No Pain No Gain Allah said in the Holy Quran: "Alif-Laam-Meem. Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: We have faith, and will not be tested? And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly make known, those who are true, and will certainly make known those who are liars." (al-Ankaboot 29:1-3) Allah the Most High said: "Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed" (al-Mulk 67:2) Abu Hurayrah (Radhiallahu `anhu) reported that the Prophet (Sallallahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam) said: "Whenever Allah wills a good for a person, He subjects him to adversity" [Sahih Bukhari] Abu Hurayrah (Radhiallahu `anhu) reported that the Prophet(Sallallahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam) said: "Hardships continue to befall a believing man and woman in their body, family, and property, until they meet Allah (SubHanahu Wa Ta`ala) burdened with no sins." [Tirmithi] Narrated by Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet) Allah's Apostle said, "No calamity befalls a Muslim but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it, even though it were the prick he receives from a thorn." [Sahih Al-Bukhari] The prophets and righteous people are afflicted the most, and their rewards are the highest. Sa'd (Radhiallahu `anhu) reporeted that the Prophet (Sallallahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam) said: "The most in their suffering among the people are the prophets, then the best, then the (next) best. One is afflicted in accordance with his deen (faith). If his deen is firm his affliction is hard, and if his deen is weak, his affliction is light. Indeed, one would be so much subjected to adversity until he walks among the people without any sins. " [Ahmad, Tirmithi] Prophet Aadam, for instance, had the angels prostrated before him and yet was soon after expelled from paradise. A believer is afflicted with trials in order to refine him, not to punish him. He is tested in ease as well as in hardship. Allah says, "And We tried them with good (blessings) and evil (calamities) in order that they might turn (to Allah's obedience)." (Al-A'raaf 7: 168). Prophet Aadam laboured along difficult paths beset with affliction; Prophet Ibraheem was thrown into a blazing fire; Ismaeel was laid down for slaughter; Yoonus was swallowed by a whale; Prophet Aayoob suffered from a severe illness; Yoosuf was sold for a pittance, thrown into a well and wrongfully jailed and Muhammed (peace be upon him) suffered different kinds of injury. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials." (Al-Bukhari).   A man asked ash-Shaafiee and said: O Abu Abdullah! Which is better for a person, to gain power or to be afflicted? So ash-Shaafiee said: One will not gain power until he is afflicted. For indeed Allah afflicted Nooh, Ibraaheem, Moosa, Eesa and Muhammad, may the Salawaat of Allah and Salaam be upon them all. So when they were patient, they gained power, so let not anyone think at all that he is free from pain. 'Aishah (Radhiallahu `anha) narrated that once some pain afflicted the Prophet (Sallallahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam) causing him to suffer and turn about in his bed. she said: "Had one of us done this, you would have blamed him." He (Sallallahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam) replied: "An ailment is intensified for the righteous. Whenever a believer is afflicted by a hardship, whether it is a thorn or more, a sin is taken off from him because of it, and he is elevated by one rank (in Jannah)." [Ahmad] Narrated by Anas: The Prophet said, "The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "If any Muslim man or woman suffers a calamity and keeps it in his memory, even if it happened a long time ago, saying each time it is remembered, 'We belong to Allah and to Him do we return,' Allah, who is Blessed and Exalted will give a fresh reward each time it is said, equivalent to the reward when it happened." The Holy Quran: "Or you think that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty, ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who had faith with him said, When will the help of Allah come?. Yes! Indeed Allahs help is close!" (al-Baqarah 2:214) Remember! Ali ibn Abi Talib (radiy-Allahu 'anhu) said: "Patience and perseverance are to faith like the head to the body. He who has no patience and perseverance has no faith." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The world is the prison of the Mu`min (believer), and a Paradise for the Kaafir"