Trials and Tribulations By Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

Trials are not accidental. They are written — decreed by Allah with purpose and wisdom that the believer may not always understand but is required to accept and respond to with patience. Trials and Tribulations: Wisdom and Benefits by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah examines the prophetic and Qur'anic treatment of trials in their full depth — what they are for, what they produce in the believer, and how the Muslim navigates them with iman intact and reward secured.

What This Book Covers

The Wisdom Behind Trials

Ibn al-Qayyim identifies the multiple wisdoms behind Allah's decree of trials for His servants: purification from sins, raising of ranks, testing of faith, separation of the sincere from the insincere, and the development of qualities — patience, gratitude, reliance on Allah — that cannot be developed in ease alone.

The Benefits of Trials for the Believer

The Prophets experienced the most severe trials and were the most beloved to Allah — a connection Ibn al-Qayyim draws out carefully to show that the severity of a trial is not evidence of Allah's displeasure but often evidence of the opposite. The station Allah has prepared for a servant determines the trials that prepare them for it.

The Correct Response to Trial

The book addresses what the Muslim is required and recommended to do when trial comes: patience (sabr) as an obligation, gratitude for the recognition that Allah has not forgotten them, supplication, and the avoidance of complaint that crosses into discontentment with Allah's decree.

About the Author

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (691–751 AH) was one of the greatest scholars of Islam. Published by Dar as-Sunnah Publishers.

Who This Book Is For

Every Muslim going through hardship or anticipating it — which is every Muslim. Also essential for those who have struggled with understanding why Allah decrees hardship for those He loves, and who want the classical Islamic answer to this question from one of its greatest scholars.