Every cloud has a silver lining!

Source:Islam qa

When calamity strikes we often start complaining and show no patience.

Disasters and calamities have been created for a reason, which none can fully comprehend but Allaah. Some of the things that Allaah has shown to us indicate :

1 – Disasters and calamities are a test of the believer’s patience

2 – This is a sign of man’s weakness and his need for his Lord, and shows that he cannot succeed unless he realizes his need for his Lord and starts beseeching Him.

3 – Calamities are a means of expiation of sin and raising one’s status. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is nothing that befalls a believer, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allaah will record one good deed for him and will remove one bad deed from him.”

4 – One of the reasons for calamities is so that people will not feel content only with this world. If the world were free of calamities, man would love it more and feel content with it, and would forget about the Hereafter. But calamities wake him up from his negligence and make him strive for the place in which there are no calamities or trials.

5 – One of the greatest reasons behind calamities and trials is to warn against falling short in some matters, so that man can make up for the areas in which he has fallen short. This is like the warning that is issued to an employee or student who is falling short. The purpose behind it is to make him make up for his shortcomings. If he does that, then all well and good, otherwise he deserves to be punished.

6 – To believe with humility

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad). And We seized them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health (with calamities) so that they might humble themselves (believe with humility)”

[al-‘An’aam 6:42]

7 – Worship at times of hardship and tribulation has a special flavour and a special reward.

8 – Blessings that come after pain, hardship and calamity are more precious to people.

So then they appreciate the blessings of good health and safety as they should be appreciated.

9 – The benefit of calamity is that it rescues man from negligence and alerts him to his shortcomings in keeping his duty to Allaah, so that he does not think that he is perfect, which would lead to hardening of his heart and negligence.

10 – One of the benefits of tribulations and hardships is purification.

Hardships reveal how people really are, and distinguish the good from the bad, the true from the false, the believer from the hypocrite. Allaah says of the Battle of Uhud and what happened to the Muslims on that day, explaining part of the wisdom behind this trial (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:179]

11 – When Muslims help those Muslims who have been afflicted by calamity, they will be rewarded for that.

12 – At times of hardship and war we see the true meaning of the words of Allaah