In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
I've recently come to realize that God explains for mankind in the Qu'ran [and previous religious scriptures as well] why there is suffering in the world, in such a way that if we look to the places and people in the most turmoil, we see the frightening accuracy.
The first and biggest issue that has brought evil to the world is Atheism and idolatry. I don't mean to offend against any Atheists who read this, and I am not among those who say that all Atheists are immoral or that no Atheist can be moral. I do not believe that. [And no Muslim should believe that]. The Prophet Muhammad [saas] said that every human being is born on
fitrah, which is an Arabic word that means "a natural inclination to faith and right action." -The problem is,
Fitrah, if not harnessed, nourished and developed by certain spiritual practices can take a back seat to the ego, and certain animalistic appettites that have the potential to bring much harm to society.
A denial of accountability to a Creator has the potential to develop a certain level of fearlessness when it comes to committing great evils. Many of the great tyrants of the world were Atheists, including the worst tyrant in history according to monotheist tradition, Pharoah, who is quoted in the Qu'ran as saying:
"...no god do I know for you but myself.” (Surat al-Qasas: 38) -He threatened to kill anyone who worshiped God instead of him, according to the Qu'ran, chapter Ash-Shura verse 39. This is interesting because many of the modern Atheist Communist or Marxist societies are oppressing those who desire to worship God. We see this in China, and in Russian territories during it's heyday.
Such societies, according to the Qu'ran, are left to their own affairs, and are not helped or given mercy:
The metaphor of those who reject their Lord is that their actions are like ashes scattered by strong winds on a stormy day. They have no power at all over anything they have earned. That is extreme misguidance. (Surah Ibrahim: 18) Thats not to say such societies will be complete failures at all times. But what is promised is a lack of Providential assistance, and eventual destruction.
Idolatry and Idolatrous practices is another great evil that brings about punishments from the Creator
…those who do not call on any other diety together with God...anyone who does that will receive an evil punishment. (Surat al-Furqan: 68) The Qu'ran also says that one of the keys to a countries stability is that it is a monotheistic society that has good actions to back up that belief:
God has promised those of you who have faith and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land as He made those before them successors, and will firmly establish for them their religion with which He is pleased and give them, in place of their fear, security. 'They worship Me, not associating anything with Me.' Any who disbelieve after that, such people are deviators. (Surat an-Nur: 55)
If we look around the world today, the countries in the most turmoil are nations of idolatry. The Congo, for example, has been in conflict for as far back as most human beings can remember. It is a nation where an estimated 30% of the people follow polytheistic traditions and ancestor worship. Much of the country is also Catholic, but even this Catholocism is often mixed with local black magic and sorcery, due to the nations tribalistic roots. There is also a very large cult there, an offshoot of Catholicism started by a man who considered himself a prophet and died in prison, called The Kimbanguist Church. There are an estimated 6 million followers of this ideaology in the Peoples Republic of Congo. At the same time there has been mass rape and murder reported the last several decades, there is mass poverty, and many of the indigenous Pygmy people are slaves to Bantu's. There is a clash between the two main ethnic groups in Congo which has hurled the country into mass choas the past several years. An "evil punishment" indeed. We could also look to similiar problems in other countries in tribalistic Africa, or in Hindu-dominated India.
I am not putting forth that these people deserve such a wretched life because of their religious ignorance that may or may not be their fault. Often many nations with horrid beliefs are spared because of right action. What I am saying is that wrong belief can sometimes lead to wrong action, and this is certainly the case in the heart of African countries, Marxist/Communist countries, and other idolotrous countries. But there are other countries that give great rights to human beings, or give charity to needy countries, or have a strong sense of social justice that may be spared certain difficulties. It is, after all, part of Muslim belief that God often gives power to the people best equipped to handle that power, irrespective of their beliefs. On the same token, God will humiliate the tyrants who He blessed with power and they abused it.
We [God] destroyed generations before you when they did wrong. (Surah Yunus: 13-14)
RELIGIOUS HYPOCRITES
Aside from Atheism and idolatry, another issue that is extremely harmful is religious hypocrisy. When people profess the correct belief but don't have the evidence of that faith in their actions. It is reported that the apostle of Jesus [saas], James the Just, wrote, "
Faith without works is dead." Hypocrisy is the same as denying the religion altogether according to the Qu'ran, and the marks of a hypocrite are described:
Have you seen him who denies the deen (religion)? He is the one who harshly rebuffs the orphan and does not urge the feeding of the poor. So woe to those who do salat (regular prayers), whose hearts from their salat are remote, those who show off and deny help to others. (Surat al-Ma'un: 1-7) -Their works are a show, a false badge of religiousity that they precieve to be gaining them some worldly end, all the while they are selfish and of no help to their fellow creatures.
Even worse, hypocrites are one of the causes, or rather one of the excuses people often give as to why they do not follow God or His commands. We often here from people who have strayed from the religious communities how the "Churches" or "Mosques" are full of hypocrites that turned them off to "organized religion." So, people use hypocrites as a reason to avoid houses of worship where God's name is mentioned, whereby denying themselves many rewards from God, and His guidance.
