The Test of Adversity
Those who exhibit divine character traits even in the face of adversity are the only creatures who will have the honour to live near the neighbourhood of God—Paradise—when they enter the world Hereafter.
God, in creating man, endowed him with the nobility of character. He then set him down in a world fraught with moral dangers, where such circumstances exist as can at any moment incite him to fall into evil ways. Life then, for man, becomes a tremendous moral tussle, a struggle in which right and wrong pull him in opposite directions. Those who consistently do good works while treading the straight and narrow path, who, in short, do their utmost to preserve the noble image in which God created man, will be amply rewarded by God, while those who become abased and wicked, sinking into sin and corruption will be consigned to Hellfire and damnation. (95:1-5)
The present world is a testing ground: it has been created solely for it. Here, fear of loss and hope of gain arouse ignoble feelings, particularly the desire to exploit fellow men. The ego is the significant obstacle that bars the way to justice. Here, sensual enticements lead man to seek ephemeral pleasures. A clash of interests engenders anger, hatred, and niggardliness. What is meant by the earth is the ‘lowest of the low’, as it is called in the Quran (95:5). Man must rise above such base impulses and prove himself worthy of his noble image. It can be ascertained whether the fruit is good or bad only when it is cut open. Human beings are no different in this respect. Whether they live in the company of Angels or spend their time hobnobbing with Satan can be known only when they are confronted with dire adversity. Their essential natures are revealed in situations that are full of stress and temptations.
The evil take their cue from the devil, while the virtuous act on the promptings of the Angels, their lives being characterized by love, selflessness, justice, and humility. Adversity reveals whether or not man indeed remembers God. Those who exhibit divine character traits even in the face of adversity are the solitary creatures who will have the honour to live in the vicinity of God when they enter the world, Hereafter.
