How come children are born handicapped?

[Curious girl2]

you know.... when you are in a bad situation you always think you are alone.... but trust me everyone has some burden which is their plight to bear and show courage and perseverance ... I know your life is challenging but I just wanted to share this with you... my best friend has been having many health issues as of late.. didn't want to go seek medical attention as she doesn't have medical insurance, just last week after much coaxing she went and regrettably was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure... she is only 26... I have never met anyone that speaks of wanting children more than she, for five years that I have known her she would constantly talk about children and how she wanted me to be their guardian should something become of her...I wanted to leave her alone with the news, but felt I should call her to just check on her and console her and I found her crying.. someone just ended her career as a woman... it really broke my heart, I can't sleep at night thinking of the awful things around me... but we have to find a balance to be able to go on... All I can do is be a friend... but you see I know she would give anything to be able to have children even if they don't fit the "norm" what you might view as a challenging situation can be the envy of another human being... some of us find our purpose much sooner than others... become human much faster and that can't be all that bad...please feel free to PM if I can be of any help or comfort to you... be well
peace to you and your family

That is so sad. I cannot imagine what grief your friend is going through now. Please pass on my thoughts to her, I am thinking of her in her time of strife.

Peace
CG

 

[جوري]

That is so sad. I cannot imagine what grief your friend is going through now. Please pass on my thoughts to her, I am thinking of her in her time of strife.

Peace
CG

I shall...... thank you so much
peace.....

 

[glo]

With regards to the Christian position, I have read a couple of Quotations, and they seem very nice, another thing I came across in my Christian days was a passage with regards to God punishin the kids for the Sins of the Parents, and a girl who preached in my college had a skin desise, and she said it was God punishin her because of her parent's sin or something, here is the passage:

for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

Peace be upon those who follow truth when they see it, The Followers of Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad, Peace be upon all of them.

I hope this helped a little, anything I said wrong is my fault and anything good then Praise be to G-d.

Hi Isa

It's good to have you back ... you always make me consider and ponder my own faith, and I have learned much because of your thought-provoking posts.

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."(John 9:1-4)

Jesus' words (if we believe them) indicate clearly that the blind man in question was not born blind as a result of his sins or those of his parents. Jesus' disciples clearly seemed to think it had to be one way or the other, because that's what Hebrew Scripture teaches.

As your above post seems to indicate that there are times when God makes people pay for the sins of their parents.

Firstly, it may be helpful to look at the wider picture of your quoted passage:

1. God is talking about idol-worship, not just 'any sin' - which (according to Islam) is the worst sin of all
2. It goes on to speak about God's blessings for those you love him, which are much greater than his punishment

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.(Deuteronomy 5: 8-10)

Can I give you my personal view on how God deals with our sins?

I don't think God punishes us for the sins of our parents in the sense that they do something wrong and we get the blame!
That would be a very simplistic view to take.
Instead, when people make mistakes, those things have consequences, which have a wider effect on other people, sometimes even future generations ...
I give you just a couple of examples, which spring to mind at short notice:

• Somebody mentioned a women taking drugs during pregnancy and thereby causing a birth defect in the child. The child is not being punished for the mothers action, but the mother's action is having a consequence, which is affecting her child (can you see the difference?) What we see as a negative (and therefore humanly perceive as punishment), God may use for a greater purpose (as many have said in this post)
• An example perhaps a bit more obscure: I am German, born many years after WWII. I am not responsible for the sins of my forefathers - yet, in some way, I carry the consequence of their action - because the world's perception of my nation is clouded by the recent history ... and that, at times, affects how people treat me.

Am I making sense at all??? :?

Isa, God uses us in ways, which we cannot always understand.
But, as Muslims are always wonderfully able to point out, God knows best! :statisfie

Peace.

 

[AHMED_GUREY]

Children born with congenital defects are a test for their parents


Some children are born healthy while others are born handicapped or with a congenital defect. Irrespective of whether a child is born healthy or handicap, in Islam he is Masoom i.e. sinless. There is no question of the child being handicapped due to a carried forward baggage of past sins from ‘a previous life’. Such a belief will not inculcate a charitable attitude in others. Others might say that the child deserves his birth defects or the handicap since it is a result of his ‘bad karma’.



Islam states that such handicaps are a type of test for the parent whether they are yet thankful towards their Creator or not. Do they retain their patience? Do they continue to persevere?



