Calamities and tribulations have different benefits based on the different ranks of people(rutba’). Benefits are based on the differences in the ranks of people. 

1- Realization of the power of Lordship over you. Learning that Allah(swt) is the Lord, and that He overpowers His servants.

2- Realize your object servant-hood and your complete state of resignation and brokenness before the will and power of Allah(swt). Admit that you are the dominion of God, and that you belong to Him and return to His judgement and decreed (inna lillilahi). 

3- Sincerity to Allah-one has no place of return in putting off against the calamities except to Him. Puts you in a state of ikhlaas. If Allah afflicts you with a harm, there is no-one who could remove that harm, except for Him. 

4- Return to Allah and be fervent in the desire of your Lord. 

5- Leads to humbled state before God in your prayers. “Allah afflicts the people He loves just to hear them call on Him”. Subhan’Allah. You’re in good hands.

6- You’re forbearing towards the one who has afflicted you. Forbearance shown in a calamity is greater than the forbearance shown in any other situation. 

7- You forgive the one who has harmed you. Allah loves those who are forgiving.

8- Your learn patience. You are patient during the tribulation. Reckon that there is a reward from your Lord for being patient. Brings about the muhabbat of Allah, and abundant award from Him. Allah loves the patient ones. 

9- Be glad about what’s happening because of those benefits. 

10- To be grateful for the calamity because of those benefits.

11- Purification that these calamities have towards your wrongs and sins.

12- Compassion that Allah enables you to show to other people who are in tribulation. 

13- Tribulations give you the blessing of having the true knowledge of the extent of the blessing of well-being. 

14-Allah has prepared rewards for the calamities you bear patiently in the aakhira.

15- What is hidden in the folds of these tribulations and calamities are blessings.

16- Calamities prevent you from arrogance, evil, pride and tyranny. 

17- Contentment(rida’). tribulations afflict the good and the evil. Whoever doesn’t like it, it’s on Him, he’s lost the dunya and the akhiraa.  Those who are pleased with it, it’s because he knows it, because paradise is better than anything in this world and if these tribulations are what it takes for him to get to paradise, then he’s content with it.

May we benefit from these insha’Allah. This is probably one of the best talks I’ve heard by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf.