What factors are responsible for the troubles faced by human beings in this worldly life?

Question

Is it possible to live a life that is free from trivial troubles we face in our everyday life?

Everybody face trivial troubles everyday.

For example, everybody in your class bought a specific book. You suddenly discover that only your book doesn't contain the chapter you need because of binding mistake.

Or, everybody gets a packet lunch from the office. Suddenly you discover that only your lunch-box doesn't contain the fried chicken.

Or, everybody requested for an extra holiday so did you. You were granted no extra holiday. Moreover, your usual holidays had been stripped.

Or, suppose you go to office and see that your office has been plundered and your were somehow accused for that mishap with which you didn't have any connection.

Or, your company suddenly makes a list of employees who would be fired. And, even though some of your non-performer colleagues remained in service, you are in the list.

What do Quran and Hadiths say about this?

Why these troubles happen?

Are people themselves responsible? Or their fate?

Or what?

Is it really possible to avoid these troubles completely?

Answer 1

There are several aspects that play into account when it comes to "troubles," as you call it in your question.

First, the issue of qadar (pre-destination). In the famous Hadith Jibreel, the Messenger of Allah said (excerpt):

It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects. (Hadith Jibreel in Imam Nawawi's collection of 40; from Saheeh Muslim)

This means that some of what happens to you was decided and written before your creation. This includes good things (like promotions) and bad things (like getting fired).

For the rest, Allah almighty says in the Qur'an:

Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried? (Surah Ankabuwt, verse 2)

Whether you are a Muslim or not, Allah will test you in your life. Another verse even mentions:

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. (Surah Baqarah, verse 155)

However, this does not account for everything. There is a strong concept in the Qur'an of "sin consequences" -- that people who sin suffer hard consequences of their actions in this life:

Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]. (Surah Room, verse 30)

Finally, it is impossible to live a life free of tests. Allah will always test you. One hadith says:

If Allah Loves a people, He tests them. (Tirmidhi)

The higher you go up in deen, the more Allah will test you; this is why the Prophets were tested the hardest. Some of them were even killed by their nations. They were outcast, ridiculed, and more.

So how, as Muslims, should we react to hardship? As the ayah in Surah Baqarah says (quoted above):

[...] but give good tidings to the patient: who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return." (Surah Baqarah, verses 155-156)

The only cure is patience and good deeds. Allah says, one of the fruits of having eman is a good life:

Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do. (Surah Nahl, verse 97)

And Allah knows best.

Answer 2

I would like to just add to what ashes999 said.

Allah does not forget us even though we may forget Him, He assures us below that relief will come...

"Verily, with every difficulty there is relief." [Quran 94:6]

Also, when a person is continuously in trouble (like the example above)... it may also mean one more thing based on the quran.

"Whatever good, (O man!) happens to thee, is from Allah; but whatever evil happens to thee, is from thy (own) soul..." [Quran 94:6]

This verse actually tells us that good things happen to us because of Allah's grace but evil things happens to us because of ourselves.

To solve this a person must retrospectively look at their lives and see if there is something that they are doing (or not doing ) that may displease Allah.

There are thousands of examples in Muslim history & personal experiences of people where Muslims have got stuck in places for no reason. When they retrospectively looked at their lives they found either some good deed missing or an evil deed present. The moment that was rectified their troubles were eased.

I know the admins of SE might frown on my personal experience note below, but I am trying to make a point to better explain the quranic ayaah above and not have a discussion.

I knew someone who was not doing very well in business, when they looked at their life they saw that they had a mortgage out. Even though they were fully aware of the sin involved. At that time removing the mortgage and going into rent was really hard for them but the moment they got rid of that mortgage their troubles started to ease out.