Q 5: When a person is tested with illness or an affliction in person or property, how can they know whether it is a test or a sign of the Wrath of Allah?
A: Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) tests His servants with prosperity and adversity and with hardship and ease. He may afflict them to raise their degrees, elevate their rank and double their rewards as He did with the Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them), and His pious servants. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The most severely tested among people are the Prophets, then the most righteous, then the next most righteous."
Sometimes, Allah (Exalted be He) afflicts them because of their sins and crimes; therefore, the punishment is quick, as He (Glorified be He) states: And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much. (See the Qur'ân Verse 35:45). People are often neglectful and fail to fulfill their duties, so anything bad that may happen to them is the result of sins and negligence on their part in fulfilling the Commands of Allah.
But when one of the pious servants of Allah is afflicted with a disease or anything of the like, this is of the same kind of testing experienced by the Prophets and Messengers in order to raise their degrees, double their reward and for them to serve as a model for others in showing patience and Ihtisab (confident anticipation of Allah's Recompense). In conclusion, affliction may occur in order to raise the degrees and double the rewards as Allah does with the Prophets and some chosen pious people. It may also occur to expiate sins, as Allah says: whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "No fatigue, illness, distress, sorrow, harm, or grief befalls a Muslim, even a thorn which pricks them, but Allah will cause it to expiate for some of their sins." and his statement: "When Allah wills good for a person, He afflicts them with calamity." It may also be a quick punishment because of sins committed without hastening to Tawbah (repentance to Allah) as reported in the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in which he stated: "When Allah wills good for His slave, He hastens their punishment in this world, and when He wills bad for His slave, He withholds the punishment for their sin until they come to Him with that sin on the Day of Resurrection." (Compiled by AlTirmidhi who ranked it as Hasan [good Hadith]).