In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

In response to the question, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, Director of the Islamic Society of Orange County and President of the Islamic Society of North America, states:

“Indeed Allah is All-Powerful (Al-`Aziz) and He is able to do all things (`ala kull sha’in qadir). The Qur’an has mentioned this hundreds of times. It is also mentioned in the Qur’an that Allah is the Creator and He is the Best Creator. “Glory be to Allah, the best Creator.” (Al-Mu’minun: 14)

But then the question comes why do pain and sufferings exist in the world. We find sickness, old age and death. We see things that are ugly, people who are insane and foolish. There are storms, earthquakes, floods, draught and famine. We also see people commit sins, show disloyalty, unfaithfulness, greed and insincerity. We see people commit rapes, murders; they fight and make wars. We know all these and many more problems. There are evils caused by human beings and there are natural disasters. There are suffering for individuals and there are those that involve a large number of people.

But we also know that this is not the whole story. Besides all these negative things, we also see beauty, health, prosperity, life, birth, wisdom, intelligence, growth and progress. We also see goodness among people, faith, sincerity, charity, love and the spirit of sacrifice. We also see a lot of virtue and piety. It is wrong to see one side of the coin and not to see the other side. Any philosophy that concentrates on one aspect of the creation and denies or ignores the other side is partially true and partial truths are no truth at all.

It is also the fact that the element of good is more in the creation than the element of evil. We all see that there are more people who are healthy than those who are sick. There are more that eat well than those who starve.

There are more that lead decent life than those who commit crimes. Goodness is the rule and evil is the exception. Virtue is the norm and sin is the aberration. Generally trees bear fruits, the flowers bloom, the winds move smoothly.

But then the question is why does Allah allow these exceptions to the rules?

Let us ask this question to understand Allah’s ways in His creation. The Qur’an tells us that good, evil and whatever happens in this world happens by Allah’s Will (mashi’at Allah). Only Allah knows fully His Will. We finite beings cannot grasp fully His infinite Will and Wisdom. He runs His universe the way He deems fit. The Qur’an tells us that Allah is Wise and everything that Allah does is right, just, good and fair. We must submit and surrender to His Will. The Qur’an has not given us all the details about Allah’s Will, but it has enlightened us with the guidance that is useful and sufficient for us. There are several points that we should keep in our mind to understand this issue:

1. First of all, Allah did not make this world a permanent world. This is a temporary world and everything here has a time limit. When its times comes it will die, come to an end and finish. Neither the good things of this world are forever, nor the bad things eternal. We are here for a short time and we are being tested. Those who will pass this test will find an eternal world that is perfect and permanent. Those who will fail this test shall see the evil consequences of their sins and corruption.

2. Allah has placed a physical law and a moral law in this universe. Allah allows suffering to occur when one or more of these laws are broken. The physical law is based on cause and effect. Sickness comes if one does not take care of one’s health or is exposed to infections. A car accident occurs when one is not alert, or drives in a careless manner, or if the cars are not checked, roads and freeways are not made and kept in right shape, or the traffic laws are not right or not properly enforced. Study of causes and effects is very important to facilitate safeguards. Even here we should keep in mind that Allah often saves us and He does not let us suffer from every negligence. How many times it happens that we are not careful and still we reach safely to our destinations. The way people drive in some cities, it is a miracle that more accidents do not happen and more people do not suffer. Allah says:

“(Allah) Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur’an. He has created man: He has taught him speech (and Intelligence). The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed; and the herbs and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration. And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice), in order that you may not transgress (due) balance. So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures." (Ar-Rahman:1-10)

The way we exceed the measures set by Allah and violate His laws of cause and effect is incredible. It is really the mercy of Allah that we are saved. Strictly speaking, the question should not be why does Allah allow suffering, but how much Allah protects us and saves us all the time in spite of our violations and negligence. The Qur’an says:

“If Allah were to punish people according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His sight all His servants." (Fatir:45)

But sometimes Allah does punish people because of their violations of His laws whether they are physical or moral. The Qur’an tells us that many nations and communities were destroyed because of their sinful lifestyles:

“If they treat thy (mission) as false, so did the Peoples before them (with their Prophets), the People of Noah, and Ad and Thamud. Those of Abraham and Lut; and the Companions of the Madyan people; and Moses was rejected (in the same way). But I granted respite to the Unbelievers, and (only) after that did I punish them: but how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! How many populations have We destroyed, which were given to wrong-doing! They tumbled down on their roofs. And how many wells are lying idle and neglected, and castles lofty and well-built?" (Al-Hajj: 42-45)

3. Suffering can also be a test and trial for some people. Allah allows some people to suffer in order to test their patience and steadfastness. Even Allah’s Prophets and Messengers were made to suffer. Prophet Ayyub is mentioned in the Qur’an as a Prophet who was very patient. Good people sometimes suffer but their sufferings heal others and bring goodness to their communities. People learn lessons from their good examples. Martyrs die for their faith, soldiers give their lives for their nations and this brings liberation and freedom for their people.

