Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 2

(Ayah 2) { اَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ اَنْ يُّتْرَكُوْۤا اَنْ يَّقُوْلُوْۤا اٰمَنَّا …:} Before the Hijrah, the Muslims in Makkah Mukarramah were passing through very difficult circumstances; the disbelievers had made their lives unbearable. According to human nature, sometimes the Muslims, unable to bear the calamities, would become anxious, so Allah Almighty said to encourage them: "Do people think that they will be left alone just because they say, 'We believe,' and they will not be tested?" This interrogative is for negation, meaning this cannot happen; rather, there will certainly be a test, so that the truthful may be separated from the liars and the sincere from the hypocrites. According to the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the test is according to the level of faith; the stronger the faith, the harder the test. Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Who among the people has the hardest tests?" So he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ أَلْأَنْبِيَاءُ، ثُمَّ الصَّالِحُوْنَ، ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلُ، فَالْأَمْثَلُ مِنَ النَّاسِ ، يُبْتَلَی الرَّجُلُ عَلٰی حَسَبِ دِيْنِهِ ، فَإِنْ كَانَ فِيْ دِيْنِهِ صَلاَبَةٌ زِيْدَ فِي بَلاَئِهِ، وَ إِنْ كَانَ فِيْ دِيْنِهِ رِقَّةٌ خُفِّفَ عَنْهُ، وَمَا يَزَالُ الْبَلَاءُ بِالْعَبْدِ حَتّٰی يَمْشِيَ عَلٰی ظَهْرِ الْأَرْضِ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ خَطِيْئَةٌ ] [مسند أحمد : 172/1، ح : ۱۴۸۵۔ ترمذي : ۲۳۹۸، و صححہ الألباني ] "(The hardest tested) are the Prophets, then the righteous, then those who are superior among the people, then those who are next in superiority. A person's test is according to his religion; if there is strength in his religion, his test is increased, and if there is weakness in his religion, it is lightened for him, and a person's test continues until he walks upon the earth in such a state that there is no sin left upon him."

For verses on this subject, see Surah Al-Imran (142 and 179), Al-Baqarah (214), At-Tawbah (16), and Surah Muhammad (31).