Have you ever had a disastrous situation that turned out to be perfect?
Guest Author – Serkan Tufan
I was listening to a radio talk by a young men about his life story. This men, in his 30’s now, had to work at a craftsmen workplace since he was a little kid. He gained extraordinary talents and become a wanted artist at the age of 18 in the country he lives as a Muslim. He had all the money and fame. He did not know what to do with this life, then he started drinking, having a party life, and gambling. He got married and had a beautiful son. One day, a religious man and his wife came and said: We would like to welcome you to the neighborhood, here are some books that might be interesting. He looks at one of them: “Death and beyond” by Imam Gazhali. The books have been left in a corner, untouched….He never remembered them…
When his son was 4 years old, he saw this amazing dream, in which he was having a traffic accident and dying. He was shocked and that night, he was for the first time in her life, woken up by the call to prayer (athan – ezan) that is announced from mosques in the very early morning, he felt he had to pray morning prayer. He, as much as he know and remember from childhood, prayed. This waking up situation lasted about 5 consecutive days, while he was waking up at 8 am every day, he was waking up at 5 am that whole week with the beautiful sound of athan. In the sixth night, he unfortunately drank a lot and he missed , so he could not wake up for the call for prayer as he passed out. He was feeling horrible that day and had not driven his car, nor he had used any transportation because of his fear. But he had to travel with a truck to another city for his job that day, and he finds a chauffeur to drive him and two other friends. They barely fit into the truck which had 3 person capacity. Unfortunately, what he feared has happened as the chauffeur could not make wild turn and the truck got upside down. He was thrown in a hole in the land, until a couple of men tried to help him by pulling his legs and arms and trying to carry him, unfortunately, he had severely injured backbones and a no-healing paralyzed situation. After months of treatment, while he was thinking he could maybe walk again, the doctor harshly announced that he needed him out because no other progress is possible. His world turned upside down and that moment he could not bare it anymore, he committed suicide taking all the sleep medicines he had. At the exact moment, his 4 year old jumps into the room and gives her a fathers day present. That makes him immediately throw everything out, and decide to bare the life for him and his wife.
After some time, he tells his wife that he will not be able to walk again, they cry together for hours. His wife never leaves him, taking good care of him along with his mom. After he stay home frustrated and depressed, he becomes really aggressive and hostile to everyone, he cannot accept the fact that this happened to him. Starts thinking about death again…He then decides to find a job, and sells bread in a little bakery. While he has lots of time to think and read, he starts thinking about reading books, and his wife gives these books that the religious man and his wife gave to him. He looks at the cover: “Death and beyond” by Imam Gazhali. Starts reading immediately. Finds everything he was looking for, the answers and the remedies to all of his pains. As he becomes God-conscious, he starts living his life with much happiness, learning about Allah, Islam, and what these offer him, he decides that the only thing that might cure our material and spiritual illnesses is learning about our God and the meaning of life.
Then he finds out that the house they rented is for sale, he wanted to buy, but with what money? He , out of nowhere is called by the bank and they let him know that he accumulated that much money and retirement because of his dues that are paid for years….He never know about this and becomes extremely happy. He , while buying the apartment, figures out that upstairs is also sold with this offer. So he owns and lives in one, rents another. He was blessed with incredible bounties, that all came after this accident. He says at one point, “with the incredible pains and sufferings I had, I am so glad to have this accident, it gave me everything in life, a totally different perspective, meaning of life, introduced me to my religion, helped me pray regularly, become a beautiful loving person who I am now, look at all the things and bounties in life, my beautiful family and being able to thank Allah. I never had that much treasure before”, he says.
I was incredibly impressed by his story he tells in the radio. I thought how Allah intends everything an outlet to take us to the right path. How disasters in life becomes examination and might be a way to reach higher levels of humanity and servanthood. It is incredible. I think this was also the wife’s examination, and she successfully passed that. He now even thinks that I am so happy that even if I die, I have two houses which will be enough for my family to survive.
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Look, then, to the signs of God’s mercy-how He restores life to the earth after its death-verily He it is Who quickens the dead, for He is powerful over all things(Qur’an, 30;50)
A fine point concerning this mighty verse, together with another about the following mighty verse,
God! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self Subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep, (Qur’an, 2;255)
together with a manifestation of the Name of Ever-Living, which is the Greatest Name or one of the two lights of the Greatest Name or one light of its six lights, appeared to my mind in the distance in the month of Shawwal in Eskisehir Prison. I did not record it, for at the time I was unable to swiftly capture that sacred bird. Now after it has drawn away, I shall at least point out briefly by means of a number of `Signs’ a few rays of that supreme truth and sublime light.
