The Believers are tested so that it may be known Who is Sincere and Who is Lying In the beginning of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Baqarah, we discussed the letters which appear at the beginning of some Surahs.
﴿ÃóÍóÓöÈó ÇáäøóÇÓõ Ãóä íõÊúÑóßõæÇú Ãóä íóÞõæáõæÇú ÁóÇãóäøóÇ æóåõãú áÇó íõÝúÊóäõæäó ﴾
(Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: "We believe,'' and will not be tested.) This is a rebuke in the form of a question, meaning that Allah will inevitably test His believing servants according to their level of faith, as it recorded in the authentic Hadith:
«ÃóÔóÏøõ ÇáäøóÇÓö ÈóáóÇÁð ÇáúÃóäúÈöíóÇÁõ¡ Ëõãøó ÇáÕøóÇáöÍõæäó¡ Ëõãøó ÇáúÃóãúËóáõ ÝóÇáúÃóãúËóáõ¡ íõÈúÊóáóì ÇáÑøóÌõáõ Úóáóì ÍóÓóÈö Ïöíäöåö¡ ÝóÅöäú ßóÇäó Ýöí Ïöíäöåö ÕóáóÇÈóÉñ ÒöíÏó áóåõ Ýöí ÇáúÈóáóÇÁ»
(The people most severly tested are the Prophets, then the righteous, then the next best and the next best. A man will be tested in accordance with the degree of his religious commitment; the stonger his religious commitment, the stronger his test.) This Ayah is like the Ayah,
﴿Ãóãú ÍóÓöÈúÊõãú Ãóä ÊóÏúÎõáõæÇú ÇáúÌóäøóÉó æóáóãøóÇ íóÚúáóãö Çááøóåõ ÇáøóÐöíäó ÌóÜåóÏõæÇú ãöäßõãú æóíóÚúáóãó ÇáÕøóÜÈöÑöíäó ﴾
(Do you think that you will enter Paradise without Allah knowing those of you who fought (in His cause) and knowing those who are the patient) (3:142) There is a similar Ayah in Surat At-Tawbah. And Allah says:
﴿Ãóãú ÍóÓöÈúÊõãú Ãóä ÊóÏúÎõáõæÇú ÇáúÌóäøóÉó æóáóãøóÇ íóÃúÊößõã ãøóËóáõ ÇáøóÐöíäó ÎóáóæúÇú ãöä ÞóÈúáößõã ãøóÓøóÊúåõãõ ÇáúÈóÃúÓóÂÁõ æóÇáÖøóÑøóÂÁõ æóÒõáúÒöáõæÇú ÍóÊøóì íóÞõæáó ÇáÑøóÓõæáõ æóÇáøóÐöíäó ÁóÇãóäõæÇú ãóÚóåõ ãóÊóì äóÕúÑõ Çááøóåö ÃóáÇó Åöäøó äóÕúÑó Çááøóåö ÞóÑöíÈñ ﴾
(Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, "When (will come) the help of Allah'' Yes! Certainly, the help of Allah is near!) (2:214) Allah says here:
﴿æóáóÞóÏú ÝóÊóäøóÇ ÇáøóÐöíäó ãöä ÞóÈúáöåöãú ÝóáóíóÚúáóãóäøó Çááøóåõ ÇáøóÐöíäó ÕóÏóÞõæÇú æóáóíóÚúáóãóäøó ÇáúßóÜÐöÈöíäó ﴾
(And We indeed tested those who were before them so that Allah will know those who are true, and will know those who are liars.) meaning, He will make know which are sincere in their claim to be believers from those who are lying. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, knows what has happened in the past and what is yet to come, and He knows how that which will not happen would have happened if it were to happen. All the Imams of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are agreed on this. This is the view of Ibn `Abbas and others concerning phrases such as the Ayah,
﴿ÅöáÇøó áöäóÚúáóãó﴾
(only that We know) (2:143). Meaning, only to see -- because seeing has to do with what is there, but knowledge is broader than seeing, since it includes what is not present as well as what is.