God’s Balance

If God had so wanted, He could easily stop humans bent upon destroying each other and this world. Why does He not intervene? Herein lies the purpose of God’s scheme, as far as we can understand it. Humans have free will and God will allow everyone to act out their will according to their conscience and face the consequences. God does provide relief in many cases, sometimes through human agency and sometimes through unknown sources. In fact, disasters and relief exist side by side: without God’s assistance, the human race would have become extinct, given the horrors people inflict upon each other.

To prepare ourselves for the next world, purification of our soul can only come about through meeting the challenges that we face in our lives. This world is but a temporary abode, and life is a fleeting moment, compared to the infinite life we would have after death. To be ready for this afterlife, we must face challenges with grace, mercy, fortitude and kindness. If we suffer pain, we must do so with perseverance; if we observe pain of others, we must be kind and loving to them. According to a hadith, when a believer is happy, he thanks God; when he faces a tribulation, he is patient. Both situations are good for him (Sahih Muslim: 2999). Every situation in the world is a challenge for us and our response will determine the extent to which we can strengthen our soul for the next world. It will also decide our ultimate destination after death. Thus, God tests us by evil and by good. (21:33-35)

It would be misleading to suggest that the collective tribulations we experience are a punishment from God. According to the Quran, God does not punish any people without sending a messenger who would warn it first. The last messenger was the Prophet Mohammed (SWS) and with him, collective punishment has ended. However, God does send reminders of death and of the vulnerability and weakness of humans that we tend to forget in our arrogance. Global disasters are a reminder to us that we have limits and that it is God who is the Ruler of the universe. According to the reputed scholar, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, death in large numbers is a sign of how easily life can end, as it will on the Day of Judgement.

Epidemics and pandemics show the response of humans to the pain of others and the measures they take to alleviate their pain. Additionally, such world crises give a boost to human effort to fight the problem and thus provide a challenge to humans to come up with preventive steps and cures. God thus gives a warning to humans to change their way of living and to make further progress in addressing their suffering. “And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger, and a loss of wealth and lives and yields, but give good tidings to the patient who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to God, 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” (2:155-157).

The world is also a world of beauty and goodness. Many people show kindness and compassion and nature provides succour for the soul. It is God who has showered so many blessings, which we too often fail to appreciate and thank Him for. In times of darkness, it will be worth remembering the light of God’s mercy and kindness.