* FIRST SIGN
The index-like answer to the questions “What is life?” “What is its true nature and purpose?”, which are a greatest manifestation of the Names of Ever-Living and Giver of Life, is this:
Life is:
* the most important aim of the universe;
* and its greatest result;
* and its most brilliant light;
* and its subtlest leaven;
* and its distilled essence;
* and its most perfect fruit;
* and its most elevated perfection;
* and its finest beauty
* and its most beautiful adornment;
* and the secret of its undividedness;
* and the bond of its unity;
* and the source of its perfections;
* and in regard to art and nature, a most wondrous being endowed with spirit;
* and a miraculous reality which makes the tiniest creature like a universe;
* and in addition to its being the means of the universe being situated in a tiny animate creature, and its showing a sort of index of the huge universe in the creature, it is a most extraordinary miracle of Divine power which connects the animate creature to most beings and makes it a tiny universe;
* and it is a wondrous Divine art which enlarges a tiny part to being the greatest whole and makes a particular like a universal or world, and shows that in regard to dominicality the universe is an indivisible whole or universal that cannot be broken into parts and which accepts no participation;
* and it is the most brilliant, the most decisive, the most perfect of proofs testifying to the necessary existence of the Ever-Living and Self Subsistent One; and among Divine artefacts is the lightest and most apparent, and the most valuable and the most abundant, and the purest, most shining, and most meaningful embroidery of dominical art;
* and it is a graceful, refined, delicate manifestation of Divine mercy which makes other beings serve itself;
* and it is a most comprehensive mirror of the Divine attributes;
* and it is a wonder of dominical creation comprising the manifestations of numerous Most Beautiful Names like Merciful, Provider, Compassionate, Munificent, and All-Wise, which subjects to itself many truths like sustenance, wisdom, grace, and mercy, and is the source and origin of all the senses like sight, hearing, and touch;
* and life is a transformation-machine in the vast workshop of the universe which continuously cleanses everywhere, purifies, allows progress, and illuminates. And living bodies, the dwellings of life, are guest-houses, schools, barracks for instructing and illuminating the caravans of particles, enabling them to perform their duties. Quite simply the EverLiving Self-Subsistent One makes subtle this dark, transient, lowly world, illuminates it and gives it a sort of permanence, preparing it to go to another, everlasting world;
* and life’s two faces, that is, its inner and outer faces, are both shining, elevated, and without dirt or defect. It is an exceptional creature on which apparent causes have not been placed, veiling the disposal of power, in order to show clearly that it has emerged directly without veil or means from the hand of dominical power;
* and the reality of life looks to the six pillars of belief, proving them in meaning and indirectly. That is to say, it is a luminous truth which looks to and proves
* both the necessary existence of the Necessarily Existent One and His eternal life,
* and the realm of the Hereafter and everlasting life,
* and the existence of the angels,
* and the other pillars of belief.
* Also, just as life is the purest essence of the universe, distilled from all of it, so is it a mighty mystery yielding thanks, worship, praise, and love, the most important Divine purposes in the universe and most important results of the world’s creation.
* So consider these twenty-nine significant, valuable characteristics of life, and elevated, general duties. Then look and see the tremendousness of the Name of Ever-Living behind the Name of Giver of Life. Understand too how with these immense characteristics and fruits of life, the Name of Ever-Living is a Greatest Name.
Also understand that since life is the greatect result of the universe, and its greatest aim and most valuable fruit, life too must have a great aim and result as vast as the universe. For like the tree’s result is its fruit, the fruit’s result, too, by means of the seed, is a future tree. Yes, just as the aim and result of this life is eternal life, one of its fruits too is thanks to the Ever-Living Giver of Life and worship and praise of Him and love for Him. And just as this thanks, love, praise and worship are the fruit of life, so are they the aim of the universe.
Understand also from this, with what ugly ignorance and denial, indeed, unbelief, those who say that the purpose of life is “to live comfortably, enjoy oneself heedlessly, and indulge oneself in pleasure” denigrate and insult the most valuable bounty of life, gift of consciousness, and bounty of reason, and what ghastly ingratitude they display.
As for life, if it is without belief, or because of rebelliousness belief is ineffective, it will produce pains, sorrows and grief far exceeding the superficial, fleeting enjoyment and pleasure it brings. Because, since, contrary to the animals, man possesses a mind and he thinks, he is connected to both the present time, and to the past and the future. He can obtain both pain and pleasure from them. Whereas, since the animals do not think, the sorrows arising from the past and the fears and anxieties arising from the future do not spoil their pleasure of the present. And especially if the pleasure is illicit; then it is like an altogether poisonous honey.
That is to say, from the point of view of the pleasure of life, man falls to a level a hundred times lower than the animals. In fact, life for the people of misguidance and heedlessness, and indeed their existence, rather their world, is the day in which they find themselves. From the point of view of their misguidance, all the time and universes of the past are non-existent, are dead. So their intellects, which connect them to the past and the future, produce darkness, blackness for them. And, due to their lack of belief, the future is also non-existent. Furthermore, because they think, the eternal separations resulting from this non-existence continuously produce darkness for their lives.
Whereas, if belief gives life to life, then through the light of belief, both the past and the future are illuminated and find existence. Like present time, it produces elevated and spiritual pleasures and lights of existence for the spirit and heart-in respect of belief.
And so, life is thus. If you want the pleasure and enjoyment of life, give life to your life through belief, and adorn it with religious duties. And preserve it by abstaining from sins.
Concerning the fearsome reality of death, which is demonstrated by deaths every day, in every place, at all times, I shall explain it to you with a comparison, in the same way that I told the other youths.
