According to Taberî, Allah has informed that the world is a place of trial and has announced that He will test the believers with various hardships such as fear, hunger, loss of wealth, loss of life, and scarcity of crops. This trial is a sunna (established practice) that was previously applied to the prophets and chosen servants; the purpose is to distinguish those who truly follow the Messenger from those who turn back, those who are sincere in their faith from those who contain hypocrisy and doubt. Allah has commanded the Prophet to give glad tidings especially to those who endure these hardships, and to those who say 'inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un' (Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return) at the time of affliction.

أخبر الله سبحانه المؤمنين أن الدنيا دار بلاء، وأنه مبتليهم فيها، وأمرهم بالصبر، وبشرهم فقال: ثم أخبرهم أنه، هكذا فعل بأنبيائه، وصفوته لتطيب أنفسهم

According to this exegete, on the Day of Judgment, the servant's hidden deeds (secrets) between him and Allah will be revealed; the face of one who fulfills trusts will appear radiant, while the face of one who neglects them will appear darkened. Furthermore, the text states that on that day the servant has no power by himself, because human strength comes either from within himself or from another, and the first is refuted by the verse.

يبدي الله يوم القيامة كل سر منها ، فيكون ذينا في الوجوه وشينا في الوجوه ، يعني من أداها كان وجهه مشرقا ومن ضيعها كان وجهه أغبر

According to Kurtubî, the 'bala' (affliction) mentioned in this verse means testing the servants through diminishment of life, wealth, souls, and fruits; the purpose of this test is to bring forth the one who struggles and endures in actuality. The text also emphasizes that the true value of patience lies in resistance at the first moment of affliction (sadme-i ûlâ), and that everyone can endure after that. Different interpretations of words such as 'havf, ju', enfus' are transmitted from scholars like Shafi'i and Ibn Abbas (fear of enemies/fear of Allah, famine/fasting in Ramadan, death in battle/illnesses).

إنما الصبر الشاق على النفس الذي يعظم الثواب عليه إنما هو عند هجوم المصيبة وحرارتها فإنه يدل على قوة القلب وتثبته في مقام الصبر وأما إذا بردت حرارة المصيبة فكل أحد يصبر إذ ذاك

According to Ibn Kesîr, the trial in the verse occurs through concrete hardships such as fear, hunger, diminishment of wealth, loss of life, and scarcity of crops; he finds it debatable that some exegetes interpret these as acts of worship such as fasting and almsgiving. Furthermore, he states that those who endure with patience will be rewarded by Allah, while those who do not endure will be punished, and that a believer will be tested with his wealth, life, children, or family, and this trial will increase according to the degree of firmness in religion.

فمن صبر أثابه ومن قنط أحل به عقابه

According to this exegete, the trial in the verse is for the purpose of testing whether the servants endure affliction and submit to divine decree. The restriction of fear and hunger to 'something' expresses their scarcity in comparison to what Allah protects His servants from, and this is in order to lighten the burden upon the servants and to show that mercy has not been withdrawn from them. Furthermore, according to a view transmitted from Shafi'i, fear is fear of Allah, hunger is fasting in Ramadan, diminishment of wealth is zakat and charity, diminishment of life is illnesses, and diminishment of fruits is the death of children.

وإنما قلله بالإضافة إلى ما وقاهم منه ليخفف عليهم، ويريهم أن رحمته لا تفارقهم