Praise be to Allaah.
This question may be asked in two ways, either as an
objection or as a quest for understanding. If it is asked as an objection,
then it is an indication of the questioner’s ignorance. For the wisdom of
Allaah is too great for our minds to comprehend. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
“And they ask you (O Muhammad) concerning the Rooh (the
spirit). Say: The Rooh (the spirit) is one of the things, the knowledge of
which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given
only a little”[al-Isra’ 17:85]
This spirit is something
which is within us and is the very essence of our lives, but we do not know
it and the philosophers and thinkers are unable to define and describe it.
If we are unable to know anything about this spirit, which is the closest
thing in creation to us, apart from that which has been described in the
Qur’aan and Sunnah, then what do you think about other matters beyond that?
Allaah is Most Wise, Most Great, Most Majestic and Most Powerful, and we
must submit to His will and decree with full submission, because we are
unable to comprehend the ultimate goals of His wisdom. On this basis, the
answer to the question is that we should say: Allaah knows best and He is
Most Wise, Most Powerful and Most Great.
If the question is asked as a quest for understanding, then
we would tell this questioner: the believer is subjected to tests and
Allaah’s testing him by means of things that may harm or hurt him brings two
great benefits. The first benefit is that Allaah tests this man with regard
to his faith, to see whether his faith is sincere or shaky. The believer
whose faith is sincere will patiently accept the will and decree of Allaah,
and will seek reward from Him. In this case the matter becomes bearable for
him. It was narrated that one of the female worshippers of Allaah suffered a
cut or wound in her finger, but she did not complain about the pain or show
any sign of distress. She was asked about that and she said: The sweetness
of its reward makes me forget the bitterness of bearing it. The believer
seeks reward from Allaah and submits to Him completely. This is one
benefit.
With regard to the second benefit, Allaah highly praises
those who are patient and says that He is with them and that He will give
them reward without measure. Patience is a high status which can only be
attained by those who are tested with things that they bear patiently. If he
bears them patiently, he attains this high status which brings great reward.
So when Allaah tests the believers with things that hurt them, that is so
that they may attain the status of those who are patient. Hence the
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who was the
greatest of all people in faith, piety and fear of Allaah, suffered twice
the pain of an ordinary man when he fell sick, and he (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) suffered greatly at the time of death, so
that he might fully attain the status of one who is patient, for he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the most patient of those
who are patient. Hence the wisdom behind Allaah’s testing of the believer
with such calamities becomes clear.
With regard to His giving the sinners, evildoers, immoral
people and kaafirs good health and plentiful provision, this is in order to
let them get carried away (with their sin, and then punish them severely
later on). It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “This world is a prison for the believer and a
paradise for the kaafir. They are given these good things so that they have
their good things sooner, in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they
will get what they deserve of punishment. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“On the Day when those who disbelieve (in the Oneness of
Allaah
Islamic Monotheism) will be exposed to the Fire (it will be said): “You
received your good things in the life of the world, and you took your
pleasure therein. Now this Day you shall be recompensed with a torment of
humiliation, because you were arrogant in the land without a right, and
because you used to rebel against Allaah’s Command (disobey Allaah)”
[al-Ahqaaf 46:20]
The point is that this world is for
the kaafirs to get carried away in, then when they move to the Hereafter and
leave the life of this world in which they found pleasure, they will
encounter torment – we seek refuge with Allaah. The punishment will be so
much harder for them because they will suffer greatly, and because at the
same time they will have lost the delights and luxuries of this world which
they loved so much.
There is a third benefit which we may add to the first two,
which the believer will get from sickness and problems, for the believer
will move to a realm that is better than this world, for he will move from
something that hurts him and causes him pain to something that will bring
him happiness and joy. So his joy at the delight to which he has come will
be multiplied, because he has attained joy, and the pain and difficulties
that he was facing will have ceased.
From the fatwas of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, from Kitaab Fataawa Islamiyyah, 1/83.
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