For example, a gallows has been erected here in front of your eyes. Beside it is a lottery office, but one which gives tickets for truly huge prizes. We people here are ten people, whether we like it or not, we shall be summoned there; there is no other alternative. They will call us, and since the time is secret, any minute they may say either: “Come and collect the ticket for your execution! Mount the gallows!” Or: “A ticket to win a prize of millions of dollars’ worth of gold has come up for you. Come and collect it!” While waiting for them to say this, two people suddenly appear at the door. One of them is a scantily dressed woman, beautiful and deceiving. In her hand is some apparently extremely delicious, but in fact poisonous, candy, which she has brought wanting us to eat it. The other is an undeceiving and undeceivable serious person. He enters behind the woman, and says:
“I have brought you a talisman, a lesson. If you study it, and if you do not eat that candy, you will be saved from the gallows. With this talisman, you will receive your ticket for the matchless prize. Look, you see with your own eyes that those who eat the honey mount those gallows, and until that time they suffer dreadful stomach pains from the poison of the candy. And who it is that will receive the ticket for the large prize is not apparent; it seems that they too mount the gallows. But there are millions of witnesses who testify that they can enter the prize arena easily. So, look from the windows! The highest officials and the high-ranking persons concerned with this business proclaim with loud voices: ‘Just as you see with the clear certainty of your own eyes those mounting the gallows, so also be certain as daylight, with no doubt or misgiving, that those with the talisman receive the ticket for the prize.’ ”
Thus, like the comparison, since the dissolute pleasures of youth in the sphere of the illicit, which are like poisonous honey, lose belief, which is the ticket for an eternal treasury and the passport for everlasting happiness, a person who indulges in them descends to death, which is like the gallows, and to the tribulations of the grave, which is like the door to eternal darkness. And since the appointed hour is unknown, its executioner, not differentiating between young and old, may come at any time to cut off your head. If you give up illicit desires, which are like the poisonous honey, and acquire belief and perform the religious duties, which are the Holy Book’s talisman, one hundred and twenty-four thousand prophets together with innumerable saints and people of truth have unanimously announced that you shall receive the ticket for the treasury of eternal happiness which comes up from the extraordinary lottery of human destiny. And they have pointed to traces of it.
IN SHORT: Youth will go. And if it goes being squandered, it results in thousands of calamities and pains both in this world and in the Hereafter. And if you want to understand how the majority of such youths end up in hospitals with imagined diseases arising from misspent youth and prodigality, and in prisons or hostels for the destitute through their excesses, and in bars due to the distress arising from their pain and suffering, then go and ask at the hospitals, prisons and graveyards.
For sure, just as you will hear from most of the hospitals the moans and groans of those ill from dissipation and debauchery resulting from the drives of youth, so too will you hear from the prisons the regretful sighs of unhappy youths who are being punished for illicit actions mostly resulting from the excesses of youth. And you will understand that most of the torments of the grave-that Intermediate Realm the doors of which continuously open and shut for those who enter it-are the result of misspent youth, as is testified to by those who have divined the life of the grave, and is affirmed by the people of truth.
Also, ask the elderly and the sick, who form the majority of mankind. Certainly, the great majority of them will say with sorrow and regret: “Alas! We wasted our youth on passion and fancy; indeed, harmfully. Be careful, do not do as we did!” Because, as a consequence of the illicit pleasures of five to ten years’ youth, a person suffers years of grief and sorrow in this world, torment and harm in the Intermediate Realm, and the calamities of Hell in the Hereafter. And although such a person is in a most pitiable situation, he in no way deserves pity. For those who freely consent to indulge in harmful actions may not be pitied. They are not worthy of it.
Why was Satan created? Questions related to Satan according to Quran -1
Guest Author – Serkan Tufan
In this series of article, you will find your questions about Satan answered according to the main resources of Quran. Islam gives comprehensive and heart-mind satisfying answers about the creation of Satans. Here is one of the most fundamental questions:
Question 1: First of all, Satan and his helpers’ attack on believers and people leaving faith because of their constant harm, thus, resulting people going to hell seems the worst and disastrous situation. How would The Lord of mercy and compassion, The Most Beautiful let this awful and dreadful thing to happen to people?
Answer: There are few disadvantages of existence and work of Satan, whereas there are many advantages for humanity that come with His existence. Just as there are many layers, levels and stages between a seed and a mighty tree, there are more levels in human’s spiritual growth, humanity and abilities. To activate this growth, there is need for struggle and effort. This struggle can only be experienced with the creation of Satan and evil things that are always a challenge to humankind. Otherwise, like angels, people’s level and value would have remained stable. God would not allow mankind stay as a narrow/limited species. It was against His justice and wisdom to leave wonderful outcomes in order to prevent little bad to happen.
Yes, many people may go to hell because of Satan, but the value is in quality rather than quantity. Think about a farmer who eventually had 10 trees out of 1010 seeds he had planted, the benefit came from ten seeds that developed into a tree eliminates the harm came from 1000 seeds that went bad. Just like this, with their struggle against Satan and their ego (nefs), some people reach the level of stars and give great honor and enlightment to humankind. This great value and highness eliminates and shadows the harm that some very despicable ones do by denying all the values. That is why the mercy, justice and wisdom of God allow the existence of Satan and His attacks. The weapon of believers is asking forgiveness of God, surrendering to God and asking protection from Satan.
Here is a part from Chapter (Surah) Al-Hicr (Stone land) in Quran that teaches us how Satan’s role in human’s life started:
15.26: And certainly We created man of clay that gives forth sound, of black mud fashioned in shape.
15.27: And the jinn We created before, of intensely hot fire.
15.28: And when your Lord said to the angels: Surely I am going to create a mortal of the essence of black mud fashioned in shape.
15.29: So when I have made him complete and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down making obeisance to him.
15.30: So the angels made obeisance, all of them together,
15.31: But Iblis (Satan) (did it not); he refused to be with those who made obeisance.
15.32: He said: O Iblis! what excuse have you that you are not with those who make obeisance?
15.33: He said: I am not such that I should make obeisance to a mortal whom Thou hast created of the essence of black mud fashioned in shape.
15.34: He said: Then get out of it, for surely you are driven away:
15.35: And surely on you is curse until the day of judgment.
15.36: He said: My Lord! then respite me till the time when they are raised.
15.37: He said: So surely you are of the respited ones
15.38: Till the period of the time made known.
15.39: He said: My Lord! because Thou hast made life evil to me, I will certainly make (evil) fair-seeming to them on earth, and I will certainly cause them all to deviate
15.40: Except Thy servants from among them, the devoted ones.
15.41: He said: This is a right way with Me:
15.42: Surely. as regards My servants, you have no authority ,over them except those who follow you of the deviators.
