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Joseph A Islam www.quransmessage.com

Salamun Alaikum (Peace be upon you


SUFFERING AND ADVERSITY



!opyright " #$$% &oseph A 'slam: Article last modified #$
th
September #$()


The rabid cancer appeared une*pectedly as a harbinger of death and overtook rampantly without
mercy. Someone who meant the world to me+ whom ' had always adored so deeply+ was now
painfully in the clutches of darkness. 't was to make my dearest suffer almost uncontrollably+ eating
away at life with e*cruciating agony.

,owever+ minutes turned to hours+ une*pected weeks turned to months and many months -ust
ebbed away in unrelenting pain.

.any undoubtedly would relate to my e*periences all too well.

The question of suffering seems to be so deeply entrenched in the human psyche that even the most
faithful were not e*empt from feeling its torment+ often bringing them to their knees.

002.214
/0r do you think that you shall enter the 1arden (of bliss without such (trials as came to those
who passed away before you2 they encountered suffering and adversity+ and wee so sha!en "n
sp""# #ha# e$en #he %essen&e and #hose o' 'a"#h who wee w"#h h"m ("ed) *+hen w"ll #he
help o' God (ome,* Ah3 'ndeed+ the help of 1od is (always near34

Any worthwhile attempt at reaching a coherent understanding would certainly have to penetrate
deep+ tugging at the very epicentre of our emotions+ questioning the very purpose of our e*istence.

5hy indeed were we created2

0-..002
6The 0ne 5ho created 7eath and 8ife+ that ,e may test you+ which of you is best in deed: and ,e is
the 9*alted in .ight+ 0ft:;orgiving6
'n a constant state of struggle+ humans survive and evolve facing challenges so that their choices
have meaning and purpose.

0/0.004
6!ertainly 5e have created man into toil < struggle hardship 0Aa1"() !a1ad26

Situations will no doubt be created to test our resolve+ to enable us to make the best decisions or to
bear with patience.

04..031
/And 5e shall try you until 5e make evident those who strive among you and persevere in patience=
and 5e shall test your affairs4

0ur health+ children and wealth are only but a trial and not e*empt as tools+ manufacturing
conditions to test our resolve.

004.024
6And !now #ha# 5o6 weal#h and 5o6 (h"lden ae 16# a #"al7 and that it is 1od with 5hom lies
your highest reward.

003.14-
6Ye shall (e#a"nl5 1e #"ed and #es#ed "n 5o6 weal#h and "n 5o6sel$es7 and ye shall certainly hear
much that will grieve you+ from those who received the >ook before you and from those who
worship many gods. 86# "' 5e pese$ee pa#"en#l5+ and guard against evil+ then that will be a
determining factor in all affairs6

002.199
6And s6el5 +e w"ll #es# 5o6 with something of fear and hunger+ and loss of wealth and lives and
the fruits (of your toil+ 16# &"$e &lad #"d"n&s #o #hose who pa#"en#l5 pese$ee6

'ndeed+ many questions are pertinent here. 5ithout ever tasting any adversity or any knowledge of
what it may mean+ would the feeling of respite and comfort become meaningless2 5ithout misery+
would -oy and happiness lose meaning2 ,ow would one know how to truly appreciate happiness if
they had never felt sadness2

,ow would any trial have purpose if there were no conditions in which one would be tested2 ,ow
could we sense -ustice+ feel at peace in altruism and nurture our soul in giving+ if there was an
absence of in-ustice+ selfishness or helplessness2

's this all a part of an evident reality+ an evolutionary cycle through which the living evolve and in the
process where our choices are -udged2

'f there was no choice+ we would be naught but automatons. >ut with the gift of choice comes
answerability. 5ith answerability comes recompense. There is no other -ustifiable option.

5e often lose sight of the finite nature of our temporal e*istence. After all+ we have not only been
presented on 9arth for mere sport+ but to be trialled.

1iven the fine order of the ?niverse+ our adversity -uts out as an anomaly evident of the
circumstances being fashioned to test our mettle.

0.9.03-
67oes man think that he will be left aimless < in vain < uncontrolled (without a purpose 0Aa1"()
S6da0n22,6

After all+ these close relationships we uphold so dearly in this transient life+ that seem so innate
within us and fear so much to lose are only destined to cease.

They will have no bearing on the 7ay when we are raised where even a pregnant mother will be
eager to drop her load (##:#+ one will be prepared to ransom one@s child+ spouse+ brother+ kindred
or one that even sheltered them+ if it could but save one from any impending doom. (A$.B:().

0f course+ this does not mean we lose focus of our responsibilities in this transient life+ but we must
also keep our lives in conte*t of an inevitable future.

SUFFERING AND :A;A%ITY

!ertainly+ no calamity can occur without the will of 1od.

0-4)011
6Co kind of disaster 0Aa1"() %6s"1a#"n2 can occur+ e*cept by the permission of 1od: and if any one
believes in 1od+ ,e guides his heart: for 1od knows all things6

These disasters even befell the Prophet.

00/)090<1
'f good befalls you+ it grieves them+ and "' d"sas#e 0Aa1"() %6s"1a#6n2 a''l"(#s 5o6+ they say: 'ndeed
we had taken care of our affair before= and they turn back and are glad. Sa5) *No#h"n& w"ll happen
#o 6s e=(ep# wha# God has de(eed 'o 6s) >e "s o6 po#e(#o*) and on God le# #he 8el"e$es p6#
#he" #6s#.

