The short answer
The Quran says life itself was created as a test "which of you is best in deed". Trials reveal true faith, purify believers, wipe away sins and raise ranks. The Prophet ﷺ said the most severely tested people are the prophets, so hardship is not proof that Allah is displeased with you.
Life is a test by design. Allah "created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed" 1.
Is it punishment? Sometimes a hardship is a consequence of our own sins: "whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much" 2. Even then, as the hadith below show, the hardship itself wipes sins away.
Faith is proven, not just claimed. "Do the people think that they will be left to say, 'We believe' and they will not be tried?" Allah tested those before us, so that the truthful are made evident 3. Even earlier believers were "shaken" until they asked, "When is the help of Allah?", and the answer came: "Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near" 4.
The best are tested most. Asked who faces the hardest trials, the Prophet ﷺ said, "The Prophets, then those nearest to them, then those nearest to them", and that a person is tested according to the strength of his religion, "until he is left walking upon the earth without any sins" 5. He also said, "If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials" 6.
Trials clean us and lift us. Whatever troubles a believer, from the prick of a thorn to anything greater, "Allah elevates him in rank or effaces his sins because of that" 7. Allah also says the changing days of victory and loss happen "that Allah may purify the believers" 8.
This does not mean every hardship has a reason we can see, or that we should seek out suffering. It means your pain is never wasted. Ask Allah for well-being, take the means to ease your situation, and when hardship comes anyway, hold on to these promises.
Allah created death and life to test which of you is best in deed.
ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ وَٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ لِيَبۡلُوَكُمۡ أَيُّكُمۡ أَحۡسَنُ عَمَلࣰ اۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٢
[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving
Whatever disaster strikes you is for what your hands have earned, and Allah pardons much.
وَمَآ أَصَٰبَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةࣲ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتۡ أَيۡدِيكُمۡ وَيَعۡفُواْ عَن كَثِيرࣲ ٣٠
And whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much
People will not be left to say "we believe" without being tested, as those before them were.
أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتۡرَكُوٓاْ أَن يَقُولُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمۡ لَا يُفۡتَنُونَ ٢ وَلَقَدۡ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۖ فَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱلۡكَٰذِبِينَ ٣
2 Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried 3 But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars
Earlier believers were shaken by hardship, and Allah's help is near.
أَمۡ حَسِبۡتُمۡ أَن تَدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأۡتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوۡاْ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۖ مَّسَّتۡهُمُ ٱلۡبَأۡسَآءُ وَٱلضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلۡزِلُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥ مَتَىٰ نَصۡرُ ٱللَّهِۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ نَصۡرَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبࣱ ٢١٤
Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, "When is the help of Allah?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near
Prophets are tested most severely, then those nearest to them; trials continue until one is free of sin.
Mus'ab bin Sa'd narrated from his father that a man said:"O Messenger of Allah(s.a.w)! Which of the people is tried most severely?" He said: "The Prophets, then those nearest to them, then those nearest to them. A man is tried according to his religion; if he is firm in his religion, then his trials are more severe, and if he is frail in his religion, then he is tried according to the strength of his religion. The servant shall continue to be tried until he is left walking upon the earth without any sins
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ بَهْدَلَةَ، عَنْ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ النَّاسِ أَشَدُّ بَلاَءً قَالَ " الأَنْبِيَاءُ ثُمَّ الأَمْثَلُ فَالأَمْثَلُ فَيُبْتَلَى الرَّجُلُ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ فَإِنْ كَانَ دِينُهُ صُلْبًا اشْتَدَّ بَلاَؤُهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي دِينِهِ رِقَّةٌ ابْتُلِيَ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ فَمَا يَبْرَحُ الْبَلاَءُ بِالْعَبْدِ حَتَّى يَتْرُكَهُ يَمْشِي عَلَى الأَرْضِ مَا عَلَيْهِ خَطِيئَةٌ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَأُخْتِ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ الْيَمَانِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سُئِلَ أَيُّ النَّاسِ أَشَدُّ بَلَاءً قَالَ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلُ فَالْأَمْثَلُ
If Allah wants good for someone, He afflicts him with trials.
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي صَعْصَعَةَ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَعِيدَ بْنَ يَسَارٍ أَبَا الْحُبَابِ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُصِبْ مِنْهُ ".
Even a thorn's prick or more raises a believer in rank or wipes away his sins.
A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:A believer does not receive (the trouble) of running a thorn or more than that but Allah elevates him in rank or effaces his sins because of that
وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُمَا ح وَحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَا يُصِيبُ الْمُؤْمِنَ مِنْ شَوْكَةٍ فَمَا فَوْقَهَا إِلاَّ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً أَوْ حَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً " .
Days of victory and loss alternate so that Allah may make believers evident and purify them.
إِن يَمۡسَسۡكُمۡ قَرۡحࣱ فَقَدۡ مَسَّ ٱلۡقَوۡمَ قَرۡحࣱ مِّثۡلُهُۥۚ وَتِلۡكَ ٱلۡأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعۡلَمَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنكُمۡ شُهَدَآءَۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ١٤٠ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَيَمۡحَقَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ١٤١
140 If a wound should touch you - there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people so that Allah may make evident those who believe and [may] take to Himself from among you martyrs - and Allah does not like the wrongdoers 141 And that Allah may purify the believers [through trials] and destroy the disbelievers
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24