There is a famous saying that a person was sad because he had no shoes to wear until he saw a person who had no feet.



It is mentioned in the Qur’an:

And know ye that your possessions

And your progeny, are but a trial

And that it is Allah with whom lies

Your highest reward.

(Al Qur’an 8:28)



Allah (swt) may be testing the parents whether they yet are thankful to their Creator or not. May be the parents are righteous and pious and deserve Jannah. If Allah wants to give them a higher place in Jannah, He will test them further, e.g. by giving a handicap child. Yet if they are thankful to their Creator, they will deserve a higher reward i.e. the Jannatul Firdous.



There is a general rule that the more difficult the test, higher the reward. To pass graduation in Arts and Commerce is relatively easy and if you pass you are called as a graduate without any special title but if you graduate in the field of medicine which is comparatively a much more difficult examination, besides becoming a graduate you are also called as a doctor and the title Dr. is put in front of your name.



In the same way Allah (swt) tests, different people in different ways, some with health, some with disease, some with wealth, some with poverty, some with more intelligence, some with less, and depending upon the facility He gives the individual, He tests accordingly.



Thus the main reason for the differences in the human being is that this life is a test for the hereafter. Life after death is mentioned in the Qur’an as well as the Vedas.



Individual differences are not due to transmigration of souls or ‘Samsara’, These beliefs were added on in subsequent scriptures like the Upanishad, Bhagvad Gita and the Puranas. The repetitive cycle of birth and death, birth and death, was unknown and unheard of in the Vedic period.



http://www.irf.net/irf/faqonislam/middle/introduction.php3




i've worked with disabled kids when they had a play at a school for disabled children where my uncle is a teacher and what i noticed is the thing they dislike the most is when people feel sorry for them

they don't want your piety :hiding:

but i've never seen a disabled child who didn't have a nice kind character wether muslim or non muslim

there fun :happy:

 

[north_malaysian]

Suddenly I remembered Iranian movie entitled "Colours of Heaven".

The blind kid say, it's ok for God to make him blind in this world because God will give him sight in the hereafter .... and the first thing that he would see is God.

Imagine how many sins we've made with our eyes....

 

[Tania]

I believe we try to complicate the answer and the reasons. Genetic abnormalities are actually not a sinfull or evil act. They are simply the result of the DNA combinations that occur. Some DNA combinations will produce healthy beautifull children other combinations will result in what we term birth defects.

We should not forget the:

• environment which can affect seriously the unborned child (in 1986 the radiation from Ukraine made to born children without fingers or other annomalities)
• what the pregnant women drinks and eat during the 9 months, including the medication too

 

[Curious girl2]

I found these links today that may be of interest to some forum members. They are entitled "10 Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew" and they are in Arabic.

http://www.sarnet.org/img/Page 1.jpg
http://www.sarnet.org/img/Page 2.jpg
http://www.sarnet.org/img/Page 3.jpg
http://www.sarnet.org/img/Page 4.jpg

Unfortunetly as I dont read Arabic I have no idea of what they say!

Peace
CG

 

[جوري]

It is written as if an autistic child is telling you, of various things that would be bothersome to him or her, like for instance I just read a tiny brief excerpt about how fluorescent light could be bothersome as well as the various noises emitted from it, or how some car fumes are noxious to my sensitive senses ... etc. nothing any parent wouldn't learn on their own anyhow from their child with constant experience ... children have various things that are bothersome, that might not be to other children. Having autism doesn't exclude them as having such emotions or feelings. Although.. they are extra sensitive.... When I was a kid I used to be absolutely terrified of puppet theaters or any puppets of unusual color ... yet my nephew has many (shrek puppets) that would have made me shriek in horror back in the day lol... Good job though finding this article... I think being a parent in general if very challenging and a 24 hour job ... all dedicated mothers out there have my absolute respect....
curious I hope you and yours are well......
peace

 

[Woodrow]

In my personal opinion we are all born handicapped, some people are fortunate to have their handicaps visible, everybody else has hidden handicaps that will destroy many , without even being aware of their own destructions. Looking around I see many things that people view as gifts of perfection to be traps for ****ation. The worse handicaps are those that are seen as gifts.

Beauty-Seldom used for good, a real trap for moral destruction

Intelligence-A setup that easily becomes arrogance and denial of Allah(swt)

Physical Strength-often turns into feeling of superiority and denial of need for Allah(swt)

A child with visible handicaps learns the true values of life, and if we are fortunate enough to learn from their experience we can gain a better understanding as to what the real handicaps are.

