Why does Allaah allow suffering when He is the Most Merciful?

by Asma bint Shameem

Wars. Earthquakes. Floods. Famine. Sicknesses.

Subhaan Allaah, we see such suffering and we wonder…

Why is this happening?

Why are there these calamities?

Why does Allaah let this happen? Isn’t He ar-Rahmaan, the Most Merciful?

It just doesn’t “make sense “!

But as a Muslim, we must remember that not everything we see around us has to “make sense”.

Rather, whatever happens is with the decree of Allaah and there’s KHAIR in it, even if we don’t see it or understand it.

Yes we feel sorry when we see people suffering of sicknesses, or dying of hunger or being killed in earthquakes or floods or other disasters.

But we must also remember that as Muslims, part of our Imaan is to believe that our Rabb, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala is Most Loving, and Most Fair.

Most Wise and Most Merciful.

It’s not enough to just believe that Allaah exists; rather it is EQUALLY important to KNOW and TRULY BELIEVE that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala would NEVER be unfair or punish a person UNJUSTLY.

Rather, ALL His actions are FULL of ULTIMATE and PERFECT WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, MERCY and JUSTICE.

There are REASONS, better known to Allaah “why” He is letting these calamities happen.

Allaah will NEVER be ’unfair’ or unjust to ANY creation of His or put them through suffering just “for no reason”.

🍃 Allaah says:

‎إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَاعِفْهَا وَيُؤْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

“Surely! Allaah wrongs not even of the weight of an atom (or a small ant), but if there is any good (done), He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward.” (Surah an-Nisaa:40)

So Allaah will never be unjust or be unfair to someone.

Rather He is Arhamur-Raahimeen, the MOST MERCIFUL of ALL that show mercy.

Actually, the love and mercy “we” may feel for the people suffering cannot even compare to the Mercy of Allaah that He has towards His slaves.

🍃 The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

"Allaah has one HUNDRED mercies, out of which He has sent down only ONE for jinn, mankind, animals and insects, through which they love one another and have compassion for one another; and through it, wild animals care for their young.

Allaah has retained NINETY-NINE mercies to DEAL KINDLY with His slaves on the DAY of RESURRECTION." (al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

Subhaan Allaah!

A hundred mercies!

Just for you and me....!

🍃One time a captive woman lost her baby boy.

She was [frantically] searching until she suddenly found a small boy among the captives.

She pulled him to her chest and started breastfeeding him.

Seeing that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said to his Sahaabah:

“Do you think this woman would throw her child into a fire?”

The Sahaabah said,

“No, O Messenger of Allaah, not while she is capable of not throwing him.”

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said,

“Allaah is certainly MORE MERCIFUL with His servants than this woman is with her child.” (al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

Such is the Mercy of ar-Rahmaan.

There’s a REASON for everything and it is out of His Perfect Wisdom, and Ultimate Knowledge that Allaah will place calamities and suffering on people.

So, for example, if a person drowns in a flood or dies in an earthquake due to a collapsed building or suffers a long debilitating disease, that pain and suffering could be a means of achieving shahaadah for him.

And what could be better than dying as a shaheed?!

🍃The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Martyrdom is seven things besides being killed for the sake of Allaah.

The one who dies of the plague is a martyr, the one who drowns is a martyr, the one who dies of pleurisy is a martyr, the one who dies of a stomach disease is a martyr, the one who is burned to death is a martyr, the one who dies beneath a collapsed building is a martyr, and the woman who dies in pregnancy is a martyr.”

(Abu Dawood; saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood)

Or the calamity could be a TEST for the believers to see who is steadfast and patient and who is not.

And He will reward them accordingly.

🍃 Allaah says:

“And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Saabiroon (the patient).

Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: ‘Truly, to Allaah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.’

They are those on whom are the Salawaat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones”

(al-Baqarah 2:155-157)

Or the suffering could be a means of expiation and purification for them.

🍃The Prophet ﷺ said: 

“There is nothing that befalls a believer, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allaah will record one good deed for him and will remove one bad deed from him.” (Muslim). 

🍃Also, he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: 

“Trials will continue to befall the believing man and woman, with regard to themselves, their children and their wealth, until they meet Allaah with no sin on them.” 

(Tirmidhi- Saheeh)

Or the calamity could be a harsh reminder for the people to give up their sinful ways and turn back to Allaah:

🍃 Allaah says:

“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad). 

And We seized them with extreme poverty and loss in health (with calamities) so that they might humble themselves (believe with humility).”

[‘An’aam :42] 

And thus He will place His slaves in situations that may seem hard. Or apparently “unfair”.

But in reality, they’re NOT.

They’re actually a form of MERCY from Allaah.

And so what may SEEM like “suffering”, is not really suffering at all.

What may SEEM unfair, is NOT unfair at all.

🍃Allaah says:

‎ وَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ وَعَسَىٰ أَن تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allaah knows but you do not know.”

(Surah al-Baqarah:216)

Subhaan Allaah!

What a beautiful reminder!

“Allaah knows but you do not know.”