15.43: And surely Hell is the promised place of them all:
15.44: It has seven gates; for every gate there shall be a separate party of them.
15.45: Surely those who guard (against evil) shall be in the midst of gardens and fountains:
15.46: Enter them in peace, secure.
15.47: And We will root out whatever of rancor is in their breasts — (they shall be) as brethren, on raised couches, face to face.
15.48: Toil shall not afflict them in it, nor shall they be ever ejected from it.
15.49: Inform My servants that I am the Forgiving, the Merciful,
15.50: And that My punishment — that is the painful punishment.
In the next article, we will answer the question: “Why did God create a terrible creature like Satan? Creation of Satan is a bad thing. Is not God above all deficiencies and bad things?”
Resources:
-Holy Quran (Yusuf Ali translation)
-Risale-i Nur Collection on Quran Commentary –Said Nursi
Why was Satan created? Questions related to Satan according to Quran -2
Guest Author – Serkan Tufan
In this article, we will answer Question 2: “Why did God create a terrible creature like Satan? Creation of Satan is a bad thing. Is not God above all deficiencies and bad things?”
Answer: Creation of things is not bad in nature. What is bad is to commit, gain and apply bad things. God’s creation aims whole results and ends but people’s individual applications are only related to specific results for themselves. In other words, God creates for the good of whole humanity and there is wisdom and good coming out of everything He created. For instance, when rain comes to the earth, this has thousands of benefits and results for humankind and all of it is good. Yet, if a person was harmed because of his not taking precautions (he did not take his umbrella in a rainy day or he built a house right next to a river), he has no right to say : ” Oh, there is no mercy in creation of rain” or “the creation of rain is evil”. Indeed, with his exploition and his earning, rain became harmful for his sake.
Another example, there are many benefits and good in the creation of fire. When someone get harmed because of his negligence and exploitation, he cannot argue: “the creation of fire is evil” since fire was not created only to burn his hand, but, perhaps, he misused it by putting his hands in flame.
In conclusion, to have a greater good, it is acceptable to have little bad things and sufferings. For instance, when your country is invaded and you have to prepare an army to fight back, it is obvious you will have some financial loss, live loss, and health losses. Yet, there is a great good in this war, because of this war, your country will be yours and you will be free again. If we avoid making those relatively little harms to ourselves, then we must face vast losses, we will lose our country, our lives, and our freedom. This is total injustice and a huge harm. This is just like to cut a finger that have gangrene in order to save the rest of the body. Thus, in this case, cutting off this finger is good, altough theoretically it is a horrible thing. If the doctors do not cut the finger, a few days later, they will have to cut off the whole hand, which is the great disaster.
Thus, like satan, creation of bad things, disasters and harms in the universe is not bad at all, because they have important and great missions, and great results for humankind. For instance, we had examples of how a person can gain greater levels of humanity and servanthood by fighting and coping with satan in previous article. In Islam, the negative sides in your life can become super-speeded elevators for your spiritual growth. For example, let’s take a person who has incredibly high concupiscence (feelings and hormones for opposite gender). Satan uses this side of humanity most often. However, when this person fight and struggle against satan in this case and keeps his dignity and stay away from sin (which is very hard), he might deserve a high sainthood by protecting himself for the sake of God and by saving his chastity. Perhaps, he could not have reached this level of spiritual growth and this much of God’s love even if he performed thousands of prayers every day.
We know that diamond and coal are from the exact same material, but they become so different because of chemical process. Just like humans; we are also from the same material, flesh and bones, however, some of us have a diamond soul, whereas others have coal characters compared to others. World is a place where God gives us a chance/ our life, opportunities we have, our free will, our strengths and great potential to become a diamond or become a piece of coal. And if there had not been such things like disasters, satan, evil and all bad things, every human would have stayed in the same level, as passive, low beings and we would never have had a chance to meet people like Ebu Bakr, who is one of the most beloved servant of Allah and we could not have differentiated him from those like Ebu Cahl, who has been one of the most evil ones in the world.
Folowing are some verses from Quran (Chapter El-Nisa (the women) that explain satan’s mission and what people whould do in order to get protection from satan:
4:116 Allah forgiveth not (The sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, Hath strayed far, far away (from the right).
4:117 They do not call besides Him on anything but idols, and they do not call on anything but a rebellious Shaitan (Satan).
4:118 Allah has cursed him and he(Satan) said: Most certainly I will take of Thy servants an appointed portion:
4:119 “And most certainly I will lead them astray and excite in them vain desires, and bid them so that they shall slit the ears of the cattle, and most certainly I will bid them so that they shall alter Allah’s creation; and whoever takes the Shaitan for a guardian rather than Allah he indeed shall suffer a manifest loss.
4:120 Satan makes them promises, and creates in them false desires; but satan’s promises are nothing but deception.
4:121 They (his dupes) will have their dwelling in Hell, and from it they will find no way of escape.
4:122 And (as for) those who believe and do good, We will make them enter into gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein for ever; (it is) a promise of Allah, true (indeed), and who is truer of word than Allah?
4:123 (This) shall not be in accordance with your vain desires nor in accordance with the vain desires of the followers of the Book; whoever does evil, he shall be requited with it, and besides Allah he will find for himself neither a guardian nor a helper.
4:124 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.
4:125 Who can be better in religion than one who submits his whole self to Allah, does good, and follows the way of Abraham the true in Faith? For Allah did take Abraham for a friend.
4:126 And whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is Allah’s; and Allah encompasses all things.
Sources: Quran translation from Shakir and Yusuf Ali
Quran commentary by Risale-i Nur by Bediuzzaman
September 7, 2008 at 3:25 am
Have you ever had a disastrous situation that turned out to be perfect?