 

[DaNgErOuS MiNdS]

I think it is amazing how Allah swt instills love in our hearts through the many diffrent circumstances, circumstances that are often understood by those who are going through them but from on outside perspective it is seen as a hardship.

 

[Umar001]

Peace be upon those who seek Guidance.

Hi Isa

It's good to have you back ... you always make me consider and ponder my own faith, and I have learned much because of your thought-provoking posts.

Than you for your kind words, and I hope I have always a good effect on those who I talk to, or post to. Also I am very glad that you do not take offence to my writings.

To proceed:

It was quoted:

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."(John 9:1-4)

Jesus' words (if we believe them) indicate clearly that the blind man in question was not born blind as a result of his sins or those of his parents. Jesus' disciples clearly seemed to think it had to be one way or the other, because that's what Hebrew Scripture teaches.

Personally, my view of this passage, I have to read more on it, but my current view is that, 'Jesus' was talking with regards to this man in particular, I say this due to the reason that the passage says, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." The reason as to why this man was in the state he was, was given as, that it was so this man would have God's work displayed in his life. So with regards to those that are healed, we can say that they may have been handicapped so that they may be healed and then they would feel/see God's work, what about those who are born handicapped and are not healed? It would mean that, their reason for being handicapped was another, because if this was the only reason then they would be healed.

So yes, I do think people can be handicapped so it can cause healing, as was in this man's case '"Neither this man nor his parents sinned,"' talking in particular. But also, if this was the only reason, that God's work may be shown in their life, then it would mean that those who are not healed have a different reason for being handicapped.

This is why I believe it may be for some cases, and may not be for others.

As your above post seems to indicate that there are times when God makes people pay for the sins of their parents.

Firstly, it may be helpful to look at the wider picture of your quoted passage:

1. God is talking about idol-worship, not just 'any sin' - which (according to Islam) is the worst sin of all
2. It goes on to speak about God's blessings for those you love him, which are much greater than his punishment

1. I totally agree, it is talking about Associating with God, making Graven Images, such as of Bird, Man or Fish, be it a dove, representing the Holy SPirit, a Man representing Jesus, peace be upon him, or a Fish as a symbol of the Church.

2. I again agree, that God's love here is shown to span further than His punishment.

Can I give you my personal view on how God deals with our sins?

If you will, I will ask, give me what you feel the Holy Spirit, peace be upon him, is telling you.

I don't think God punishes us for the sins of our parents in the sense that they do something wrong and we get the blame!
That would be a very simplistic view to take.

I agree, I don't think God Punishes people for the sins of their Parents, My sins are on me and your sins on you. Seems just.

Instead, when people make mistakes, those things have consequences, which have a wider effect on other people, sometimes even future generations ...
I give you just a couple of examples, which spring to mind at short notice:

• Somebody mentioned a women taking drugs during pregnancy and thereby causing a birth defect in the child. The child is not being punished for the mothers action, but the mother's action is having a consequence, which is affecting her child (can you see the difference?) What we see as a negative (and therefore humanly perceive as punishment), God may use for a greater purpose (as many have said in this post)
• An example perhaps a bit more obscure: I am German, born many years after WWII. I am not responsible for the sins of my forefathers - yet, in some way, I carry the consequence of their action - because the world's perception of my nation is clouded by the recent history ... and that, at times, affects how people treat me.

Am I making sense at all??? :?

Your making sense, I agree, that my actions may have consequences on my children and so forth, I agree.

I disagree thought that this type of 'consequence' is what the passage is speaking of, reason being, the passage clearly distinguishes from the Love and Hate. Look if you will:

...punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

So for example, if we have a German family, who is Christian and loves God, does this mean they will not be 'consequently' punished, and have no prejudgement on them? Because in this passage it says God punishes those who hate Him.

As you have stated:

The child is not being punished for the mothers action, but the mother's action is having a consequence, which is affecting her child (can you see the difference?)

Such consequences are not PUNISHMENTS, but rather a set up, for example, when Abraham, peace be upon him, was told to sacrafice his son, peace be upon him, his son, was not being punished but tested. So although God loved them, he tested them.

This is why I don't take the passage to mean 'consequential' stuff.

Punishment, is rather like the executions that we read in Numbers of the 'boys' and 'children' the 'females who had slept with man', their killing, by God's people, when their killing was not needed, that was Punishment, not because of the Boy's sin.

Peace.

Peace be upon you too.

May Abraham, Moses and Jesus, be immune from any lies ascribed to them, May they be granted peace and blessings and also upon their followers.

Any mistake is mine, any good then praise be to the God of Abraham.

 

[glo]

This is why I believe it may be for some cases, and may not be for others.

I agree that it may apply for some cases, and not for others ...
It's for God to make such decisions, not for me or you or any of us.
After all, God knows best!

1. I totally agree, it is talking about Associating with God, making Graven Images, such as of Bird, Man or Fish, be it a dove, representing the Holy SPirit, a Man representing Jesus, peace be upon him, or a Fish as a symbol of the Church.

That's a little harsh, if you ask me. The worshipping-man-in-form-of-Jesus debate aside (we'va done that elsewhere, I am sure), do you seriously suggest Christians worship doves and fish??? :?
Be fair, Isa! I wouldn't dream to suggest that Muslims worship the written symbol of Allah's name, although I see it displayed in their cars and houses ...

Instead, when people make mistakes, those things have consequences, which have a wider effect on other people, sometimes even future generations ...
I give you just a couple of examples, which spring to mind at short notice:

• Somebody mentioned a women taking drugs during pregnancy and thereby causing a birth defect in the child. The child is not being punished for the mothers action, but the mother's action is having a consequence, which is affecting her child (can you see the difference?) What we see as a negative (and therefore humanly perceive as punishment), God may use for a greater purpose (as many have said in this post)
• An example perhaps a bit more obscure: I am German, born many years after WWII. I am not responsible for the sins of my forefathers - yet, in some way, I carry the consequence of their action - because the world's perception of my nation is clouded by the recent history ... and that, at times, affects how people treat me.

Am I making sense at all??? :?

Your making sense, I agree, that my actions may have consequences on my children and so forth, I agree.

I disagree thought that this type of 'consequence' is what the passage is speaking of, reason being, the passage clearly distinguishes from the Love and Hate. Look if you will:

So for example, if we have a German family, who is Christian and loves God, does this mean they will not be 'consequently' punished, and have no prejudgement on them? Because in this passage it says God punishes those who hate Him.

I think that's a very simplistic view.
Clearly God doesn't work at such a basic level.
Things happen all the time, which are inexplicable to the human mind and unfair according to human judgement!
God sees beyond such things and applies divine reasoning, not human reasoning.

The purpose of my first post was not to provide answers to why God allows certain things to happen, but to offer balance to your statement that God is a harsh punishing God.

Isa, by the end of the day neither of can explain why God allows certain things to happen ... and we will not know until the end of time!
We are trying to explain God's actions as best we can, based on our holy books - but at the end of the day we come away saying 'Allah/God knows best'!
Accepting God's will in our lives, is a major part of our faiths.

May you have God's blessing, always!

 

[Umar001]

Peace be upon those who follow God's path.

I agree that it may apply for some cases, and not for others ...
It's for God to make such decisions, not for me or you or any of us.
After all, God knows best!

Yep, who is disabled and who isn't is totally upto God, I don't disagree.

That's a little harsh, if you ask me. The worshipping-man-in-form-of-Jesus debate aside (we'va done that elsewhere, I am sure), do you seriously suggest Christians worship doves and fish??? :?
Be fair, Isa! I wouldn't dream to suggest that Muslims worship the written symbol of Allah's name, although I see it displayed in their cars and houses ...

Okey dokes, I'll leave that out.

I think that's a very simplistic view.
Clearly God doesn't work at such a basic level.
Things happen all the time, which are inexplicable to the human mind and unfair according to human judgement!
God sees beyond such things and applies divine reasoning, not human reasoning.

The purpose of my first post was not to provide answers to why God allows certain things to happen, but to offer balance to your statement that God is a harsh punishing God.

Isa, by the end of the day neither of can explain why God allows certain things to happen ... and we will not know until the end of time!
We are trying to explain God's actions as best we can, based on our holy books - but at the end of the day we come away saying 'Allah/God knows best'!
Accepting God's will in our lives, is a major part of our faiths.

May you have God's blessing, always!

I guess if you believe or feel that we cannot understand what God tells us, even through His own revelation, then there is not much point in discussing views on text from a Scripture.

