Commentary for a hadith regarding adversity

If time permits, I request a few lines comments on the following Hadith:

مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُصِبْ مِنْهُ

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما

The aforementioned hadith is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and translates, “Whoever Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala wants good for, he afflicts him with difficulty.” The commentary of this hadith written by the classical scholars tells us that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala tests and tries his servants in different ways. He gives blessing to some so they may be grateful, while he puts others through hardship so that they bear patience. In either situation, either through gratefulness or patience, one gets closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Consider the following ahaadith:

Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the  Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Never is a believer stricken with a discomfort, illness, anxiety, grief, mental worry, or even the pricking of a thorn, but Allah will forgive his sins on account of his patience.” 

(Bukhari)

Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The ones who are afflicted with the most pain are the prophets of Allah, then those who are nearest to them.”

 (Tirmizi)

Thus, the hadith quoted in the question tells us that when Allah wants good for someone, he puts them through difficulty to reward them for the patience that they endure.

والله اعلم

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala knows best.

Taha Abdulkareem

Approved by Mufti Husain Ahmad Madani