What is the criterion for distinguishing between trial and punishment?

The questioner : I want the criterion between trial and punishment.

The Shaykh : Between trial and punishment, you want a criterion that every person can understand?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : There is no way to do that if our Lord says in the Noble Qur'an A man may be given wealth as a trial for him and as a punishment for him, or he may be given wealth as an honor for him and not as a punishment for him. But we have no way of knowing whether it is of the first category or the second category except after a period of time. If he uses this wealth in obedience to Allah and in doing good to the servants of Allah, the effect of this trial will appear to have been good, and the opposite is the opposite. And like this question are many questions today, so I think they are a luxury of knowledge. Do you know what a luxury of knowledge is? It is like a luxury of wealth, meaning something extra that may harm him. Therefore, we advise our brothers to ask about what benefits you, about what concerns you personally, and this is what concerns you personally, and so on. So now, if you know the criterion for distinguishing punishment from what did you say?

The questioner : From the trial.

The Shaykh : No.

The questioner : The criterion between punishment and trial.

The Shaykh : Ah, the trial. I said it includes good and evil by the text of the verse. So if we suppose you know that this is a trial with good and not a punishment, and this is a trial with evil, then it is a punishment. What follows from that—may Allah have mercy on you—do you feel that something practical follows for you, for example, or as I said earlier, it is a luxury of knowledge? In any case, can I understand why you ask such a question? It just came to mind, I mean.

The questioner : It came to mind, meaning it is a luxury of thinking.

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : All that remains for you is this.