'If Allaah Loves people, He tests them.'

In his explanation of 'Kitab at-Tawhid,' Sulayman bin 'Abdillah bin Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Wahhab mentioned the hadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم : 

'If Allaah Loves a people, He tests them.'

After explaining some aspects of the hadith, Shaykh Sulayman asked the question: how is it that Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى  can test those who are beloved to Him?

Summarizing the words of Ibn Taymiyyah, he answered:

'...because this forces the servant to repent.’

Allaah tests the servants with the punishments of this world in order that they repent from their sins, as He سُبحانه وتعالى said: 

بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

‘…Allâh may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allâh, & begging His Pardon).’

(Ar-Rum 30:41)  

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So, for whoever is granted the chance to repent by Allaah as the result of an act of disobedience, this is from the greatest of blessings of Allaah upon him, because this will result in his invoking and supplicating to Allaah with submission and humility. Because of this, Allaah has condemned those who do not lean on their Lord, and do not invoke Him when crisis occurs: 

وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَاهُم بِالْعَذَابِ فَمَا اسْتَكَانُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ وَمَا يَتَضَرَّعُونَ

‘And though We had mercy on them and removed the distress which is on them, still they would obstinately persist in their transgression, wandering blindly.’

(Al-Mu'minun 23:75)

And supplicating and invoking Allaah with humility is from the greatest of blessings, and this blessing is from the greatest paths by which one can rectify his religious practice, as the rectification of one's religious practice is in his worshipping Allaah, alone, depending on Him, and not calling upon any deity besides Him - NOT a du'a' of worship, nor a du'a' of request.

So, if you are granted the chance to perform repentance, which entails worshipping Allaah, alone, and you obey His Messengers by doing that which you are commanded, and abandoning that from which you are forbidden, you are from those who worship Allaah. And if you are granted the chance to supplicate to Allaah - which is to ask Allaah for whatever you need, and you ask Him for what will benefit you, and you seek refuge with Him from anything that would harm you - this is from the greatest of Allaah's blessings upon you.

This is usually what happens when a disaster strikes, and if such blessings emerge when crisis strikes, it would only make sense that the people most deserving of this are those who are beloved to Him, and it is upon such people to thank Allaah.'

['Taysir al-'Aziz al-Hamid'; p. 353-355]

 This hadith is hasan, and was reported by at-Tirmidhi (4/2396). It is
also included in 'Sahih al-Jami'' (275).