Someone Please Explain This to me.

[Les_Nubian]

I really love Allah and all, I do!

But I just need an explanation, or a point of view if any of you can help me here.

I want to know, how does God let bad things happen to innocent people in this world? And how can you 100% believe in and trust, and ask for help from a God who lets these things happen to innocence? Like young children starving, or being murdered, and women raped and killed, and men shooting their brothers (in Islam), and suicide bombings, etcetera. And all of the supposedly "Islamically-extremist-driven" drama in the mid-east.

I feel so guilty and awful and selfish asking a God for help for MYSELF when the same God did not help this other young mother with three kids dying of AIDS (just an example, I'm sure it happens), or the daughter who prayed for her mother to be cured of cancer, but she dies.

Or the 20 year old who does everything right (in "Islam--submission to god"), and prays five times a day, gives charity, is compassionate, repents for sins, does everything how he or she is supposed to, and then dies in a car accident or is murdered?

What makes me think that I am so special that I could ask God for help, or believe that God would protect me, when he didn't even stop the death of a person who did everything right!

I hope you all don't take this the wrong way. This is basically my feelings of guilt, if I ever were to ask God for anything...what makes me so special that God would help me but not someone else?

 

[M.I.A.]

sounds like ya want the meaning of life handed right to you;D
..i aint got the answers but dont feel selfish in askin help from allah, if everyone did the same we'd be halfway there.
everyone go's through trying times.. Guess ya realy do need to have FAITH.
consider yourself special in the eyes of god and maybe you will find it easier to see his blessings upon you... and feel more remorse for the things we all do which are wrong.

 

[Les_Nubian]

^^So do you think that if there were more "Muslims", praying to God and being faithful and good, that the world would be a better place? I mean, that sounds decent.

 

[thahira]

Salam

Hmmm the sis sure sound distress to me. Ya you cant have the meaning of life handed right to you. So Bro M.I.A as have suggested having Faith is the most important. Only Allah s.w.t knows what is happenning or going to happen. It beyond our control. Just pray for the best I guess.



Wassalam

 

[Kidman]

This is a good question, and somebody will probably have a better answer than me, but i have asked the same question also... and basically this is what i gathered.

Basically, you can even ask more questions like... Why are people born with no eye sight, or missing arms, etc... etc...
- When you see this, does this not make you feel more thankful for what you have? Even though you may feel sorry for the other person, you will be thankful for having two eyes, two arms, two legs, a properly working body, etc etc... If everyone was made perfect then you will not be as thankful.

Same goes with the children dying and other stuff you said. I know it's sad, but this is what Allah want. And trust me, these people on the day of judgement will have it easier than me and you because of their shortages in this world. Allah wants you to value your life, so He must show people who die. This is all a test, to keep your faith in Allah and what He does. This world is merly a test, nothing more. The child that dies in this life might be recieving pleasures beyond what we "normal" people will ever recieve.

I think, and i'm sorry to say, that you are too much into this world. And that is not bad, but you have to realise that there is something better after here, but everybody wont go. The Prophet used to visit the graves a couple times a week, it would remind him of death and that the day of judgement is near and for each second you are alive in this world is a test, and that's why the Prophet used every second to His advantage to worship Allah in some way.

Hope this helped a little, i know there are speeches and so forth on this topic that you can find... or ask your sheikh at the Mosque and they can give a better answer than me inshallah.

Kidman

 

[Les_Nubian]

This is a good question, and somebody will probably have a better answer than me, but i have asked the same question also... and basically this is what i gathered.

Basically, you can even ask more questions like... Why are people born with no eye sight, or missing arms, etc... etc...
- When you see this, does this not make you feel more thankful for what you have? Even though you may feel sorry for the other person, you will be thankful for having two eyes, two arms, two legs, a properly working body, etc etc... If everyone was made perfect then you will not be as thankful.

