Why is God unfair? A Paradox that is unexplainable

[Plutonium]

Hi, this is my first post and the reason I registered.
There is a paradox that is unexplainable, please read FULLY and give your thuoghts and give citations if quoting Quran:

Part I
Why is life unfair? Some people have a lot while some people have a little. Good things happen to bad people and bad things to good people. How come I have less then some people and more than others? That is unfair

Part II:
A response is that life on this earth is a test; fitnah.
But then that proves to be even more unfair and the paradox starts to emerge: Do some people have easier tests than others- For example, A child killed in an earth earthquake at a very young age has an easier test than others... unfair again

['Abd-al Latif]

I wish I had the time to respond. I really do. But I'll have to leave it to someone else to answer this question as I have to go. But one thing you must understand is that Allah is never unfair. It's our lack of insight, knowledge of Allah's decree and understanding of His justice that we arrive at the wrong conclusion that Allah is unjust.

In the meantime consider and contemplate over this little comic strip below, the message which ironically isn't comical but perfectly illustrates how people think Allah's decree is unfair:

[جوري]

The deeper your faith the more you're tested... there are gradations of paradise and for that people should aspire. Furthermore, if you're tested and you pass your test and it draws you closer to God then it is a good thing, if drives you away then it is a bad thing... so your response to strife is telling of your relationship with God.

[Plutonium]

I wish I had the time to respond. I really do. But I'll have to leave it to someone else to answer this question as I have to go.

Thank you. InshAllah when you get time you will return to explain it with more detail.

But one thing you must understand is that Allah is never unfair. It's our lack of insight, knowledge of Allah's decree and understanding of His justice that we arrive at the wrong conclusion that Allah is unjust.
In the meantime consider and contemplate over this little comic strip below, the message which ironically isn't comical but perfectly illustrates how people think Allah's decree is unfair:

The picture however, just goes to further the paradox.

[M.I.A.]

Hi, this is my first post and the reason I registered.
There is a paradox that is unexplainable, please read FULLY and give your thuoghts and give citations if quoting Quran:

Part I
Why is life unfair? Some people have a lot while some people have a little. Good things happen to bad people and bad things to good people. How come I have less then some people and more than others? That is unfair

Part II:
A response is that life on this earth is a test; fitnah.
But then that proves to be even more unfair and the paradox starts to emerge: Do some people have easier tests than others- For example, A child killed in an earth earthquake at a very young age has an easier test than others... unfair again

depends on what you love.

i would rather have had fancy cars for other people to play with.

but allah swt knows best.


i feel like taking very little from anything after a certain time of struggle.

[Plutonium]

The deeper your faith the more you're tested... there are gradations of paradise and for that people should aspire. Furthermore, if you're tested and you pass your test and it draws you closer to God then it is a good thing, if drives you away then it is a bad thing... so your response to strife is telling of your relationship with God.

Thank you. While what you have written is a response, it is not an answer to the question posted, but an answer to another question which was not asked.

[جوري]

I don't think your first question is answerable. Simply it is subjective and everyone whether rich or poor has their private hell to live. Some people are given all their dues in this life, thus they're owed nothing in the here after.
Al-Imran [3:178]

وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ لِّأَنفُسِهِمْ إِنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ لِيَزْدَادُواْ إِثْمًا وَلَهْمُ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

Wala yahsabanna allatheena kafaroo annama numlee lahum khayrun lianfusihim innama numlee lahum liyazdadoo ithman walahum AAathabun muheenun

3:178 Let not the Unbelievers think that our respite to them is good for themselves: We grant them respite that they may grow in their iniquity: But they will have a shameful punishment.

[syed_z]

Part II:
A response is that life on this earth is a test; fitnah.
But then that proves to be even more unfair and the paradox starts to emerge: Do some people have easier tests than others- For example, A child killed in an earth earthquake at a very young age has an easier test than others... unfair again

The Earth even though it seems like an unfair place where everything is going wrong, but if you really look at it, is the best testing ground of Allah for mankind.

For a believer everything that happened in this world is tied to the hereafter. The child example is best.

