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is a test.
Allah says in the Qur’an: "It is He who created death and life in order to
test you, which of you are best in deeds. And He is the Exalted in Might,
Oft-Forgiving." (Qur’an, 67:2)
Here we are told the very purpose for which life and death were created:
to test us. Think for a moment about an emergency siren. What is its
purpose? The siren is an indication and a warning that something harmful is
coming. If we hear it, we naturally panic. But what happens when they need
to test the siren? What happens when it’s just a drill to see how we will
react? The test siren sounds exactly the same, but it is "only a test."
Although it looks, sounds, and feels real, it is not. It is only a test. And
we’re reminded of that again and again throughout the test.
This is exactly what Allah tells us about this life. It is going to look,
sound, and feel very, very real. At times it’s going to scare us. At times it’s
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going to make us cry. At times it’s going to make us flee, instead of
standing firm—even more firm—in our places. But this life and everything
in it is only a test. It is not actually real. And like that test of the emergency
broadcast system; it is training us for what is real. It is training us for the
Reality beyond the test siren.
Now, what would happen if the coming of that test siren was not even a
surprise? What if each and every household were given notification that the
test was coming? Consider for a moment the notification of Allah (swt) to
us (exalted is He):
"The present world is only an illusory pleasure: you are sure to be tested
through your possessions and persons; you are sure to hear much that is
hurtful from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those
who associate others with God. If you are steadfast and mindful of God that
is the best course." (Qur’an, 3:186)
Now imagine that in addition to these notifications, we were given
knowledge of countless other communities who were similarly tested. Allah
says:
"Do you suppose that you will enter the Garden without encountering
what those before you encountered? They were afflicted by misfortune and
hardship, and they were so shaken that even [their] messenger and the
believers with him cried, ‘When will God’s help arrive?’ Truly, God’s help
is near." (Qur’an, 2:214)
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So not only was the siren predicted—it was not new. Suppose our
community was told that we are not unique. So after all of that, how then
would we react once the test siren came? Well, if it’s a drill, there’s no
shock or disbelief. We don’t panic. We don’t even become distressed.
But we do act.
And here’s the crucial part. Who are we acting for? Who is testing us?
Who is watching, really? CNN, C-Span, the American public? No. They’re
all a part of the illusion; all a part of the test. They’re all just a creation of
the test. We act for one judge and one judge alone. We act for the only true
Reality (al-Haqq). We act because we know He is watching, and He is the
only One who will judge this test.
Once we realize this fundamental truth, something dramatic happens.
As soon as we internalize that it is only a test, our questions drastically
change. Instead of asking: "How could this be happening?" "Why is it so
unfair?" our questions become: "How should I react?" "How should I pass
this test?" "What am I meant to learn?" "How should I see through this
illusion, to the creator of the one who’s hurting me, the one who’s
oppressing me, and the test itself?" "How can we as a community use this
test to bring us closer to our final destination, God?" and "How can we use
this test to fulfill the purpose for which it was created - a tool to bring us
nearer to Him?" Allahu akbar (God is Great).
The beauty of the tests of Allah (swt) is that after notifying us that
they’re coming, He gives us the exact recipe for succeeding in them: Sabr
(patience) and Taqwa (God-consciousness).
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Allah (swt) says: "The present world is only an illusory pleasure: you
are sure to be tested through your possessions and persons; you are sure to
hear much that is hurtful from those who were given the Scripture before
you and from those who associate others with God. If you are steadfast
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