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The Nature Of Suffering - Too often when we face some difficulties or experience some sort of loss, we feel sorry for ourselves. We wonder why we are suffering, and what we did to deserve this particular hardship. Some of us who are more self-examining might retrace our steps in an attempt to understand where exactly we went wrong. We might think: “I pray five times a day (okay, so maybe I miss one sometimes), I fast in Ramadan and I give charity when I can. I might have a slight backbiting problem and somewhat of an addiction to a mind-blowing fantasy action show I watch. But, I am honestly trying to improve; I am sincere in my quest to become a better Muslim. Heck, I even make my parents take me to the Islamic convention every year because there are people there to help me along my way. So, why does it seem like God is striking me down with one difficulty or another?”
And people might tell us that it’s because God is testing us, or it might just be the consequence of some unjust act we had committed so we kind of deserve what we’re getting if we’re really honest with ourselves. Considering the first possibility, that God is testing us, we might ask why He would do that. And God answers this question in this verse: “Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: ‘We have faith’, and will not be tested? And We indeed tested those who were before them. And God will certainly make known those who are true and will certainly make known those who are liars” (Quran, 29:1-3). And we should take into consideration that when the verse was revealed, God was addressing, in the first case, the greatest generation of Muslims – the companions at the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him, who were physically and mentally persecuted in such atrocious ways just because they believed in the Oneness of God.
It’s just like in those epic fantasy action shows we watch. In order to become a part of an exclusive elite group who champion justice and protect the public, the protagonist has to prove his sincerity, his worth, and his dedication. This weeds out the coward or the blowhard who makes bold claims but shrinks at the first moment his conviction and endurance are required. So while we are suffering, we should remember that God is merely testing our sincerity and resolve, which He has every right to do. Muslims are to be people of their words and Islam is a practical religion. A Muslim is enjoined to testify to his belief and to act upon that belief.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has related that God said, “I was a Treasure unknown, then I desired to be known so I created a creation to which I made Myself known; then they knew Me.” Living in this world with its numerous distractions, sometimes God causes us to suffer to remind us of Him, so that we remember in the midst of all of our activities what truly is important and why we are here on this earth. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said “When God desires the redemption of His people, He causes them to suffer in this world. But when He is averse, He leaves them to transgress until death overtakes.”
So our suffering is merely a calling from The Reliever. The pain we are feeling is a reminder to turn to Him. And if we stray from the path, we are reminded by our difficulties to call upon The Guide. We must understand that God doesn’t want anything bad for us. What we’re experiencing as a test from God or as a consequence of some wrong doing on our part, is a reminder from God for His servants that, in the words of Yasmin Mogahed, a freelance writer and international speaker, “no matter how far they’ve fallen or strayed, He always awaits their return.”
Finally, let us contemplate the truly inspiring words of Imam Al-Ghazali which illustrate God’s immense love for us:
“[I]f a man ceases to take any concern in worldly matters, conceives a distaste for common pleasures, and appears sick in depression, the doctor will say, ‘This is a case of melancholy and requires such and such prescription.’ The physicist will say, ‘This is dehydration of the brain caused by hot weather and cannot be relieved till the air becomes moist.’ The astrologer will attribute it to some particular conjunction or opposition of planets. ‘Thus far their wisdom reaches,’ says the Quran. It does not occur to them that what has really happened is this: that the Almighty has a concern for the welfare of that man, and has therefore commanded His servants, the planets or the elements, to produce such a condition in him that he may turn away from the world to his Maker. The knowledge of this fact is a lustrous pearl from the ocean of inspirational knowledge, to which all other forms of knowledge are as islands in the sea.”
Next time, whether you have a common cold or a serious health condition, in the face of simple inconvenience or heartrending misfortune — whatever the difficulty or loss — find a moment to be thankful and know that God loves you.
