Whenever a person goes through pain, trouble, calamity, etc., it is an expiation of his sin and also, Allah loves that person, and wishes good for the person. My worry is regarding a person who performs obligatory as well as the optional prayers, tries to live a pure life, repents sincerely and is very content with his state of affairs. Would not the absence of calamities and pain, imply that Allah doesn’t love the person, or that the person is not close to Allah? Shouldn’t I rather want to go through calamities of any nature and practice perseverance knowing that infliction of pain is a sign of Allah’s love for me. Is that a wrong conclusion?
This worldly life is a trial. All does not seem fair, and is, in fact, not fair. One calamity after another may be inflicted on the best of believers, or no pain may find them; the hardest of laborers may struggle to consume the basic necessities of life, while the dishonest person may be given all the amenities of life; the most deserving of students may not score well in their exams, with the cheaters gaining recognition.
Struggling to consume even the basics for survival, being cheated upon as well as facing pain and torture are all, surely, trials from the Almighty. But so is the balanced life of a devout believer, on whom Allah’s bestowed providence is most evident. That is not a sign of Allah not being close to His servant. Surely, Allah listens to the prayers of all, He is witness to every person’s worship, and Knows, Hears and Sees all the good and evil that goes around. He tests His men through the affliction of pain as well as through the blessings of affluence.
Both are two different forms of trials, but trials, nevertheless. When pain is inflicted upon a person, a reaction of tolerance, perseverance and submission to the Almighty under the crudest of circumstances, will earn him Allah’s pleasure; complaining and haughtiness won’t. Similarly, when peace is bestowed upon a person, gratefulness, thankfulness and acknowledgement of the Provider and the Sustainer behind it all, will earn him Allah’s pleasure; arrogance, self-praise, self-obsession wont.
Trials, thus, take different forms. Those who respond and react in the true spirit of a believer are loved by Allah. There is no reason for a believer to pray for infliction. A believer’s prayer in the Qur’ān is thus:
Our Lord! Give us good in this world, and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the Fire! (2:201)