Guest Author – Serkan Tufan
I was listening to a radio talk by a young men about his life story. This men, in his 30’s now, had to work at a craftsmen workplace since he was a little kid. He gained extraordinary talents and become a wanted artist at the age of 18 in the country he lives as a Muslim. He had all the money and fame. He did not know what to do with this life, then he started drinking, having a party life, and gambling. He got married and had a beautiful son. One day, a religious man and his wife came and said: We would like to welcome you to the neighborhood, here are some books that might be interesting. He looks at one of them: “Death and beyond” by Imam Gazhali. The books have been left in a corner, untouched….He never remembered them…
When his son was 4 years old, he saw this amazing dream, in which he was having a traffic accident and dying. He was shocked and that night, he was for the first time in her life, woken up by the call to prayer (athan – ezan) that is announced from mosques in the very early morning, he felt he had to pray morning prayer. He, as much as he know and remember from childhood, prayed. This waking up situation lasted about 5 consecutive days, while he was waking up at 8 am every day, he was waking up at 5 am that whole week with the beautiful sound of athan. In the sixth night, he unfortunately drank a lot and he missed , so he could not wake up for the call for prayer as he passed out. He was feeling horrible that day and had not driven his car, nor he had used any transportation because of his fear. But he had to travel with a truck to another city for his job that day, and he finds a chauffeur to drive him and two other friends. They barely fit into the truck which had 3 person capacity. Unfortunately, what he feared has happened as the chauffeur could not make wild turn and the truck got upside down. He was thrown in a hole in the land, until a couple of men tried to help him by pulling his legs and arms and trying to carry him, unfortunately, he had severely injured backbones and a no-healing paralyzed situation. After months of treatment, while he was thinking he could maybe walk again, the doctor harshly announced that he needed him out because no other progress is possible. His world turned upside down and that moment he could not bare it anymore, he committed suicide taking all the sleep medicines he had. At the exact moment, his 4 year old jumps into the room and gives her a fathers day present. That makes him immediately throw everything out, and decide to bare the life for him and his wife.
After some time, he tells his wife that he will not be able to walk again, they cry together for hours. His wife never leaves him, taking good care of him along with his mom. After he stay home frustrated and depressed, he becomes really aggressive and hostile to everyone, he cannot accept the fact that this happened to him. Starts thinking about death again…He then decides to find a job, and sells bread in a little bakery. While he has lots of time to think and read, he starts thinking about reading books, and his wife gives these books that the religious man and his wife gave to him. He looks at the cover: “Death and beyond” by Imam Gazhali. Starts reading immediately. Finds everything he was looking for, the answers and the remedies to all of his pains. As he becomes God-conscious, he starts living his life with much happiness, learning about Allah, Islam, and what these offer him, he decides that the only thing that might cure our material and spiritual illnesses is learning about our God and the meaning of life.
Then he finds out that the house they rented is for sale, he wanted to buy, but with what money? He , out of nowhere is called by the bank and they let him know that he accumulated that much money and retirement because of his dues that are paid for years….He never know about this and becomes extremely happy. He , while buying the apartment, figures out that upstairs is also sold with this offer. So he owns and lives in one, rents another. He was blessed with incredible bounties, that all came after this accident. He says at one point, “with the incredible pains and sufferings I had, I am so glad to have this accident, it gave me everything in life, a totally different perspective, meaning of life, introduced me to my religion, helped me pray regularly, become a beautiful loving person who I am now, look at all the things and bounties in life, my beautiful family and being able to thank Allah. I never had that much treasure before”, he says.
I was incredibly impressed by his story he tells in the radio. I thought how Allah intends everything an outlet to take us to the right path. How disasters in life becomes examination and might be a way to reach higher levels of humanity and servanthood. It is incredible. I think this was also the wife’s examination, and she successfully passed that. He now even thinks that I am so happy that even if I die, I have two houses which will be enough for my family to survive.
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Look, then, to the signs of God’s mercy-how He restores life to the earth after its death-verily He it is Who quickens the dead, for He is powerful over all things(Qur’an, 30;50)
A fine point concerning this mighty verse, together with another about the following mighty verse,
God! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self Subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep, (Qur’an, 2;255)
together with a manifestation of the Name of Ever-Living, which is the Greatest Name or one of the two lights of the Greatest Name or one light of its six lights, appeared to my mind in the distance in the month of Shawwal in Eskisehir Prison. I did not record it, for at the time I was unable to swiftly capture that sacred bird. Now after it has drawn away, I shall at least point out briefly by means of a number of `Signs’ a few rays of that supreme truth and sublime light.
