Sura 3, al-Imran, Medina 89

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن بَعْدِ الْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَى طَآئِفَةً مِّنكُمْ...

154. After (the excitement) of the distress, He sent down calm on a band of you overcome with slumber,

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...وَلِيَبْتَلِيَ اللّهُ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحَّصَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ...

but (all this was) that Allah might test what is in your breasts and purge what is in your hearts:

C467. That testing by Allah is not in order that it may add to His knowledge, for He knows all. It is in order to help us subjectively, to mould our will, and purge us of any grosser motives, that will be searched out by calamity.

If it is a hardened sinner, the test brings conviction out of his own self

Cf. also 3:140.

...وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ﴿١٥٤﴾

for Allah knoweth well the secrets of your hearts.

Asad’s version

3:154 ……..And (all this befell you) so that God might put to a test all that you harbor in your bossoms, and render your innermost hearts pure of all dross: for God is aware of what is in the hearts.