SECOND POINT
Human beings have no right to complain in the case of disasters and illness for the following three reasons:
First Reason: God most High has made the garment of the body with which He has clothed man a manifestation of His art. He has made man to be a model on which He cuts, trims, alters and changes the garment of the body, thus displaying the manifestation of various of His names. Just as the name of Healer makes it necessary that illness should exist, so too the name of Provider requires that hunger should exist.
The Lord of All Dominion has disposal over His dominion as He wishes.
I observe a certain order in the universe such as sun rises and we are given daylight, sun sets and we experience the night, the seasons are changing, etc. The order that I observe as a conscious human being does not belong to me. I, myself do not belong to myself. When I get hungry, I eat food. I am given hunger and that too is part of the created order. Whoever establishes the universe, it is Its order that I am subject to. I have to understand that the Source that establishes the order has created everything with utmost wisdom in its creation. That doesn’t mean that It is His property so It decides on me and I am left with no say in the matter. Not at all. I have to know that my being belongs to the One who owns the universe and there is no meaningless things happening in creation. That is, the One who establishes the order ALWAYS knows what It is doing and does It for a good purpose. We are created within this order. Whatever happens to me is the decision of the One who makes the order of the universe. I have to respect that this Order Giver is the Owner of the universe and my Owner, and It does everything purposefully. That is, there is wisdom in everything It creates.
What is left to me is to see the wisdom in what is happening to me and this universe. I have to bear in mind the following:
- What is the purpose of existence of this universe?
- Why does it exist?
The purpose of existence of this universe is to disclose qualities of its Maker, Artist to me (conscious beings). I need to use the universe as a means of knowing who my Owner is so I may relate my existence to It. I exist because of Its choice (Divine Will) and in my existence also lies the purpose to know who my Owner is. This is the fundamental concern for any human being: Who am I in this creation?
The universe is a closed box. I cannot understand it without reasoning. Everything is covered in it, so I have to discover the meaning behind each action because I am a conscious being. I have been given the potentiality to see the meanings in the universe. Whatever happens to me is because my Owner is teaching me who I am and who It is. In other words, without understanding who you are, you cannot understand who your Owner is.
The author uses illness as an example i.e. If there was no illness, I would never get to know my Lord just by being healthy and thus heedless to who is the health Giver. If there was no illness I would never understand that my Owner also cures. Similarly, nourishment requires hunger. If I never get hungry, would I know that my Lord takes care of my needs. Even if the most delicious food is presented to me, I would not go for it because I am not experiencing hunger. If hunger is given to me it is for a purpose. I have to look for solutions to overcome my hunger. I may struggle to find food but it is not pointless. It is the only way to understand my Owner better.
If my being stays idle, then I would not get to know the act of creation, the fact that I am being created at every moment. Example: When I cut my finger while preparing food, I bleed. Then a week later the scratch is gone. There is wisdom in the existence of the event, the cut and the cure. The order is established in a way teaching me that my Owner takes care of my needs. Are the cells in my body in charge of the healing? No, the cells are employed within the order of the universe to carry their healing mission. Did the knife cause the cut? Although it may seem as such but in reality the knife is employed to carry its purpose. Is the ointment the cause of healing my finger? No, it is employed as well. Through every act of creation, the Maker is showing me that it is the One taking care of my needs. From a cut, I can see that everything in my existence is consciously and deliberately made.
- With this, I can conclude that if I do not reason, I get nothing out of the universe as it remains a closed box for me and nothing beyond.
- I am given existence to deduce meaning from the universe and see what the universe refers to: That is how I develop as a human being. Otherwise I would not understand what I am doing here, who brought me here and what is the reason to be here? These questions are essential for any human being to ask because I am not only a physical entity. I am an essential being and so I question, reason and come to a conclusion. Therefore, I have to go beyond the capacity of this universe and conclude who the Owner of the universe is.
At the end we will die, that is sure. Why am I created in a way that I will die? Why is this universe transient? There must be wisdom in this. Human beings are created in a way that they do not want to die. In my existence, I do not want to lose anything given to me. I want to preserve what I have and utilize it. Example: power of sight, energy, memory…etc. If I start losing them, I look for solutions to prevent the loss. I have to think why I am made in this way.
Question: As I grow older, memory fades, so what is the solution?
- I have to understand the existence of losing memory i.e. why is memory given to me in the first place?
- I also have to understand the existence of not wanting to lose memory.