* FIRST SIGN
The index-like answer to the questions “What is life?” “What is its true nature and purpose?”, which are a greatest manifestation of the Names of Ever-Living and Giver of Life, is this:
Life is:
* the most important aim of the universe;
* and its greatest result;
* and its most brilliant light;
* and its subtlest leaven;
* and its distilled essence;
* and its most perfect fruit;
* and its most elevated perfection;
* and its finest beauty
* and its most beautiful adornment;
* and the secret of its undividedness;
* and the bond of its unity;
* and the source of its perfections;
* and in regard to art and nature, a most wondrous being endowed with spirit;
* and a miraculous reality which makes the tiniest creature like a universe;
* and in addition to its being the means of the universe being situated in a tiny animate creature, and its showing a sort of index of the huge universe in the creature, it is a most extraordinary miracle of Divine power which connects the animate creature to most beings and makes it a tiny universe;
* and it is a wondrous Divine art which enlarges a tiny part to being the greatest whole and makes a particular like a universal or world, and shows that in regard to dominicality the universe is an indivisible whole or universal that cannot be broken into parts and which accepts no participation;
* and it is the most brilliant, the most decisive, the most perfect of proofs testifying to the necessary existence of the Ever-Living and Self Subsistent One; and among Divine artefacts is the lightest and most apparent, and the most valuable and the most abundant, and the purest, most shining, and most meaningful embroidery of dominical art;
* and it is a graceful, refined, delicate manifestation of Divine mercy which makes other beings serve itself;
* and it is a most comprehensive mirror of the Divine attributes;
* and it is a wonder of dominical creation comprising the manifestations of numerous Most Beautiful Names like Merciful, Provider, Compassionate, Munificent, and All-Wise, which subjects to itself many truths like sustenance, wisdom, grace, and mercy, and is the source and origin of all the senses like sight, hearing, and touch;
* and life is a transformation-machine in the vast workshop of the universe which continuously cleanses everywhere, purifies, allows progress, and illuminates. And living bodies, the dwellings of life, are guest-houses, schools, barracks for instructing and illuminating the caravans of particles, enabling them to perform their duties. Quite simply the EverLiving Self-Subsistent One makes subtle this dark, transient, lowly world, illuminates it and gives it a sort of permanence, preparing it to go to another, everlasting world;
* and life’s two faces, that is, its inner and outer faces, are both shining, elevated, and without dirt or defect. It is an exceptional creature on which apparent causes have not been placed, veiling the disposal of power, in order to show clearly that it has emerged directly without veil or means from the hand of dominical power;
* and the reality of life looks to the six pillars of belief, proving them in meaning and indirectly. That is to say, it is a luminous truth which looks to and proves
* both the necessary existence of the Necessarily Existent One and His eternal life,
* and the realm of the Hereafter and everlasting life,
* and the existence of the angels,
* and the other pillars of belief.
* Also, just as life is the purest essence of the universe, distilled from all of it, so is it a mighty mystery yielding thanks, worship, praise, and love, the most important Divine purposes in the universe and most important results of the world’s creation.
* So consider these twenty-nine significant, valuable characteristics of life, and elevated, general duties. Then look and see the tremendousness of the Name of Ever-Living behind the Name of Giver of Life. Understand too how with these immense characteristics and fruits of life, the Name of Ever-Living is a Greatest Name.
Also understand that since life is the greatect result of the universe, and its greatest aim and most valuable fruit, life too must have a great aim and result as vast as the universe. For like the tree’s result is its fruit, the fruit’s result, too, by means of the seed, is a future tree. Yes, just as the aim and result of this life is eternal life, one of its fruits too is thanks to the Ever-Living Giver of Life and worship and praise of Him and love for Him. And just as this thanks, love, praise and worship are the fruit of life, so are they the aim of the universe.
Understand also from this, with what ugly ignorance and denial, indeed, unbelief, those who say that the purpose of life is “to live comfortably, enjoy oneself heedlessly, and indulge oneself in pleasure” denigrate and insult the most valuable bounty of life, gift of consciousness, and bounty of reason, and what ghastly ingratitude they display.
As for life, if it is without belief, or because of rebelliousness belief is ineffective, it will produce pains, sorrows and grief far exceeding the superficial, fleeting enjoyment and pleasure it brings. Because, since, contrary to the animals, man possesses a mind and he thinks, he is connected to both the present time, and to the past and the future. He can obtain both pain and pleasure from them. Whereas, since the animals do not think, the sorrows arising from the past and the fears and anxieties arising from the future do not spoil their pleasure of the present. And especially if the pleasure is illicit; then it is like an altogether poisonous honey.
That is to say, from the point of view of the pleasure of life, man falls to a level a hundred times lower than the animals. In fact, life for the people of misguidance and heedlessness, and indeed their existence, rather their world, is the day in which they find themselves. From the point of view of their misguidance, all the time and universes of the past are non-existent, are dead. So their intellects, which connect them to the past and the future, produce darkness, blackness for them. And, due to their lack of belief, the future is also non-existent. Furthermore, because they think, the eternal separations resulting from this non-existence continuously produce darkness for their lives.
Whereas, if belief gives life to life, then through the light of belief, both the past and the future are illuminated and find existence. Like present time, it produces elevated and spiritual pleasures and lights of existence for the spirit and heart-in respect of belief.
And so, life is thus. If you want the pleasure and enjoyment of life, give life to your life through belief, and adorn it with religious duties. And preserve it by abstaining from sins.
Concerning the fearsome reality of death, which is demonstrated by deaths every day, in every place, at all times, I shall explain it to you with a comparison, in the same way that I told the other youths.
