karşı samimi alâka duymanın birer ifadesi olarak değerlendirilebilir ve Allah'tan ötürü bir sevgi sayılabilir.
”
”
M. Fethullah Gülen (Örnekleri Kendinden Bir Hareket)
“
Allah’s tests are not punishments but invitations... an invitation to grow, to trust, and to return to Him with a heart refined by struggle.
”
”
Alex Shaikh