Al-Jawhari in al-Sihah says in this regard...

Al-Jawhari in al-Sihah says in this regard: وَالبَلاءُ الإخْتِبَارُ يَكُونُ بِالشَّرِّ وَالخَيْرِ. يُقاَلُ: أَبْلاهُ اللهُ بَلاءً حَسَناً. وَأَبْلَيْتُهُ مَعْرُوفاً. And God Almighty’ says: ﴿وَلِيُبْلِيَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلَاءً حَسَنًا.﴾ And that He may try the believers with a fair trial.

( 8:17 ) All that with which God, to Whom belongs Glory and Majesty, tries His servants is bala’ and ibtila’, whether it is one of the diseases and ailments, or adversities like poverty, humiliation and loss of worldly fortunes, or a thing of an opposite kind such as acquisition of power and glory, wealth, riches, high status, honor, and the like. However, whenever bala’, baliyyah or ibtila’ and the like are mentioned, it is the former kind of things that are meant.

Amthal means ‘nobler and better’: يُقَالُ: هَذَا أَمْثَلُ مِنْ هَذَا. أَيْ أَفْضَلَ وَأَدْنَى إلَى الخَيْرِ. Hence, the phrase (ثُمَّ الأمْثَلَ فَالأمْثَلَ) means that one who is better and nobler after the prophets and the awsiya’ has to face a severer kind of bala’ than the others, and those who are better and nobler than others after them have to face a severer degree of trial. The degree of the severity of bala’ is in accordance with the decree of merit.

This kind of expression (i.e., like ثُمَّ الأمْثَلَ فَالأمْثَلَ ) does not exist in Persian. ‘Sukhf’ means ‘feebleness of the rational faculty’ or ‘foolishness’, as mentioned by al-Sihah, and other lexicographical works. Qarar means ‘resting place,’ as mentioned in the dictionaries: القَرَارُ وَالقَرَارَةُ: مَا قَرَّ فِيهِ والمُطْمَئِنُّ مِنَ الأَرْضِ.

The apology means that in the same way as the earth is the resting place where rainwater comes to rest and abide, the believer is the resting place of sufferings and tribulations, which rush toward him, come to rest in him, and do not depart from him. God willing, we will mention that which is needed for the exposition of this noble tradition in the course of a few sections.

The Meaning Of Trial Let it be known to you that the human souls exist at a level of potentiality from the beginning of their origin, their attachment to the bodies, and their descent to the realm of corporeal existence ( mulk ) , in respect of all things, including knowledge, good and evil traits, and all kinds of perceptive and behavioral faculties. Gradually they move from potentiality to actuality with the grace of God, the Almighty and the Sublime.

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