The Prophet (saw) Said If a man and a wife loose their child in this world then that Child on the day of Judgment will beg Allah (Swt) to let them enter paradise with him, and will not let them go till Allah (swt) allows him to take them along to Paradise.

So what seems unfair is actually Mercy..... Mercy in the hereafter for Parents who might have a lot of sins on them and would have to pay, had there not been a child whom Allah (swt) had taken the life of, through whom Allah (Swt) will forgive them.

[Plutonium]

depends on what you love.

i would rather have had fancy cars for other people to play with.

but allah swt knows best.


i feel like taking very little from anything after a certain time of struggle.

Thank you, but please eloborate with how this connects to the question so that we can share your thoughts.

[Plutonium]

The Earth even though it seems like an unfair place where everything is going wrong, but if you really look at it, is the best testing ground of Allah for mankind.

For a believer everything that happened in this world is tied to the hereafter. The child example is best.

The Prophet (saw) Said If a man and a wife loose their child in this world then that Child on the day of Judgment will beg Allah (Swt) to let them enter paradise with him, and will not let them go till Allah (swt) allows him to take them along to Paradise.

So what seems unfair is actually Mercy..... Mercy in the hereafter for Parents who might have a lot of sins on them and would have to pay, had there not been a child whom Allah (swt) had taken the life of, through whom Allah (Swt) will forgive them.

Thank you, however this example us one that highlights how unfair it is: The child does not get a test (how come?) while the parent who have sinned get a free pass to go to heaven becuase their child vouches for them (Unfair again).

[syed_z]

Thank you, however this example us one that highlights how unfair it is: The child does not get a test (how come?) while the parent who have sinned get a free pass to go to heaven becuase their child vouches for them (Unfair again).

No its actually a Mercy....


The Child did not get a test and the parents got a test, might seem unfair.... maybe... but Test does not only mean difficulties, it means falling in to temptations (enjoying the wolrd and following your desires as opposed to Allah's commandments) and then getting punished in the hereafter for it, not necessarily in this world....but in the hereafter Allah (swt) lets them go...


but that not only what it looks like...there is another way of looking at this, for example the Quran mentions in Surah Kahf... a Child is killed but the consequences are different....


So they set out, until when they met a boy, al-Khidhr killed him. [Moses] said, "Have you killed a pure soul for other than [having killed] a soul? You have certainly done a deplorable thing." (18:74)

And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy. (18:80-81)



In this case the boy was going to be a disbeliever and his parents in love of their child (A test) would have succumbed to his wishes thus falling in to disbelief as well.... and so Allah (swt) saved the child from punishment in the here after....then Allah (swt) would give them a child who would be pure in belief and who would serve them .....this way the parents get good in this world and due to their 1st child passing away get easy pass to paradise as well.

So its just how you look at it. There is Mercy of Allah (swt) in everything, one has to be pateint to realize it.

[drk]

Great topic !!!:rolleyes:

I personally think, that's us people we can not possibly understand God in terms of our way of thinking.
I don't think, for us is to figure Him out, but rather get to know Him and follow His teachings and apply these teachings in our personal life. When we do this, then our life will be serene, peaceful..etc. that what He guarantee to us and we will have God in our hearts and on whats in our heart we will act upon in our daily acts of life and that will be a proof to other people.
I will give you an example of Mother Teresa of Kolkata, India. Do you think what she did she needed to become a Christian? the answer is No !!! Any body could or would of done it, so why she did it?!
She showed the entire whole world that it is possible for a person to act upon of what is God all about: by becoming a loving, compassionate, merciful, forgiving person towards others without judging of that others.
There are good people out there and there are bad people out there, I think its is all about personal choice and how we deal with those choice in our daily life.
I don't want to bring Christian teaching to this topic but I think you might get general idea of what I am trying to say.

[Scimitar]

Hi, this is my first post and the reason I registered.
There is a paradox that is unexplainable, please read FULLY and give your thuoghts and give citations if quoting Quran:

Part I
Why is life unfair? Some people have a lot while some people have a little. Good things happen to bad people and bad things to good people. How come I have less then some people and more than others? That is unfair

Part II:
A response is that life on this earth is a test; fitnah.
But then that proves to be even more unfair and the paradox starts to emerge: Do some people have easier tests than others- For example, A child killed in an earth earthquake at a very young age has an easier test than others... unfair again

That paradox, is part and parcel of the Law of Duality - it exists in every creation, in order to prove one thing - Only Allah is Singular!

