what is fitnah

Fitnah is an Arabic word with extensive connotations of trial, affliction, or distress). It has important historical implications and is widely used in modern Arabic without the underlying historical connotations). The word is used in the Quran to refer to various meanings such as testing, trial, wealth, children, kufr, differences of opinion among people, burning with fire, misguidance, killing, and taking prisoners. In Islamic usage, fitnah refers to a heretical uprising, especially the first major internal struggle within the Muslim community. The word originally means to burn something like metals to check whether its genuine gold and silver or not so severe and intense heating and burning to test. Fitnah means tests, trial, tribulations, or conflicts.