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Why are we here on Earth?
Kathy
10/01/01 at 18:00:01
slm Can anyone give me some ideas on how to answer a seven year old boy? He said Allah swt already knows if we are going to heaven or not, so why the test? Also, if Allah swt is not in need of our praise....then why are we here?

Re: Why are we here on Earth?
Arsalan
10/01/01 at 18:02:25
Some of us are tests for others!

Re: Why are we here on Earth?
bhaloo
10/01/01 at 18:51:18
slm Its a good question, and here is a similiar one asked of Dr. Siddiqi (ISNA's president).  Arsalan also makes a good point.  From every difficult and hardship that the believer faces, there are always lessons to be learned from it.  There is something insha'Allah that can help us for the future. Q 1. Please explain what is the concept of fate in Islam. We Muslims say that Allah knows everything. He knows what is going to happen to us and He knows what our end will be. If Allah knows all these things, so why are we being judged? We don't have our own will to do anything; in that case whatever we may do Allah already has our fate decided. Please reply. (Omer Masud, Melbourne, Florida) Dr. Siddiqi (President of ISNA) answered as follows: A 1. We do not use the word "fate" in Islam. The word "fate" means "the power that determines the outcome of events before they occur". Some people believe in fate as an independent and invisible power that controls their destinies. Such people are called "fatalists". A Muslim is not a fatalist person. Muslims believe in Allah and only Allah has the power to predetermine anything. Allah is "al-Qadir" (the All Powerful or Omnipotent) and "al-'Aleem" (the All Knower, Omniscient). Since Allah has power over every thing, He must know every thing. He must know things before they happen, because if He knew things after they happened, He would not have full power over them. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala not only knows things, but He also decides and determines everything in His universe. Whatever happens in this world happens according to Allah's decision and plan. In Islamic terminology this principle is known as "al-qada wa al-qadar"(the decision and determination of Allah). It is a very important principle of Iman (faith). Does this mean that we human beings have no freedom? It seems that way apparently to some people. One Western scholar put the problem very interestingly in the following words: "If God knows everything He must know the future, and if He knows the future, He must know the future acts of His creatures. But then His creatures must act, as He knows they will act. How then can they be free?" There are many people who became confused by looking at the problem in this way. There were also some Muslim thinkers who believed that human beings have no freedom. They were called "Jabriyah". The majority of Muslim scholars did not accept this position, they strongly criticized and condemned this position and considered it against the teachings of the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah. The mainstream Muslim position is that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has the knowledge of all things and He has the power over all things. Allah, however, has also granted freedom to human beings. Allah's power and foreknowledge do not mean that human beings have no freedom, nor does Human freedom negate Allah's power and foreknowledge. Human beings are free only as much as Allah has granted them the freedom. However, inspire of our human freedom we are still under the control of Allah and within His knowledge. Allah will judge us according to the freedom and responsibility that He gave us. He knows very well how much freedom we have and to what extent we are able to exercise our freedom, each one of us in our own circumstances. It is for this reason that we say that only Allah is the True and Final Judge. In the Qur'an He is called "Ahkam al-hakimin" (the best of all the judges). When we carefully examine our own selves and the world around us, we see two things very clearly. On the one hand we find ourselves overwhelmed by forces that are apparently beyond our decision and control, but on the other hand we do experience real freedom and we make our choices between various options. Thus the truth is that we are free and we are determined both at the same time. Our freedom is very limited, nevertheless it does exist and it is the deciding factor for our responsibility and consequently for the eternal reward or punishment. In the Qur'an Allah has spoken about His control and power as well as human freedom and responsibility. Both aspects are very clearly mentioned in the Qur'an. The best way to understand and interpret the Qur'an is to keep both of these aspect in mind. We should not emphasize our freedom at the expense of Allah's power and knowledge, nor should we speak about Allah's power and knowledge by negating and denying our own freedom and responsibility. Maulana Maududi -may Allah bless his soul- in his book Qada and Qadar (in Urdu) collected both types of verses from the Qur'an. Following a selection of these Qur'anic statements. On Allah's power and control, see the following verses: All power belongs to Allah (al-Baqarah 2:165). Say, Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One the Mighty (al-Ra'd 13:16). Allah has created you and all that you do (al-Saffat 37:96). No female conceives, nor does she bring forth a child save with His knowledge. And no one is granted long life, not is anything diminished of its life, but it is all recorded in a book... (al-Fatir 35:11). No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence. That is truly easy for Allah. In order that you may not despair over matters that pass you by, not exult over favors bestowed upon you. For Allah loves not any vainglorious boaster" (al-Hadid 57:22-23). To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He enlarges the provisions for whomsoever He pleases and straitens it for whomsoever He pleases. Surely He knows all things full well (al-Shura 42:12). And say not of anything, 'I shall do it tomorrow', unless Allah wills... (al-Kahf 18:23-24). If Allah touch you with affliction there is none to remove it but He; and if He touch you with happiness, then He has power to do all that He wills (al-An'am 6:17). Whom Allah will, He lets go astray, and whom He wills, He places on the right path (al-An'am 6:39). Do you desire to guide him whom Allah has caused to perish? And for him whom Allah causes to perish you shall not find a way (al-Nisa' 4:88). If your Lord has enforced His will, surely, all those who are on the earth would have believed together. Will you then force people to become believers? And none can believe except by the permission of Allah (Yunus 10:99-100). But on the human freedom and responsibility read the following verses: Neither according to your desires, nor according to the desires of the People of the Book, whosoever will do evil will be requited accordingly and shall not find beside Allah any protector or helper. If any do deeds of righteousness, be they male or female, and have faith, they will enter heaven and not the least injustice will be done to them (al-Nisa' 4:123-124). This because Allah does never change a favor that He has conferred upon a people until they change their own condition... (al-Anfal 9:53). Every person stands pledged for what he has earned (al-Tur 52:21). It is the truth from your Lord; wherefore let his who will, believe, and let him who will, disbelieve (al-Kahf 18:29). This is a reminder. So let him, who will, take a way unto his Lord (al-Muzzammil 73:19). And hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord... (Al 'Imran 3:133). O our people, respond to God's summoner and believe in him (al-Ahqaf 46:31). Turn to your Lord and submit yourselves to Him... (al-Zumar 39:54). Corruption has spread on land and sea because of what people's hands have wrought (al-rum 30:41). Whatever misfortune befalls you is the consequence of what your own hands have wrought. And Allah forgive many of your sins (al-Shura 42:30). Indeed Allah does not wrong the people at all, it is they wrong their own selves (Yunus 10:44). As for Thamud, We guided them, but they preferred blindness to guidance (Fussilat 41:17). There is no compulsion in religion. Surely the right way has become distinct from error (al-Baqarah 2:256). The Qur'an has no contradictions. Allah's power and knowledge and human freedom are not mutually exclusive. Whatever freedom we have is granted to us by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and we should use it to submit to Him freely and willingly. This is the honor that Allah has given us and for this honor angels were asked by Allah to bow in respect and honor of the progenitor of the human race Adam -may the peace of Allah be upon him.
NS

