Apparently contradictory to this, it appears in many ayat and ahadith that the hardships of this world are due to our sins. According to some Ahadith, it is a sign of Allah's wrath.

Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani Rahimahullah has given a beautiful explanation of it as narrated by Allamah Ibnul Jauzi Rahimahullah:

"Shaikh Jilani Rahimahullah says that there are three aspects of difficulties and hardships. In some cases it is a punishment and the wrath of Allah, in some cases it is a compensation for sins and in some cases it raises the status. The condition of each difficulty can be determined as follows:
If the recipient gets angry on the taqdir [predestination] of Allah and complains about it, then it is a sign of the wrath of Allah and His punishment.
However, if the recipient practises restraint [sabr], then it is a sign of compensation of his sins.
And if with patience, the recipient is also happy and experiences contentment, then it is a sign of his status being raised."

From the above, it is related that the difficulties of the Ambiya and the Awliya Rahimahumzillah is of the third type. The difficulties of the general Believers [Mu'min] is of the second type. The first type is that of non-believers.
May Allah Azza wa Jal save every Muslim from this first type. Amin.

-Mufti Muhammad Shafi
Published by: Madrasah Arabia Islamia P.O. Box 9786, Azaadville 1750, Krugersdorp

posted by VeiledOne at 3:02 PM