Salam Dear Sister,
Thank you so much for sending this valuable question and for contacting Ask About Islam.
May Allah reward you abundantly for your humble pursuit of knowledge, and may He bestow wisdom, peace and clarity upon your heart and mind.
Your question reflects that there is a lot of mercy in your heart, and this seems to be a driving force for your quest about this topic.
So, before we discuss anything, let us put a few matters in perspective.
There is no one, absolutely no one, who will have more mercy than Allah Himself who is The Ultimate Source of Mercy.
The mercy in your heart, my heart and the hearts of all creations from the beginning of time until the end of times will not even make a fraction of Allah’s Infinite Mercy.
We learn from the prophetic hadith that Allah Almighty has 100 portions of mercy, because of just one, there is mercy on earth from the beginning of time until the end of time, and 99 double this amount is still reserved with Him for the Day of Judgment. [Muslim]
So, we will not teach Allah mercy, justice or wisdom; He is the Source of those meanings. These are His Names and Attributes.
We shall also acknowledge that we do not know the unseen, we do not know what will happen in the future and we do not hold ultimate knowledge of all matters. Right?
All of these aspects are left for Allah, and we trust Him fully. This is the essence of faith: trust and true belief under all circumstances.
To give an example, remember the story of Prophet Joseph.
If you look at what he went through, you might ask the same question you’re asking now: “Allah says that He doesn’t burden a soul with more than it can bear, then why did He let Joseph’s own brothers attempt to kill him, take him from his beloved father as a young child, throw him in a scary abandoned well as a helpless little boy, allow him to be sold as a slave, throw him in jail for long years and for something that he hasn’t even committed…?”
With our nearsightedness, we could think that this is not within Joseph’s capacity.
But then what happened?
Allah brought Joseph his full right back, and gave him more than he asked for. He elevated him above all his brothers who treated him unjustly, He brought him out of jail and proved his innocence, He made him a powerful ruler on the land and He united him with his beloved father. He gave him the upper hand and the ultimate reward in this life and the Next. And Joseph said:
“He said “I am Joseph, and this is my brother. Allah has certainly favored us. Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.” (Quran 12: 90)
Joseph’s difficulty lasted for long years. Had you been there at that time, you might have asked during this period: “Why is this happening to him? Isn’t this beyond his capacity?”
But the issue is, we do not know the unseen, we do not know the future and we do not know how Allah will eventually resolve matters beyond anybody’s imagination.
What we know is that right now: Allah is testing our faith.
“Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, “When is the help of Allah?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.” (Quran 2: 214)
Please read our previous answer, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”, for more on this topic.
Now, we might look at a broken vessel and think: “why did this break, this is horrible and ugly, it used to be a great vessel. I think this is beyond repair.” But this is our judgment based on our limited knowledge and capacity.
We do not know that the Creator of this vessel can take those broken pieces and–not only repair them– but make something even better, bigger, more outstanding and more beautiful with it. He is completely capable of doing that.
And to Allah belongs the Highest Attribute, He can completely repair and resolve all matters in a second.
“He it is who gives life and causes death; and when He decrees a matter, He but says to it, “Be,” and it is.” (Quran 40: 68)
But, there are a few issues for us to remember:
1- This world is NOT the end. The Hereafter is an extension of this world. We do not judge solely by what’s happening in this world or what’s happening now. Remember this hadith:
It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“On the Day of Resurrection the disbeliever who lived the most luxurious life will be brought, and it will be said: ‘Dip him once in Hell.’ So he will be dipped in it, then it will be said to him: ‘O so- and-so, have you ever enjoyed any pleasure?’ He will say: ‘No, I have never enjoyed any pleasure.’
Then the believer who suffered the most hardship and trouble will be brought and it will be said: ‘Dip him once in Paradise.’ So he will be dipped in it and it will be said to him: ‘O so-and-so, have you ever suffered any hardship or trouble?’ He will say: ‘I have never suffered any hardship or trouble.’” [Sunan Ibn Majah]
2- Allah is never unjust to His slaves. If someone has a right, he/she will get it fully in this life and the next.
“Indeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe during the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand–“(Quran 40: 51)
And Allah says:
“Then We will save our messengers and those who have believed. Thus, it is an obligation upon Us that We save the believers” (Quran 10: 103)
And Allah says:
“And We have already sent messengers before you to their peoples, and they came to them with clear evidences; then We took retribution from those who committed crimes, and incumbent upon Us was support of the believers.” (Quran 30: 47)
3- Most importantly, you and I are here to be tested by Allah, not to test Him!
“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient- Who, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.” Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.” (Quran 2: 155-157)
Allah is The One who is testing us and testing our faith. He is judging us, we are not judging Him!
“He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.” (Quran 21: 23)
So, the question is not “why is Allah allowing this to happen”, the question is “what have YOU done to deal with this situation?”
We are the ones who’re being tested and the test isn’t over yet.
Allah will not answer our tests for us.
