Since every human being was created to be tried/tested (al-Insan, 76/2), how will those who are mentally handicapped be tested?

"Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight." (al-Insan, 76/2)
- When we look at the world, we see that not everybody was created to be tested. There are boys and girls who die before reaching the age of puberty, those who are born as mentally handicapped and some tribes who are unaware of the world even today.
- Why was not everybody sent to this world to be tested?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The verses in question are as follows:

"Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight. We showed him the Way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will)." (al-Insan, 76/2-3)

Yes, man was created so that he would be tested. The phrase “We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight” in the verse includes the mind too as many scholars say. For, the most important way of obtaining evidence and true knowledge is through seeing and hearing. What makes seeing and hearing valuable is the ability to understand and reason. What distinguishes man’s seeing and hearing from animals is his mind and reason. (cf Tabari, Razi, Ibn Kathir, Baydawi, Mawardi, Ibn Ashur, the interpretation of the verse in question)

The phrase “We showed him the Way” in the verse means giving man mind and reason, the feeling of ethics, conscience, which will warn him when he commits a bad deed, the feeling of belief in Allah, and the things that will enable him to continue living.

Accordingly, children who have not reached the age of puberty and mentally ill people are not subject to testing. The verb “nabtalihi = We (will) test” shows that the test will take place in the future after he reaches the age of puberty. (Mawardi, Ibn Ashur, ibid)

The decree about testing in this verse is general. Decrees are determined based on the majority. The exception of some individuals does not harm the decree. That is, the test of “human beings” is mentioned in the verse. That some human beings do not have the quality to be tested, for instance, some being mad and some dying as children does not harm the content of this general decree. The state of those who have not received the message of revelation is also an exception. Decrees are given based on the majority, not based on exceptions.

However, as it is understood from the expression of the verse, all human beings were created to be tested in principle. As a matter of fact, this decree is valid in the following verse

“I have only created Jinn and men, that they may serve Me” (adh-Dhariyat, 51/56)

and the following verse

“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed.” (al-Mulk, 67/2)

Those who are not subjected to testing like children, mentally ill people and the people who are regarded as the people of interregnum are not at a loss - due to testing; on the contrary, they win because they do not risk failing the test, which is in question for others. 

Those who are subject to testing are subject Allah’s decree of divine qada (application of the law) and those who are not subject to testing are subject to the decree of divine ata (forgiveness).

The owner of the property has the right to do whatever he wishes in his property. The creation of the basic organs of human beings in a similar way shows Allah’s unity; every organ having a different structure from another shows Allah’s universal will. Similarly, it can be said that people’s being in different categories in testing and having different lifespans aims to indicate Allah’s universal will.

Questions on Islam