Why is there Suffering in this World?

Transcript of the Friday Sermon delivered by Dr. Munawar Haque on Sept 29, 2017

Brothers and sisters! We have recently witnessed three natural disasters: hurricanes in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Such and similar calamities have been occurring throughout human history in different parts of the earth. There are people who argue that if Allah is all merciful, then why do people suffer? Why do innocent men, women and children have to endure unspeakable hardships?  My khutba today is on the topic: “Why is there Suffering in this world?”

We should know 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 people who eat well than those who starve. There are more people who lead decent lives than those who lead lives full of sins and crimes. Goodness is the rule and evil is the exception. But, the question is why does Allah allow this exception to the rule?

We should realize that being finite, we cannot always comprehend the infinite. There is always a big picture, a larger context that we are unable to perceive with our short-sightedness. Allah is fully aware of how things unfold in the long run, and we must place our trust in Him, fully realizing that there is wisdom in His decisions. As Muslims we believe that Allah is Wise and everything that Allah does is right, just, and fair. Nothing occurs without Allah’s Will.

مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

“No misfortune occurs except by Allah´s permission.”(al-Taghabun. 64:11)

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. The problem of the existence of suffering in this world is a complex one and there is no one simple answer to it. There are several points that we have to keep in our mind to understand this issue. First of all, Allah has not made this world a permanent place to live. This is a temporary abode and everything here has a limited time span. Everything fades away and dies down at the appointed time.

كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ () وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ

“All that is on earth will perish. Only your Lord Himself, full of Majesty and Honor, will remain forever” (ar-Rahman, 55:26-27). We are here for a short time and we are being tested. Those who see suffering as a problem are really saying that they believe they have a right to a life of uninterrupted happiness, with no discomfort, no pain and no grief. But that’s not what this earthly life is all about! Eternal bliss has been promised to us only in the hereafter and not in this world. We’re not there yet! We have to keep on striving to qualify for Allah’s mercy to enter paradise.

Secondly, Allah has placed certain physical and moral laws in this universe. These laws are based on cause and effect. He allows suffering to occur when one of these laws is broken.  Sickness occurs if one does not take care of one's health or is exposed to infections. Car accidents usually take place because of negligence of drivers, faulty vehicles, bad road conditions, and violation of traffic rules.  Poverty, hunger, and deprivation of basic needs of people crop up because of social, economic, and political injustice. Moral decadence in the society becomes widespread when the divine guidance of moral and ethical behavior is either ignored or replaced by man-made rules. Study of cause and effect is very important to facilitate safeguards. The ways we transgress the measures set by Allah and the audacity with which we violate His laws of cause and effect are incredible.

Strictly speaking, the question should not be why does Allah allow suffering, but how much Allah saves us and protects us in spite of our negligence and irresponsible behavior. The Qur'an says:

وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا مَا تَرَكَ عَلَىٰ ظَهْرِهَا مِن دَابَّةٍ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى

“If Allah were to punish people according to what they deserve, He would not leave a single living creature on the surface of the earth; but He grants them respite until an appointed time”(al-Fatir, 35:45).

At another place, it says:

وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ

“The hardship that reaches you is an outcome of your evil deeds while many of them Allah forgives.” (al-Shura, 42:30)

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:

فَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ

“How many a town We destroyed which was given to wrongdoing” (al-Hajj, 22:45).

A hadith tells us, “Allah does not punish the general public because of the wrong doing of specific people until they see the evil committed among them while able to stop it and they do not. If they do that, Allah will punish the specific people and the general public.”

Suffering can also be a test and trial for some people. We need to understand that part of being in this world is that we will be tested.

لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ

“You will surely be tried and tested in your possessions and in your personal selves” (Aal Imran 3:186).

The most important tools that have to be used in times of suffering are patience, perseverance, and prayers.  There are several verses in the Qur’an, which make reference to the value of applying these tools.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلاةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ

“O you, who believe, seek help through patience and prayer. Surely, Allah is with those who are patient” (al-Baqarah 2:153).

