A british girl asked me these questions. I do not have the knowledge required so I’m asking you. Please keep in mind while answering that I’ll foreward this to her. Jazakallah,
Wisdom of Allah Ta’ala
Bi-ismihi Ta’ala
1) Before coming to the actual question, it is necessary to clarify a
glaring error in the question.
The questioner has assumed that adversities such as famine have been created
by some other being, and poses the question of why Allah Ta’ala does not
assist against this so called other being.
This is based on a false notion. Allah Ta’ala is the sole creator of all
conditions, good and bad. Hence Allah Ta’ala is the creator of the
calamities in which the creation find themselves. It would then be absurd to
ask why Allah Ta’ala does not assist against Himself, for He Himself is the
Creator of the very condition against which He is supposed to assist.
This then leads to another question, of why Allah Ta’ala creates such calamities.
To understand this, we need to recognise who Allah Ta’ala is. Allah Ta’ala
is the sole creator of the entire universe and all contained therein. He is
alone and has no partners. He is independent and is not answerable to
anyone. He does as He pleases. He is also the sole owner and master of all
creation. Hence it is His prerogative to deal with His creation and property
as He deems fit. We as His creation have no right to question His actions.
Even in this world we regard it as unjust to question a man as to why he
spent his personal wealth in a certain avenue, and not other. What then
about the absolute owner of everything, Allah Ta’ala. Surely He has the
absolute right to deal with His property as he deems fit.
Furthermore, Allah Ta’ala is All-Wise. He is free from all faults and
unblemished. His actions are never devoid of wisdom. Hence He has a define
reason for putting His creation into such adversities. Allah Ta’ala says in
the Quráan: “He is the One who created life and death in order to test you,
that who amongst you are the best in action.” The purpose of life and death
is a trail and test. Allah Ta’ala tests man through various agencies, both
through adversity and prosperity. Allah Ta’ala wishes to see how His servant
will respond to these various circumstances. Will he remain an obedient
servant or will he renegade on his allegiance? Allah Ta’ala wishes to reward
His sincere servants with the eternal bliss of Jannah (Paradise). For this
man has to prove his unflinching devotion to Allah Ta’ala. It is to test
this devotion that Allah Ta’ala imposes trails upon mankind.
We find an example of this in this very world. If scientists wish to send an
astronaut into space, they select the very fittest, one able to endure the
rigours of life in space. In order to determine the eligibility of a
prospective astronaut, he is put under various rigorous trails. He is
deprived of sleep, food and drink for days, is subject to gruelling physical
exercises, separated from family and kin for months, laden with tons of
technical information which he has to memorise, and no stone is left
unturned in taking his physical, mental, and emotional faculties to the
limits. If an observer were unaware of the mission for which this astronaut
is being prepared, he would no doubt, on face value, regard these trails as
cruel and harsh. He would declare the scientist to be tormentors and
oppressors. Little does he know that the astronaut takes great joy and pride
in enduring these trails.
Similar are the trails of this world which Allah Ta’ala imposes on his
servants. Allah Ta’ala wishes that they qualify for the eternal success of
Paradise. The sincere servant too takes great joy in enduring these trails
in exchange for the gift of eternal bliss.
Moreover, Allah Ta’ala out of His mercy does not impose a trail on his
servant which the servant cannot bear. He the All Mighty says in the Holy
Quráan: “Allah Ta’ala does not make a person responsible except for that
which is within his ability.” Thus in all these trails the servant is only
expected to do that which is within his volition. He is not accountable for
factors beyond his control. Hence, despite the right of Allah Ta’ala to
impose whatever trail He wishes upon us by virtue of He being our owner and
master, out of His mercy he only holds us responsible for that which we can
endure.
We can thus understand that all adversities, famine, death or any other,
have a definite purpose, i.e. to trail the eligibility of man to the eternal
life of prosperity in the hereafter.
2. Allah Ta’ala is neither man, nor spirit. Spirit implies a being confined
to time and space. Allah Ta’ala is all perfect, and free from time or space.
His physical being is incomprehensible to us.
We trust this answers your questions.
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
FATWA DEPT.