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Reading Islam
» Ask About Islam
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Last Update: 07:17 GMT, Tuesday, Feb. 09, 2010
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| Question and
Answer Details |
| Name of Questioner |
Muhammad
- India
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| Title: |
Punishments for Wrongdoers… Why? |
| Date |
14/Jan/2004 |
| Question |
As-salamu `alaykum,
My question is: Why has Allah Almighty allotted so dreadful and unimaginable punishments for the wrongdoers? Why is Allah Almighty so hard on the wrongdoers?
After all, we are all His creations. We are humans and Allah has created us in such a way that we tend to commit sins. This is human nature.
I would be grateful if you could help me sort out this query of mine, as it will help me in following Islam better.
Thank you.
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| Topic |
Islamic Creed
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| Name of Counselor |
Ahmad Saad
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| Answer
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Salam Muhammad,
Thank you for your question.
Actually I like your question very much; it is an interesting one! In fact, Allah is never harsh on anyone, for Allah is the source of mercy and the Creator of kindness. His mercy extends to encompass all things and protect all creatures. Almighty Allah says what means:
*{My mercy encompasses all things…}* (Al-A`raf 7:156)
It is out of His mercy that He has created us in this form. It is out of His mercy that He has guided us to the straight path and given us the faculties with which we can see, hear, and understand. It is out of His mercy that He opens the doors to all those who repent and return to him.
It was reported that a man worshiped Allah for forty years and then disobeyed Him for forty years. While he was standing in front of the mirror he saw that his hair was turning grey, so he cried, “My Lord! If I am to go back to You in repentance, would You ever accept me?”
He heard a voice from behind, “You did obey Us and We loved you, then you disobeyed and We granted you a chance to return. Now you are back, and We surely accept you.”
The Messenger of Allah said that Allah makes mercy of one hundred parts. He revealed one part of it to the earth. It is by this single part that the creatures show compassion among themselves; that is why you see an animal raise its foot so as not to harm its young.
Mercifulness is an attribute of our Lord that befits His majesty and does not resemble that of His creatures in any way. He is the Most-Merciful of those who show mercy and His mercy encompasses everything. The angels of mercy, while invoking for the believers, praise their Lord by this great attribute. They say what means:
*{Our Lord, You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge. So, forgive those who repent and follow Your way and save them from the torment of the blazing fire.}* (Ghafir 40:7)
It is the duty of human beings to bear this in mind and be grateful to Allah for His mercy. It is their duty to avoid sinning or violating His laws and commandments. Yet, they revolt and deviate on purpose. Allah's law is that He forgives those who err when they repent and feel remorseful. It is out of His mercy that He grants forgiveness and mercy to those who deserve it and those who work for it, not to the lazy or the idle.
In a final exam, only those who studied hard get the high mark. Also, even those who have taken a look at the book would pass with a merciful teacher who overlooks the many mistakes. Only those who never tried will fail.
By the same token, only those who stay away and reject Allah's mercy will never get it.
Yes, Allah created us as humans and we tend to err by nature. Still, He told us that if we leave these [evil] desires and tendency to sin for His Sake, He will grant us a mighty reward. In our attempt to gain the reward, we may fall sometimes and fail to do what we are commanded to do. In such a case, Allah will grant us forgiveness and help us get the desired reward.
But what about those who never take the initiative, those who remain idle, those who stay away, those who never try? It is their responsibility and their biggest mistake, for which they are accounted and punished.
Mankind needs both mercy and punishment, for there are some people who need that kind of treatment: to be threatened with punishment and shown mercy. In the first case, their fear will lead them to work hard, and in the second case, mercy will let them sharpen their weapons against temptation. They need both the carrot and the stick at the same time, for both are vital in making them proceed.
Here, this warning of punishment is also a kind of mercy, for nothing is without its ending and outcome. The outcome here will be that such a person will listen and fear and do what is good. Thus, he leads his way towards Paradise. How great a mercy this is?
If such a person resists this mercy, then he reaps the fruit of his own evil and taste the bitterness of his actions. Allah helps only those who want to help themselves. I mean, what would the mercy and kindness of Allah do to those who say to it “Go away! Thank you, we do not need you”?
Allah did not leave Man for delusions; rather, He tried to help him find the right way to Paradise and be Muslim by sending messengers and prophets. Allah says what means:
*{And when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their backs, their descendants, and made them bear witness against their own souls: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes! we bear witness. Lest you should say on the day of resurrection: Surely we were heedless of this.}* (Al-A`raf 7:172)
However, many people revolted against their prophets and messengers and rejected the messages they brought. It was for this that Allah Almighty gave them the punishment of going to Hellfire.
Thus, it is people themselves who choose their way, after receiving warning from Allah through His prophets and messengers. Prophets warned people of the grave punishment waiting for the disobedient. However, some people insisted and gave them a deaf ear. They became non-Muslims and deserved the punishment. Allah's will was to put people to the test and people chose for themselves.
Man was given the faculties to see and comprehend. When he stops using such faculties and gaining the benefit they are created to yield, he commits a sin and degrades himself to a rank lower than that of an animal. What a degraded destiny Man places himself in and what a dreadful punishment he subjects himself to.
Almighty Allah says what means:
*{Already have We urged unto hell many of the jinn and humankind, having hearts wherewith they understand not, and having eyes wherewith they see not, and having ears wherewith they hear not. These are as the cattle nay, but they are worse! These are the neglectful.}* (Al-A`raf 7:179)
I hope this can help. Please write back should you need more information. Thank you and please keep in touch.
Salam.
Useful Link:
Allah Is Merciful: Why Punishment?
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