4. Allah sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others, how they react to them. When you see a person who is sick, poor and needy, then you are tested by Allah. Allah is there with that suffering person to test your charity and your faith. In a very moving Hadith Qudsi (Divine Hadith) the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

“Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, ‘O son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will say, ‘O my Lord, how could I visit You, when you are the Lord of the Worlds.’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was sick and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me there?’ Allah will say, ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not.’ He shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I feed you and you are the Lord of the Worlds?’ And Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was in need of food and you did not feed him? Did you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that to have been for Me?’ ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me to drink.’ The man shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I give You water, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ Allah will say, ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for water and you did not give him to drink water. Did you not know that if you had given him to drink, you would have found that to have been for Me.’ (Muslim, Hadith no. 4661)

Prophet `Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, is also reported to have said something similar. (See Matthew 25: 35-45)

So to summarize, we can say that sufferings occur to teach us that we must adhere to Allah’s natural and moral laws. It is sometimes to punish those who violate Allah’s natural or moral laws. It is to test our faith in Allah and to test our commitment to human values and charity. Whenever we encounter suffering we should ask ourselves, “Have we broken any law of Allah?” Let us study the cause of the problem and use the corrective methods. “Could it be a punishment?” Let us repent and ask forgiveness and reform our ways. “Could it be a test and trial for us?” Let us work hard to pass this test.

Believers face the sufferings with prayers, repentance and good deeds. The non-believers face the sufferings with doubts and confusions. They blame Allah or make arguments against Him.

May Allah keep us on the right path, Amen!

Allah Almighty knows best.

-UIA TO TAIPING-
12/9/09,6.15am - bertolak dari uia ( convoy bersama afiq rain, faiq kering, ziyad fz150, najmi hensem, mysterious uzairi , izwan pilus, c-boy ekzos, ngn tueb cina)
First part, kuantan-genting sempah, aku mengntuk gler...asyik tetdo mase bwk mtor (alhamdulillah nothing bad happen :p)
Lepas kuar tol Gombak, sume berpecah...tingl aku ngn ziyad je g sebelah utara..part nie best..aku race ngn ziyad dan fz150nya..latest highest speed aku-170km/h..dan ziyad letih nak kejar aku..aku ade amik gamba meter time tu sbg bukti sape2 yg xpecaye (ask me later)..hahaha.
Di pendekkan citer, disebabkan bwk laju, minyak cpt kering...so,cost naek la..but who cares..aku smpai Taiping kol 3 ( 4jam lebih awl dr sblm nie)..hoho

-HOME-
12/9/09 3.15pm- Sampai2 je rmh, tgk mak ayah da ade kt ruang tamu..pastu..(part nie terpakse dibuang kerana membabitkan sensitiviti pemilik blog :p)..Di pendekkan citer, biler smpai rmh je,aku tdo smpaila masuk waktu berbuka (8.19pm). siyes letih giler..

-BERBUKA-
Aku terkejut biler time berbuka sbb meja mkn penuh ngn mknn best2..(yela..sbb aku kn bru bgun tdo). Ade Kari ikan Plotan( betul ke eja?? tp mste rmai xpenah dga kn), sate (ayam,daging, perut, limpa), murtabak (feveret nie..murtabak pahang sucks-mahal,kecik xsedap-), bihun goreng, gulai ikan masin nanas dan byk lg lauk2 sampingan..so,aku pn.. ( part nie terpakse dibuang kerana mengalami unsur ganas yang keterlaluan )

-MASJID-
Haa, nie la part sebenar yg aku nk highlight dlm post nie..Ayah jd imam terawih mlm nie..lame dah xjd makmum ayah..em, dipendekkan cite, lepas terawih ade tazkirah by Ust. Ahmad Din..
Nie je ape yg sempat aku tangkap:

Mencari "Taqwa kepada Allah" di bulan Ramadhan.

Ka'ab bin Malik pernah ditnya oleh Umar Al-Khattab tentang Taqwa..
Umar bertanya, "Wahai Ka'ab, apakah taqwa?"Ka'ab bertanya kembali kepada Umar "Pernahkah kamu berjalan di suatu jalan yg dipenuhi duri-duri di mlm yg gelap?" Umar menjawab, "ya, aku pernah" Ka'ab bertanya kembali, "Apakah yg kamu lakukan untuk melintasi jalan tersebut?" Umar menjawab, " Aku mengangkt jubah ku, dan berjalan dengan penuh berhati-hati agar tidak terpijak duri tersebut". Ka'ab pn berkata, " Itulah Taqwa".

Kesimpulan dari kisah tersebut, taqwa ialah kita takut dan berhati-hati daripada melakukan dosa dan perkara2 yang tidak disukai oleh Allah.

Ada 4 perkara yang kita bole lakukan.

