Saying: Allah has not afflicted you except because He loves you

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. What is the ruling on a person saying to his afflicted brother, "Allah has not afflicted you except because He loves you"? Is this phrase correct?

Answer:
How does he know? The affliction may be for love, as in the hadith , or it may be for expiation, the expiation of sins, or it may be for punishment, where Allah punishes him for his sins. To assert with certainty that this is for the sake of Allah's love is not what should be done. But he may express hope, saying, "I hope that Allah loves you," or "I hope that Allah has not afflicted you except because He loves you." Expressing hope is fine, but asserting it with certainty is not.