The prominent Muslim scholar, Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal Nadvi, Director and Imam of Al-Falah Islamic Center, Oakville, Ontario, Canada, states: “Allah’s tests can be for one of the following reasons:
1. To expiate bad deeds, when Allah tests His servants to help them get their sins erased in this life.
2. To elevate the servant, when Allah tests His servants to order to increase their reward through their patience and steadfastness.
3. To warn the believer, when Allah’s tests serves as a reminder for the servant at times of disobedience or heedlessness.
4. To expose the believer to fitnah, which means a trial to remove the sickness and weakness of behaviour in some people or make them examples for others. Allah says, (In order that Allah may separate the impure from the pure, put the impure, one on another, heap them together, and cast them into Hell. They will be the ones to have lost) (Al-Anfal 8:37).
So, it is not good to always understand Allah’s tests as punishments because Allah SWT deals with His people in the most kind and patient way: “and Allah is Most Kind of His servants”. Punishments come as the last stage.”