Types of calamities:

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Calamities are of two types:

1) Affliction in the self: (And this is from the worldly perspective). This includes loss in wealth, health, live, honor, hunger, fear or any other type of physical or psychological loss or affliction. As Allaah تعالى said:

﴿وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ﴾

{And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits…} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 155]

۞۝۞

2) Affliction in the Deen: (and this is from the perspective of the Hereafter). Affliction in the Deen is far worse than affliction in the self. As Allaah تعالى said:

﴿وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ﴾

{And Al-Fitnah (affliction in the Deen) is worse than killing} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 191]

And

﴿وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ﴾

{...and Al-Fitnah is greater than killing} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 217]

This includes being afflicted by Shirk, or Bid`ah, or getting confused even after knowing the correct path, or having doubts about the Deen, or belittling the Sunnah, or giving preference to personal opinions over the Texts, or laziness in religious duties, or self-amazement, or following the path of falsehood after being guided etc.

Part of this affliction also includes being prevented from carrying out the religious duties by the enemies, or persecution in the name of religion. As Allaah تعالى said:

﴿وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا أَن يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّـهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ﴾

{They (the enemies) had nothing against them (the believers), except that they believed in Allaah, the All-Mighty, Worthy of all Praise!} [Surah al-Burooj (85): 8]

Affliction in the Deen can lead to misguidance and eternal damnation. Moreover, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم frequently used to supplicate saying:

يَا مُقَلِّبَ القُلُوبِ، ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ

❝O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion.❞ [Sunan al-Tirmidhee and Sunan Ibn Maajah, and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]