1) Muhasabah - Menilai Diri
Di sepertiga mlm, kita cuba renung balik ape yg kite lakukan..cube hitung berapa byk amalan yg dah kita lakukan, berapa pulak dosa yg dah kita buat..dan berapa byk pulak bekalan yg kita dah sediakan untuk hari akhirat? Allah berfirman yg bermaksud " Dan Aku mengilhamkan kepada kamu dua jalan yakni Fujur ( dosa) dan Taqwa" (Asy-Syams ayat 8)

2)Muraqabah- Mendekatkan diri
Merasakan kita dekat dengan Allah, dan sekiranya kita tidak dpt merasakn dekat dgn Allah, yakinlah bahawa Allah sentiasa dekat dengan kita dan sentiasa melihat kita.
"Tidak akan berzina seorg penzina itu jika ketika itu, dia beriman kpd Allah, dan tidak mencuri seorg pencuri, jika ketika itu, dia beriman kepada Allah." Jika kita yakin bahawa Allah sentiasa dekat dan memerhatikan kita, nescaya jd biru muka kita kerana malu dengan perbuatan kita di hadapan Allah.

3)Mu'aqabah - Menghukum diri
Kisah yg terbaik dlm perbuatan menghukum diri ialah kisah Umar Al-khattab.
Suatu ketika, Umar sedang sibuk dengan urusan pentadbiran sehingga terlewat waktu solat Asarnya. Terlewat ye, bukannya terkeluar waktu. Lalu dye berasa sgt sedih dan menyesal, lalu menghukum dirinya dengan memerdekakan dua org hambanya.
Dan di suatu ketika yg lain, di waktu solat maghrib Umar sedang sibuk menguruskan ladang tamarnya, sehingga nampak dua butir bintang ( maknanya, dah gelap cket..slalu maghrb kn cm cerah, xnampak bintang..),apabila tiba di masjid, dye xsempat nk berjamaah bersama sahabat laen..lalu dia pn menghukum dirinya dengan menginfaqkan ladang tamarnya kepada sahabat2..

Nilailah diri kita, bandingkan dengan kehebatan sahabat2 dahulu..bagaimana keimanan mereka dengan kita. Realiti sekarang, perbuatan melambat2kn waktu solat menjadi fenomena yg biasa dan dianggap remeh.."awal lg, relek la..bukannya aku xsolat" itulah perkataan yg slalu kedengaran saban waktu..mampukah kita menjadi seperti Umar dlm menghukum diri? Tepuk dada, tanya Iman

4)Mujahadah - Bersungguh-sungguh
Bersungguh-sungguh dlm melakukan ibadah, terutama di bulan ramadhan ini. Ibadah yg sederhana dan berterusan lebih baik dr ibadah yg hebat tetapi terputus-putus. Istiqamah dalam melakukan ibadah.

Itu je yang sempat disedut dan mampu dikongsikan bersama..IAllah, jika bole dpt detail, aku update lg..so, later then....
Selamat menjalani ibadah puasa :)

Currently reading this book, "Don't Be Sad (La Tahzan)" by 'Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni..Given by my most precious friend :) It is indeed a great book..Guiding us on how to manage our life, control our anger, problem management, positive thinking and numerous guidance and strategies on managing daily life matters based on Islamic Views..It gives answer to the doubt that besiege us when we are afflicted with hardship or depression...Even an Islamic version of "Law of Attraction" were included (Mayb some of u never heard bout it).. Each of the guidance in this book were truly based on Al-Quran and As-Sunnah. Im amaze to find that almost every pages in this book were filled with Quranic verse as their sources, which means that all the solutions towards our hardshipr is originated from Al-Quran itself. This book provide us with the Islamic approach to deal with the trial and tribulation of life. It uses simple phrases and has an excellent topic frame which will simplify our reading and understanding.

Here are some phrases from this book:
"If you are truthful with yourself and have a firm, solid resolve, you will undoubtedly convince yourself of the following: Today is my last day to live. When u achieve this attitude, you will profit from every moment of your day, by developing ur personality, expanding ur abilities and purifying ur deeds. Then u say to yourself:
Today I shall be refined in my speech and will utter neither evil speech nor obscenity. Also, I shall not backbite.
Today I shall organize my house and my office. They will not be disorderly chaotic, but organized and neat.
Today I will be particular about my bodily cleanliness and appearance. Today I will strive to be obidient to my Lord, pray in the best manner possible, do more voluntary acts of righteousness, recite the Quran and read beneficial books.
Today I will try help others - to visit the sick, to attend a funeral, to guide the one who is lost and to feed the hungry. I will pay respect to the scholar,be merciful to the young, and reverent to the old.
O' past that has departed away and is gone, I will not cry over you. You may not see me remembering you, not even for a moment, because u have travelled away never to return.
O' future, you are in the realm of the unseen, So i will not be obsessed by your dreams. I will not be preoccupied about what is to come because tomorrow is nothing and has not yet been created.
'Today is my only day' is one of the most important statements in the dictionary of happiness, for those who desire to live life in its fullest splendor and brilliance. "

Actually, im not really interested in reading books, and i hardly read one..but after I read a few chapters of this book, i found that it is quiet interesting and useful in our life especially for students like us who will definitely facing such hardship in life. Lastly, I would highly suggesting this book to be one of ur reading materials. May u found something througout ur reading.. Have fun reading~~

"Having knowledge without practicing them is like having trees without a fruits"