Intentions of Affliction

  • 1 Allah will forgive my sins

    Abu Sa'id and Abu Hurairah ( May Allah be pleased with them ) reported that the Prophet ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) said:

    "Never a believer is stricken with a discomfort, an illness, an anxiety, a grief or mental worry or even the pricking of a thorn but Allah will expiate his sins on account of his patience".

    [ Al-Bukhari and Muslim ].

  • 2 I will be rewarded without limits

    Allah said ( interpretation of the meaning ):

    { Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account [i.e., limit]." }

    Quran ( 39 : 10 )


    Imam Baghawi said: " every obedient slave will have his reward in full. Yet, the patient will have his reward without limits."

  • 3 This certitude in the decree of Allah entails good consequences, even though this trial seems hard

    Abu Yahya Suhaib bin Sinan ( May Allah be pleased with him ) reported that: The Messenger of Allah ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) said,

    "How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him".

    [ Muslim ].

  • 4 The believer must return sincerely to Allah and supplicate him, especially in case of trials.

    Allah said ( interpretation of the meaning ):

    { And We have already sent [messengers] to nations before you, [O Muḥammad]; then We seized them with poverty and hardship that perhaps they might humble themselves [to Us]. }

    Quran ( 6 : 42 )

  • 5 Allah wants to do good to me

    Narrated Abu Huraira ( May Allah be pleased with him ): Allah's Messenger ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) said,

    "If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials."

    [ al-Bukhari ]

  • 6 Allah will give me better than what he took from me.

    Umm Salamah ( May Allah be pleased with her ) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) saying,

    "When a person suffers from a calamity and utters: 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un. Allahumma ujurni fi musibati, wakhluf li khairan minha (We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. O Allah! Compensate me in my affliction, recompense my loss and give me something better in exchange for it), then Allah surely compensates him with reward and better substitute." Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: When Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him) died, I repeated the same supplication as the Messenger of Allah (( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) ) had commanded me (to do). So Allah bestowed upon me a better substitute than him (I was married to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) ).

  • 7 Allah will give me better than what he took from me.

    Umm Salamah ( May Allah be pleased with her ) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) saying,

    "When a person suffers from a calamity and utters: 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un. Allahumma ujurni fi musibati, wakhluf li khairan minha (We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. O Allah! Compensate me in my affliction, recompense my loss and give me something better in exchange for it), then Allah surely compensates him with reward and better substitute." Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: When Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him) died, I repeated the same supplication as the Messenger of Allah (( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) ) had commanded me (to do). So Allah bestowed upon me a better substitute than him (I was married to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) ).


    [ Muslim ].

  • 8 I will receive the best gift from Allah that is endurance.

    Abu Sa'id al-Khudri ( May Allah be pleased with him ) reported that some people from among the Ansar begged from the Messenger of Allah ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) and he gave them. They again begged him and he again gave them, till when what was in his possession was exhausted, he said:

    Whatever good (riches, goods) I have, I will not withhold it from you. He who refrains from begging Allah safeguards him against want. and he who seeks sufficiency, Allah would keep him in a state of sufficiency; and he who shows endurance. Allah would grant him power to endure, and none is blessed with an endowment better and greater than endurance.

    [ Muslim ]

  • 9 I am following the path of the Prophets

    It was narrated from Mus'ab bin Sa'd that his father, Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas ( May Allah be pleased with him ), said:

    "I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, which people are most severely tested?' He ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) said: 'The Prophets, then the next best and the next best. A person is tested according to his religious commitment. If he is steadfast in his religious commitment, he will be tested more severely, and if he is frail in his religious commitment, his test will be according to his commitment. Trials will continue to afflict a person until they leave him walking on the earth with no sin on him.'"

    [ Sunan Ibn Majah ]

  • 10 Allah pardons all my sins so that I will return [free from sin] as on the day my mother bore me.

    Narrated Abu Huraira ( May Allah be pleased with him ): Allah's Messenger ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) said,

    "whoever falls ill even for one night but he patiently endured the pain and is pleased with Allah, he will return [free from sin] as on the day his mother bore him."

  • 11 I will be admitted into the Paradise .

    'Ata' bin Abu Rabah reported:

    Ibn 'Abbas ( May Allah be pleased with them ) asked him whether he would like that he should show him a woman who is from the people of Jannah. When he replied that he certainly would, he said, "This black woman, who came to the Prophet ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) and said, 'I suffer from epilepsy, and during fits my body is exposed, so make supplication to Allah for me.' He ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) replied: 'If you wish you endure it patiently and you will be rewarded with Jannah, or if you wish, I shall make supplication to Allah to cure you?' She said, 'I shall endure it.' Then she added: 'But my body is exposed, so pray to Allah that it may not happen.' He (Prophet ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him )) then supplicated for her".