 

[Snowflake]

excuse me , i heard that those who are born handicapt have a better chance of going to jannah( paradise) especially those mentaly challenged ones. correct me if im wrong. thanks !

InshaAllah - I believe this to be correct as they spend their life trying to overcome the difficulties that the able bodied don't have to and as a result are less likely to commit sins. Their handicap is also a constant reminder of how powerless man can be if Allah wills.

As for the mentally challenged - they aren't held responsible for what they do not understand. For example, there is no excuse for missing salah unless the person is deemed insane. I believe that Allah will more than compensate in the hereafter those who are living their lives without the blessings many of us take for granted. SubhanAllah, Allah is Fair and Just.

 

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

In general, the answer to this question is dealt with by a general response to the 'problem of evil'. Please see here.

Nevertheless, the issue does also involve some specific questions whose answers may not be apparent in the general response. Basically, we can look at the afflictions that befall a human being and categorize them theologically according to either cause or effects. According to the latter, we might say that while all afflictions impose a certain degree of hardship on an individual, some do not permanently affect their faculty of reason or communication and hence, their ability to accept the truth. Others do.

If we look at those afflictions that do not negate one's ability to understand and believe in the message of Islam, then we find that practically everyone suffers such afflictions in their life. No one has a life free of hardship. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, tells us in the Qur'an, Verily We have created the human being in a state of constant toil and struggle. [90:4]
Our suffering is a test for us and we are to patiently persevere in times of hardship and thank God in times of ease and pleasure. Sabr (patience) and Shukr (gratitude) are the two legs with which the believer walks through life. Some of the afflictions that befall us arise during our lifetime and others may have been with us since birth. Some afflictions are brought about by the actions of others, some may be due to one's own actions, and some others may be caused by no one at all. Irrespective of when and where they come from, the response to the afflictions is always the same. And these afflictions are not only a test for those upon whom they befall but they are also a test for others to aid the ones who are afflicted.

For example, someone may be born blind or they may become blind during their life; this is a disability that they are being tested with. But they may be blessed in other things more than anyone else if they are thankful to Allah and patiently persevere. Abdullah Ibn Umm Maktum (rd) was a blind companion of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh whose virtues and merits are too numerous to list, but it is sufficient to note that his case was defended by God and verses were revealed on his behalf. In addition, he was appointed to look after Madinah during the Prophet's absence on many occasions. Even in recent times we can look at the example of Shaykh Abdul-Azîz Ibn Bâz, the late grand mufti of Saudi Arabia. Though he was blind, his knowledge was so great and he attained such an amazing status that he has been declared by many to be one of the greatest scholars of this era.

The other category of afflictions according to effects would be those afflictions which impede one's ability to understand and accept the message of Islam. The element of testing is still here in that others are entrusted with the duty of helping such people, but at the same time these people do not posses the faculties to be tested themselves. The strongest view in Islam is that Allah swt will test such people on the Day of Judgement.

 

[Curious girl2]

For example, someone may be born blind or they may become blind during their life; this is a disability that they are being tested with. But they may be blessed in other things more than anyone else if they are thankful to Allah and patiently persevere.

This I can understand especially with regard to my daughter. She is almost blind, autistic and has learning difficulties among other problems. However she has been blessed with the most sunny disposition that I have ever known. She faces so many struggles everyday but she NEVER stops smiling. Some people feel that autistic people find it hard to show affection, not so my daughter. She is the most loving little thing that can ever be.

I dont know if she will ever be able to understand the concept of religion, let alone be able to devote her life to one. But I hope that the Lord will see her determination and ability to bring so much sunshine to the lives of those around her and God willing, reward her with a place in heaven when the time comes.

Peace
CG

 

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

This I can understand especially with regard to my daughter. She is almost blind, autistic and has learning difficulties among other problems. However she has been blessed with the most sunny disposition that I have ever known. She faces so many struggles everyday but she NEVER stops smiling. Some people feel that autistic people find it hard to show affection, not so my daughter. She is the most loving little thing that can ever be.

I dont know if she will ever be able to understand the concept of religion, let alone be able to devote her life to one. But I hope that the Lord will see her determination and ability to bring so much sunshine to the lives of those around her and God willing, reward her with a place in heaven when the time comes.

Amen Indeed handicap relatives are a blessing from God and an opportunity for us to come nearer to Him in helping them and learning from them to reflect on God's immense favours upon us all.

Regards