And if Allah answered our tests for us, then do we really have a free will? If He is interfering to make everything that is going wrong right again, then do we have a free will or a choice, and how are we going to be tested and judged then?
Imagine you’re sitting in the exam room, and before you write down any wrong answer, the teacher intervenes and writes the correct answer for you. Will the result reflect who you really are or what you’ve learned or how you’ve performed? Not at all.
“And We will surely test you until We make evident those who strive among you [for the cause of Allah] and the patient, and We will test your affairs.” (Quran 47: 31)
Yes, we’re all hurt and broken over what’s happening in Syria and everywhere else around the world where there is crime and injustice. But this is not the end! Now is the time for action.
Allah will always give victory to His believing slaves in this life and the next, even if the situation seems absolutely impossible. This is easy for Allah, but what are YOU doing to help?
4- Remember two things. First, there were a lot of tyrants who committed crimes, wars and injustices before. Where are they now?
“Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those who were before them? They were greater than them in strength and in impression on the land, but Allah seized them for their sins. And they had not from Allah any protector.” (Quran 40: 21)
“And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare [in horror].” (Quran 14: 42)
Second, you might thing that a situation is taking too long, but to Allah, this entire life is but an hour maybe.
The Day of Judgment, as mentioned in the Quran, is nearly 50 thousand years (Quran 70:4). And on that Day, people would think they haven’t lived but an hour of the day on this earth (Quran 10:45). So what is 70-80 years compared to 50 thousand years?
Remember that Allah is beyond time and space. He created time and space for this world. He created certain creations to help us calculate time. But He is beyond that, He is beyond what He created. So what you look at and think is extremely long, to Allah this is not a long period especially compared to the fact that people will be rewarded for eternity!
So what we’re witnessing here is not the end.
You might look at people around you and think: why does this person have cancer, why is this person in jail, why did this person fail, why did this one get abused, why, why, why…..”
The reality is: we are all being tested now through difficulty AND ease. In fact, those who have tough trials might be in a much higher position with Allah and more elevated status in the eternal hereafter than those who currently have it easy and are heedless or in disbelief of Allah.
We do NOT know the unseen, we do not know how Allah will reward them or elevate their status here and in the hereafter. The Creator is The One who knows:
“Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?” (Quran 67: 14)
Remember this verse from the Quran:
“And (remember) Ayyub, when he cried to his Lord: “Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.” So We answered his call, and We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his family to him, and the like thereof along with them as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all those who worship Us.” (Quran 21: 83-84)
Well, this is the background of what happened to Ayyub/Job (peace be upon him), as mentioned in Tafsir Ibn Kathir:
“Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Ayyub (Job) and how He tested him. These tests afflicted his body, his wealth and his children, until there was no part of his body that was healthy except his heart. Then he had nothing left in this world which he could use to help him deal with his sickness or the predicament he was in, besides his wife, who retained her devotion to him because of her faith in Allah and His Messenger.
She used to work for people as a paid servant, and she fed and served him (Ayyub) for nearly eighteen years. Before that, he was very rich and had many children, being well off in worldly terms. All of that had been taken away until he ended up being thrown into the city dump where he stayed all this time, shunned by relatives and strangers alike, with the exception of his wife — may Allah be pleased with her.
She did not leave him, morning and evening, except for when she was serving people, then she would come straight back to him. When this had gone on for a long time, and things had gotten very bad, and the time allotted by divine decree had come to an end, Ayyub prayed to the Lord of the worlds, the God of the Messengers, and said: (Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.) (21:83). And according to this Ayah: (And remember Our servant Ayyub, when he invoked his Lord (saying): “Verily, Shaytan has afflicted me with distress and torment!”)
It was said that “distress” referred to bodily afflictions and “torment” referred to the loss of his wealth and children. Then the Most Merciful of those who show mercy responded to him, telling him to stand up and strike the ground with his foot. He did this, and Allah caused a spring of water to flow. He commanded him to wash in it, and all the pain and affliction in his body disappeared.
Then He commanded him to strike the ground in a different place, and Allah caused another spring to flow, and Ayyub was commanded to drink from it. Then all his internal problems disappeared, and he became healthy again, inside and out.” [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
Again, it seemed that Ayyub went through something that you would think is beyond his capacity. But it was in fact in his capacity, and Allah being the All-Knowing, ultimately knows what is within His created beings capacity and what isn’t.
Eventually, Ayyub (peace be upon him), was rewarded for everything he went through, and Allah made his condition even better than it was before. And He made him -and likes of him- a means for us to learn and grow in faith. And that’s the whole point: we’re here to be tested; the final judgment and final rewards are not out yet.
So this is what we need to remember:
“O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.” (Quran 3: 200)
Hope this gives you some helpful insights.
Strongly recommend that you read this piece where it elaborates more on dealing with hardships and the test of faith. Also in this piece, we’ve discussed further the value and meaning of patience in tiring times and how it is a main component for success in this life and the next.
May Allah reward you and guide you to the best conduct in this life and the best reward in the Hereafter.
Salam and please keep in touch.
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