Dear Hadi,
Dear Reader,
The honest answer is yes, they can—but they do not have to.
Pressure, financial hardship, career uncertainty, illness, family responsibilities, and life’s many disappointments affect people differently. For some, these trials awaken a deeper awareness of their dependence upon Allah and draw them closer to Him. For others, the burden becomes so overwhelming that worship begins to feel like one more obligation they do not have the strength to carry, and their connection with Allah weakens. Some may even begin to resent being tested, feeling that they somehow have a right to a comfortable life free from serious trials.
Neither response is difficult to understand. The important question is not whether hardship will come, because hardship is unavoidable. The question is where we turn when it does.
Allah SWT tells us clearly that being tested is part of the purpose of earthly life:
“Do people imagine that they will be left merely to say, ‘We believe,’ without being tested? We certainly tested those who came before them. Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident those who are false.”
Qur’an 29:2–3
A trial, therefore, is not necessarily evidence that Allah is displeased with someone. It may be a means through which faith is revealed, strengthened, purified, or redirected. Trials sometimes reveal the strength that already exists within us, and at other times they expose the places in our hearts where further growth is needed.
Allah SWT also describes some of the specific forms that these tests may take:
“We will certainly test you with something of fear and hunger, and with loss of wealth, lives, and the fruits of your labor. But give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere—those who, when a calamity strikes them, say, ‘Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed, to Him we shall return.’ Those are the people upon whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord, and it is they who are rightly guided.”
Qur’an 2:155–157
These verses do not promise that believers will be protected from fear, financial loss, bereavement, or insecurity. Rather, they teach us how to understand these experiences. We belong to Allah SWT, everything we possess ultimately belongs to Him, and our final return is to Him. The believer’s patience does not mean that he or she feels no pain. It means that pain does not completely sever the person’s relationship with Allah SWT.
One of the greatest misconceptions is that a strong believer never struggles emotionally. In reality, even the Prophets experienced immense hardship. They grieved, worried, suffered rejection, endured poverty and illness, lost loved ones, and sometimes felt deeply overwhelmed by the burdens placed upon them.
The Prophet Muhammad pbuh was asked which people are tested most severely. He replied:
“The Prophets, then those nearest to them, and then those nearest to them. A person is tested according to the strength of his religion. If his religion is strong, his trial is more severe; and if there is weakness in his religion, he is tested according to its strength. Trials continue to afflict a servant until he walks upon the earth free of sin.” Jamiʿ al-Tirmidhi
The severity of a person’s trials, therefore, is not a reliable measure of Allah’s displeasure. The Prophets were the most beloved people to Allah SWT, yet they were among the most severely tested.
The Qur’an records the anguish of Yaʿqub, peace be upon him, following the loss of his son Yūsuf. He did not deny his sadness or pretend that it did not exist. Instead, he directed his grief toward Allah SWT for consolation:
“He said, ‘I complain of my suffering and my sorrow only to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you do not know.’”
Qur’an 12:86
Likewise, Ayyub, peace be upon him, turned to Allah after prolonged illness and suffering:
“And remember Ayyūb when he called upon his Lord, saying, ‘Suffering has afflicted me, and You are the most merciful of those who show mercy.’ So We answered him, removed the suffering that had afflicted him, and restored his family to him, together with as many more—a mercy from Us and a reminder for those who worship Us.”
Qur’an 21:83–84
These Prophets did not turn to Allah because their lives were easy. They turned to Him precisely because their lives had become painfully difficult. They knew that Allah was not merely the One who gave them religious obligations; He was their refuge, their source of strength, and the One to whom they could speak with complete honesty.
At the same time, we should never underestimate the weight that constant stress can place upon a person’s heart and mind. Someone who is battling financial worries, searching unsuccessfully for employment, caring for children or elderly parents, facing illness, or enduring repeated disappointment may find it difficult to concentrate in ṣalāh or to experience the sweetness of worship. This does not necessarily mean that the person’s faith has disappeared. Sometimes it simply means that the person is emotionally and physically exhausted.
The Prophet pbuh acknowledged that pain, anxiety, sadness, and distress are real human experiences. He said:“No fatigue, illness, sorrow, sadness, injury, or distress afflicts a Muslim—even the prick of a thorn—except that Allah removes some of that person’s sins because of it.” Sahih Bukhari
This hadith does not tell a suffering person that the pain is imaginary or insignificant. On the contrary, it recognizes fatigue, grief, sadness, bodily pain, and emotional distress as genuine afflictions. At the same time, it assures the believer that none of this suffering is meaningless or lost with Allah.
The danger arises when life’s pressures become so consuming that we begin to believe that we have no time for Allah SWT, that Allah SWT has forgotten us, or that worship can be postponed until our circumstances improve. Shayṭan is quick to exploit such moments. He whispers that worship can wait until work becomes stable, the financial problem is resolved, the illness passes, or the heart feels spiritual again. But life rarely becomes completely free of challenges. If we wait for the perfect moment to reconnect with Allah SWT, we may wait indefinitely.
Ironically, the moments when we feel least able to pray are often the moments when we need prayer most. Prayer is not intended to be merely another item on an already overwhelming list of responsibilities. It is meant to interrupt the weight of the world. It reminds us that our provision, our future, our dignity, and our ultimate worth do not rest entirely upon our own shoulders.
Allah SWT says:
“Those who believe and whose hearts find reassurance in the remembrance of Allah—surely it is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts find reassurance.”
Qur’an 13:28
This reassurance may not always come immediately or dramatically. Sometimes it appears gradually, through the repeated act of standing before Allah SWT, reciting His words, bowing, prostrating, and admitting that we cannot carry everything alone.
Islam, however, does not teach passivity. We are encouraged to work hard, seek lawful income, plan carefully, acquire useful skills, pursue treatment, ask others for assistance, and strive for excellence. Trusting Allah—tawakkul—does not mean neglecting practical responsibilities. It means using every lawful means within our capacity while recognizing that the final outcome belongs to Him.
If anxiety or disappointment has distanced you from Allah, do not wait until you feel completely “spiritual” before returning. Begin where you are. Pray even if your concentration is imperfect. Make duʿa even if you have only a few words. Read a single verse of the Qur’an if an entire chapter feels overwhelming. Sit quietly after prayer and say, “O Allah, I am struggling, but I do not want to lose my connection with You.”
And if stress has become constant—affecting your sleep, appetite, mood, relationships, work, or ability to function—do not hesitate to seek support. Islam encourages us to use the means Allah SWT has placed within creation. This may include speaking to trustworthy family members, knowledgeable and compassionate scholars, physicians, counselors, or qualified mental-health professionals. Seeking help does not contradict tawakkul.
Emotional exhaustion, anxiety, or depression should not automatically be interpreted as weak faith. A faithful person can become physically ill, and a faithful person can also become psychologically overwhelmed. Caring for the mind and body is part of caring for the trust Allah SWT has given us. The believer may become tired, confused, frightened, or deeply saddened. But as long as he or she continues to return to Allah SWT, the trial has not defeated the faith. Sometimes the most sincere form of faith is not to stand before Allah SWT without pain, but to stand before Him while carrying the pain and say: “O Allah, I am still here, and I still turn to You.”
In peace.