Some people think that they do not do well enough to earn God’s pleasure or to deserve to be treated with compassion on the Day of Judgment. If they happen to find it difficult to do some good deeds which earn rich reward from God, then they think themselves really unfortunate. They want to have what they think to be a sure way of securing a place in Heaven. They examine the areas of actions and attitudes praised in the Qur’an and the Sunnah as exemplary and sure to bring rich reward from God, and they find among them the quality of perseverance. They think that this is something which they can try. So, they pray God to put them through difficulties so that they would persevere and earn His reward.
Anas reports: “A man said in the presence of God’s messenger (peace be on him): ‘My Lord, You have not given me wealth to enable me to give it away in charity, so test me with a trial that brings me reward.’ The Prophet said to him: ‘God be glorified. You cannot withstand that. You better pray and say: My Lord, grant me what is good in this life and what is good in the life to come and protect me from the torment of the Fire’.” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad)
Another Hadith also reported by Anas mentions that the Prophet visited a man to find him very ill, looking like a chick whose feathering has been plucked out. The Prophet told him to pray God to grant him something. The man said: “My Lord, whatever punishment You will inflict on me in the Hereafter, hasten it so as to inflict it on me in this present life.” The Prophet said: “All glory belongs to God. You will not be able to endure that. You better pray and say: ‘My Lord, grant me what is good in this life and what is good in the life to come and protect me from the torment of the Fire’.” (Related by Muslim, Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad and Al-Tirmithi).
These two Hadiths speak of two of the Prophet’s companions having the same thought of going through some trial in this world in order to enhance their position in the Hereafter. The first wanted to increase his reward for good deeds, but he had no money to donate to charity, and he thought that the best way for him was to endure some hard difficulties with patience. The other thought of enduring God’s punishment in this life so as to be clean and pure of sin when he meet his Lord in the Hereafter. The Prophet points out to them that this is a wrong way of thinking.
First of all, such a test is bound to be very hard. The man in the second Hadith looked very poorly, suffering great pain. Since human beings have little patience, the possibility of showing lack of patience, or protesting against God’s trial remains valid. It is wrong to imagine ourselves able to maintain the same degree of contentment when we are facing a hard trial. When the Prophet realized what the two men prayed for, he told them that they would not be able to endure what they prayed for. And when a trial is unendurable, it could easily lead a person to do wrong. That would put him in a position that may incur God’s punishment in the hereafter. This would be the worst result of all, because misery would be his lot in both this life and in the life to come.
Hence the Prophet instructs both men to say the same prayer, appealing to God to grant them what is good in this life, and what is good in the life to come. Praying in this way indicates one’s trust in God’s generosity and kindness. It is only He that may grant us what brings us happiness and a goodly life in this world as well as enabling us to use these to enhance our position in the hereafter. The person who complained of not having money to give away in charity may be given such money if he prayed in the way the Prophet has taught. Then he would be able to enjoy the comforts that wealth brings and earn better reward when he spends some of it to help the poor and finance useful projects.
The man in the second Hadith prayed for hastening his punishment. He would have been better advised to pray for God’s forgiveness. In fact, his prayer tells of his fear of God’s punishment in the hereafter, but shows how little trust he has in God’s forgiveness, when God repeatedly mentions that He is forgiving, merciful and compassionate. It is far better for us to pray Him to have His mercy on us, rather than seek His punishment. The proper Islamic attitude is that one should never wish for hardship, but when hardship comes one’s way, one should endure it with patience.
The Prophet, who has taught us every good thing, also teaches us to seek God’s protection from hard trials. Abu Hurayrah reports: “The Prophet used to seek God’s protection from trials that exhaust one’s strength, oppressive distress, a misfortune that pleases one’s enemies and wrong judgment.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
In this Hadith, the Prophet prays to be spared a trial that saps one’s strength. This is a very apt description, because when a trial lasts long or seems unending, it often leads to depression, which takes away one’s strength. Distress can also be very oppressive, particularly when it continues for a long time. It smothers one’s faculties, blurs one’s vision causing one to make mistakes, and makes life truly miserable.
The other two situations the Prophet includes in his prayer and seeks God’s protection from are a misfortune that may befall us, giving pleasure and gratification to our enemies and a wrong judgment. The first is very distressing indeed, because it means that we do not only have the misfortune to contend with, but we have to put up with the fact that our enemies are pleased at what has happened to us. This may be even more difficult to accept than the misfortune itself.
Wrong judgment is also very distressing, particularly when it is over something serious, because it brings with it a feeling that one has been wronged. The law is meant to give us justice, but when it is an instrument of injustice, it deeply hurts. Hence the Prophet’s prayer.
