All forms of hardships, whether illness, loss, difficulty, or trials, are not always punishment.
For the believer, they can be a mercy in disguise: they purify sins, increase rewards, elevate ranks, and draw one closer to Allah.
The Prophet [pbuh] also said in a related narration:
“The most severely tested people are the Prophets, then the righteous, then those who resemble them…” (Tirmidhi)
So when trials come, the believer responds with patience (sabr), trust in Allah’s decree (tawakkul), and hope in the reward.
As Allah says in the Qur’an:
“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient. Those who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.’ Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:155-157)
May Allah make every trial we face a means of good for us in this life and the Hereafter, forgive our sins, and grant us ease after hardship. Ameen.