Chapter 7 - On Calamities and Hardships

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Whoever believes in the following will not lose anything. It is better for one not to have any shelter other than the trees and eat only the leaves of the trees.”

“Whenever God the Almighty loves someone, He will throw him into trouble and storm him with calamities. When he prays to God for help, God will say: “O' My servants! I hear your prayer and have the power to immediately fulfill your requests if I so wish, but I will save it for you; and what I save for you is better.”

“Great calamities have great rewards. When God loves someone, He will make him suffer great calamities. God will be pleased with whoever is content with these calamities. Whoever is displeased, God will be displeased with him.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “God has especial servants on the Earth. God will not send down any gifts to this world unless He deprives them of these gifts, and will not descend any calamities unless they suffer from these calamities. They are the followers of (Imam) Ali (a.s).”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “There is always a great reward for a great calamity. God will send calamities to any nations that He loves.”

“I swear by God that no one can attain nobility near God unless his sufferings increase.”

Imam Baqir (a.s) said: “The people who suffered the worst hardships were the Prophets. Then there were those who followed them and then the people who are most similar to the Prophets suffer the worst hardships.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “The people who suffered the worst hardships were the Prophets. Then there are those are most similar to the Prophets who suffer the worst hardships.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “God's Prophet (a.s) was asked: “Which people suffer the most in this world?” The Prophet (a.s) said: “The Prophets. Then those who are most similar to them. Then the believers will suffer according to the degree of their faith and good deeds. The stronger their faith, and the more their good deeds are, the worst will their sufferings be.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “A believer is similar to a scale. The stronger his faith, the more his sufferings will be.”

Imam Kazim (a.s) said: “You will not be true believers unless you are trustworthy and consider sufferings to be blessings, and consider welfare to be a tragedy, since perseverance in the face of hardships is better than negligence at times of comfort.”

Imam Baqir (a.s) said: “A believer will suffer from calamities in this world according to his religiousness.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Those who follow the right way are always in hardship. But this hardship is for a short duration, and it will be followed by a long period of well-being.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “There is a rank near God for His servants which they cannot attain unless they either get sick or lose some property.”

“There are some excellent ranks in Heaven which one cannot attain unless he suffers from a calamity. But whenever you suffer a calamity, recall my calamities which are the worst calamities.”

God's Prophet (a.s) said: “The greatest reward is for the worst calamities. When God loves a nation, He will send down a calamity upon them. God will be pleased with whoever is content, and will be displeased with whoever is displeased.”

“When the Letter of Deeds is opened and the Scales are setup, there are no Letters of Deeds for the people who suffered calamities.” Then he recited the verse: “O' ye My servants who believe! Fear your Lord. God is the reward for those who do good in this world. Spacious is God's earth! Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without a measure.” [The Holy Quran: Zumar 39:10]