Shaming The Atheism Argument About God
“Life’s greatest tragedy is to lose God and not to miss him.” –F.W. Norwood
Atheists might assert that they don’t acknowledge the existence of God, but the view of some Christians and all Muslims is that at some level even the confirmed Atheist affirms God’s presence. The innate but neglected awareness of God typically surfaces in Atheist consciousness only in times of severe stress, as exemplified by the World War II quote “There are no Atheists in a fox-hole.”1
Undeniably there are times — whether during the agonizing days of a lingering illness, the seemingly eternal moments of a violent and humiliating mugging, or the split second of anticipating the impact of an imminent car crash — when all mankind recognize the reality of human fragility and the lack of human control over destiny. Who does a person beseech for help in such circumstances other than The Creator? Such moments of desperation should remind every person, from the religious scholar to the professed Atheist, of the dependence of mankind upon a reality far greater than our own meager human selves. A reality far greater in knowledge, power, will, majesty and glory.
In such moments of distress, when all human efforts have failed and no element of material existence can be foreseen to provide comfort or rescue, Whom else will a person instinctively call upon? In such moments of trial, how many stress-induced appeals are made to God, complete with promises of lifelong fidelity? Yet, how few are kept?
No doubt, the day of greatest affliction will be the Day of Judgement, and a person would be unfortunate to be in the position of acknowledging the existence of God for the first time on that day. The English poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, spoke of the irony of the distressed human appeal in The Cry of the Human:
“And lips say “God be pitiful,” Who ne’er said, “God be praised.”
The thoughtful Atheist, full of skepticism but fearful of the possibility of the existence of God and a Day of Judgement, may wish to consider the ‘prayer of the skeptic,’ as follows:
“O Lord–if there is a Lord, Save my soul–if I have a soul.”2
In the face of skepticism blocking belief, how can a person go wrong with the above prayer? Should Atheists remain upon disbelief, they will be no worse off than before; should belief follow a sincere appeal, Thomas Jefferson had the following to say:
“If you find reason to believe there is a God, a consciousness that you are acting under His eye, and that He approves you, will be a vast additional incitement; if that there be a future state, the hope of a happy existence in that increases the appetite to deserve it…”3
The suggestion can be made that if an individual doesn’t see the evidence of God in the magnificence of His creation, they would be well advised to take another look. As Francis Bacon is noted to have commented, “I had rather believe all the fables in the legend, and the Talmud, and the alcoran (i.e. the Qur’an), than that this universal frame is without a mind.”4 He went on to comment, “God never wrought miracle to convince atheism, because his ordinary works convince it.”5 Worthy of contemplation is the fact that even the lowest elements of God’s creation, though perhaps ordinary works in His terms, are miracles in ours. Take the example of as tiny an animal as a spider. Does anybody really believe that such an extraordinarily intricate creature evolved from primordial soup? Just one of these little miracles can produce up to seven different kinds of silk, some as thin as the wavelength of visible light, but stronger than steel. Silks range from the elastic, sticky strands for entrapment to the non-adhesive drag-lines and frame threads, to the silk for wrapping prey, making the egg sac, etc. The spider can, on demand, not only manufacture its personal choice of the seven silks, but reabsorb, breakdown and remanufacture–self-recycling from the component elements. And this is only one small facet of the miracle of the spider.
And yet, mankind elevates itself to the heights of arrogance. A moment’s reflection should incline human hearts to humility. Look at a building and a person thinks of the architect, at a sculpture and a person instantly comprehends an artist. But examine the elegant intricacies of creation, from the complexity and balance of nuclear particle physics to the uncharted vastness of space, and a person conceives of…nothing? Surrounded by a world of synchronous complexities, we as mankind cannot even assemble the wing of a gnat. And yet the entire World and all the Universe exists in a state of perfect orchestration as a product of random accidents which molded cosmic chaos into balanced perfection? Some vote chance, others, creation.
Most Atheist arguments challenge the compatibility of an all-loving God with the perceived injustices of life. The religious identify such challenges as reflecting an arrogance of intellect — being the assumption that we as mankind, an element of creation ourselves, know better than God how His creation should be ordered — coupled with the failure to appreciate a larger design.
