Re: Question: punishment or trial?
Under the light of Hadiths and Quranic verses which I read, I sincerely feel the following ( though I might be wrong. In that case may Allah forgive me)
There are mostly two reason's for Which a muslim is given pain in this world, by Allah
Criteria for most muslims
Allah wants to wash away their past sins so as to save them from the greater punishment on the day of judgement. The pain of this world is nothing as compared to the pain in the hereafter. On the day of Judgement after seeing the rewards of heaven and punishments of the hell, every muslim would wish that it would have been better if Allah had washed away all his sins by giving him most intense pain through out his worldly life, so that it would have saved him from the fire of hell. ( which is 3000 times more hot than the fire in this world)
When in this life, a muslims starts deviating from the track towards Allah, Allah gives him a push/ jolt so that he might return to the track which leads to Allah's will. The intensity of the push is directly proportional to the extent to which the muslim has deviated from the track.
The criteria is mostly different for the one who starts walking 180 degress opposite to the track of Allah. Than Allah let him enjoy in this would and gives him "Dheel" till his death, from where punishment starts.
Criteria for Prophets, Suhabas, Waliullahs, Saints,
- Allah TESTS their love for Allah. The same reason why most of them had the most tough lifetime in all aspects is because Allah wants to raise their "darja" (level / degree) on the day of Judgement.
That is why the MOST beloved Prophet (saw) of Allah faced the MOST worst ever mental, physical and spiritual pains in his life in all aspects so that the Justice should prevail on the day of Judgement.