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Test / Trial (Ibtila')

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Test / Trial (Ibtila')

ابتلاء

Ibtila' (ابتلاء) refers to the profound Islamic concept of divine test or trial, a fundamental aspect of a believer's journey in this world. It signifies Allah's way of examining the sincerity, patience, and gratitude of His servants. Far from being arbitrary, these tests are an integral part of human existence, designed to reveal what is within our hearts and to allow us to grow spiritually. The Quran teaches that [We are ever testing Our servants], reminding us that trials are an inescapable part of our journey. These trials are not limited to hardship; they can also come in the form of blessings and ease. As the Quran describes, when [his Lord tries him and is generous to him and favors him], man might claim honor, but when [He tries him and restricts his provision], he might feel humiliated. Both abundance and scarcity are forms of divine testing, revealing our true responses. Ultimately, these experiences serve to strengthen faith, helping believers to [increase in faith] and deepen their reliance on Allah.

Quran 4 verses

إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَٰتٍ وَإِن كُنَّا لَمُبْتَلِينَ

Inna fee zaalika la Aayaatinw wa in kunnaa lamubtaleen

Indeed in that are signs, and indeed, We are ever testing [Our servants].

بےشک اس (قصے) میں نشانیاں ہیں اور ہمیں تو آزمائش کرنی تھی

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: وَفَارَ‌ التَّنُّورُ‌ (And the oven gushes forth - 23:27). The word تَّنُّور‌ means oven which is used for making flat, round bread, and is also used in the sense of the whole earth. According to some people تَّنُّور‌ is a specific oven in the Kufah mosque, while others believe that it was somewhere...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Surely in that mentioned matter of Noah the ship and the destruction of the disbelievers there are signs indicators of God’s power exalted be He and indeed wa-in in has been softened in place of the hardened form its subject being the pronoun of the matter We were putting to the test indeed We were ...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Allah tells us that Nuh, peace be upon him, invoked his Lord to help him against his people, as Allah mentions in another Ayah: فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنُّى مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ (Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!") 54:10. Here he says: رَبِّ انصُرْنِى بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ...

وَمَا جَعَلْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَٰٓئِكَةً وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَيَزْدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِيمَٰنًا وَلَا يَرْتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلًا كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَمَا هِىَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْبَشَرِ

Wa maaja''alnaaa As haaban naari illaa malaaa 'ikatanw wa maa ja'alnaa 'iddatahum illaa fitnatal lillazeena kafaroo liyastayqinal lazeena ootul kitaaba wa yazdaadal lazeena aamanooo eemaananw wa laa yartaabal lazeena ootul kitaaba walmu'minoona wa liyaqoolal lazeena fee quloo bihim maradunw walkaafiroona maazaaa araadal laahu bihaazaa masalaa; kazaalika yudillul laahu many yashaaa'u wa yahdee many yashaaa'; wa maa ya'lamu junooda rabbika illaa hoo; wa maa hiya illaa zikraa lil bashar

And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve - that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is hypocrisy and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allah intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allah leave astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And mention of the Fire is not but a reminder to humanity.

اور ہم نے دوزخ کے داروغہ فرشتے بنائے ہیں۔ اور ان کا شمار کافروں کی آزمائش کے لئے مقرر کیا ہے (اور) اس لئے کہ اہل کتاب یقین کریں اور مومنوں کا ایمان اور زیادہ ہو اور اہل کتاب اور مومن شک نہ لائیں۔ اور اس لئے کہ جن لوگوں کے دلوں میں (نفاق کا) مرض ہے اور (جو) کافر (ہیں) کہیں کہ اس مثال (کے بیان کرنے) سے خدا کا مقصد کیا ہے؟ اسی طرح خدا جس کو چاہتا ہے گمراہ کرتا ہے اور جس کو چاہتا ہے ہدایت کرتا ہے اور تمہارے پروردگار کے لشکروں کو اس کے سوا کوئی نہیں جانتا۔ اور یہ تو بنی آدم کے لئے نصیحت ہے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُوْدَ رَبِّكَ اِلَّا هُو (...And no one knows the hosts of your Lord but He 74:31) Muqatil, among the leading authorities, says that this is rebuttal to Abu Jahl's statement. When he heard this verse which says that there are nineteen angels in charge of Hell, he addressed the yout...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And We have appointed only angels as wardens of the Fire in other words and so they cannot be withstood as these disbelievers are wont to imagine; and We have made their number so only as a stumbling-block a cause for error for those who disbelieve when they then say ‘Why are there nineteen of them?...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Number of Guardians of Hell and what the Disbelievers said about that Allah says, وَمَا جَعَلْنَآ أَصْحَـبَ النَّارِ (And We have set none as (Ashab) guardians of the Fire) meaning, its guardians. إِلاَّ مَلَـئِكَةً (but angels.) Guardian angels, stern and severe. This is a refutation of the ido...

فَأَمَّا ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَأَكْرَمَهُۥ وَنَعَّمَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَكْرَمَنِ

Fa ammal insaanu izaa mab talaahu Rabbuhoo fa akramahoo wa na' 'amahoo fa yaqoolu Rabbeee akraman

And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me."

مگر انسان (عجیب مخلوق ہے کہ) جب اس کا پروردگار اس کو آزماتا ہے تو اسے عزت دیتا اور نعمت بخشتا ہے۔ تو کہتا ہے کہ (آہا) میرے پروردگار نے مجھے عزت بخشی

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Wealth and Poverty are no Signs of One's Acceptance or Rejection فَأَمَّا الْإِنسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَكْرَمَنِ ۔ وَأَمَّا إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَهَانَنِ (As for man, when his Lord tests him, and thus...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And as for man the disbeliever whenever his Lord tests him and honours him with wealth and other things and is gracious to him he says ‘My Lord has honoured me’.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Wealth and Poverty are both a Test and Honor or Disgrace for the Servant Allah refutes man in his belief that if Allah gives Him abundant provisions to test him with it, it is out of His honor for him. But this is not the case, rather it is a trial and a test, as Allah says, أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا ن...

وَأَمَّآ إِذَا مَا ٱبْتَلَىٰهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُۥ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّىٓ أَهَٰنَنِ

Wa ammaaa izaa mabtalaahu faqadara 'alaihi rizqahoo fa yaqoolu Rabbeee ahaanan

But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."

اور جب (دوسری طرح) آزماتا ہے کہ اس پر روزی تنگ کر دیتا ہے تو کہتا ہے کہ (ہائے) میرے پروردگار نے مجھے ذلیل کیا

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Wealth and Poverty are no Signs of One's Acceptance or Rejection فَأَمَّا الْإِنسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَكْرَمَنِ ۔ وَأَمَّا إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَهَانَنِ (As for man, when his Lord tests him, and thus...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: But when he tests him and restricts his provision for him he says ‘My Lord has humiliated me’.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Wealth and Poverty are both a Test and Honor or Disgrace for the Servant Allah refutes man in his belief that if Allah gives Him abundant provisions to test him with it, it is out of His honor for him. But this is not the case, rather it is a trial and a test, as Allah says, أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا ن...

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