Title: The Tests of the Prophet & his Companions Question: Muhammad (SWA) and the Sahabas had suffered a lot of pain and torture for just Tauhid . Why do WE NOT FACE any of those tests that they had to face even though claim ourselves to be Tauhidi? But Allah (SWT) has said... (see ayats 2: 214 and 29: 2, 3). So there must be something wrong with Our Tauhid . What are those wrongs? Sayeed Hyder Answer: This whole life is a test for man. We are being tested by God, even when we are not fully conscious of it. God has different ways of testing man. Everyone is not tested in the same manner. Sometimes, people are tested through difficult times and at others, they are tested through affluence and ease. We have to use the time available to us during the life of this world in cleansing ourselves from all aspects, by accepting and submitting to whatever we truly understand to be the directives and likes of our Lord and Creator and by trying our best to successfully go through all the tests that God puts us in. This is the general rule regarding the test of this world. However, under normal circumstances, this test is conducted at a very personal level only. Nevertheless, there are times when, due to reasons known only to God, all the members ascribing to a particular collectivity are put through severe tests. One of such situations is the tests faced by the companions of some of the prophets and messengers of God. The companions of Moses (pbuh), of Jesus (pbuh) and of Muhammad (pbuh) are well known examples of such tests faced by the whole collectivity. The reason for such tests at the collective level, as derived from the Qur'an, relates to the special position of these companions of the great prophets of God, as has especially been explained by the Qur'an, with reference to the companions of Muhammad (pbuh). The Qur'an tells us that the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, at their collective level, are to carry out the responsibility of bearing witness of the guidance of God upon the humankind in general, in the same manner, as the Prophet (pbuh) bore witness of this guidance upon them. For this purpose, God puts the collectivity of the companions of these prophets through extremely pressing and stringent tests so that this collectivity is cleansed of all impure elements and is, thereby, made capable of the duty that God has put upon it. It is not correct to assume that all peoples at all times are put through the same kind of tests at the collective level for believing in Tawheed . This assumption is neither in accordance with the Qur'an nor supported by the history of God's prophets. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad April 6, 2002