- Let’s say if I did not forget anything, then I would never realize that I have been given memory.
This universe is transient but its creation is continued and I do not want transience. It means that I have to understand that the One who sets this transient order is telling me that It, Itself is not transient. It is the Permanent One. It has created me in these conditions so that I may understand that my Owner is permanent. So my desire for permanence should be directed to my Lord (Owner) not the universe.
Just knowing the fact that I am created by a Permanent One, my existence gains confidence because I belong to the Permanent One. Great, but what do I do with this?
- If I realize and am convinced that I belong to the Eternal, Permanent One. Should I really worry?
- As a result, I do not worry about transience.
- I rely on the Permanent Source which is the reason why I am here to understand who my Lord is and attribute my existence to It. Such a relaxing feeling!
Some people go crazy because they want permanence in this world and since there is no permanence here, these people always suffer from lack of confidence in their existence.
- We are created with the need to feel secure in our existence.
- With every interaction and event that we encounter, the Permanent Source is introducing Itself to me and asking me to relate my existence to It.
What does feeling secure in my existence mean? Well, if someone tells me that I am going to die the next moment, I feel calm and happy because my existence belongs to the Permanent Source. I can only feel secure and comfortable in my existence when I understand that only the Source, my Owner is giving me life in this universe by taking care of all my needs. As a result I desire to return to the Source and I cannot wait for my life to be over in this universe because I simply cannot wait to return to my Source of Origin, the Permanent Source. Nothing in the universe disturbs me and I feel worry free. As mentioned in the Quran: “Only if you believe, you will be among the faraheen (people who enjoy existence and are worry-free).” (Mu’minun (23): 1)
With a secure state of mind, our worldly concerns become less significant. Our worldly concerns have a function to fulfill i.e. to help me get to know my Owner (Permanent Source). Everything that I am made to experience i.e. like/dislike is to fulfill the purpose of my existence. Since I feel secure in my existence existentially, I take care of my worldly concerns according to the conditions of the universe.
- When I am existentially secure within my being, as far as my interaction with the universe is concerned, nothing bothers me.
- Example: I get hungry. It is good to experience hunger or illness and death. That is the only way I get to know the Source of my Origin.
People say they believe in God, practice rituals and still complain about what happens to them because they do not see wisdom in what they experience or have the security of belief. This security of belief is actually placing trust in God. If I trust in God, I feel secure. If I do not feel secure in my existence then I have to educate myself. If one does not get to know the Source of his Origin while experiencing the universe, he either denies God or think that God is cruel (becomes the enemy of God). Please be mindful that deniers of God harm themselves while the enemies of God harm everybody. It is a much graver situation to become an enemy of God than a denier. I cannot say that I am not a denier because as a human being, I am fallible. That is, I make mistakes, misinterpret events, and temporarily break my covenant with God from time to time.
Trusting in God is not an easy task. It is a lifelong endeavor. We are training here and the training has no end. Thus, falling into mistakes is the best way of learning who I am and who my Owner is. Every concern/event/worry is an opportunity to reinforce confidence in my existence and get to know the Permanent Source.
We are created in a way that we have the tendency to react at certain events. When we react, we need to analyze that the event is teaching me something. Example: If I stumble on something, I may get angry. This feeling of anger is a good way of learning who I am. This training never ends as long as we live because every creation we are subject to is an opportunity to reinforce security in my existence and get to know my Creator better.
- Reacting is temporary denial: If I do not deny, I cannot confirm. If I cannot say lailaha, I cannot say illallah.
WATCH OUT!!! When I say this should not have happened, I am criticizing the Creator of this event. That is, I am denying Its wisdom but we have to recover from this. How? Through the training we are undergoing.
What is required of me in this training?
- Never take previous belief for granted.
- It is human to feel reactionary.
- Reaction calls me to investigate the reality again to reconfirm what I believe in.
- We have to educate ourselves.
- We have to struggle with our day to day practice of life that is why we are given opportunities again and again in the form of a continuous training.
Undergoing this training is a must for me to escape from meaninglessness. Some people see the universe as being meaningful but without a point of reference, the universe remains meaningless. Just as the sentences in a book is meaningful but if it does not introduce me to its author, then I am left to conclude that the book exists on its own. Therefore, I need to reason and find out what everything refers to in this closed universe.
- One way to get out of meaninglessness is to reason the existence of your feelings, your emotions, and what are they referring to?
