GIFT OR TEST?
Know the Divine Scheme
NO misfortune can affect the earth or your own selves without its first having been recorded in a book, before We bring it into being. That is easy for God to do; so that you may not grieve for what has escaped you, nor be exultant over what you have gained.
God loves neither the conceited nor the boastful, nor those who, being miserly themselves, urge others to be miserly. (57: 22-24)
These words of the Quran tell us a law of nature. For those who have learned this law, loss becomes as meaningful as gain.
Man must react with moderation. Apparent success should give him food for thought and apparent failure should increase his spirituality
This world—in which everyone is free—has been devised by God for the purpose of testing humankind. Here, everyone is passed through different situations, favourable as well as unfavourable, so that he can be tested from every aspect, and so that his reactions and performance may be seen in different sets of circumstances. It must be borne in mind that the ups and downs of circumstances are a law of nature, which never changes for anyone.
One will face in this world both kinds of experience—of loss as well as gain; at the individual as well as at the national level. However, neither is gain a success in this world nor is loss a deprivation. Both situations serve the purpose of the divine test. Man should, therefore, not lose heart at his losses. He should not take them as deprivation. Similarly, his gains should never make him proud and arrogant. He should not take them as matters of honour and prestige.
Man must in both sets of situations react with moderation. Apparent success should give him food for thought and apparent failure should increase his spirituality. None of these happenings should disturb his mind in such a way as to render him incapable of positive thinking.
This approach is exemplified in the words of the Prophet Solomon mentioned in the Quran: ‘This is by the grace of my Lord, to test whether I am grateful or ungrateful. (27: 40)