Is Allah Punishing Me?

Introduction

We begin by praising Allah and bearing witness that none has the right to be worshipped or unconditionally obeyed except for him. And we bear witness that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam is his final messenger. We ask Allah to send his peace and blessings upon him, the prophets and messengers that came before him, his family and companions that served alongside him, and those that follow in his blessed path until the Day of Judgment, and we ask Allah to make us amongst them. Allahumma ameen.

The Need for Closure During Trials

Dear brothers and sisters, when a person is being tested, there are often a few questions that come to their minds that can potentially compound the pain of that trial or that test. One of the things that they talk about is the need for closure — and the need for closure is in multiple ways. In one way, a person needs to feel like they can see the end of that trial within their own lifetime or within sight. On the other hand, it's also a form of closure to be able to come to terms with why or why not — what the purpose of this is and what purpose it serves in my life. Is it bringing me closer to Allah? Is this happening to me because of something that I've done?

And when you're in the midst of a trial, it's a lot harder to grapple with those questions — when it's so much easier to give that advice to someone else when they're in it. We grow up our whole lives reciting Surah al-Duha. We understand the idea of a burden that is at some point lifted, but when you're in the midst of a trial, there are certain elements that can really bring all of those concepts into question and cause you to question yourself. Amongst them is the idea of Allah punishing me because of something that I might have done.

That question usually comes when there is some sort of prolonged nature to this test or trial, or when the trial comes when I feel like I was at the best state of my faith — I feel like this was a time when I was doing everything right and that's when this all came — or when trials come in succession. And that's usually the way that it works: one hits you, and then the next one hits you, and the next one hits you. You start asking these questions like: What have I done? What did I do for this to happen? Is there some sort of punishment that is behind this? Is it some sort of disobedience that I have committed?

And a question that I get asked multiple times is: How do I know if I'm passing the test? And this is really where I want to focus inshallah towards the end of this khutbah. How do I know if I'm passing the test? I know I'm being tested — it's very obvious right now. How do I know if I'm passing this test from Allah?

Does Allah Punish People in This Life?

First and foremost, I want to cover this concept from the perspective of punishments — the reason being because we have to actually ask the question: does Allah punish people in this life for their deeds? Is this the place where punishment takes place? You read about nations of the past that were destroyed, but we know that this is not the norm of how Allah deals with nations post what we read about of those destroyed nations in the past. Overall, there is a loss of barakah, there's a loss of blessing. There could be destruction that comes upon a people of tyranny, and we know that tyranny provokes destruction in the long run. But at the same time, you don't see the immediacy that you hear about in the stories in the Quran.

And so there are a few ayat. Number one, Allah says — and of course this is in Surah al-Kahf which we read every Friday:

If Allah were to seize mankind for their wrongdoing, for their transgressions, He would not leave on it a single moving creature — meaning there would not be a single creature on earth that would be able to survive that — because we all slip sometimes. No one would survive that type of relationship with Allah in this life. None of us would get past that. But instead, Allah says He postpones them:

And when their term comes to a conclusion, they cannot delay it for a single moment nor can they bring it forward. When the time comes for that reward and for that punishment, there is no way that you can move it forward and there is no way that you can delay it.

So this is the first thing that Allah covers in the nature of this relationship — that it's for your benefit that there isn't an immediate consequence or reward for your deeds. That would completely defeat the purpose of the test of this world as a whole. If things happened with immediacy, this whole concept of belief in the unseen and another realm where the consequences are greater and eternal — it would defeat the purpose of believing in a Lord that is unseen. All of that would go out the window. And it's truly to our benefit that we're not seized every single time we commit a sin.

Blessings as a Form of Punishment

And Allah says:

This was the one that used to scare the companions. That sometimes, in fact, We will reel them in from places that they don't realize. Blessings can be a form of punishment — because a person increases in tyranny, increases in sin, and what they see as a result of that is an increase in goodness in this life. And so that provokes a certain type of arrogance and an invincibility that you start to see in the tyrants in the Quran — that prototype of: here I am, increasing in my transgression, and it seems like things are only getting better for me. And in the process, they're actually only being reeled in to a greater punishment, because they're increasing their share of punishments in the greater sense — in the hereafter.

And why were the Sahabah scared of this? Because the Sahabah lived through moments of great difficulty. They lived through moments where they didn't think they were going to survive the trials of this world. They were persecuted, they were ambushed, they had their loved ones mutilated, they struggled from poverty, they struggled through the hijra, through the migration. They lived through the worst of times — and then they got to see the glory days in this world. Allah blessed them and they were given victory and they got to see goodness.