The theology is deep, so is the philosophy behind it. I'd advice reading some Al Ghazali in order to expand your philosophical horizons.

Scimi

[Plutonium]

No its actually a Mercy....


The Child did not get a test and the parents got a test, might seem unfair.... maybe... but Test does not only mean difficulties, it means falling in to temptations and then getting punished in the hereafter for it, not necessarily in this world....but in the hereafter Allah (swt) let them go...


but that not only what it looks like...there is another way of looking at this, for example the Quran mentions in Surah Kahf... a Child is killed but the consequences are different....


So they set out, until when they met a boy, al-Khidhr killed him. [Moses] said, "Have you killed a pure soul for other than [having killed] a soul? You have certainly done a deplorable thing." (18:74)

And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy. (18:80-81)



In this case the boy was going to be a disbeliever and his parents in love of their child (A test) would have succumbed to his wishes thus falling in to disbelief as well.... and so Allah (swt) saved the child from punishment in the here after....then Allah (swt) would give them a child who would be pure in belief and who would serve them .....this way the parents get good in this world and due to their 1st child passing away get easy pass to paradise as well.

So its just how you look at it. There is Mercy of Allah (swt) in everything, one has to be pateint to realize it.

Thank you for your efforts but what you have written is again an example of being unfair:
1. The child was saved from punishment... how come God doesn't save us all? Unfair.
2. The parents were saved... Again, they were saved from the child who would make them disbelievers so god didn't give them that test otherwise they would've failed it. Unfair.
3. "God gives mercy to some" = This is a definition of unfair when some people get mercy (especially the child) and others don't.

[Plutonium]

That paradox, is part and parcel of the Law of Duality - it exists in every creation, in order to prove one thing - Only Allah is Singular!

The theology is deep, so is the philosophy behind it. I'd advice reading some Al Ghazali in order to expand your philosophical horizons.

Scimi

Thank you for your advice, but it would be appreciated if you share your thoughts (since you have read the book) rather than not answer yourself.

[Plutonium]

Great topic !!!:rolleyes:

I personally think, that's us people we can not possibly understand God in terms of our way of thinking.
I don't think, for us is to figure Him out, but rather get to know Him and follow His teachings and apply these teachings in our personal life. When we do this, then our life will be serene, peaceful..etc. that what He guarantee to us and we will have God in our hearts and on whats in our heart we will act upon in our daily acts of life and that will be a proof to other people.
I will give you an example of Mother Teresa of Kolkata, India. Do you think what she did she needed to become a Christian? the answer is No !!! Any body could or would of done it, so why she did it?!
She showed the entire whole world that it is possible for a person to act upon of what is God all about: by becoming a loving, compassionate, merciful, forgiving person towards others without judging of that others.
There are good people out there and there are bad people out there, I think its is all about personal choice and how we deal with those choice in our daily life.
I don't want to bring Christian teaching to this topic but I think you might get general idea of what I am trying to say.

Thank you for your response. If you have some time, please elaborate some more specifically to the question asked so that I can share your comments and thoughts more accurately because I am not seeing the connection. But thank you.

[M.I.A.]

i actually dont have the words to elaborate. for once.

im a speck of sand on the earth.


i could easily give all i earned if it kept the things i cared about safe..

and stupidly sometimes i have.


i guess allah swt knows even if nobody else does...


i dont know about fairness.

['Abd-al Latif]

Define the word 'unfair'.

[M.I.A.]

Define the word 'unfair'.

having to play football when your feet belong to someone else.

...would not make a difference if you didnt own them yesterday.

...or didnt know any better.

['Abd-al Latif]

having to play football when your feet belong to someone else.

...would not make a difference if you didnt own them yesterday.

That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

I was actually asking Plutonium. The question he asked was about Allah being unfair and the simple answer is that Allah decrees different things for different people the attempt to raise people to a greater decree of righteousness.

If he's not satisfied with this answer then he has a different issue, completely unrelated to decree being unfair because his question has been answered.