لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ {You will surely be tested in your possessions and in yourselves}: The test with money is in two cases; either you have money and it goes, and you become poor, or you are rich, but you consume money in a way that angers Allah (swt); you do not give it to the poor, orphans, or those in need, and spend it in disobedience, so it is a test. Allah (swt) says:
فَأَمَّا الْإِنسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَكْرَمَنِ
{And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, “My Lord has honored me.} (Al-Fajr: 15)
So he thinks that honoring will be by money:
وَأَمَّا إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَهَانَنِ
{But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, “My Lord has humiliated me.} (Al-Fajr: 16)
He thinks having money is evidence of dignity and poverty is evidence of humiliation, so Allah (swt) says afterwards:
{كَلاَّ}
{No}.
Neither money is a sign of dignity, nor poverty is a sign of humiliation, and listen to the test of money:
كَلَّا بَل لَّا تُكْرِمُونَ الْيَتِيمَ (17) وَلَا تَحَاضُّونَ عَلَى طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ (18) وَتَأْكُلُونَ التُّرَاثَ أَكْلًا لَّمًّا (19) وَتُحِبُّونَ الْمَالَ حُبًّا جَمًّا
{No! But you do not honor the orphan. (17) And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor. (18) And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether. (19) And you love wealth with immense love.} (Al-Fajr: 17-20)
This test is in regard of money, but what about the test of souls! who cannot get sick, let him do so, who can prevent any disease or any germ or bacteria from infecting him?! No one at all.
وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ أَذًى كَثِيرًا {And you will surely hear from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate others with Allah much abuse.}: Abuse here is different from harm; harm causes pain and wound on a person, but the abuse does not last, as Allah (swt) says:
لَن يَضُرُّوكُمْ إِلاَّ أَذًى
{They will not harm you except for [some] abuse} (Aal-Imran: 111)
Abasement from polytheists and people of Scripture; the Jews who were trying to harm the believers at that time by words and deeds.
This is a common matter, as the call of the Prophets were always confronted by the enemies of values and morals and those who were whispered to by Satan, especially the Jews. The remedy for all these trials in money and lives is:
وَإِن تَصْبِرُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ But if you are patient and fear Allah}: You have to be patient first, fear of Allah (swt) second. There are two kinds of patience, patience for troubles, and patience for temptations, so patience is a translation of the true faith of the believers. When a person is patient, then he is a true believer; because he knows that nothing can harm or benefit, give or prevent, abuse or exalt, dignify or humiliate, except Allah (swt), so he is patient with Allah’s decree, along with fearing Allah (swt) which is the combination of all good. So if a person apply what is in Allah’s book, satisfied with what Allah (swt) has apportioned to him, and gets ready to meet His (swt) face, then he fulfills the elements of fearing Allah as Allah (swt) wanted.
فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الأُمُورِ {that is of the matters [worthy] of determination}: Determination is the combined forces of taking action. It is not easy to gather all your strength for the sake of patience; because patience is a very difficult matter, and there are many people who claim patience, but the truth is they are dismayed at the first shock. The Prophet (saws) said:
“Patience is only at the first shock”[1]
[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari: Chapter of Burials, Section of Visiting the Graveyards, Hadith No. 1223.