God tests individuals to reveal and refine their character, faith, and inner potential. These tests are often experienced as trials, challenges or difficult situations that can strengthen faith, clarify purpose, or purify the individual’s spirit.
For those who say they believe in God and the Day of Judgment they must be prepared to go through a test and to prove their words that when they believe they must also prove it by their actions. Then only is true what they believe is what they do.
God in the Qur’an cautioned mankind who are believers in God to make their words worth that of their actions, He cautioned and will put us to the test if we really believe in Him.
S61:2-3 O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do, it is most hateful to God that you should say which you do not do.
S2:155 Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits of your toil but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.
S3:186 You shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in your personal selves, and you shall certainly hear much that will grieve you, from those who received the Book before you and from those who worship many gods. But if you persevere patiently and guard against evil; then that will be a determining factor in all affairs.
S6:165 It is He Who has made you His viceroys, inheritors of the earth: He has raised you in ranks, some above the others; that He may test you in the gifts He has given you: for your Lord is quick in punishment; yet He is indeed Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.
S5:94 – O you who believe! God will surely try you with something of the game that your hands and lances attain, that God may know who fears Him in the Unseen. Whoso thereafter commits transgression, there awaits him a painful chastisement.
There are many things one can do to keep up one spirit of patience and perseverance when encountering something of fear and hunger, loss of love ones or the failure of our toils for sustenance in this world. One of the most effective ways to keep up our spirit is to read the Qur’an. The Qur’an tells us about the plight and the experiences of the prophets and those who were righteousness when they were tested for the patience, they too nearly loosing their hope and they too cried to God for His help. If those nearest to God were tested to the edges of their endurance then who are we to compare to them.
And God said in the Qur’an:
S2:214 Or do you think that you shall enter the garden of bliss without such trials as came to those who passed away before you? They encountered sufferings and adversity and were so shaken in spirit that even the Apostle and those of faith who were with him cried: “When will the help of God come?” Ah! Verily the help of God is always nearby!
In another way to keep up the spirit of patience and perseverance is to be constant in our prayers to God by establishing the obligatory Salat or prayers for constant contact daily will keep our focus seeking in the hope for His grace and His mercy when performing those prayers.
S2:45-46 And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones, who know that they shall meet their Lord and that they shall return to Him.
S2:253 O you who believe! Seek help with patience, perseverance and Prayer (salat): for God is with those who are patience persevere.
Thus, reading the Quran and establishing the Salat is the most important ritual to keep up our spirit to maintain patience, perseverance when being tested by God while paying and contributing the obligatory alms or zakat will purify the souls.
S92:18-20 Those who spend their wealth for an increase in self-purification. And have in their minds no favor from anyone for which a reward is expected in return, But only the desire to seek for the Countenance of their Lord Most High. And soon will they attain complete satisfaction.
S2:2-5 That is the Book in it is guidance sure, without doubt to those who fear God; who believe in the unseen, are steadfast in prayer (salat) and spend out of what We have provided for them; and who believe in the revelation sent to you (O Muhammad) and sent before your time and in their hearts have the assurance of the hereafter. They are on true guidance from their Lord and it is these who will prosper.
Pondering with Saifuddin's index 