Well, I have been searching for the answer to the same question as well but so far haven’t found any good explanation. Different Islamic scholars have tried to explain but I never got any satisfactory answer.
There is no doubt that all of us have to go thru trials in this life. Life is not bed of roses BUT I think your question is different … What you are asking is that why some people have tougher trials then others. … This is where I feel lost too. Why some have it easier compared to others. And some have really tragic lives , so much so that they never come out of it.
Allah says in Quran that we all will be tested
" Do you suppose that you will enter the Garden without encountering what those before you encountered? They were afflicted by misfortune and hardships. They were so shaken up 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)”
In Surah Al Mulk . Ayah 2 Allah says “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"
Yes, no doubt we all will be tested BUT the question is that why some get an easy test while others difficult. If the reward or the end result is the same ( Jannah ) than doesn’t it seem unfair ?
In this life , we all have to sit for an exam BUT our test papers are different. some of us who are lucky get an easy paper and some unfortunate ones get much tougher test paper? Why ? Don’t know? I don’t think anyone know. Bottom line is life is not fair.
**Well the people who were tested the most were the prophets of Allah. But they are supposed to be the best and the most beloved to Him. The prophet pbuh lost his wife, his uncle, all of his children except Fatima Ra during his lifetime. He never knew his father, he lost his mother as a young child. He was persecuted and thrown out of his own home city. He was oppressed so badly that he experienced starvation and poverty. He was stoned by the people of Taif. Look at his life, it is all struggle and tragedy and yet he is the best if creation and the beloved to Allah. Look at Nuh AS how he was treated by his people. They would insult him and curse him and ostracized him. He lost his son to disbelief. Look at Yusuf AS. What did he do to deserve his brothers throwing him down a well to almost certain death? He spent most of his life in slavery and then prison for something he didn’t do. Their tests were certainly tragic and extremely hard. You can’t say one test for you or someone else is not fair or is fair. Allah is the most Just. He would never burden anyone with more than what they could bear. It is when you lose trust in Him that you start falling into Shaytans trap. **
You probably heard others saying that Allah test those more who are closer to Him. I don’t buy that… If that was the case then why would Allah say in the Quran ( surah Ashura ayat 30 ) that whatever hardships befalls on u is because of what your own hands have committed, while He overlooks many.
** the verse is out of context. I’m pretty sure that that verse was about the battle of Uhud when the Muslims lost. It is talking about the archers. They left their post when they were told not to. And because they did that they lost the battle. And yes that was their own doing. It’s like crossing the road. You look both ways and make every precaution to cross safely. You don’t just wander out blindly. If you did that and then got hurt that’s your own doing. That’s what that verse means. Allah does not contradict Himself. Context is extremely important in.the Quran. **
You probably also heard people saying that Allah only burden u as much as one can bear… then why in surah bakarah , ayat 286 , it says to ask Allah to not put on us the burden greater than we have strength to bear. Why do we have to ask for Allah not to put us in that situation. It’s because many a times we are tested beyound our strength. That’s why people go into depression , anxiety and some even commit suicide cause they can’t handle it.
** We are supposed to ask Allah for everything. It is we who are ungrateful and ignorant. Allah wants us to pass this test. He does not want to send us to Hell. He is the most loving the most compassionate. More than 70x than our own mothers. Can you imagine that kind of care and love? It’s unimaginable. When we call out to Him He gives us more than we even imagined to help us pass. Even the disbeliever is not forgotten by Allah. You need to have taqwa. Trust Him. You will not regret it. **
Well, one can only hope that we will be compensated in the hereafter. There is no guarantees for that either … No one can guarantee u that since u got a tougher paper u automatically cleared the exam … You still have to score enough in your test to pass the exam. U have to stay patient , show taqwa and sabr and stay steadfast , only then MAYBE u can enter paradise. If you complaint u may lose all your points.
** You try your best and you hope for the best from Allah. There is a hadith that a man on judgement day is judged and then sentenced to Hell. As he is led away he looks back to Allah. Allah stops the angels and calls them to bring the man back. Allah asks him “Why did you look back?” And the man says “I expected something else from You.” Allah tells the angels “Take him to Jannah”. That’s taqwa. That’s Trust. Allah says “I am as my servant thinks I am.” You think Allah is the most Just, the most Loving, the One who Forgives all? You will find Him as such. There are people who will enter Jannah based on one good deed despite a lifetime of bad deeds. How is that not unbelievably Merciful? As Muslims we need to submit. And once you submit you will be at peace. Look at the prophets and the righteous men of Allah. They suffered so much but they had peace and were content because they knew the truth. That Allah will not abandon them. **
I even looked into other religious to see if they have any better explanation but really haven’t found any. Maybe in Buddhism where they believe in karma and recarnation.
Have u also noticed that it’s a human nature that Allah bless us with his blessings , we never ask “why me” but only when any blessing is taken away from us we start questioning " why me "
As I said before life is not fair… Some are fortunate and some are unfortunate. This is taqdeer and it just shows that’s we as human are powerless. There is a much bigger power that has the ultimate control. We, humans. the powerless creatures can only pray for a good taqdeer and hope that Allah will compensate us for any hardships or tragedies that we faced in this world.