And so who used to worry most from this ayah? Umar ibn al-Khattab radiyallahu ta'ala anhu, Khabbab ibn al-Aratt radiyallahu ta'ala anhu. You hear about these people that went through great difficulties, and one of the things about being in great difficulty — and some of us might be able to reflect back on some of our most difficult times — is that you say to yourself: You know, at least I knew at that time that I was close to Allah. Some people interpret trial the exact opposite way: I knew at that time, when I was struggling, when I was going through this and that for the sake of Allah, that I was enjoying a certain closeness to Him. I knew where my rank was with Allah. And now the blessings are actually confusing me. The ease of the situation is confusing me, because I don't know where I stand in that regard.

So Allah says some are being reeled in from a direction that they don't expect. And subhanAllah — look at the believer on the other hand:

Whoever is conscious of Allah, Allah will make a way out for them and provide for them from ways they don't expect. And so they have pathways of goodness that they may not be considering — just as on the other hand there could be directions of punishment that the others are not considering. You're not really understanding that this door of rizq, this pathway of goodness that came to you, is directly tied to your taqwa — just as a person might be punished with something that seems so good, but they don't realize that that's actually a direction of pulling them away from Allah and to ultimately what will not be of benefit to them.

And the scholars also mention here: notice that when Allah talks about the discourse of those who are being punished with blessings, even if everything on the outside seems good, there's still the void on the inside that actually lends itself to a tortured existence. So you see someone and you're like: Why do they have all this, despite their disobedience, despite the horrible things that they do? Why do they have all this goodness in this world?

Allah says: do not be amused by what they have of their wealth and of their children and things of that sort — the worldly possessions that have been given to them. That in fact is a means of punishment for them. Because the more they're given in this life and still not feeling a sense of fulfillment and happiness on the inside — that can only come with Iman — the more frustrated and dejected they're actually getting. So it seems to be great on the outside, the exterior seems to be getting better and better, and you might just be seeing the exterior and thinking to yourself: Wow, that seems like a great life. Why are all these great things happening for them?

And this is of course one of the problems — you always see other people's blessings but you only see your own hardships. You don't see your blessings and their hardships. You see their blessings and you see your own hardships. And your hardships are magnified, and their blessings — which are the ones that are usually being put out there — are masking hardships that you don't see. So Allah is saying that even if they have the blessings of this world and the goodness of this world, there is still punishment in the emptiness on the inside that can only be filled with Iman. So don't envy them, don't be amused — and it is punishment for them in this life, and it's even worse when the soul departs from them in that state and they have to face the consequences of their deeds and of those actions.

The Believer's Perspective

The believers, on the other hand — the righteous — they're given barakah in what they have. They're given blessing in what they have. They always have perspective because of the faith that is inside their hearts. Because of what is inside the vessel, they always have perspective. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2999)

"How strange and amazing is the affair of the believer!" It's the Iman that allows the believer to have perspective. They have perspective with the good that they have; they have perspective with the hardships that they have. They use it always to propel them to be closer to Allah, and nothing goes to waste in this life or in the next — as long as they maintain that precious provision of Iman, of faith. They keep it on the inside, and so everything around them makes sense as long as they have that on the inside. Not the specifics of the decree of Allah, but the nature of their relationship with Allah — and blessings and trials — it all makes sense to them in that sense.

This Life Is Not the Realm of Accountability

The most important takeaway from this — and then I'll move on inshallah — I want you to remember this: this life is not Dar al-Hisab. This is not the realm of accountability. This is Dar al-Amal. This is the realm of deeds. This is not the realm in which Allah allots punishments and rewards. So when you try to read that on someone else or on yourself, you're going to fail. This is the realm of the test:

This is the realm where you're tested with what you're going to do — and that should be your focus.

Three Frameworks for Understanding Trials

Someone would say: well, is there a framework at least in the deen for classifying trials? Is there some sort of framework so that I'm not completely in the dark? And the answer is yes — three frames.

Frame One: Trials That Come Because You Did Good

The first frame: tests that are endured because you did good. When you endure a trial because of something noble that you did fi sabil Allah — you missed out on something because of your insistence on your principles; you were taken advantage of because you weren't dirty like the other person; you did not harm, you refused to oppress; you put forth something for the sake of Allah, you gave of your time, of your wealth, of your health — whatever it may be, for the sake of Allah, for something noble — and you endured a test in that. That is the best thing that could happen to you. Because that means Allah has stored the entire reward of that for the hereafter. He's taken the entire reward of that — and you know, that's a reward; that's not a punishment from Allah. When you are tested in the capacity of doing good, when you can directly tie the trial to a good deed.

And so I just want everyone to leave with this in particular in this first frame: never regret something you do for the sake of Allah — ever. Even if it yields the most difficult things in this life. Never regret something you do for the sake of Allah — not in relationship to Him alone, or as it is in regards to other people. Don't regret your ihsan. Don't ever regret your good doing, because a trial that comes in the capacity of that is a reward from Allah — all it means is that there is a greater reward for you that Allah has stored for you in the hereafter.