Our feelings are referring to something other than themselves. We have to investigate. That is why self-claimed belief religiosity means ultimately nothing. It does not open the windows from the closed universe taking you to another world of existence which is Absolute. We have to realize this and benefit from it. We have to thank the Creator for giving me the opportunity to realize that my being is meaningful and it enables me to understand what my reality is.
- Thank the Source for the opportunity to make you realize your reality!
Second Reason: It is by means of disasters and sicknesses that life is refined, perfected, strengthened and advanced; that it yields results, attains perfections and fulfills its own purpose. Life led monotonously on the couch of ease and comfort resembles not so much the pure good that is being as the pure evil that is non-being, it ends in fact in that direction.
Without concerns and challenges, life will be monotonous, similar to not living. When I learn nothing, my life yields no fruits. That is, without problems/concerns/reactions which require investigation, we would learn nothing and life becomes meaningless. Non-being is pure evil. That is, if there is no day/night, happiness/unhappiness, hunger/satisfaction/…etc., life will be static because you are not experiencing anything. Such monotony in life is harmful and a source of evil. Just as when faced with anything challenging, I find a solution and I feel satisfied. Similarly, we have to go through the struggle of life to find satisfaction. High prosperous days of any civilization make people become lazy and leads to their decline.
When I struggle with something, I improve my talents. Prophets were mostly shepherds and lived a hard life according to our standards. People who live the harshest lives learn how to overcome any situation. If they encounter any challenge in life, they say: “I have to find a solution”, that is how they struggle against denial. They question everything: Is it really true? They are trained though the hardships of life and when the revelation comes to them, they are appreciative of their responsibility.
- If I do not interpret an event in a way that will help me understand the Creator, then it is harming my belief.
- STOP COMPLAINING!!! Hardship in life is not to be blamed or be sorry about. It does not mean that you need to put yourself in hardship. When hardship is given, know that it is good. That is, without struggling or DENIAL, you cannot confirm your reality.
It is not harmful to be given anything that disturbs us, causes pain to us. I do not want it but when it is given, I have to APPRECCIATE it as it teaches me my reality that I am needy and that I have an Owner that takes care of me.
Third Reason: This worldly realm is the field of testing, the abode of service. It is not the place of pleasure, reward or requital. Considering, then, that it is the abode of service and place of worship, sicknesses and misfortunes – as long as they do not affect belief and are patiently endured – conform fully to service and worship, and even strengthen it. Since they make each hour’s worship equivalent to that of a day, one should offer thanks instead of complaining.
Worship consists in fact of two kinds, active and passive. What is meant by the active is obvious. As for passive worship, this is when one afflicted with misfortune or sickness perceives his own weakness and helplessness, and turning to his Compassionate Lord, seeks refuge in Him, meditates upon Him, petitions Him, and thus offers a pure form of worship that no hypocrisy can penetrate. If he endures patiently, thinks of the reward attendant on misfortune and offer thanks, then each hour that he passes will count as a whole day spent in worship. His brief life becomes very long. There are even cases where a single minute is counted as equal to a whole day’s worship.
I once was extremely anxious because of an awesome illness that struck one of my brothers of the hereafter. But then a warning came to my heart: “Congratulate him!” Each minute he spends is counted as a whole day’s worship. He was in any event enduring his illnesses in patience and gratitude.
If I use the moment of distress to realize the purpose of my existence, then I am living. Anything which helps me realize my reality is good for me. As long as the event does not cause you to lose belief, it is good for you. Because that is the only way to recognize who the Owner of the universe is.
If I do not interpret the event in a way that will help me understand my reality, who my Creator is, then the concern/problem/pain is harming my belief.
- Do not take a negative attitude towards any event!!!
No matter how much precautions we take, anything that we are subject to is given by the Creator as we are being trained here. When I understand my reality, I improve my worship.
Why is a moment of distress counted as a days’ worship? If you use that moment to acknowledge your reality, that is the purpose of your existence, which is worship.
With this methodology, one can solve all his problems if used to fulfill the purpose of existence. Know who you are and who your Lord is and attribute your existence to It. Anything that you are subject to is a way to recognize your reality, who you are and who your owner is. That is the purpose of your existence.
Am I created here to experience nothing? If you do not like something, you have to look for a solution to get rid of it. The unhappiness felt at that occasion is a call for you and must be utilized to fulfill the purpose of your existence. Again, NO COMPLAINING! Any hardship is an opportunity to improve your worship. Use it as a means of realizing to know who you are otherwise you would not understand anything.
