Library God The Justice of God B. CATEGORIES OF TEST & SUFFERING
B. CATEGORIES OF TEST & SUFFERING
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B. CATEGORIES OF TEST & SUFFERING
The tests and trials may be divided into two categories:
First is the test by the rules of the shari’ah and tenets of faith. As already explained, God sent the shari’ah with the prophets, and man is expected to believe in the true religion sincerely and obey its rules faithfully.
The second category is the harder one, and that is by sufferings. Allah says in the Quran:
Verily, We shall put you to test with some fear, and hunger, and with some loss of wealth, lives, and offsprings. And (O Muhammad) convey good tidings to those who are patient, who say, when inflicted by hardship, "Verily we are of God and verily to Him shall we return;" upon them is the blessings of Allah and His mercy. (2:155)
There are innumerable miseries, accidents, floods, earthquakes; fires, robbery, war, riot, famine, epidemics‑all such things have effect upon our lives: We are being tested as how we react to them. Does our faith remain unshaken? Have we proved ourselves as pillar of courage to sustain the hopes of others? Have we shown fortitude and patience in face of these disasters? Our ever‑lasting happiness depends upon the result of these tests.
Sufferings can be attributed to any one or more of the following three causes:
1. The suffering which is G result of our own negligence or carelessness. A man overlooks the rules of hygiene and falls ill. He himself is the immediate cause of his suffering, and his affliction is the natural consequence of his carelessness. In strict legal sense, there is no sin in it. It is a self‑inflicted harm. Nobody else is involved in it. He may, if he wants, blame himself.
2.The second cause of suffering is nature; such sufferings are described by us as 'the act of God.' Earthquake, cyclone, storms and such other natural incidents which are beyond human control come in this category. Such incidents are necessary to run the machinery of the world according to planned and systematic way. Nevertheless, the sufferer and his worth is put to test by these sufferings.
3. The third is the suffering which is caused by other person or persons. This is the most complicated type of suffering. A tyrant ruler, an irritating neighbour, a disobedient child, a heartless enemy, an indisciplined subordinate, a boasting superior, a dishonest customer, a cheating partner, a torturing spouse, an unjust arbitrator‑these are some of the examples given at random. A man has to suffer in all these cases, whether willing or unwilling, often without any fault of his own.