We are informed in Surat al-Baqarah that when believers are afflicted with a calamity, they say, 

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

“We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return” (al-Baqarah, 2:156).

Good people also suffer, but their suffering brings goodness to their communities. Look how some of the Islamic Centers and Masajid in Texas have become symbols of hospitality by opening their doors to provide shelter and relief to those affected by the hurricane. Allah's Prophets and Messengers—the best among the people, were also made to undergo suffering and hardships.

Allah sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others. Every person who is sick, poor and needy is a test for all those who are in good health, and well-off financially. Every deaf, dumb, and blind person is a test for those who can hear, talk, and see. Allah is there with that suffering person to test your charity, your sense of gratitude, and your faith. Whether we understand or not the reason why some people go through disasters, our responsibility is to help them. It is wrong to leave them alone saying that if Allah had wanted, He would have saved them.

Are we conscious of the fact that peace and prosperity are also a test for us; a test of our gratitude to Allah; a test to see our sharing and caring attitude toward other fellow humans. Allah’s help is always near! It’s much nearer than we think! Allah wants us to really feel and experience our desperate need for Him. He wants us to be patient. He wants us to have trust in His mercy, so that we can set ourselves apart from those who disbelieve, those who stand against faith. How blessed are those who believe in the Lord of all the worlds, and who have absolute certainty of meeting Him in the hereafter. And how miserable, how confused, and how lonely are those who live without faith, without any hope and without any longing for what lies beyond death, and who live with a lingering fear of the unknown. When non-believers suffer, their lack of faith leads them to hopelessness. Let us thank Allah for illuminating our hearts with the light of His guidance.

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ 

 الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين 

Brothers and sisters! In times of trials, tribulations, and suffering, our weak faith can sometimes drive us to question the justification of all that is happening to us; of all that is going against us.  In this context, we should remind ourselves that believing in al-Qadar or the divine decree is one of the pillars of Islamic faith. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an,

مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَبْرَأَهَا

“No misfortune happens, either in the earth or in yourselves, that is not set down in writing before We bring it into existence” (al-Hadeed 57:22).

As part of this belief, we should recognize that Allah does what He wills for reasons that are only known to Him. Any attempt to comprehend with our limited minds His wisdom, or to understand how our current situation fits in His overall plan can only lead us to erroneous conclusions. True believers know that their suffering ultimately holds something good for them.

The Prophet (SAW) said in a hadith, “There is nothing that befalls a believer, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allah will record a good deed for him thereby, or erase from him a sin.” Suffering teaches us patience, and it also teaches us the serene acceptance of whatever Allah has decreed. It teaches us to persevere, and to work hard to seek Allah’s good pleasure. It teaches us humility, it teaches compassion for those less fortunate than ourselves. The mystical poet, Jalaluddin Rumi said, “Suffering is a gift. In it is a hidden mercy.”

Believers are truly blessed, regardless of the circumstances of their lives. Disbelievers consider themselves fortunate only if they are healthy, wealthy, happy and more. But true righteous believers are fortunate all the time. This is because they are accruing reward for Jannah whether they are healthy or sick, prosperous or needy. This is indeed a unique favor of Allah (SWT) for his pious servants. 

There is really no problem of suffering. The problem is our human ignorance. If we don’t know Allah, we won’t be able to accept His decree. We won’t know our place in the vast cosmic scheme of things. We won’t know who we really are, why we are here, where we have come from and where we are going to, after our death. According to a wise saying, “He who knows himself, knows his Lord.”  There is a hadith narrated by Tirmidhi and others which says, "Be mindful of Allah, and you'll find Him before you."

So to summarize, we can say that suffering occurs 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 also 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. 

We pray to Allah (SWT) to give us the strength and courage to bear the trials and suffering of this world with patience and perseverance; to forgive us our shortcomings; not to place on us a burden greater than we can bear, and to be merciful to us on the Day of Judgment when every soul shall be summoned in front of Him individually to give an account of its earthly existence. May Allah keep us on the right path, Ameen! Ya Rabb al-‘Alameen!

• Prev
• Next