    [ Al-Bukhari and Muslim ].

  • 12 I will meet Allah with no sin.

    Abu Hurairah ( May Allah be pleased with him ) reported: The Messenger of Allah (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) said,

    "A Muslim, male or female, continues to remain under trial in respect of his life, property and offspring until he faces Allah, the Exalted, with no sin record".

    [ At- Tirmidhi ]

  • 13 I apply the instructions of Allah.

    Allah said ( interpretation of the meaning ):

    { O you who have believed, persevere1 and endure2 and remain stationed3 and fear Allāh that you may be successful. }

    Quran ( 3 : 200 )

  • 14 I want to be one of the rightly guided .

    Allah said ( interpretation of the meaning ):

    { And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allāh, and indeed to Him we will return." Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided. }

    Quran ( 2 : 155 - 157 )

  • 15 Allah will give me my reward without limits.

    Allah said ( interpretation of the meaning ):

    { Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account [i.e., limit]." }

    Quran ( 39 : 10 )

  • 16 Allah will support me.

    Allah said ( interpretation of the meaning ):

    { O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allāh is with the patient. }

    Quran ( 2 : 153 )

  • 17 Allah will mention me to those near him

    Allah said ( interpretation of the meaning ):

    { And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allāh, and indeed to Him we will return." Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided. }

    Quran ( 2 : 155- 157 )

  • 18 I will attain the mercy of Allah

    Allah said ( interpretation of the meaning ):

    { And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allāh, and indeed to Him we will return." Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided. }

    Quran ( 2 : 155- 157 )

  • 19 I will attain the forgiveness of my Lord and the great reward

    Allah said ( interpretation of the meaning ):

    { Except for those who are patient and do righteous deeds; those will have forgiveness and great reward. }

    Quran ( 11 : 11 )

  • 20 I will attain the love of Allah

    Allah said ( interpretation of the meaning ):

    { And Allāh loves the steadfast. }

    Quran ( 3 : 146 )

  • 21 Allah will elevate my rank and allow me to reach the ranks of the honorable slaves in the Paradise.

    The Messenger of Allah ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) said:

    " When Allah has previously decreed for a servant a rank which he has not attained by his action, He afflicts him in his body, or his property or his children. Abu Dawud said: Ibn Nufail added in his version: "He then enables him to endure that." The agreed version goes: "So that He may bring him to the rank previously decreed from him by Allah."

  • 22 I will increase in certitude that Allah decrees what rectifies my faith.

    Allah is more acquainted with me than myself. Therefore, I must submit to his decree and endure it patiently.

    Allah said ( interpretation of the meaning ):

    { But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allāh knows, while you know not. }

    Quran ( 2 : 216 )

  • 23 I am seeking the pleasure of Allah

    My contentment with the decree of Allah entails that Allah will be pleased with me.

    Anas ( May Allah be pleased with him ) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) said:

    "When Allah wants good for his slave, He hastens his punishment in the world. And when He wants bad for His slave, He withholds his sins from him until he appears before Him on the Day of Judgement." And with this (same) chain, (it was reported) from the Prophet ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) who said: "Indeed greater reward comes with greater trial. And indeed, when Allah loves a people He subjects them to trials, so whoever is content, then for him is pleasure, and whoever is discontent, then for him is wrath."

    Jami` [ at-Tirmidhi ]

  • 24 I will increase in certitude that Allah loves me

    Anas ( May Allah be pleased with him ) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) said:

    "When Allah wants good for his slave, He hastens his punishment in the world. And when He wants bad for His slave, He withholds his sins from him until he appears before Him on the Day of Judgement." And with this (same) chain, (it was reported) from the Prophet ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) who said: "Indeed greater reward comes with greater trial. And indeed, when Allah loves a people He subjects them to trials, so whoever is content, then for him is pleasure, and whoever is discontent, then for him is wrath."

    Jami` [ at-Tirmidhi ]

  • 25 I will obtain the reward that is worthy of envy on the day of resurrection.

    Jabir ( May Allah be pleased with him ) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) said:

    "On the day of resurrection, when people who have suffered affliction are given their reward, those who are healthy will wish their skins had been cut to pieces with scissors when they were in the world."

    [ at- Tirmidhi ]

  • 26 Trials hasten the punishment. So that I will not be punished in the Hereafter.

    There is no doubt that a servant is not free from sin; No one has never sinned, and no one does only the righteous deeds. 

    Anas ( May Allah be pleased with him ) reported that: The Messenger of Allah ( May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him ) said,

    "When Allah intends good for His slave, He punishes him in this world, but when He intends an evil for His slave, He does not hasten to take him to task but calls him to account on the Day of Resurrection."

    [At-Tirmidhi ]

  • cards