SPECIFIC SINS WHICH ARE PROMISED TO CAUSE AFFLICTION
There are certain sins in particular which God has promised that, if they are indulged in, will bring untold calamaties to individuals, families, or entire societies. One big sin is to deviate from the truth, which is the reason many Muslim countries are suffering right now, despite once having the longest and most technologicaly advanced empire before modern times. It is related in Muslim tradition that the Prophet Muhammad [saas] said, "
Every innovation in religion is deviation." -There is a strong tradition of sticking to the practices of Muhammad [saas] and his companions within Islam, so as to not deviate. The Qu'ran warns how God deals with deviators:
Then when they forgot what they had been reminded of, We rescued those who had forbidden the evil and seized those who did wrong with a harsh punishment because they were deviators. (Surat al-A'raf: 165)
For the past 500 years the Muslim world has indulged in all sorts of widespread actions that are condemned by the Prophet Muhammad [saas], or were not taught by him at all. In the Muslim world you see people praying to Muhammad [particularly in the Indian subcontinent and surrounding areas], there were groups in the past who considered Ali [raa], Muhammads [saas] nephew as part of God, a belief that certain human beings were infallible, that the graves of pious Muslims had some benefit, and so on. All of this is condemned in sound religious tradition and equivelant to disbelief. To this day you find many superstitious practices incorporated into Islam, such as relying on trinkets and amulets to ward off "the evil eye" or "envy." The Prophet Muhammad [saas] said in a sound tradition, "
Whoever relies on an amulet will be left to it's power, which is nil."
You also see Muslims following blindly the culture, fashion, and attitudes of non-Muslims, while the Prophet Muhammad [saas] said, "
Whoever emulates a people is among them." I.E. he is not of the believers and is not under God's Providential care.
However, in some areas of the Muslim world, such as U.A.E, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and others, you see progress, prosperity, and peace. This could possibly be attributed to a trend in these countries to stick closely to the fundamentals of Islam, and to a negative social stigma that has arrisen toward religious innovators.
Other sins which cause social ills include hatred, sexual lewdness, interest based economies and practices, oppression, intoxicants, gambling, racism, murder, and so on, all of which is condemned in Monotheist tradition. It is also mentiond in Islamic tradition that a lack of faith in God's provision leads to one trying to make money in evil ways, and thus "fear of poverty" which denotes a lack of trust in God is also a great evil that causes much harm. The contrapositive of that is also true, that those who trust God will be provided for:
Satan threatens you with poverty and commands you to conduct unseemly. God promises you forgiveness from Him and abundance. God is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara: 268)
It is also mentioned in Christian tradition that "
Pride goeth before the fall." In the Muslim tradition it is stated that God exalts those who humble themselves before Him, and He humbles those who exalt themselves. Pharoah is one of the more extreme examples of this. The Qu'ran equates pride with disbelief, and mentions it among the great evils:
When he is told to have fear for God, he is seized by pride which drives him to wrongdoing. Hell will be enough for him! What an evil resting-place! (Surat al-Baqara: 205-206)
In the end we must remember that it is not God who sends evil, but rather our incorrect thinking, actions, and desires that bring evil. This evil is a mercy from God, intended to be a warning that something is wrong, a sign that we need to make amends, work for good, and try our best to correct ourselves.
Corruption has appeared in both land and sea because of what people's own hands have brought about so that they may taste something of what they have done so that hopefully they will turn back [repentant to God]. (Surat ar-Rum: 41)
THE ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS
There are certain actions which if done sincerely, God will bless us all for
inshallah, and they are mentioned in the Qu'ran, as well as in other monotheistic scriptures. One verse mentions fulfilling vows, feeding the hungry desiring only the pleasure of God, and fearing the Day of Judgment:
They fulfil their vows and fear a day whose evil will spread far and wide. They give food, despite their love for it, to the poor and orphans and captives: 'We feed you only out of desire for the Face of Allah. We do not want any repayment from you or any thanks. Truly We fear from our Lord a glowering, calamitous day.' So Allah has safeguarded them from the evil of that day and has made them meet with radiance and pure joy. (Surat al-Insan: 7-11)
Being callers to justice and right action brings God's pleasure and Mercy as well:
The men and women of the believers are friends of one another. They command what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish salat and pay zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. They are the people on whom Allah will have mercy. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba: 71)
Giving charity is something which, if done for the sake of God's pleasure as an act of worship, and not an act of showing off or something else, will bring about an increase of ones prosperity:
God obliterates usury but makes deeds of charity grow in value! Allah does not love any persistently ungrateful wrongdoer. (Surat al-Baqara: 276)
Fighting the ego and being humble also brings success:
It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful. (Surat al-Hashr: 9)
Ungratefulness to God surrounds you in misery and decrease of provision, thankfulness brings you the opposite:
If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe. (Surah Ibrahim: 6-7)
Prayer and
Dhikr [litanies] are especially praised in the Qu'ran, and in other traditions as well, as a healing for the world:
Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish salat [the 5 daily prayers in Islam]. Salat precludes indecency and wrongdoing. And remembrance of God [Dhikr/litanies] is greater still. God knows what you do. (Surat al-Ankabut: 45)
Another element of bringing stability, peace, and right action to the world is fighting evil with good:
A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend. (Surah Fussilat: 34)
This has only brushed the surface in terms of what causes harm and good to befall a people according to religious tradition. The tip of the iceberg, so to speak. There is much lacking here, and I encourage all Muslims to study the Qu'ran independantly to discover what it is God is really trying to say to us. It is as Ali ibn Abu Talib [raa] said, "
If I lost a camel, I would find it in the Qu'ran." And God knows best.