Same goes with the children dying and other stuff you said. I know it's sad, but this is what Allah want. And trust me, these people on the day of judgement will have it easier than me and you because of their shortages in this world. Allah wants you to value your life, so He must show people who die. This is all a test, to keep your faith in Allah and what He does. This world is merly a test, nothing more. The child that dies in this life might be recieving pleasures beyond what we "normal" people will ever recieve.

I think, and i'm sorry to say, that you are too much into this world. And that is not bad, but you have to realise that there is something better after here, but everybody wont go. The Prophet used to visit the graves a couple times a week, it would remind him of death and that the day of judgement is near and for each second you are alive in this world is a test, and that's why the Prophet used every second to His advantage to worship Allah in some way.

Hope this helped a little, i know there are speeches and so forth on this topic that you can find... or ask your sheikh at the Mosque and they can give a better answer than me inshallah.

Kidman

Wow, thank you for that explanation. You know, it actually helped. God bless you x 10. :sister:

God bless everyone else here as well...I'm not asking for the entire "meaning of life". If anything, it's the opposite. The meaning of death! Because that's the issue here.

But again, thank you Kidman, for actually trying to cough up some sort of answer. :giggling: Even though we all know that Allah knows best. Thank you again.

 

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Your question has been discussed under the thread 'the problem of evil':
http://www.islamicboard.com/comparative-religion/7938-problem-evil-temp-split-teog-thread.html
http://www.islamicboard.com/comparative-religion/6568-existence-god-2.html#post69102
http://www.islamicboard.com/106526-post16.html
It is a long debate and there are many other issues thrown in there as well but it contains an in-depth discussion on this subject. The answers I provide here wil be brief summaries of what is discussed there.

I want to know, how does God let bad things happen to innocent people in this world?

If there were no poor people where would the test be to donate generously to those in need? If there was no violence where would the test be to spread peace? If there was no injustice where would the test be to spread justice? If there was no disease and illness where would the test be to serve humanity in spreading cures and helping others? If our lives were rose gardens with no calamities or suffering, where would the test be to patiently persevere in our devotion to Our Lord? This life is a test for the next life. If we are patient in our devotion to God, if we enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, we will be rewarded in the next life. When talking about the suffering of innocents in this life, you are forgetting the whole other side of the equation, the Hereafter. Everyone will be recompensed in the Hereafter and those who persevered through difficulty will be rewarded as a result in the Hereafter.

And how can you 100% believe in and trust, and ask for help from a God who lets these things happen to innocence?

Because I understand the reaosn why these things are happening and I understand that the duty to strive against evil is one that has been entrusted to human beings by God. So it is our fault if it is not being done, not His.

Like young children starving

They starve because greedy people and wealthy people fail to donate generously in the way of God and spend out of the money that God has entrusted them with. So this is a test for human beings and we are failing the test. And those children who starve will not be without recompense in the next life.

or being murdered

God gave every human being the ability to choose. We can choose to violently harm others or we can choose to live in peace and help others, as God has commanded. Someone who murders is a person who has failed their test. Again, the blame is on humans not God. It is our duty to prevent such harm befalling innocents and it is a test from God for us that we act righteously and do not commit sins like murder. Where would this test be if it was not physically possible to commit murder? The same is true for rape and other killings you mentioned. They happen because people have failed to act according to what God commanded. God is testing us to see if we will violate His laws and bring harm to others. Those who do so will be punished in the next life and the ones who suffered will be recompensed.

This should answer the remaining questions, inshaa'Allah.

 

[- Qatada -]

:salamext:


This was on another post, so some of the things in the post may be irrelevant. But just check it out - you may get what i'm tryin to say in the post insha'Allaah.

First of all i want you to remember that God is the Most Just, this means that he is even Just to the non muslims - the ones who dont even believe in God.


The first point is, God will test those whom he loves - like its been mentioned in the verse:

[29.2] Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, We believe, and not be tried?
[29.3] And certainly We tried those before them, so Allah will certainly know those who are true and He will certainly know the liars.