Re: Why are we here on Earth?
jannah
10/01/01 at 20:18:17
Kathy this is how I explain it to my kids in my class. I say, how would you all like it if you walk into the door today and I tell you that you got a 80% on the final exam, or that you got a 50% or that you failed or that you got a 100%?  (pointing to different kids in the class) and of course they all exclaim, 'no way! we didn't take the test yet...no fair' so then I tell them.. well Allah knows what your 'final grade' is going to be. He knows every choice you will make in your life, He knows where you will go, but imagine if he just told people that on the Day of Judgement without them living their life. They would say 'no fair!' we didn't get to take the test, we would have been so good and perfect, we would have done everything right. that's why Allah gives everyone a chance to live their life, so when they come on the Day of Judgement they can't say they didn't get a chance. everything will be a witness for them, even their own body parts will speak. they will see everything they did so they can never say they didn't get their chance.

Re: Why are we here on Earth?
dolunay
10/02/01 at 06:46:48
As Salamu Alaikum brother arsalan can you explain this? [quote]Some of us are tests for others![/quote] SIs kathy.I would post yesterday but I dont had permission. I would reply like so to a child as sis jannah do it. <<so then I tell them.. well Allah knows what your 'final grade' is going to be. He knows every choice you will make in your life, He knows where you will go, but imagine if he just told people that on the Day of Judgement without them living their life. They would say 'no fair!' we didn't get to take the  test, we would have been so good and perfect, we would have done everything right. that's why Allah gives everyone a chance to live their life, so when they come on the Day of Judgement they can't say they didn't get a chance. everything will be a           witness for them, even their own body parts will speak. they will see everything they did so they can never say they didn't get their chance.  >> wassalam ....