Thinking about hardships/events in terms of being tested is a fundamental problem. We are not given existence to suffer and be patient.
Example: If an Illness is given to you, you will use the sense of disliking illness. When I am given a calamity, I do not like it. This sense of dislike is given to me. I just need to be aware of it. I am made in a way that I do not like problems. When the problem is given to me, I have to be realistic that I do not like it and use it to my advantage. That is, the “pain” from the illness and the “sense of disliking” the illness are in tension. Out of this tension, I need to realize the purpose of my existence. If I do not work on solving this tension, then the event or experience does not add any value to my life and I do not learn anything. When I do not learn anything, I am at a loss! Just as a student enrolled in school but does not attend classes, will not learn anything. I am enrolled in this school of the universe, I will not learn anything if I don’t experience, go through challenges and struggle in life. Therefore, belief needs to be reviewed at every moment.
- Reaction⇒Questioning⇒Reality.
- Belief/religion is all about questioning.
- Don’t use yesterday’s belief for today.
- Today is a new creation.
- Every day is a new opportunity.
The author of this text is helping us utilize our culture and transform it into conscious belief.
There are hadiths about visiting the ill. BE CAREFUL! When reading hadiths, know who is narrating and who the audience is.
Frame of thought to understand hadith:
- What is the purpose of the teachings of the Prophets?
- The purpose of the teaching of the Prophet is to help me understand my reality so I can understand who my Lord is.
- Why is the Prophet telling me this?
- So I may refer to my existence beyond the outskirts of the universe.
- How can I learn my reality when I visit an ill person as the Prophet is teaching from the hadith?
- By seeing the ill person, I realize that ill person is not the owner of health. Therefore I am not the owner of my health.
- I am not able to cure myself but I am absolutely needy.
- Another narration is that “God is with the ill person”. This also should be understood accordingly. The condition is giving the ill person the opportunity to improve his belief. Through hardship, I realize that I am the needy one, I cannot protect my life. If I am aware of it, then I can benefit from it: “This person does not own the health; we are all in need to be given health”. When I realize lailaha (we do not own anything), I see the presence of God in the event (illallah).
There is a dilemma between what is happening to me and my human sense that says it should not happen. Through this dilemma, I can either deny God by saying that God creates evil or I can use it to confirm God. Going through the process of reasoning is real and necessary. It is our opportunity to learn.
Laziness is not the solution, human beings must struggle. Without questioning/struggling/taking the pain of solving any problem, we cannot develop and strengthen belief. Everyone is created with being a potential believer.
Reward= the feeling of security I get in my existence when I realize who my Owner is.
When I refer my existence to the Source which is Absolute, I feel secure in my existence. Health, career, property, etc. are nothing, eventually you will die. The universe is given to you to understand your reality and who your Owner is, what else do you want? As long as you are given illness and realize your reality, the reward is in the realization. The illness is a means that saves you from going into meaninglessness. It is an opportunity, a calling to realize your reality.
Existence of negativity/falsehood is good that is how we learn the truth. No false, no truth. No right, no wrong. That is how the universe is. If there was no created universe, there would be no Creator as far as we are concerned. If I do not experience anything made, how can I talk about the Maker. If I was not created, I would never realize that I have a Creator. If I was never needy, I would never be able to understand that someone is providing my needs. No Paradise, no Hell. No unbelief (kufur), no belief. No denial, no confirmation. These are the words of contradiction or opposites. The universe consists of pairs. Nothing is singular or alone in the universe. The Absolute is beyond the universe and has no pair. Apart from God, nothing can be ahad (singular). These are the teachings of the Quran. We need to understand that the Quran is emphasizing on teaching what the Creator is. No transience, no permanence. That is how I learn the truth. No pain, no gain!
I have to see hell is in denying the truth; I have to see heaven is in confirming the truth. Ultimate purpose is to find out who my Lord is? That is Paradise. In the conditions of this world, I can either deny and be in hell or confirm and be in Paradise. Paradise has different levels based on my confirmation, how much I have developed my potentialities. Seeking an ideal world where there is no trouble in the conditions of this universe is wrong because I will not be able to learn the purpose of my existence.
The speech of God is addressing human beings while they are within the conditions of this universe. In this type of existence I have to understand the reality of the news conveyed to me. Only then can I confirm the truth. If I do not have personal evidence to confirm the truth, my claim to believe in something is just a claim.