A lesson from al-Mundhiri’s *al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib*, from the Book of Funerals, Chapter: “Encouraging Patience, Especially for One Who Is Afflicted in Himself or His Wealth”

The Shaykh : The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: And from Mus'ab ibn Sa'd from his father (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, which people are the most severely tested?” He said: It was narrated by Ibn Majah, Ibn Abi al-Dunya, and al-Tirmidhi, who said: It is a good, authentic hadith.
And in Ibn Hibban’s *Sahih*, from the narration of al-'Ala' ibn al-Musayyib from his father from Sa'd, it is said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked, “Which people are the most severely tested?” He said: . In this hadith—which is from the narration of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him)—it is made clear that the testing of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) of His believing servant is a mercy that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) presents to His believing servant. And all people, the believers, are tested according to the measure of their religion. If his religion is strong and firm, the trial directed at him is also much and strong, according to that strong, firm religion. This is because the more the trial, the more the reward, and the less the trial, the less the reward. Thus, the trial, in its abundance or scarcity, is linked to the reward, in its abundance or scarcity. Therefore, he (peace and blessings be upon him) explicitly states: “We, the prophets, are the most severely tested, the next in rank, then the next.” That is to say: the more a prophet is excellent in the sight of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) compared to others, the more the testing of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) of him is increased and increased.
From this, we understand that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was the most tested of the prophets by Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), due to what the hadith indicated, or rather explicitly stated, that the Muslim servant continues to be tested until he walks upon the earth with no sin upon him. And the Muslim takes a lesson from this hadith that if he is afflicted with something that distresses and saddens him, he should remember that this trial from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is a reward He presents to him. Therefore, he does not become weary or restless from any trial that befalls him, because he knows and keeps in mind that the counterpart of this trial by which Allah has tested him is a great reward with his Lord (Mighty and Majestic). His affair is not like the affair of the open sinner or the disbeliever, whose nature it is that if he is afflicted with a trial in himself or in his beloved, he complains and increases in sin and disbelief. The Muslim is not like that, as this hadith and others, both preceding and following, indicate.
And on this basis, we can consider this hadith and its like from the hadiths that protect the believer from falling into disbelief and the like because of the trial. You may remember in a previous lesson the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): .