Re: Why are we here on Earth?
dolunay
10/03/01 at 07:34:40
[quote]As Salamu Alaikum brother arsalan can you explain this? Some of us are tests for others! [/quote] Ok brother Arsalan. I think you despise me and dont reply because I'm not a value person for you or you wrote but you cant explain it, or you dont have time to explain. So what I understand is, I dont think some poeple just in this world for others test object is.If were it so, so  I was a test object to for some muslims to deal with me in wrong way...No one can live alone without contact any people and surely we will also ge test with people but it is not only one think that we on earth. We get test with our money, behave, adab, pray, knowledge (ilm) etc etc..... You dont need explain now brother, I have get my part...And I'm not suprized...I scaring from Allah azza wa jalla that I give a feel to one he/she is a nothing no value person, because I know how is the feeling to be despised Jazakallahu Khayran...

Re: Why are we here on Earth?
Arsalan
10/03/01 at 13:23:57
[slm] I'm sorry about not replying to your question earlier dolunay. Actually, believe it or not, I had written a reply to your post yesterday but the power on campus went out before I could finish the reply and post it. So I lost everything that I had written, and had to leave the lab. In my 5 years of college, not once have I seen a power failure on campus! I guess there's a first time for everything. Basically, my statement was not meant to be a reply to the question of Kathy's son. And for that reason, maybe I should never have posted it. But the statement is, I believe, a *partial* reply to the question itself. So although I wouldn't use it to answer a 7-year old, because of his young age, it nevertheless comprises of a fairly valid reasoning in my opinion. I would have explained my statement in the very first post itself, but I didn't have the time to write a long post at that time. It was my bad judgment, then, to post something without explaining it. And for that I apologize. Now, what did I mean? Frankly, it's not all that mysterious. Consider the original question: If Allah (swt) already knows whether or not we will be going to heaven, then why test us? Let me rephrase that question. ˙If Allah (swt) already knows which one of us will be going to Heaven and which one of us will be going to Hell, and He is All-Merciful and Compassionate, then why create those of us who will be going to Hell? ˙Why not just create those that will be going to Heaven? Part of the answer lies in the fact that Allah (swt) wants human beings to grow in Imaan. This is why he created human beings in the first place. If he only wanted heavenly people, the angels were already there. But He wanted to create a being which would grow in righteousness through the hardships and tests that he faces. Hardships and tests often consist of dealing with temptations and suffering. Now we know that the source of all temptations is Shaytaan (may he be cursed). But Shaytaan rarely tempts us directly. He, most often than not, uses his adversaries (from jinn and *men*) to tempt us. So when we feel peer pressure to attend a dance party, for example, Shaytaan is the one whispering into our ears. But he is using our peers as his tools. The same applies with suffering. Most of the suffering occurs in this world because of the misdeeds of human beings themselves. Isn't it obvious by now? Some of us are tests for others! Allah (swt) has given us a free choice, but He knew that many of us will use that free choice to disobey Allah (swt), and many of us will use it to obey Allah (swt). Thus those who disobey Allah (swt) prepare for themselves the punishment of Hell Fire, but not only that, their actions often present tests for the believers in this life. And this is the reason why Allah (swt) created both kinds of people. Through those that are not-so-good (by their own choice mind you), Allah (swt) causes others to increase in their goodness. Can you imagine calling anyone a Saabir (a patient, perseverent person), if he had never faced a tribulation in his life? Patience can never exist without the existence of a tribulation. Can you imagine calling anyone a Saadiq (truthful person), if he was never tempted to lie in his life? The difference between *fact* and *truth* is simple. Truth is mentioned while there is a motivation to mention its opposite ... *lie*! ˙ Can you imagine calling someone generous, if *nobody* in the world was hoarding money? We define goodness because we see in front of ourselves the existence of its clear contrast. The true brightness of an object only appears when it is surrounded by darkness. I apologize if none of this makes sense. I have probably made it more complex by trying to explain it than it was originally! Allah knows best. Wassalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

Re: Why are we here on Earth?
amal
10/03/01 at 19:55:28
slm, Arsalan, very good explanation :) Kathy, an excellent book that i read recently tackles this very question and other fundamental ones. The book is titled 'Even Angels Ask' by Jeffrey Lang. He wrote it from a convert's perspective, thus you'll find many issues usually brought up by non-muslims that deal with our relationship with Allah(swt), the purpose of our earthly life, trial and tribulations,etc... He's also brutally honest about the problems and challanges we face as a community, particularly with the younger generation.

Re: Why are we here on Earth?
Arsalan
10/03/01 at 23:25:46
[slm] Jeffrey Lang ... ... was here yesterday!  He talked about his journey to Islam in front of 300 people.  It was such an amazing experience sitting and listening to him speak.  He is a very wonderful person, very easy to talk to.  Definitely read his two books if you haven't read them (Struggling to Surrender, Even Angels Ask). He's also writing a third one!
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