Any suggestions for answers?

[AnonyMouse~]

Asalamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,

I've had some people ask me questions regarding a few matters and I usually just come up with something but it isn't all that convincing so I wanted to know what your answers would be so next time maybe I could give them a better answer.

The questions are:

1.) If Allah guides whom he wills to guide, why doesnt He guide everyone?
2,) If Allah knew what we were like why did he need to test us with this world?
3.) Isn't it unfair that some of us are born Muslims and others are born to families that follow other religions and are therefore brought up to be misguided?

JazakAllah Khair,
Masalamah

 

[- Qatada -]

Asalamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,

:wasalamex

The questions are:

1.) If Allah guides whom he wills to guide, why doesnt He guide everyone?

Allah tells us;

Quran 42:13 The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah - the which We have sent by inspiration to thee - and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou callest them. Allah chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him).




2:26-27. But He causes not to be misguided except the iniquitous. Those who break Allah's Covenant after ratifying it, and sever what Allâh has ordered to be joined, and spread corruption on earth, it is they who are the losers.

45:23 Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his god, and Allah knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allâh? Will you not then remember?

3:86 ...but Allah guides not a people unjust.


see;
http://www.load-islam.com/artical_det.php?artical_id=526&section=indepth&subsection=Glorious Quran


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So it requires a part of the human in wanting to be guided, in submitting himself to Allah, and then Allah will guide him. Whereas the wrongdoer, Allah will misguide him.

2,) If Allah knew what we were like why did he need to test us with this world?

Think of it this way, we don't know our end. So we have to strive by doing good for Allah's pleasure in order to get good [paradise]. We have to shun evil to avoid His punishment.

So the issue isn't about Him knowing, its about us NOT knowing. So we have to accept - because Islam makes most sense from all other aspects of life - so even if we require faith in certain issues, then logically we carry on striving for the good end, by doing good. If we don't do this good, then by default we would be going to hell, and we don't want that.

3.) Isn't it unfair that some of us are born Muslims and others are born to families that follow other religions and are therefore brought up to be misguided?

Allah gives everyone different tests;

- The non muslim who becomes Muslim may face trials from his family.

- The Muslim who has started to practise his religion, while being with a family who is non practising, will get accusations against him that he is being 'too extreme'.

- A Muslim who is brought up amongst a family who is practising is tested because, this person might not want to practise the religion. So will he obey his family out of fear of them? Or because he is sincere to Allah? This is his test.
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So you see that different people are tested in different ways, to see if they're sincere to Allah through the challenges they face.

JazakAllah Khair,
Masalamah

wa iyyaki.


Allah knows best.