WE WILL BE TESTED.
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
“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”.
Just as we need air to breathe, food to fill our tummy, and water to quench our thirst, we also need tests to strengthen our iman. That’s just a well-known but usually forgotten fact in life. Thus, Allah SWT is reminding us of that;
“You will surely be tested.”
Just as teacher would remind his students. “Dalam bulan ini ada kuiz ya”. A good students hearing that would prepared himself. Same goes to a Muslim. Allah said a test is coming, so get ready and brace yourself.
Allah continues by describing the multiple ways that He could’ve test us.
“And We will surely test you with something of fear….”
One of them is through our emotions, specifically on fear. The fear of poverty, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of judgment, fear of death and more. Fear, despite being experienced internally and something that hasn’t even occurred in reality (BENDA BELUM JADI), could really take a toll on us. It could cause us to worry for no good reason, potentially turning us into a state of anxiety. It could coerce us to act irrationally, impulsively, and worst-case scenario, committing something that we will surely regret. Even though, like I said, BENDA BELUM JADI. But would we though? That’s the test. What would we do in a state of fear? Would we succumb to our emotions? Or would we put our trust in Allah?
And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin (Surah Isra’;31).
Next is the ‘loss of lives’. The death of our beloved parents, spouse, close friends and even our innocent child might be one of the most painful experiences in life. But, like it or not, every one of us will experience it, and some of us already have. The pain, the loneliness, the grief, and the emptiness within as we watch our loved ones on their deathbed, saying their final goodbye. That is, if we’re fortunate enough to even have those moments. Because most people don’t. Many loses their loved ones in the blink of an eye. With no last words and no goodbye. One moment you’re with them, and the next thing you know, they’re gone. As we mourn over their death, know that there will come a time when others will mourn over us as our time on earth has also come to an end.
That’s the cycle of life. A test that everyone must endure and face. Even though, frankly speaking, I haven’t yet experienced such a huge loss. Alhamdulillah, on 4 Mac 2025, I still have both of my parents, my spouse, and my baby girl by my side. But only Allah knows how much time we have left together. I pray that Allah SWT gives us the strength and Sabr to face these painful and inevitable moments in life.
These are just some of the trials and challenges in life. They’re countless more. Some are different from others. Yet, all of them bring about the same purpose, which is to acknowledge the humbling fact that,
“We belong to Allah, and to Him we return.” (إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ)
Whatever we think we own in this world, (our wealth, our children) it was never ours to begin with. Cuz we ourselves are Allah’s property. He owns us. Thus, we own nothing. So whatever kind of loss that we experience in this world, Allah SWT is just taking back what is rightfully His. And whatever pain and suffering we had to endure, know that, this life is temporary (so does the pain and suffering), and we will eventually return to Him in Jannah. InsyaAllah. And who knows…This test might be the sole reason that helps us to get there.
Tidak cukup dengan itu. Remember in the previous Juz where we mentioned the love of Allah for his slave is so profound, like no other. Get this, with every مُّصِيبَةٌۭ (musibah) that falls upon us, it might seem like Allah is talking something from us (wealth, fruits, loved ones, food), which again, He has every right to do so. And yet, He never took something from us without replacing it with something else. Something way better. Himself.