Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Burhan:

Almost all most Muslim countries are backward in development, in education, in science and industry, agriculture and medical facilities, social equalities... Most Muslims live in dirt and squalor and under dictatorial rule of either Military Rulers or Dictatorial Monarchs, all of whom have failed their subjects during war and in peace.

Does Allah really look after the ordinary Muslims or only after their Masters.

Look at the wonderful and a succesful country like India, where the Muslims are more educated, succesful, progressive, 'free' and 'happy' than those in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Do the Gods of 'Hindus' look after them better than Allah?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Hindus god look after subjects

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: Does Allah really look after the ordinary Muslims or only after their Masters.

Beloved and dear Brother in Islam, whatever has been bestowed upon an individual or a nation, muslim or non-muslim, man or woman, leaders or subjects, kings or paupers, etc. is bestowed according to the Will and Plan of the One Same One Lord, Allah Subhanah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran in Chapter 67 Surah Al Mulk verse 2: He (Allah) created death and life that He may test you, to see which of you is the best in deeds.

The Lord All Mighty does not bestow anything upon anyone in the life of this transitory world on the merit of the individual or the nation, but as a test. Each individual, each nation, each leader, each pauper is involved in the test of life; and the results of this test will be declared on the Day of Resurrection in the Presence of the Majestic and Just Lord.

Allah has bestowed two things on the human being (and the Jinn) which He, in His Supreme Wisdom and Knowledge, has not bestowed on any in His creation; and thus involved only these two species in a test.

Intelligence or the Power of Reasoning

A ‘free will’ to choose the path one wishes to tread for the period of this test.

If one, no matter whether he is the king or the pauper, uses his bestowed intelligence and power of reasoning, recognizes his Lord and the favors He has bestowed upon him, and of his own free will, submits his bestowed will to the Will of his Creator; he will pass the given test.

And the ones who reject and deny the Signs of their Creator, refuse to use their intelligence and power of reasoning to recognize their Lord and His favors, and choose of their own free will to follow any other path than the one approved by his Creator; he will fail the test miserably!

It is indeed true that if one looks at the muslim world around us today, almost all the nations are ruled by unrighteous and un-Godly rulers! But then, even the vast majority of their subjects are glad to run after the mirages of this transitory world! For the period of this one short life, the All-Wise Lord has allowed each, the masters and their subjects, to choose the path they wish to tread; and He is keeping a full record of the deeds of each individual. Only on the Day of Resurrection will the Lord Judge with Justice who passed the test, and who failed it miserably!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 200-202:

200 ….There are men who say: "Our Lord! give us (thy bounties) in this world!" but they will have no portion in the hereafter.

201 And there are men who say: "Our Lord! give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment on the fire!"

202 To these will be allotted what they have earned and Allah is quick in account.

For those who think that the collection of wealth and status and glory in the life of this world is a measure of their success, they will be in for a rude surprise on the Day of Resurrection! But those who believed in the guidance of the Lord, and recognized and prepared for the test, and believed and did righteous good deeds according to the Criterion revealed by their Lord, will be the ones who will taste the real measure of success in the everlasting and never ending life of the Hereafter.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verses 18-20:

18 If any do wish for the transitory things (of this life), We readily grant them--such things as We Will to such persons as We Will: in the end have We provided Hell for them: they will burn therein disgraced and rejected.

19 Those who do wish for the (things of) the Hereafter and strive therefore with all due striving, and have Faith; they are the ones whose striving is acceptable (to Allah).

20 Of the bounties of thy Lord We bestow freely on all these as well as those: the bounties of thy Lord are not closed (to anyone).

Q-2: Do the Gods of 'Hindus' look after them better than Allah?

Beloved and dear Brother in Islam, first and foremost, there is no god except the One and Only Lord Who Created everything in existence! It is Allah Alone Who Provides for everyone in existence, be they believers or non-believers!

If today it seems that most non-believing nations have been provided with more of the treasures and powers of this world; one should not believe that the Lord All-Mighty is Pleased with them or Approves of their deeds! The Sunnah or ‘Way of Allah Subhanah’ is that when he wants to put a people in a trial, he increases their share of the worldly pleasures and allows them to do as they please in their disobedience for the test period of this one short transitory life; for in the end they all have to return back to Him for a full and just Accounting!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 44:

44 But when they forget the warning they had received, We opened to them the gates of all (good) things until in the midst of their enjoyment of Our gifts, on a sudden, We called them to account when lo! they were plunged in despair!

45 Of the wrong-doers the last remnant was cut off! Praise be to Allah the Cherisher of the worlds

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 16: When We decide to destroy a population We (first) send a definite order to those among them who are given the good things of this life and yet transgress; so that the word is proved true against them: then (it is) We Who destroy them utterly.

Thus my beloved and dear brother in Islam, let not the wealth and splendour, and the status and the power of the disbelievers beguile you regarding the Truth of the life of this short and transitory world! The accumulation of these are not the measures of success and failure in the sight of the Creator! These are but trials of the life of this world; for the truly successful are only the ones who are successful in the life of the Hereafter!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 43 Surah Zukhruf verses 33-35:

33 And were it not that (all) men might become of one (evil) way of life, We would provide for everyone that blasphemes against (Allah) Most Gracious silver roofs for their houses, and (silver) stair-ways on which to go up.

34 And (silver) doors to their houses, and thrones (of silver) on which they could recline!

35 And also adornments of gold. But all this were nothing but conveniences of the present life: the Hereafter in the sight of thy Lord is (but) for the Righteous.

None understood this test of life better than the Messenger of Allah (saws); and only if we truly follow his guidance, will we ever be able to comprehend the reality and Truth of the matter.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.435 (part) Narrated by Ibn Abbas

Then the Prophet (saws) admitted me and I narrated the story to Allah's Messenger (saws). When I reached the story of Um Salama, Allah's Messenger (saws) smiled while he was lying on a mat made of palm tree leaves with nothing between him and the mat. Underneath his head there was a leather pillow stuffed with palm fibres, and leaves of a saut tree were piled at his feet, and above his head hung a few water skins. On seeing the marks of the mat imprinted on his side, I wept. He (saws) said, 'Why are you weeping?' I replied, 'O Allah's Messenger (saws)! Caesar (the King of Rome) and Khosrau (the King of Persia) are leading the life (i.e. luxurious life) while you, Allah's Messenger though you are, is living in (such) destitute.' The Prophet (saws) then replied, 'Won't you be satisfied that they enjoy this world and we the Hereafter?' "

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan