Choosing The One

وَجَعَلْنَا بَعْضَكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ فِتْنَةً أَتَصْبِرُ‌ونَ ۗ وَكَانَ رَ‌بُّكَ بَصِيرً‌ا

“And We have made some of you as a trial for others: will you then have patience? (Quran 25:20)   

It's eye-opening when Allah himself says that he has made some "people" as a test or trial for others. We often see "situations" as tests but here Allah confirms that people are send as tests as well. He is telling you that not everyone that comes into your life is a blessing. Not everyone was sent to make you happy. Not everyone was sent to make your life better. But everyone was sent for a reason. To teach you, to better you. He's telling you that there will be people that will test your patience. There will be people who will wrong you, hurt you, take you for granted. There will be people that will shake your faith, make you question your worth, question if kindness is ever enough? And then there will be you, with a choice. Your choice on how to deal with them. And Allah doesn't leave you without an advice. In just one verse He tells you about the test and asks you, if you'd still be patient? Because most of the time it's not the outsiders who test your patience, who cause you pain, its the people closest to you. And these are the people that deserve the best behavior from us. These are the people we have to, have to be patient with. And it's amazing how Allah talks about patience here because it's comparatively easier to be patient with a situation since not everything is in your control but being patient with people is SO much harder with all the bad vocabulary we own and the convenience of physically getting rid of them. It's very easy to lose patience with people which often results in you turning turn into a test for someone else. So the next time you are tempted to lose patience with a family member or friend or a random stranger on street who took over your parking spot, remember this verse. Remember patience. And for the sake of you Lord hold on it because patience will get you to places, because patience will never fail you.