For example, a gallows has been erected here in front of your eyes. Beside it is a lottery office, but one which gives tickets for truly huge prizes. We people here are ten people, whether we like it or not, we shall be summoned there; there is no other alternative. They will call us, and since the time is secret, any minute they may say either: “Come and collect the ticket for your execution! Mount the gallows!” Or: “A ticket to win a prize of millions of dollars’ worth of gold has come up for you. Come and collect it!” While waiting for them to say this, two people suddenly appear at the door. One of them is a scantily dressed woman, beautiful and deceiving. In her hand is some apparently extremely delicious, but in fact poisonous, candy, which she has brought wanting us to eat it. The other is an undeceiving and undeceivable serious person. He enters behind the woman, and says:
“I have brought you a talisman, a lesson. If you study it, and if you do not eat that candy, you will be saved from the gallows. With this talisman, you will receive your ticket for the matchless prize. Look, you see with your own eyes that those who eat the honey mount those gallows, and until that time they suffer dreadful stomach pains from the poison of the candy. And who it is that will receive the ticket for the large prize is not apparent; it seems that they too mount the gallows. But there are millions of witnesses who testify that they can enter the prize arena easily. So, look from the windows! The highest officials and the high-ranking persons concerned with this business proclaim with loud voices: ‘Just as you see with the clear certainty of your own eyes those mounting the gallows, so also be certain as daylight, with no doubt or misgiving, that those with the talisman receive the ticket for the prize.’ ”
Thus, like the comparison, since the dissolute pleasures of youth in the sphere of the illicit, which are like poisonous honey, lose belief, which is the ticket for an eternal treasury and the passport for everlasting happiness, a person who indulges in them descends to death, which is like the gallows, and to the tribulations of the grave, which is like the door to eternal darkness. And since the appointed hour is unknown, its executioner, not differentiating between young and old, may come at any time to cut off your head. If you give up illicit desires, which are like the poisonous honey, and acquire belief and perform the religious duties, which are the Holy Book’s talisman, one hundred and twenty-four thousand prophets together with innumerable saints and people of truth have unanimously announced that you shall receive the ticket for the treasury of eternal happiness which comes up from the extraordinary lottery of human destiny. And they have pointed to traces of it.
IN SHORT: Youth will go. And if it goes being squandered, it results in thousands of calamities and pains both in this world and in the Hereafter. And if you want to understand how the majority of such youths end up in hospitals with imagined diseases arising from misspent youth and prodigality, and in prisons or hostels for the destitute through their excesses, and in bars due to the distress arising from their pain and suffering, then go and ask at the hospitals, prisons and graveyards.
For sure, just as you will hear from most of the hospitals the moans and groans of those ill from dissipation and debauchery resulting from the drives of youth, so too will you hear from the prisons the regretful sighs of unhappy youths who are being punished for illicit actions mostly resulting from the excesses of youth. And you will understand that most of the torments of the grave-that Intermediate Realm the doors of which continuously open and shut for those who enter it-are the result of misspent youth, as is testified to by those who have divined the life of the grave, and is affirmed by the people of truth.
Also, ask the elderly and the sick, who form the majority of mankind. Certainly, the great majority of them will say with sorrow and regret: “Alas! We wasted our youth on passion and fancy; indeed, harmfully. Be careful, do not do as we did!” Because, as a consequence of the illicit pleasures of five to ten years’ youth, a person suffers years of grief and sorrow in this world, torment and harm in the Intermediate Realm, and the calamities of Hell in the Hereafter. And although such a person is in a most pitiable situation, he in no way deserves pity. For those who freely consent to indulge in harmful actions may not be pitied. They are not worthy of it.
Why was Satan created? Questions related to Satan according to Quran -1
Guest Author – Serkan Tufan
In this series of article, you will find your questions about Satan answered according to the main resources of Quran. Islam gives comprehensive and heart-mind satisfying answers about the creation of Satans. Here is one of the most fundamental questions:
Question 1: First of all, Satan and his helpers’ attack on believers and people leaving faith because of their constant harm, thus, resulting people going to hell seems the worst and disastrous situation. How would The Lord of mercy and compassion, The Most Beautiful let this awful and dreadful thing to happen to people?
Answer: There are few disadvantages of existence and work of Satan, whereas there are many advantages for humanity that come with His existence. Just as there are many layers, levels and stages between a seed and a mighty tree, there are more levels in human’s spiritual growth, humanity and abilities. To activate this growth, there is need for struggle and effort. This struggle can only be experienced with the creation of Satan and evil things that are always a challenge to humankind. Otherwise, like angels, people’s level and value would have remained stable. God would not allow mankind stay as a narrow/limited species. It was against His justice and wisdom to leave wonderful outcomes in order to prevent little bad to happen.
Yes, many people may go to hell because of Satan, but the value is in quality rather than quantity. Think about a farmer who eventually had 10 trees out of 1010 seeds he had planted, the benefit came from ten seeds that developed into a tree eliminates the harm came from 1000 seeds that went bad. Just like this, with their struggle against Satan and their ego (nefs), some people reach the level of stars and give great honor and enlightment to humankind. This great value and highness eliminates and shadows the harm that some very despicable ones do by denying all the values. That is why the mercy, justice and wisdom of God allow the existence of Satan and His attacks. The weapon of believers is asking forgiveness of God, surrendering to God and asking protection from Satan.
Here is a part from Chapter (Surah) Al-Hicr (Stone land) in Quran that teaches us how Satan’s role in human’s life started:
15.26: And certainly We created man of clay that gives forth sound, of black mud fashioned in shape.
15.27: And the jinn We created before, of intensely hot fire.
15.28: And when your Lord said to the angels: Surely I am going to create a mortal of the essence of black mud fashioned in shape.
15.29: So when I have made him complete and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down making obeisance to him.
15.30: So the angels made obeisance, all of them together,
15.31: But Iblis (Satan) (did it not); he refused to be with those who made obeisance.
15.32: He said: O Iblis! what excuse have you that you are not with those who make obeisance?
15.33: He said: I am not such that I should make obeisance to a mortal whom Thou hast created of the essence of black mud fashioned in shape.
15.34: He said: Then get out of it, for surely you are driven away:
15.35: And surely on you is curse until the day of judgment.
15.36: He said: My Lord! then respite me till the time when they are raised.
15.37: He said: So surely you are of the respited ones
15.38: Till the period of the time made known.
15.39: He said: My Lord! because Thou hast made life evil to me, I will certainly make (evil) fair-seeming to them on earth, and I will certainly cause them all to deviate
15.40: Except Thy servants from among them, the devoted ones.
15.41: He said: This is a right way with Me:
15.42: Surely. as regards My servants, you have no authority ,over them except those who follow you of the deviators.
