Dought & clear, - The difference between punishments and trials.

Allah menitions in the Quran that when an evil befalls us it is due to
what our own hands have earned. Also our beloved Messenger, Muhammad
(sallalahu 'alayhi wassallam) said in a hadith that the most tried are
the Prophets, then those in piety after those. So therefore in our day
to daylife when things go wrong in our lives how do we decide whether
itis due to our sinfulness or that Allah loves us . and therefore
sends a trial upon us
Jazakallahu khairun
Praise be to Allaah.
Punishments are what happen to people in return for their evil deeds.
Trials are tests which are sent to try people, and people may be
tested by good thingsor by bad.
Concerning punishments, Allaah says(interpretation of the
meaning):"Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allaah, but whatever
of evil befalls you, is from yourself…" [al-Nisa' 4:79]
Concerning the phrase"is from yourself", Qutaadah said: "[It means]
the punishment is for you, O son of Adam, because of your sin." Abu
Saalih said that"whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself"means
"because of your sin, and I [Allaah] am theOne Who decreed it for
you."(Tafseer Ibn Katheer).
Allaah also says (interpretation of the meaning):"And whatever of
misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands haveearned.
And He pardons much." [al-Shoora 42:30]
Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy on him, said:"[It means] whatever
misfortune happens to you, O people, is becauseof evil deeds that you
have already done, and 'He pardons much'refers to evil deeds – He does
not punish you for them but He pardons them.'And if Allaah were to
punish men for that which they earned, he would not leave a moving
(living) creature on the surface of the earth…' [Faatir 35:45 –
interpretation of the meaning]."
Concerning trials, the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "If Allaah loves a people, He tries them, and whoever has
patience will have patience, and whoever is anxious will be
anxious."(Reported by Imaam Ahmad;Saheeh al-Jaami', 1706).
The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also said: "The
extent of the reward will be in accordance with the extent of the
trial. If Allaah loves a people, He tries them, and whoever is content
will have contentment, and whoever is angry will have anger."(Reported
by al-Tirmidhi, 2320;Saheeh al-Jaami', 2210).
The following outlines how one may tell whether a given event isa
punishment or a trial:
If the misfortune results from doing an act of obedience to Allaah,
such as being wounded in jihaad, or losing money when migrating for
the sake of Allaah, or losing a job because of becoming Muslim or
increasing one's commitment to Islam, then this is a trial. Whoever
bears it with patience will be rewarded, but if one reacts angrily
then one will earn the wrath of Allaah. If the misfortune results from
sin, such as sexually-transmitted diseases or illnesses caused by
drinking alcohol and taking drugs, and so on, then this is the kind of
punishment that comes in this world (as opposed to being deferred
until the Hereafter). If the misfortune is connected neither to a good
deed nor a sin – such as other kinds of disease and sickness, losing a
child, or failing in business – then it depends on the person's
situation. If he is good and devout, it is a trial, and if he is
sinful, it is a punishment.
The misfortune may be apunishment to atone for sins, or it may be a
trial aimed at raising a person's status and increasing
hishasanaat(good deeds/rewards) – this may be determined by whether a
person is obedient or disobedient.A person should not praise himself,
rather he should criticize himself for his shortcomings andstrive to
attain perfection. He will benefit from misfortunesin any case, if he
has patience and hopes for reward. And Allaah knows best.