🍃 Shaikh Abd Al-Rahmaan Al-Barraak said:

“Allaah is al-Razzaaq (the Provider) and the best of those who give provision. 

“And no moving (living) creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allaah” [Hood 11:6]. 

The rizq of Allaah will not be brought by the carefulness of the miser, nor will it be prevented by the hostility of one who does not want it to come to another. 

It is part of the Wisdom of Allaah that He differentiates between His slaves in their provision just as He differentiates between them in their physical creation and their attitudes. 

So He gives in abundance to whomever He wills and gives little to whomever He wills. 

He may give plenty to some people and little to others. 

He is the One Who guarantees the provision of His slaves according to His prior knowledge and decree. 

Allaah knows and decrees that some of His slaves will be given plenty and some will be given little; 

He has reasons for that that are beyond our comprehension. 

In His wisdom, He gives plenty or gives little as a test for His slaves, testing them with blessings or with calamities, as He says:

“and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good” [al-Anbiya’ 21:35]

Allaah says:

“But when He tries him by straitening his means of life, he says: ‘My Lord has humiliated me!” [al-Fajr 89:16]

But then Allaah says: “Nay!” [al-Fajr 89:16], meaning, it is not as he thinks; Allaah blesses whoever he wills and makes things difficult for whomever He wills, and this is a test, not a sign of honor or humiliation. 

By means of this test, it becomes apparent who is grateful and patient, and who is the opposite. 

And Allaah is the Knower of all things.”

🍃 Ibn al-Qayyim said: 

“These pains are one of the inherent features of man’s development from which no man or animal can be free. If man were free of pain he would not be a man, rather he would be an angel or some other creature. 

Children’s pain is not more difficult than the pain experienced by grownups, but grownups have become accustomed to pain so it is no longer a big issue for them.

What a great difference there is between what a child suffers and what a rational adult suffers. 

All of that is one of the main aspects of the human condition. If man were not created like that he would be a different creature. What do you think if a child gets hungry or thirsty or cold or tired – is it something that he was singled out for and tested with that the grownups are not tested with?  Man – and indeed animals – have been created on this basis. 

They said: If someone were to ask: Why has man been created thus? 

Why was he not created without this vulnerability to pain and suffering? 

This is a flawed question, because Allaah has created him in a world of trials from a weak substance. So he is vulnerable to diseases and suffering, and Allaah has created him in such a way that he is vulnerable to all kinds of pain… 

The fact that these pains and pleasures coexist is one of the signs of the Hereafter, for divine wisdom has decreed that there should be two abodes: an abode that is devoted fully to pleasure, in which there is no pain at all, and an abode that is devoted fully to pain in which there is no pleasure at all. The former abode is Paradise and the latter abode is Hell.”

(Miftaah Daar al-Sa’aadah, 2/230, 231)

🍃Al-Hasan al-Basri said:

"Do not resent the calamities that come and the disasters that occur, for perhaps in something that you dislike will be your salvation, and perhaps in something that you prefer will be your doom."

And you know what….

When Allaah wants to see His slaves at a level higher than where their meager deeds would have taken them, He puts them through tests and trials and because of those tests and trials, He raises them to that higher level that they could not have otherwise achieved!

Such is the Mercy of Allaah.

🍃The Prophet ﷺ said:

“When Allaah has previously decreed for a servant a rank which he has not attained by his action, He afflicts him in his body, or his property or his children. He then enables him to endure that; so that He may bring him to the rank previously decreed from him by Allaah.”

(Abu Dawood, 3090; saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, 2599)

What a beautiful Hadeeth to remember in times of pain and suffering!

🍃 The Prophet ﷺ also said:

"On the Day of Resurrection, when people who had suffered affliction are given their reward, those who were healthy will wish their skins had been cut to pieces with scissors when they were in the world (when they see the immense rewards for the afflictions they suffered)." (Tirmidhi-Saheeh by al-Albaani)

🍃Ibn Taymiyah said:

“A calamity that makes you turn to Allaah is better for you than a blessing which makes you forget the remembrance of Allaah."

🍃Umar ibn Abdul Aziz said upon the pulpit;

“Allaah does not grant a servant a blessing and then removes the blessing, then compensates him with patience in place of what was removed, but that what he was granted is better than what was taken away.”

Then he recited the verse, “Verily, the reward of the patient will be fulfilled without account,” (Surah Zumar:10)”

So as Muslims, we SUBMIT to whatever our Creator and Master decrees for His creation WITHOUT questioning Him. 

How can we question Him, when we have NO KNOWLEDGE of the Unseen, or the future or what’s better for us?

Rather, ALLAAH will question US on the Day we stand in front of Him. 

🍃 Allaah says:

“He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned.” (Surah al-Anbiya’ :23)

🍃Ibn Taymiyah said:

“Allaah is not to be questioned about what He does because of His perfect wisdom, mercy and justice, not just because of His subjugation of creation and His might.” [Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (8/511)]

So leave His Decisions to Him. 

TRUST Him and KNOW He has a purpose for everything. 

And He will reward those who are patient with Jannah. 

After all….Isn’t Jannah worth it?

And Allaah knows best.