Frame Two: Trials Directly Tied to a Sin

The second frame — the second category of trials — are tests that are directly tied to a sin. So you commit a sin and you're tested within that sin, or in a way that is directly tied to that sin. That is certainly a punishment — just like category one is certainly a reward. However, that punishment could be a reminder to repent, and it turns that punishment into something of your favor. So even then it's not an absolute punishment, because you still have an opportunity to take it from being a punishment to being something else. But if something happens to you in the capacity of you doing wrong, then of course you take that as a punishment from Allah. Of course you take that as a wake-up call — that Allah is sending you a very specific message to leave off that disobedience.

Frame Three: Everything Else — It Depends on Your Response

Category three is everything else — every other test. The tests that you can't directly tie to a good deed, nor can you directly tie to a sin. And that's where that test could either be a punishment, or it could be a reward, or it could be a reminder — and you don't know. And the only way that you can know at that point, whether it's punishment or reward, is by your response. How did you respond to it? The way that you respond to it is going to determine whether it's a reward or a punishment. If you respond to it with obedience, with good, then it's a reward. If you respond to it with bad, then it's a punishment. So it is entirely predicated on your response.

And this is the majority of the tests that come our way. It's about your response. You will not get to the specifics of the decree, but you understand the specifics of your response. How are you going to respond to that test and to that trial that comes to you? And so the believer does not focus on why Allah is testing them in this dunya, but how you're doing with the test of deen. It's not about how Allah is testing me in the worldly sense — how am I responding with the revelation that He has sent to me?

How Do I Know If I'm Passing the Test?

Now I want to end on this, because it's probably the most important point here inshallah, and it's very often missed. We know that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1283; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 926)

"Patience is at the first strike." The scholars say this is of two types. The first strike is the immediate response to the trial when it comes to you. But we all know that sometimes you actually respond well in the beginning, but then lose yourself later on. Some trials — they hit you and your initial response is actually decent. It's when the test is prolonged that you start to fall off the path. For most people, it's the first moments where the character you show, the response you show, is going to determine your response all along. But I know that some of us have been through something where in the beginning it was like, okay, alhamdulillah — but then when the pain of that lingered on, when the trial lingered on, or when I realized what has actually been lost by that loss I encountered, it started to get harder.

And so the scholars say — and this is very important when it comes to patience with those long trials and knowing whether or not you pass the test — do not get tied up with the specifics of the test. However, measure your patience by your progress and obedience to Allah. That's the most simple sentence I want you to remember: measure your patience by your progress.

What does patience look like in the very beginning?

You praise God and you say: to Him we belong and to Him we return. That is the sadmat al-ula — the first strike. The long-standing part of that — it's not your posts online about how you're being patient. It's not just saying alhamdulillah after that. It's whether or not there is progress in your obedience to Allah, progress in your relationship with Allah. So you trace back everything to the only criteria that you know — the criteria of obedience and disobedience. Am I becoming a better Muslim? Am I becoming a better believer as a result of this test and trial that's coming to me? Or am I actually maintaining status quo in regards to my relationship with Allah? Are things actually being transformed? Or am I insisting on disobedience to Allah?

If you're insisting on disobedience to Allah, the first strike of patience — where you say alhamdulillah — has already passed. It's not just saying alhamdulillah at that point, because it was meant to be a reminder to you to go back to that criteria and measure your patience by your progress.

Closing Reminder

So again, dear brothers and sisters, I know the questioning gets to us, the need for closure gets to us. Don't get caught up in the beginning. Don't get caught up in the specifics. Go back to the criteria. As one of the scholars said — a person commits a sin and then they cry about it, but then they go back to the same sin:

A person who truly fears Allah is not someone who just cries and then wipes their tears. The one who's truly afraid of Allah or the consequences of that sin is the one who leaves that which is causing them to have that apprehension in the first place. It's not about just shedding tears. It's not about just the emotional sense of patience or the emotional sense of repentance. How do I get back to actually making progress in my journey to Allah?

May Allah increase us in obedience and in righteousness and in goodness — with the blessings that He gives to us and with the trials. May the ease that He sends to us be a reminder that all of those blessings come from Allah, and that they are there to pursue the greatest blessing of His pleasure and entrance into His paradise. And may the hardships that come to us in this life be a reminder that there will come a time that all that we have in this life will be gone, and that the greatest hardship is the hardship of the hereafter. We ask Allah to grant us the best of this life and the best of the hereafter and to protect us from the punishment.

Ibad Allah, indeed Allah commands justice and excellence and giving to relatives, and He forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. Remember Allah and He will remember you.