15.43: And surely Hell is the promised place of them all:
15.44: It has seven gates; for every gate there shall be a separate party of them.
15.45: Surely those who guard (against evil) shall be in the midst of gardens and fountains:
15.46: Enter them in peace, secure.
15.47: And We will root out whatever of rancor is in their breasts — (they shall be) as brethren, on raised couches, face to face.
15.48: Toil shall not afflict them in it, nor shall they be ever ejected from it.
15.49: Inform My servants that I am the Forgiving, the Merciful,
15.50: And that My punishment — that is the painful punishment.
In the next article, we will answer the question: “Why did God create a terrible creature like Satan? Creation of Satan is a bad thing. Is not God above all deficiencies and bad things?”
Resources:
-Holy Quran (Yusuf Ali translation)
-Risale-i Nur Collection on Quran Commentary –Said Nursi
Why was Satan created? Questions related to Satan according to Quran -2
Guest Author – Serkan Tufan
In this article, we will answer Question 2: “Why did God create a terrible creature like Satan? Creation of Satan is a bad thing. Is not God above all deficiencies and bad things?”
Answer: Creation of things is not bad in nature. What is bad is to commit, gain and apply bad things. God’s creation aims whole results and ends but people’s individual applications are only related to specific results for themselves. In other words, God creates for the good of whole humanity and there is wisdom and good coming out of everything He created. For instance, when rain comes to the earth, this has thousands of benefits and results for humankind and all of it is good. Yet, if a person was harmed because of his not taking precautions (he did not take his umbrella in a rainy day or he built a house right next to a river), he has no right to say : ” Oh, there is no mercy in creation of rain” or “the creation of rain is evil”. Indeed, with his exploition and his earning, rain became harmful for his sake.
Another example, there are many benefits and good in the creation of fire. When someone get harmed because of his negligence and exploitation, he cannot argue: “the creation of fire is evil” since fire was not created only to burn his hand, but, perhaps, he misused it by putting his hands in flame.
In conclusion, to have a greater good, it is acceptable to have little bad things and sufferings. For instance, when your country is invaded and you have to prepare an army to fight back, it is obvious you will have some financial loss, live loss, and health losses. Yet, there is a great good in this war, because of this war, your country will be yours and you will be free again. If we avoid making those relatively little harms to ourselves, then we must face vast losses, we will lose our country, our lives, and our freedom. This is total injustice and a huge harm. This is just like to cut a finger that have gangrene in order to save the rest of the body. Thus, in this case, cutting off this finger is good, altough theoretically it is a horrible thing. If the doctors do not cut the finger, a few days later, they will have to cut off the whole hand, which is the great disaster.
Thus, like satan, creation of bad things, disasters and harms in the universe is not bad at all, because they have important and great missions, and great results for humankind. For instance, we had examples of how a person can gain greater levels of humanity and servanthood by fighting and coping with satan in previous article. In Islam, the negative sides in your life can become super-speeded elevators for your spiritual growth. For example, let’s take a person who has incredibly high concupiscence (feelings and hormones for opposite gender). Satan uses this side of humanity most often. However, when this person fight and struggle against satan in this case and keeps his dignity and stay away from sin (which is very hard), he might deserve a high sainthood by protecting himself for the sake of God and by saving his chastity. Perhaps, he could not have reached this level of spiritual growth and this much of God’s love even if he performed thousands of prayers every day.
We know that diamond and coal are from the exact same material, but they become so different because of chemical process. Just like humans; we are also from the same material, flesh and bones, however, some of us have a diamond soul, whereas others have coal characters compared to others. World is a place where God gives us a chance/ our life, opportunities we have, our free will, our strengths and great potential to become a diamond or become a piece of coal. And if there had not been such things like disasters, satan, evil and all bad things, every human would have stayed in the same level, as passive, low beings and we would never have had a chance to meet people like Ebu Bakr, who is one of the most beloved servant of Allah and we could not have differentiated him from those like Ebu Cahl, who has been one of the most evil ones in the world.
Folowing are some verses from Quran (Chapter El-Nisa (the women) that explain satan’s mission and what people whould do in order to get protection from satan:
4:116 Allah forgiveth not (The sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, Hath strayed far, far away (from the right).
4:117 They do not call besides Him on anything but idols, and they do not call on anything but a rebellious Shaitan (Satan).
4:118 Allah has cursed him and he(Satan) said: Most certainly I will take of Thy servants an appointed portion:
4:119 “And most certainly I will lead them astray and excite in them vain desires, and bid them so that they shall slit the ears of the cattle, and most certainly I will bid them so that they shall alter Allah’s creation; and whoever takes the Shaitan for a guardian rather than Allah he indeed shall suffer a manifest loss.
4:120 Satan makes them promises, and creates in them false desires; but satan’s promises are nothing but deception.
4:121 They (his dupes) will have their dwelling in Hell, and from it they will find no way of escape.
4:122 And (as for) those who believe and do good, We will make them enter into gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein for ever; (it is) a promise of Allah, true (indeed), and who is truer of word than Allah?
4:123 (This) shall not be in accordance with your vain desires nor in accordance with the vain desires of the followers of the Book; whoever does evil, he shall be requited with it, and besides Allah he will find for himself neither a guardian nor a helper.
4:124 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.
4:125 Who can be better in religion than one who submits his whole self to Allah, does good, and follows the way of Abraham the true in Faith? For Allah did take Abraham for a friend.
4:126 And whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is Allah’s; and Allah encompasses all things.
Sources: Quran translation from Shakir and Yusuf Ali
Quran commentary by Risale-i Nur by Bediuzzaman
peace blessings God willing