How can we reconcile the increasing tribulation with the strength of faith and the blessed life of the believer, as stated in His — Exalted be He — saying: "And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they used to earn," and in the Hadith: "A person is tested according to the strength of his faith"?

The survival of nations is tied to their righteousness and uprightness, while their destruction and collapse are due to their evil conduct, as stated in the Almighty's words: "And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would surely have opened to them blessings from the heaven and the earth. But they denied, so We seized them for what they used to earn." Qur'anic examples illustrate this, such as the story of the village that disbelieved and consequently tasted hunger and fear. As for the affliction of individuals, "a person is tested according to his faith," this pertains to individuals and does not contradict the verses. Affliction for believers is a cause for expiation of sins and elevation of ranks. A believer lives in happiness and peace of mind despite trials, whereas a disbeliever lives in misery and hardship even if he possesses the world, in fulfillment of the Almighty's saying: "Then whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray nor suffer. And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a difficult life."