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Originally posted by Sarah Splendor:
Ibrahim, if Allah is all that merciful as you and Him claim He is, then why are so many people dying? Why are there famines and the death of innocent people every second of every day? That's not an act of mercy, that is an act of tyranny.
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Ibrahim says: salaams to all
Sarah, imagine yourself, growing old, and lets say Allah(swt) gave you a special privilege to so that you can keep on growing old, I assure you, you will be begging to HIM every second to give you death, if you don’t believe me, go and ask those that are bed ridden due to old age .
Hence death itself is a mercy at the same time, you may say why children and infants, innocent young people must die?
In order to understand that you must understand the purpose of life and the reason why we have been marooned on this planet in the first place!
To make this simple for you understand since you are still a child, lets say you made a doll and gave it capabilities to function on its own, surely you want to test it, right? , you want to know what it can achieve, and where it will fail, in order to do that you will put it to the test and make trials for it., right? Now imagine the doll is you and the one who created that doll is Allah (swt) …see that was simple to understand , wasn’t it?
Let me refer you to a scholar who explained a small passage in the Qur’an for you to understand why afflictions and calamities are a must for mankind who have been given “free will” to do what they chose to do on this planet.
** The Purpose of tests and trials: **
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Beneficent:
" ** Never ** did we send a prophet to any community but ** We did afflict its people with tribulation and adversity, so, that they may humble themselves" **
"Then ** We replaced affliction with ease of life till,** they grew affluent and increased in number" and said: "Our fathers also had their sorrows and joys."
** "We then took them to task, all of a sudden, ** while they were totally unaware" (of what was happening to them)
** Had the people of those communities believed and kept away from evil, ** We would have opened up for them blessings out of heaven and earth; ** but they gave the lie to the truth, and so, We took them to task for what they did.**
(Al-Qur'an : The Heights: 7:94-96)
On these profound Qur'anic verses, a Muslim scholar Sayyid Qutb comments:
These verses come after the surah (chapter) gives a brief account of the history of several nations to whom prophets were sent. Shortly afterward the surah (chapter) relates in considerable detail, part of the history of Prophet Moses and his encounter with Pharaoh as well as the changing fortunes of the Israelites as they first respond well to the call of Moses, then, decide to worship the calf in preference to worshipping Allah.
Coming in between these accounts of the histories of former nations, ** these verses do not relate to a certain incident but they define a certain law of nature, which Allah, had established for human life. **
These verses tell us that the ** fortunes of man on earth change according to HIS law. ** The divine message itself, important and serious as it certainly is, is simply a means of the operations of this law, which is, in turn greater and more comprehensive than the message.
** We are told here that things do not just occur haphazardly, and man does not stand alone, as the atheist's claim. Whatever takes place is deliberate, occurs according to plan and contributes to the fulfillment of a certain objective **
Beyond everything that takes place ** there is an unfailing law that operates according to the Absolute Will of Allah, WHO had defined the objective and set the law. **
In the Islamic concept of life, man's will is an important factor in the movement of human history and in the interpretation of that history. ** But man's will and action, operate within the framework of Allah's absolute will and HIS destiny. ** Allah certainly encompasses everything in the universe. Man's will and actions have an interaction with the universe. There are certainly a host of factors, which influence human history but cannot be interpreted purely in economical or biological or in geographical terms.
"Never did We send a prophet to any community but We did afflict its people with tribulation and adversity, So that they may humble themselves".
** When we read this, divine statement, the ancient legends which speak of deities and gods who nurse their grudges against human beings, sound absurd. **
There is certainly a purpose for Allah's infliction of tribulation and adversity on those who reject the prophets sent to them and the messages they deliver . **
Adversity, by nature, awakens the natural instincts, which may yet do their work. It may soften hearts, which have been hardened through being accustomed to going astray. **
Adversity may, indeed, make humans who are weak, turn to their CREATOR, Who is powerful and mighty. ** They may humble themselves, before HIM, pray for HIS forgiveness and submit themselves to HIM. **
Allah certainly does not need men's worship or their submission to HIM. ** Worship and submission to Allah are of benefit to men themselves. When men declares his submission to Allah alone, he frees himself from slavery to anyone else, especially to Satan, who wants to lead people astray and enslave them to their desires and caprice. They are free from subjugation by other human beings. They feel ashamed to listen to satan and do his bidding and they feel ashamed to incur Allah's anger by their own action, if, they humble themselves and pray to HIM, only in times of difficulty and hardship. **
All this helps them, to stick to the right path. Thus they liberate and purify themselves. This also enables them to lift themselves over their desires and refuse to submit themselves to subjugation by other human beings.
** Thus it has been the divine will that every community who rejects the message of the Prophet sent to them by Allah are to be afflicted with tribulation, adversity and misfortune in their souls . In the hope that all this, affliction, will revive their hearts. **
Pain , physical and mental, is a great educator, which taps the fountains of goodness in the human soul. It refines consciences and directs man to the source of mercy, which gives comfort to the weak and the afflicted: ** "So that they may humble themselves". **
"Then we replaced affliction with ease of life". Ease, prosperity, abundance, good health, numerous children, and security replace hardship, poverty sickness, sterility and fear. ** Two totally different situations, but both are indeed tests and trials for mankind. **
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Why do we have to be indebted to God? I don't recall ever asking to be created so why should I bow down to a narcissist God instead of cultivating my own potential?
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Ibrahim says: Because your life is not yours , it has only been given to you for you to WAKE UP. So don’t postpone your awakening!
Because even the air that you breath is a mercy from Allah (swt), If He chose to remove it you will cry like hell for life.
I am sure you get my point but your rebellious nature will not seize until you listen to your conscience and Allah (swt) had so willed to guide you.
Was salaam
Ibrahim
** Remember Him in prosperity and He will remember you in adversity **