The fact that many of mankind fail to make sense of certain aspects of this life should not dissuade from belief in God. The duty of man is not to question or deny the attributes or presence of God, and not to incline to arrogance through professing to be able to do a better job, but rather to accept human station in this life and do the best that can be done with what we’ve been given. By analogy, the fact that a person does not like the way the boss does things at work, and fails to understand the decisions he makes, does not negate his existence. Rather, each person’s duty is to fulfill a job description in
order to be paid and promoted. Similarly, failure to grasp or approve of the way God orders creation does not negate His existence. Rather, humankind should recognize with humility that, unlike the workplace boss, who may be wrong, God by definition is of absolute perfection, always right and never wrong. Humankind should bow down to Him in willing submission and in recognition that failure to understand His design on our part does not reflect error on His part. Rather, He is The Lord and Master of Creation and we are not, He knows all and we do not, He orders all affairs according to His perfect attributes, and we simply remain His subjects, along for the ride of our lives.
The confused and sensitive souls who encounter difficulty reconciling God’s existence with a harsh and often painful life deserve sympathy and explanation. If a person accepts the fact that God knows what He is doing and we don’t, he or she should rest comfortable with the understanding that deep down things may not be what they at first seem. Perhaps the wretched amongst humankind deserve their lot in life for reasons unforeseen, and perhaps they suffer only a short worldly existence to receive an eternal reward in the next life. Lest a person forget, God granted the favorites of His creation (i.e. the prophets) the greatest worldly gift of certainty, guidance and revelation; however, they suffered greatly in worldly terms. In fact, the trials and tribulations of most people pale in comparison to those of the prophets. So although many people do suffer terribly, the message of hope is that the archetypes of God’s favorites, namely the prophets, were deprived of the pleasures of this world in exchange for the rewards of the hereafter. A person might well expect a comparable reward for those who endure the trials and hardships of this life, while remaining steadfast upon true belief.
Similarly, a person cannot be faulted for expecting the disbelieving tyrants and oppressors to have all the enjoyments of this world, but none of the hereafter. Some of the known inmates of Hell spring to mind. Pharaoh, for example, lived a life of posh magnificence to the point that he proclaimed himself to be the supreme god. Most likely opinions changed when he broke wind. In any case, a person can reasonably expect him to be somewhat dissatisfied with his toasty abode of the moment, and the memories of his plush carpets, fine foods and scented handmaidens to have lost their charm of consolation given the heat of the moment.
Most people have had the experience of ending a great day in a bad mood due to some sour event at the conclusion of events. Nobody values a fine meal that ends in divorce, a romantic interlude rewarded with AIDS, or a night of revelry capped off by a brutal mugging or crippling car crash. How good could it have been? Similarly, there is no joy in this life, no matter how great the ecstasy or how long the duration, which is not instantly erased from memory by a 100% full body burn. One side of one hand represents 1% of the total body surface area of a human being, making a kitchen burn of a fraction of a fingertip count for less than a thousandth of the total body surface area. Nonetheless, who doesn’t forget absolutely every little, every big, everythingduring that moment of painful thermal affliction? The agony of a whole-body burn, especially if there is no relief — no jumping back, no pulling away — is beyond the capacity of human imagination. The few who have survived such burns agree. Not only does the torture of a total burn exceed the boundaries of human imagination, but the agony of the experience
surpasses the limits of language. The horror can neither be adequately conveyed by the unfortunate of experience, nor fully understood by those blessed to have escaped initiation. Certainly one looooooong, eternal, full-body bath in fire can be expected to erase any pleasant memories of the past, consistent with the conclusion that “the life of this world is but little comfort in the Hereafter.” (TMQ, 13:26)
With regard to the subject of the present appendix, two elements of guiding consciousness deserve consideration, the first being that deep down all people have an innate knowledge of the presence of the Creator. Humankind may intellectualize this awareness away in search of the conveniences and pleasures of this world, but deep down, all mankind know the truth. What is more, God knows that we know, and He alone can calculate the level of individual rebellion and/or submission to Him.
The second element of dawning spiritual awareness is simply to understand that there is seldom a free lunch. Rarely does anybody get something for nothing. Should a man work for a boss whom he does not understand or with whom he does not agree, in the end he still has to do his job in order to get paid. Nobody goes to work (for long, anyway) and does nothing more than saying, “I’m at work,” expecting a paycheck to follow based on nothing more than unproductive attendance. Similarly, humankind must satisfy a duty of servitude and worship to God if hoping to receive His reward. After all, that is not only the purpose of life, it is our job description. For that matter, Muslims claim that such is the job description for both men and Jinn (plural for ‘spirits;’ singular ‘Jinn’ee,’ from which the Western word ‘genie’ is derived), for God conveys in the Holy
Qur’an, “And I have not created Jinns and men, except that they should serve (worship) Me.” (TMQ 51:56).
Many people question the purpose of life, but the position of the faithful of many religions is exactly that stated above – mankind exists for no other reason than to serve and worship God. The proposal is that each and every element of creation exists to either support or test mankind in the fulfillment of that duty. Unlike worldly employment, a person can duck his or her responsibilities to God and be granted a grace period. However, at the end of this probationary period called life, accounts become due and payable, and such is certainly not the best time to find one’s account ‘in the red.’
Francis Bacon provided a wonderful closure to the topic of this appendix, stating, “They that deny a God destroy man’s nobility; for certainly man is of kin to the beasts by his body; and, if he be not of kin to God by his spirit, he is a base and ignoble creature.”6 Should a person believe that after a few million years something worthy of the barbecue will emerge from the froth of Stanley Miller and Harold Urey’s primordial bouillabaisse, humankind still has to account for that which we all feel within us—the soul or spirit. Each and every element of mankind has one, and here is the metaphysical keystone which separates man from animal.
Again, those who doubt that which cannot be directly experienced may find excuse for denial of the soul, but they will most likely find themselves to have scant company. Furthermore, the discussion then moves into one of the nature of truth, knowledge, and proof, which logically springboards into the next section, on agnosticism.
Allah Is Most Forgiving - Muslim Texas
Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (Surah Zumar: 53)
In this beautiful verse, God introduces Himself as The Most Forgiving. Often times sinners feel so distant from God that they stop attributing themselves to Him. However, Allah still attributes Himself to them by calling the “My servants.” When someone commits too many sins they tend to lose hope and build a false belief that they are incapable of being forgiven. Allah debunks both of these myths by asking sinners to not lose hope, because He forgives all sins. All we have to do is sincerely repent.
Answer Does God Exist? - The question of God’s existence is one that is often raised in gatherings, classrooms, television, and movies. While some doubt God, many humans throughout different times, cultures, and regions acknowledged the existence of a higher power. Despite the fact that humans differ on almost everything, the belief in a higher power has been consistent in all cultures, times, and places. Atheism has grown more prominent in modern times, especially after the West had very bad experiences with the Church. Therefore, atheists usually reject religion based on their study of Christianity and not Islam. Atheism and Atheists often present their position as one that is logical and scientific while simultaneously portraying religion and religious people as backward and illogical. They also reject God’s existence because the alleged lack of scientific proof for it. This is an unfair standard because not everything in life is proven through a microscope or in a lab. In our day to day lives we accept things as being true with methods that are not scientific.
Some atheists refuse to believe in God based on the fact that they cannot see Him. For them, believing in something you cannot see is equivalent to belief in a fairy tale or belief in unicorns. However, not everything in life is accepted simply because it is seen. There are many things that we believe based on evidence and not proof. In court, people use evidence to build a case to prove something. They take all the pieces and put them together to arrive at what we would consider “proof.” A glove at a murder scene, a witness, and a known motive are pieces of evidence that are used to build a legal case against a murderer. If one goes home and sees their parents car, their keys, shoes, jacket, and umbrella they can use these pieces of evidences to come to the logical conclusion that the parent is in the house.
We accept most things in our life are based on evidence and not absolute proof in the sense of seeing. For instance, we accept that our parents are actually our parents, one does not demand scientific proof that they are actually the biological child of their parents. People accept that based on evidence that there parents have been together for so many years, that other people testify that they are their parents, and based on the fact that their parents are loyal to each other. People accept the fact that someone is a male or female based on evidence such as facial hair, physique, and other features. No one in their right mind always needs “proof” and demands to actually see everyone’s private parts to make sure they are male or female. In other words, they believed something without seeing it.
Similarly, we may not see God, but there are so many signs that, when taken together, prove God’s existence. The Qurʾān refers to things in nature as “signs,” which are meant to point to God’s greatness and existence. However, most people pass by these signs or evidence and turn away in arrogance. And how many a sign within the heavens and earth do they pass over while they, are turning away from it (Q. 12: 105). The sun, moon, earth, rain, birth, animals, human body, and life are all evidence of God’s existence, knowledge, and wisdom. It is these signs lead to the logical conclusion that there is a God and that He did not create this world in vain. Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord! You have not created this in vain! Glory be to You; save us then from the chastisement of the fire (Q. 3: 190-91). For the vast majority of humans, God’s existence does not need proof, it is very clear. As the Arabic proverb notes “Nothing will make sense to the mind if even clear daylight needs to be proven.”
Love Of God In The Quran - Often time there is a general misconception that the God of Islam is one of wrath and anger. There is a false image of God as being some Greek God of wrath seeking to hurt and harm those who disobey Him. This article will highlight the concept of God’s love in the Qurʾān and Islamic tradition. Every chapter in the Quran begins with “In the name of Allah the Rahman the Raheem” The terms Rahman and Raheem are often mistranslated as Merciful or Compassionate and these are not accurate translations. The problem with the term mercy is that it implies that one has the power to punish but withholds themselves. It implies that one has the power to harm but does not, and it is often used in the context of having mercy on one’s enemies.
The names Rahman and Raheem stem from the root letters r-h-m. These are the same root letters which the word rahim comes from. A rahim is a womb, and the names of God Rahman and Raheem connote a motherly love. No one would describe a mother’s love as mercy, but they would use terms like loving, caring, selfless, compassionate, and empathetic. Umar ibn al-Khattab relates once being with the Prophet with a group of women and children detained after a battle. One woman among them was searching for her child. Whenever she saw her child, she took the child to her bosom and began breastfeeding it. The Messenger asked his companions, “Do you think this woman would throw her child into the fire?” They said, “No, by Allah, unless she has no power otherwise.” He replied, “Allah has more rahmah (arham) for His servants than this woman for her child” (Muslim).
In another narration, the Prophet peace be upon him used to play with his grandchildren and then said: “O Allah, have rahmah for them (irhamhuma) as I have rahmah for them (arhamuhuma).” (Bukhari). A Bedouin in the time of the Prophet peace be upon him saw the Prophet kissing his grandchildren. In the patriarchal context of Arabia, the man said to the Prophet, “I have ten children and never kissed one of them” implying that it was not befitting of a man to show love. The Prophet replied, “What can I do for you if Allah removed rahmah from your heart?” (Bukhari).
The Qurʾān mentions two kinds of love, one is rahma and the second is hub. Allah has rahma on everything and everyone: My rahma has encompassed everything (Qurʾān 7:157). God has this level of love for all his creation. That is why He provides provision for everyone, even those who disbelieve in Him. Despite our sins, He gives us food, air, shelter, health, and life. This is why the Qurʾān often refers to rain as rahma. And were Allah to punish men for what they earn, He would not leave on the back of it any creature (Qurʾān 35:45). In Islam, God has 99 names. It is particularly interesting that He chose to open each chapter in the Qurʾān by reminding the reader of only two of his names, Rahman and Raheem. First impressions are extremely important and leave a lasting impression on people. Therefore, when God introduces Himself in the first chapter of the Qurʾān the names Rahman and Raheem appear four times in only seven verses. God could have chosen any other name, but He wants the reader to know that He is loving, compassionate, forgiving, and always willing to accept you back no matter how many mistakes you make.
The second level of love is hub. This love is reserved for those who obey God. There is not a single place in the Qurʾān that says Allah hates (yakrah) anyone. It only says that Allah does not have hub for certain types of people such as oppressors, arrogant people, and liars. To attain this level of love one must obey God and follow His teachings. Say, ‘If you love God, follow me, and God will love you and forgive you your sins; God is most forgiving, most raheem.’ (Qurʾān 3:31). The following verse reads Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger But if they turn away, then Allah does not have hub for those who disbelieve (Qurʾān 3:32).
This does not mean that love is the only meaning of rahma and hub. Both these words are much richer than the English term love. However, the notion that the God of the Qurʾān is not one of love is inaccurate. Allah is loving, compassionate, and gives people hope. He is not a God who is out to punish: Why should God make you suffer torment if you are thankful and believe in Him? God always rewards gratitude and He knows everything. (Qurʾān 4:147).
