It is similar today. After one brother lost his wife in death and he faced other painful circumstances, he said: “I learned that we cannot choose our tests, neither their time nor their frequency.
قَالَ أَخٌ مَاتَتْ زَوْجَتُهُ وَعَانَى ظُرُوفًا صَعْبَةً أُخْرَى :‏ « عَرَفْتُ مِنْ تَجْرِبَتِي أَنَّنَا لَا نَخْتَارُ ٱلْمِحَنَ ٱلَّتِي تُصِيبُنَا ،‏ وَلَا وَقْتَهَا وَلَا عَدَدَهَا » .‏