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Bismillahi ar-rahmani ar-rahim

Last time we asked some difficult questions. At the core of them all is a burning sense of injustice: Why do bad things happen to good people?

How do we make sense of this? And what does it tell us about Allah? Some people blame al-Khaliq (the Creator), some say that He does not exist, others say that He doesn’t care. Some people give up on the whole idea of justice. They live for themselves and for today, and do not care about justice, about the needs of others or about Allah. Still others try to take justice into their own hands, often in the name of Allah, and end up causing a lot of pain, damage and – creating more injustice. As a result, people end up blaming Allah for the terrible things perpetrated by fools in Allah’s and Islam’s name.

If you want to make sense of this world and know what Allah has to say about justice, I highly recommend that you read the whole book of Ayyub. Remind yourself of the story we shared in our series.

As we read, it was Iblis the Accursed who wished Ayyub to suffer and it was he who caused the many terrible things that happened to the obedient man. Allah had no desire to punish His faithful servant, and He played no active role in causing the disasters that fell upon Ayyub. Yet Allah took full responsibility for these terrible things, even though He merely allowed the suffering of His servant.

This dynamic is equally true about the injustices which were suffered by Ayyub, Dawud or Isa in the ancient days, and which are suffered by the Palestinians, Sudanis, Yemenis or by you today. It is neither Allah’s desire, nor is it His making when we suffer! Remember this! Iblis, not Allah causes you to suffer. It is in this light, this background scene from the book of Ayyub, that we can understand what it means that Allah causes bad things to happen. It is thanks to the book of Ayyub that we can understand why bad things happen not only to bad people, but also to good ones. Does it still feel unfair? Yes. Of course. It does not feel fair, because it is not fair. It is the work of Iblis, the Enemy of Allah, and Iblis is not fair. Iblis blames bad things on Allah, and he twists people’s minds to blame Allah for evil things.

When we suffer, we are often stopped in our tracks. Misfortune can help us pause and think. That can lead to a realization that we have wronged ourselves or others around us. That can, by the will of Allah, cause us to regret, do tawbah (repent), ask forgiveness and fix problems and relationships in our family and in the ummah. Alhamdulillah, in such cases, suffering can end up being helpful and healing. Many people come out of suffering stronger and better people than they were before. Praise be to Allah for these times when He wonderfully turns bad things into good – but suffering and evil are not Allah’s plan or His desire.

Injil, 2. Peter 3:9

Allah is not slow in fulfilling his promise, like some people consider slowness. Rather, he is patient over you, not desiring the destruction of anyone. He wants everyone to repent.

Isa also told one of his hawariyun (disciples):

Injil, Luke 22:31.32

Simon, Simon, Al-Shaitan demanded to beat you like a farmer beats wheat. But I have prayed for you, so that your trust would not perish. Peter, when you return to me and repent, make your brothers firm.

As we have seen in the case of Ayyub, there is not always an explanation for why bad things happen. Sometimes they happen not as a result of what we have done, but because the Enemy of Allah and of His servants is malicious. Disasters in your life are not a proof that you wandered off the Straight Path. Yes, sometimes our bad choices lead us to disasters. But at other times, in contrary, they may be a direct result of us faithfully walking on the path of righteousness - because that causes Iblis to hate us. Like Ayyub, put your trust in Allah… even when you don’t understand what you are going through. You are safe with Allah. Your suffering is no proof that Allah is against you. Do not add guilt to your already hard suffering, and don’t let others blame you. If you suffer as a result of your own bad choices, or if you are not sure, be honest with yourself and with Al-Raqeeb (The Watchful). Still, remember even in these situations, that Allah is also always Al-Rahman (the Most Merciful) and Al-Barr (The Source of All Goodness).

Allah sees your affliction and knows how you are feeling. Trust Him. He will take you through.

Zabur 9:9

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

My suffering or the suffering of my neighbor proves that:

a) I or my neighbor are bad people and Allah is against us

b) Sheytan is evil

c) there is no justice in the world