00-)0-9
6Say: ,e has the power that ,e should send on you a chastisement from above you or from beneath
your feet+ or that ,e should throw you into confusion+ (making you of different parties= and make
some of you taste the fighting of others. See how 5e repeat the communications that they may
understand6

Some of them will be clearly due to what we have earned.

004.0.4<./
65herever you are+ death will find you out+ even if ye are in towers built up strong and high36 'f
some good befalls them+ they say+ 6This is from 1od6= but if evil+ they say+ 6This is from thee6 (0
Prophet. Sa5) *All #h"n&s ae 'om God.6 >ut what has come to these people+ that they fail to
understand a single fact2 65hatever good+ (0 man3 happens to you+ is from 1od= 16# wha#e$e e$"l
happens #o 5o6? "s 'om #h5 0own2 so6l and 5e have sent thee as a messenger to (instruct
mankind. And enough is 1od for a witness6

!alamities will also not fall e*clusively on the unrighteous+ but also the righteous.

004)029
/And fear against a chastisement < trial which cannot a''l"(# e=(l6s"$el5 #hose o' 5o6 who do
won&+ and know that 1od is severe in punishment4


IN >ARDS>I@? +E %UST @ERSEVERE +IT> @ATIEN:E

8uqmanDs advice to his son:

031)01.
60 my son3 keep up prayer and en-oin the good and forbid the evil+ and 1ea pa#"en#l5 #ha# wh"(h
1e'alls 5o6= surely these acts require courage6

011)010<11
6And if 5e make him taste a favour after distress has afflicted him+ he will certainly say: The evils are
gone away from me. .ost surely he is e*ulting+ boasting= E=(ep# #hose who ae pa#"en# and do
&ood? #he5 shall ha$e 'o&"$eness and a &ea# ewad*


T>RAUG>AUT AUR TRIA;S +E %UST :ANTINUE TA RE%E%8ER GAD AND +E %UST NAT
+ARS>I@ >I% AN A NARRA+ %ARGIN

022.011
*And among mankind is he who worships 1od on the verge so that if good befalls him he is content
with it+ 16# "' a #"al 1e'alls h"m? he 'alls awa5 6##el5. ,e loses both the world and the ,ereafter.
That is the sheer loss6


+IT> EVERY DIFFI:U;TY? T>ERE +I;; 8E RE;IEF

0/4.009
6So+ indeed+ with every difficulty+ there is relief6

0/4.00-
6'ndeed+ with every difficulty there is relief6


:AN +E EVEN 8EGIN TA UNDERSTAND GADBS +IDER S:>E%E,

!ould Prophet .oses
(pbuh
ever understand the apparent mindless slaughter of a boy ((B:A)+ or the
wisdom behind a marred boat ((B:A(2

>ut 1od@s plan was firm ((B:B#. ,ow could we ever begin to understand 1od@s wisdom when our
knowledge e*tends no further than our present2

5ould it have been more comforting to learn the hypothetical slaughter of an Austrian born child in
the late (%
th
century+ if we had known that one day he would grow to become the leader of the
Cational Socialist 1erman 5orkers Party (a.k.a. CaEi Party2 5ould that knowledge have changed
the perception of the hypothetical slaughter of young Adolf2

0f course this does not suggest that the death of any child is e*plained by the above crude e*ample.
'ndeed not. >ut we have no absolute capacity or any -ustifiable right to question 1od@s purpose.
'ndeed+ how could we even begin to+ given our almost pathetic limitations2

6Suffering has been a great teacher+ cultivating and culturing our conduct. 't develops and refines
sensibilities+ teaches humility and in more than one way+ prepares humans to be able to turn to 1od.
't awakens the need for search and e*ploration and creates that necessity which is the mother of all
inventions. Femove suffering as a causative factor in developing manDs potential and the wheel of
progress would turn back a hundred thousand times. .an may try his hand at altering the plan of
things+ but frustration would be all he will achieve. Thus+ the question of apportioning blame for the
e*istence of suffering upon the !reator should not arise. Suffering+ to play its subtle creative role in
the scheme of things+ is indeed a blessing in disguise6 C1D

002)1.. 0@a#2
6...and those who are patient+ in pain (or suffering and adversity and throughout all periods of panic
< stress. Such are the people of truth+ the 1od:fearing6




FINA; T>AUG>TS

As the last breaths of my loved one were drawn that day+ ' remember clearly clutching at the hands
that had always held mine when ' needed them most. As life ebbed away and then finally stopped+
with tears in my eyes+ maybe ' finally came to realise through all that had transpired+ the true
meaning behind the statement+

*...IndeedE #o God we 1elon& and "ndeed #o >"m "s o6 e#6n* 02)19-2

Rela#ed A#"(les)

012 5e will be Tested
022 'ndeed to 1od 5e >elong and 'ndeed to ,im is 0ur Feturn : Dinna:lillahi:waDinna:
ilayhi ra-iunD
032 A Purpose to !reation : The Power of Truth
042 ?nderstanding 0ur Trials : 5hy .e2




REFEREN:ES

C1D A; IS;A%? A$a"la1le a# Conl"neD h##p)FFwww.al"slam.o&Fl"1a5F1oo!sFe$ela#"onFpa#G2Gse(#"onG-.h#ml? CA((essedD
2
nd
Fe16a5 2011
' am not affiliated in any way with the A8 'S8A. website or their particular doctrinal beliefs. The e*cerpt quoted with the
sub-ect matter in question resonates eloquently with my own sentiments and for this reason alone+ has been cited.


&oseph 'slam
" #$($ Guransmessage.com All Fights Feserved