That means that God will test the people (the believers) he loves in this life. This means putting them through different sorts of hardships, so it is a Just way of forgiving the persons sins.


this relates to the hadith of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who said:

“Whatever befalls a Muslim of exhaustion, illness, worry, grief, nuisance or trouble, even though it may be no more than a prick of a thorn, earns him forgiveness by Allah of some of his sins.”

But you have to keep in mind:

2:286 On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns.


This way - God is being Just and the believers sins will be forgiven.


Whereas, God will keep giving goodness to the non-believers in this life, for the deeds they have done. For instance, if a person who is a kafir (a person who rejects faith) has smiled at a person in this life - God will reward them in some way for that deed they have done,

so the person may get alot of riches in this life. This is the Justness God gives to all people whether they believe or not.

Whereas God may keep testing the believer in this life, but we will stay pleased and remain steadfast, like our beloved Prophet

Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

" Wondrous are the believer's affairs. For him there is good in all his affairs, and this is so only for the believer. When something pleasing happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him; and when something displeasing happens to him, he is enduring (sabar), and that is good for him " (sahih Muslim )


but the rejectors of faith will try to stop the believers..

Those in sin used to laugh at those who believed, (83:29)

And whenever they passed by them, used to wink at each other (in mockery); (83:30)

And when they returned to their own people, they would return jesting; (83:31)

And whenever they saw them, they would say, "Behold! These are the people truly astray!" (83:32)


But this doesn't mean that the people who reject faith and do bad acts get away with it, no - they will get the fire in the afterlife.

For those who reject their Lord (and Cherisher) is the Penalty of Hell: and evil is (such), Destination. (67:06)]


Say: "See ye?- If Allah were to destroy me, and those with me, or if He bestows His Mercy on us,- yet who can deliver

the Unbelievers from a grievous Penalty?" (67:28)


But the disbelievers keep rejecting faith:

..their messengers came to them with clear arguments; so it was not Allah Who should do them injustice, but they were unjust to themselves. (9:70)

The people in hell will be in different punishments, which will be affected by the amount of sins they had commited in this life, we know

this because our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his beloved family) said:


Hadith - Qudsi 38

When Allah Almighty created Paradise and Hell-fire, He sent Gabriel to Paradise, saying: Look at it and at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants.

The Prophet May Allah's peace and praise be on him said: So he came to it and looked at it and at what Allah had prepared therein for its inhabitants. The Prophet May Allah's peace and praise be on him said: So he returned to Him and said: By your glory, no one hears of it without entering it. So He ordered that it be encompassed by forms of hardship, and He said: Return to it and look at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants. The Prophet May Allah's peace and praise be on him said:

So he returned to it and found that it was encompassed by forms of hardship. Then he returned to Him and said: By Your glory, I fear that no one will enter it. He said: Go to Hell-fire and look at it and what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants, and he found that it was in layers, one above the other.

Then he returned to Him and said: By Your glory, no one who hears of it will enter it. So He ordered that it be encompassed by lusts. Then He said: Return to it. And he returned to it and said: By Your glory, I am frightened that no one will escape from entering it.


...That was because they rebelled and used to transgress. (5:78)

They restrained not one another from the wickedness they did. Verily evil was that they used to do!



The believers are treatedly unjustly;

Those who have been expelled from their homes without a just cause except that they say: Our Lord is Allah. And had there not been Allah's repelling some people by others, certainly there would have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques in which Allah's name is much remembered; and surely Allah will help him who helps His cause; most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty. (22:40)

Those who, should We establish them in the land, will keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and enjoin good and forbid evil; and Allah's is the end of affairs. (22:41)

"The believers, men and women, are friends of one another. They command what is right and forbid what is wrong." (9:71)[/color]


Those who say: Our Lord! surely we believe, therefore forgive us our faults and save us from the chastisement of the fire. (3:16)

The patient, and the truthful, and the obedient, and those who spend (benevolently) [in charity] and those who ask forgiveness in the morning times. (3:17)



Those who faithfully observe their trusts and their covenants; (23:08)

And who (strictly) guard their prayers;- (23:09)

These are they who are the heirs, (23:10)

