12. How can we know that the hardship that we are going through is a test rather than a punishment?

No hardship in this world is a form of punishment; it is only a test. There are several examples of extreme hardships, for example, the death of several Companions of the Prophet in the Battle of Uhud, or other great difficulties faced by the Prophet Muhammad. However, these were not punishments.

In this world, hardship is part of a law of nature. According to past historical records, punishment was inflicted upon some contemporaries of various prophets, but that was limited to the prophetic age and is not applicable anymore. Hardship is a test for the person who experiences it.