23. This Is Not Fair!

Bismillahi ar-rahmani ar-rahim

Ayyub (Job) lived a righteous life to such a degree that even Allah Himself pointed the blameless and upright person out to Sheytan as an exemplary man. Yet, Ayyub would not dare to rely on his own righteousness. Instead, he relied on sacrifice, the way given to humankind by Allah ever since Adam was cast out of Jannah.

Job 1:5

Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

If we were to sum up the theme of the oldest prophetic book in one sentence, it could be: Why do just people suffer injustice?

Good things happen to good people. Yes?

Good things also happen to bad people. Is it true?

Bad things happen to bad people. Do they?

Bad things also happen to good people. Can you confirm that?

I believe that if you are honest, you will agree on all four points. Is it fair? Why is it happening?

Well, there are no easy answers to difficult questions. If you are struggling with injustice right now, you have our sympathy. Everybody sometimes suffers injustice in one form or another – from childhood to the grave. Yet some, like Ayyub, suffer much more than most of us ever will. The good news is that Allah is opening our eyes for understanding the injustices all around us - in the book of nabi Ayyub.

The test Ayyub had to endure affected not only himself, but also all his relationships – first of all the closest – with his wife. Their children are dead, and then Ayyub and his wife end up having an argument with each other. Next are his friends. They originally came, in good Oriental fashion, to show support for the good and well respected elder.

Ayyub 2:13

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

This was very good and honorable. This is the very meaning of the word compassion. The problem only started when Ayyub’s friends, in response to his grief, opened their mouths. The book of Ayyub gives a surah after surah of their narrative. The friends are trying to defend the justice of Allah and they raise seemingly very reasonable doubts about Ayyub’s own justice. Ayyub himself is unaware of anything whereby he would have caused his own suffering. He calls upon Allah to explain to him the meaning of his deep trouble. This builds a rift between Ayyub and his friends. The more they say - in good faith, trying to help - the more they add insult to injury. They think that Ayyub is being stubborn, while the suffering man is further grieved seeing that his best friends do not believe in his innocence, and accuse him of causing his own unbearable suffering.

By the way, where did the common idea that prophets of Allah do not suffer come from? And why do we so often think that people who go through hardships, often victims of injustice caused by others, are punished by Allah for their own acts? Neither of these thoughts is based on the Scriptures from Allah, and neither of these prejudices is fair or true.

Have you ever been feeling misunderstood?

Have you ever been judging others?

Do you find a relief in the knowledge that Allah is on the side of the suffering and misunderstood person of good will, rather than being the Chief Accuser of the unfortunate?