When does a servant know that a trial is a test or a punishment?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
May Allah reward you. Another questioner asks: What is the difference between a trial and a punishment?
Answer:
A trial can be a punishment, an expiation for sins, or a raising in rank. As for punishment, it is a penalty for a sin or a transgression. For the Muslim, Allah expiates his sins through the calamities that befall him; there is good for him in them. As for the disbeliever, he is given enjoyment and blessings and is lured on. As for the believer, Allah alerts him through these calamities so that he turns back to Allah the Exalted. Yes.
May Allah reward you. Another questioner asks: What is the difference between a trial and a punishment?
Answer:
A trial can be a punishment, an expiation for sins, or a raising in rank. As for punishment, it is a penalty for a sin or a transgression. For the Muslim, Allah expiates his sins through the calamities that befall him; there is good for him in them. As for the disbeliever, he is given enjoyment and blessings and is lured on. As for the believer, Allah alerts him through these calamities so that he turns back to Allah the Exalted. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 2213 - متى يعرف العبد أن البلاء امتحان أو عذاب؟ - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.