Who will inherit Paradise: they will dwell therein (for ever). (23:11)



"Say, 'Shall I bring your attention to things far better than those? For the righteous are gardens in nearness to their Lord, with rivers flowing beneath, eternal therein, with pure companions and the good pleasure of Allah. For within Allah's sight are all His servants – especially those who say, "Our Lord, we have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the agony of the Fire." Those who are patient, are truthful, who worship devoutly, who spend in the way of Allah and who prays for forgiveness in the pre-dawn hours.'"
[ali'-Imran, 3: 15-17]


"Allah will admit those who believe and work righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow, they shall be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments therein will be silk. They have been guided in this life to good speech, and they have been guided to the path of Him, the All Praised."
[Hajj, 22: 23-24]


"Their salutation on the day they meet Him will be 'Peace!; and He has prepared for them a generous reward."
[Ahzab, 33: 44]



This is the just a taster of the Justness of Allah the Most Beneficial, the Most Merciful to His servants.


If you need more info, or dont understand - please do ask. & i hope you understand insha Allaah (God willing.)



wa Allaahu ta'aala a'lam. (and Allaah the Most Beneficial, the Most Merciful knows best.)​

I think you might find this link useful too insha'Allaah (God willing):
http://www.islamicboard.com/comparative-religion/9066-intercession-2.html?highlight=intercession




:wasalamex

 

[Salah ad-din]

Chapter 3
Patience and Perseverance

Hadith 43

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that: The
Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "When Allah intends good for His
slave, He punishes him in this world, but when He intends an evil for
His slave, He does not hasten to take him to task but calls him to
account on the Day of Resurrection.''
[At-Tirmidhi].

 

[Les_Nubian]

Your question has been discussed under the thread 'the problem of evil':
http://www.islamicboard.com/comparative-religion/7938-problem-evil-temp-split-teog-thread.html
http://www.islamicboard.com/comparative-religion/6568-existence-god-2.html#post69102
http://www.islamicboard.com/106526-post16.html
It is a long debate and there are many other issues thrown in there as well but it contains an in-depth discussion on this subject. The answers I provide here wil be brief summaries of what is discussed there.
If there were no poor people where would the test be to donate generously to those in need? If there was no violence where would the test be to spread peace? If there was no injustice where would the test be to spread justice? If there was no disease and illness where would the test be to serve humanity in spreading cures and helping others? If our lives were rose gardens with no calamities or suffering, where would the test be to patiently persevere in our devotion to Our Lord? This life is a test for the next life. If we are patient in our devotion to God, if we enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, we will be rewarded in the next life. When talking about the suffering of innocents in this life, you are forgetting the whole other side of the equation, the Hereafter. Everyone will be recompensed in the Hereafter and those who persevered through difficulty will be rewarded as a result in the Hereafter.
Because I understand the reaosn why these things are happening and I understand that the duty to strive against evil is one that has been entrusted to human beings by God. So it is our fault if it is not being done, not His.
They starve because greedy people and wealthy people fail to donate generously in the way of God and spend out of the money that God has entrusted them with. So this is a test for human beings and we are failing the test. And those children who starve will not be without recompense in the next life.
God gave every human being the ability to choose. We can choose to violently harm others or we can choose to live in peace and help others, as God has commanded. Someone who murders is a person who has failed their test. Again, the blame is on humans not God. It is our duty to prevent such harm befalling innocents and it is a test from God for us that we act righteously and do not commit sins like murder. Where would this test be if it was not physically possible to commit murder? The same is true for rape and other killings you mentioned. They happen because people have failed to act according to what God commanded. God is testing us to see if we will violate His laws and bring harm to others. Those who do so will be punished in the next life and the ones who suffered will be recompensed.

This should answer the remaining questions, inshaa'Allah.

Wow, thank you so much for that beautiful response! God bless you! You are truly wise! Seriously, you have helped me greatly to understand this all...it really does make sense to me, especially the way you explained it.

Again, thank you and Allah bless! :sister: