Tests

Earth adorned to make trial among mankind for who would excel in works

"Verily, we have made all that is on earth as its adornment, that we might make trial who among mankind would excel in works:"

(Qur'án, 18:6)

Tests that are for training, cause-and-effect, self-inflicted, or punishment

Some situations in life are tests to train our character, some are accidental, and some are self-inflicted

"Regarding your question about prayer and the fact that some of our problems are not solved through prayer, we must always realize that life brings to us many situations, some of which are tests sent from God to train our characters, some of which are accidental because we live in the world of nature and are subject to the accidents of death, disease, etc., and some of which we bring on ourselves by folly, selfishness or some other weak human trait."

(From a letter dated 18 March 1951 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; in Prayer and Devotional Life, no. 104)

There are calamities for testing and for punishment, and accidents (cause and effect)

"We must take the teachings as a great, balanced whole, not seek out and oppose to each other two strong statements that have different meanings; somewhere in between, there are links uniting the two. That is what makes our Faith so flexible and well balanced. For instance there are calamities for testing and for punishment--there are also accidents, plain cause and effect!"

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 19 March 1946, cited in Reconciliation of Apparent Contradictions in the Bahá'í Writings)

Illness can be truly hard to bear

"Although ill health is one of the unavoidable conditions of man, truly it is hard to bear. The bounty of good health is the greatest of all gifts."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 132, p. 151)

(Recipient's diseases are not on account of sins)

"For these thy prevailing diseases are not on account of sins, but they are to make thee detest this world and know that there is no rest and composure in this temporal life."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 185)

From Lights of Guidance (to categorize)

Bahá'ís Often Each Other's Greatest Test

"Perhaps the greatest test Bahá'ís are ever subjected to is from each other; but for the sake of the Master they should be ever ready to overlook each other's mistakes, apologize for harsh words they have uttered, forgive and forget. He strongly recommends to you this course of action."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, February 18, 1945: Living the Life, p. 12, in Lights of Guidance, no. 2037)

Growing Pains Every Bahá'í Community Experiences

"Often these trials and tests which all Bahá'í Communities inevitably pass through seem terrible at the moment, but in retrospect we understand that they were due to the frailty of human nature, to misunderstanding, and to the growing pains which every Bahá'í community must experience."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, November 25, 1956: Ibid., p. 19, in Lights of Guidance, no. 2038)

Failures, Tests and Trials Are Means of Purifying Our Spirits

"We must always look ahead and seek to accomplish in the future what we may have failed to do in the past. Failures, tests, and trials, if we use them correctly, can become the means of purifying our spirit, strengthening our characters, and enable us to rise to greater heights of service."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, December 14, 1941: Ibid., p. 7, in Lights of Guidance, no. 2039)

God Sometimes Causes Us to Suffer Much that We May Become Strong in His Cause

"You must not be sad. This affliction will make you spiritually stronger. Do not be sad. Cheer up! Praise be to God, you are dear to Me, I will tell you a story:

'A certain ruler wished to appoint one of his subjects to a high office: so, in order to train him, the ruler cast him into prison and caused him to suffer much. The man was surprised at this, for he expected great favours. The ruler had him taken from prison and beaten with sticks. This greatly astonished the man, for he thought the ruler loved him. After this he was hanged on the gallows until he was nearly dead. After he recovered he asked the ruler, 'If you love me, why did you do these things?' The ruler replied: 'I wish to make you prime minister. By having gone through these ordeals you are better fitted for that office. I wish you to know how it is yourself. When you are obliged to punish, you will know how it feels to endure these things. I love you so I wish you to become perfect.'

"Even so with you. After this ordeal you will reach maturity. God sometimes causes us to suffer much and to have many misfortunes that we may become strong in His Cause. You will soon recover and be spiritually stronger than ever before. You will work for God and carry the Message to many of your people."

(Words of Abdu'l-Bahá on October 10, 1912 to Mr. Tinsley who was recovering from an accident in San Francisco, California: Star of the West, Vol. IV, No. 12, p. 205, in Lights of Guidance, no. 2040)

A Man May Forget God While Happy

"While a man is happy he may forget his God; but when grief comes and sorrows overwhelm him, then will he remember his Father Who is in Heaven, and Who is able to deliver him from his humiliations.

"Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit."

('Abdu'l-Bahá: Paris Talks, pp. 50-51, in Lights of Guidance, no. 2041)

Difficulties Are Means for the Spirit to Grow

"Thus you might look upon your own difficulties in the path of service. They are the means of your spirit growing and developing. You will suddenly find that you have conquered many of the problems which upset you, and then you will wonder why they should have troubled you at all. An individual must centre his whole heart and mind on service to the Cause, in accordance with the high standards set by Bahá'u'lláh. When this is done, the Hosts of the Supreme Concourse will come to the assistance of the individual, and every difficulty and trial will gradually be overcome."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, October 6, 1954: Living the Life, p. 19, in Lights of Guidance, no. 2042)

No Comfort in This World--Some Under Pressure Commit Suicide

"...No comfort can be secured by any soul in this world, from monarch down to the most humble commoner. If once this life should offer a man a sweet cup, a hundred bitter ones will follow; such is the condition of this world. The wise man, therefore, doth not attach himself to this mortal life and doth not depend upon it; at some moments, even, he eagerly wisheth for death that he may thereby be freed from these sorrows and afflictions. Thus it is seen that some, under extreme pressure of anguish, have committed suicide."

('Abdu'l-Bahá: Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 200, in Lights of Guidance, no. 2044)

We Can Turn Our Stumbling Blocks Into Stepping Stones

"...We Bahá'ís can always, with the aid of Bahá'u'lláh, Who, is ever ready to strengthen and assist us, turn our stumbling blocks into stepping stones, and utilize the often violent forces released by sincere but perhaps misguided friends, as a positive stream of power by turning them into productive channels instead of destructive ones."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and Austria, June 30, 1949, in Lights of Guidance, no. 2045)

Life Afflicts Us with Very Severe Trials which We Must Accept Patiently

"Life afflicts us with very severe trials sometimes, but we must always remember that when we accept patiently the Will of God He compensates us in other ways. With faith and love we must be patient, and He will surely reward us."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, October 30, 1951, in Lights of Guidance, no. 2046)

Many Tests Are Due to Our Own Nature

"He was very sorry to hear that you have had so many tests in your Bahá'í life. There is no doubt that many of them are due to our own nature. In other words, if we are very sensitive, or if we are in some way brought up in a different environment from the Bahá'ís amongst whom we live, we naturally see things differently and may feel them more acutely; and the other side of it is that the imperfections of our fellow-Bahá'ís can be a great trial to us.

"We must always remember that in the cesspool of materialism, which is what modern civilization has to a certain extent become, Bahá'ís--that is some of them--are still to a certain extent affected by the society from which they have sprung. In other words, they have recognized the Manifestation of God, but they have not been believers long enough, or perhaps not tried hard enough, to become 'a new creation'.

"He feels that, if you close your eyes to the failings of others, and fix your love and prayers upon Bahá'u'lláh, you will have the strength to weather this storm, and will be much better for it in the end, spiritually. Although you suffer, you will gain a maturity that will enable you to be of greater help to both your fellow-Bahá'ís and your children."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, April 5, 1956, in Lights of Guidance, no. 2047)

Only Through Suffering Can Nobility of Character Be Made Manifest--The Energy We Spend Enduring the Intolerance of Others is Not Lost

"As to the inconveniences you have experienced during the last ten years, the best consolation I can imagine for you is your own quotation of the Hidden Words, 'My calamity is my providence.' We must bear with one another. It is only through suffering that the nobility of character can make itself manifest. The energy we expend in enduring the intolerance of some individuals of our community is not lost. It is transformed into fortitude, steadfastness and magnanimity. The lives of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá are the best examples for this. Sacrifices in the path of one's religion produce always immortal results, 'Out of the ashes rises the phoenix'."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, June 30, 1923, in Lights of Guidance, no. 2048)

Suffering Seems to be Part of the Polish God Employs to Enable Us to Reflect More of His Attributes

"...Suffering, of one kind or another, seems to be the portion of man in this world. Even the Beloved Ones, the Prophets of God, have never been exempt from

the ills that are to be found in our world; poverty, disease, bereavement,-- they seem to be part of the polish God employs to make us finer, and enable us to reflect more of His attributes! No doubt in the future, when the foundation of society is laid according to the Divine plan, and men become truly spiritualized, a vast amount of our present ills and problems will be remedied. We who toil now are paving the way for a far better world, and this knowledge must uphold and strengthen us through every trial."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 3, 1943, in Lights of Guidance, no. 2049)

See also

• trials (tests of mankind)
• Reconciling apparent contradictions or dichotomies
• Will of God