Hamza Andreas Tzortzis (born 1980) is a British public speaker and researcher on Islam. A British Muslim convert of Greek heritage, he was at one time associated with extreme positions and extremists. Tzortzis has distanced himself from allegations of extremism, and says he preaches about peace and compassion. He considers himself just Muslim. If you want to know how the Islamic intellectual and spiritual tradition answers these questions then this is the book for you.Hamza Andreas Tzortzis’s new book presents a much needed comprehensive account of Islamic theism that draws upon Western and Islamic thought. Hamza Tzortzis is an international speaker, writer and instructor.

1. Hamza Andreas Tzortzisall Islamic Content In One Places
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When I was a child, my parents would always chide me for trying to drink my grandfather’s whisky. You can imagine, an active and inquisitive young child observing his grandfather sip this thick, gold, smooth liquid. I wanted some! However, every time I attempted to secretly drink the enticing beverage, I would get into big trouble. I never understood why, thus negative thoughts about my parents would race through my mind. Fast-forward many years: I now realise why they didn’t allow me to drink my grandfather’s whisky, it could have poisoned me. A 40 percent volume alcoholic drink would not have been pleasant on my young stomach or liver. However, when I was younger, I did not have access to the wisdom that formed the basis of my parents’ decision, yet I thought I was justified in my negativity towards them.

This sums up the atheist attitude towards God when trying to understand evil and suffering in the world (note: this doesn’t apply to all atheists). The above story is not intended to belittle the suffering and pain that people experience. As human beings we must feel empathy and find ways of alleviating people’s hardships. However, the example is meant to raise a conceptual point. Due to a valid and genuine concern for human and other sentient beings, many atheists argue that the existence of a powerful and merciful[1] God is incompatible with the existence of evil and suffering in the world. If He is The-Merciful, He should want the evil and suffering to stop, and if He is All-Powerful, He should be able to stop it. However, since there is evil and suffering, it means that either He is not powerful, or He lacks mercy, or both.

The evil and suffering argument is a very weak one because it is based on two major false assumptions. The first concerns the nature of God. It implies that God is only The-Merciful and All-Powerful, thereby isolating two attributes and ignoring others that the Qur’an has revealed about God. The second assumption is that God has provided us with no reasons for why He has allowed evil and suffering to exist.[2] This is not true. Islamic revelation provides us with many reasons for why God has allowed evil and suffering to exist. Both assumptions will be addressed below.

Is God only The-Merciful and All-Powerful?

According to the Qur’an, God is Al-Qadeer, meaning the All-Powerful, and Ar-Rahmaan, meaning The-Merciful, which also implies compassion. Islam requires that mankind know and believe in a God of power, mercy and goodness. However, the atheist grossly misrepresents the comprehensive Islamic conception of God. God is not only The-Merciful and All-Powerful; rather, He has many names and attributes. These are understood holistically via God’s oneness. For instance, one of His names is Al-Hakeem, meaning the The-Wise. Since the very nature of God is wisdom, it follows that whatever He wills is in line with Divine wisdom. When something is explained by an underlying wisdom, it implies a reason for its occurrence. In this light, the atheist reduces God to two attributes and by doing so builds a straw man, thereby engaging in an irrelevant monologue.

The writer Alom Shaha, who wrote TheYoung Atheist’s Handbook, responds to the assertion that Divine wisdom is an explanation for evil and suffering by describing it as an intellectual cop-out:

“The problem of evil genuinely stumps most ordinary believers. In my experience, they usually respond with an answer along the lines of, ‘God moves in mysterious ways.’ Sometimes they’ll say, ‘Suffering is God’s way of testing us,’ to which the obvious response is, ‘Why does he have to test us in such evil ways’ To which the response is, ‘God moves in mysterious ways.’ You get the idea.”^[3]

Alom, like many other atheists, commits the fallacy of argumentum ad ignoratium, arguing from ignorance. Just because he cannot access Divine wisdom does not mean it does not exist. This reasoning is typical of toddlers. Many children are scolded by their parents for something they want to do, such as eating too many sweets. The toddlers usually cry or have a tantrum because they think how bad mummy and daddy are, but the child does not realise that the wisdom underlying their objection (in this case, too many sweets are bad for their teeth). Furthermore, this contention misunderstands the definition and nature of God. Since God is transcendent, knowing and wise, then it logically follows that limited human beings cannot fully comprehend the Divine will. To even suggest that we can appreciate the totality of God’s wisdom would mean that we are like God, which denies the fact of His transcendence, or implies that God is limited like a human. This argument has no traction with any believer, because no Muslim believes in a created, limited God. It is not an intellectual cop-out to refer to Divine wisdom, because it is not referring to some mysterious unknown. Rather, it truly understands the nature of God and makes the necessary logical conclusions. As I have pointed out before, God has the picture, and we have just a pixel.

Although I empathise with their concern and anguish at the suffering inflicted on fellow sentient beings, some atheists suffer from a veiled type of egocentrism. This means they make special effort not to see the world from any perspective other than through their own eyes. However, in doing so, they commit a type of emotional—or spiritual—fallacy. They anthropomorphise God and turn Him into a limited man. They assume that God must see things the way we see things, and therefore He should stop the evil. If He allows it to continue, He must be questioned and rejected.

The problem of evil and suffering argument exposes a cognitive bias known as egocentrism. Such a person cannot see any perspective on a particular issue apart from their own. Some atheists suffer from this cognitive bias. They assume that since they cannot possibly fathom any good reasons to justify the evil and suffering in the world, everyone else—including God—must also have the same problem. Thus they deny God, because they assume that God cannot be justified for permitting the evil and suffering in the world. If God has no justification, then the mercy and power of God are illusions. Thus, the traditional concept of God is nullified. However, all atheists have done is superimposed their perspective on God. This is like arguing that God must think how a human thinks. This is impossible because human beings and God cannot be compared, as God is transcendent and has the totality of wisdom and knowledge.

Comparing man with God exposes their inability to understand things holistically. The atheist would probably at this point exclaim that this means man has more compassion than God. This further highlights their inability to see things from beyond their perspective, and exposes their failure to fathom that God’s actions and will are in line with a Divine reason that we cannot access. God does not want evil and suffering to happen. God does not stop these things from happening because He sees something we do not, not that He wants evil and suffering to continue. God has the picture and we just have a pixel. Understanding this facilitates spiritual and intellectual tranquillity because the believer understands that ultimately all that occurs in the world is in line with a superior Divine wisdom that is based on superior Divine goodness. Refusing to accept this is actually where the atheist falls into the quagmire of arrogance, egocentrism and ultimately despair. He has failed the test, and his misunderstanding of God makes him forget who God is, and dismisses the fact of Divine wisdom, mercy and goodness.

At this point the atheist might respond by describing the above as an intelligent way of evading the problem. If the theist can refer to God’s wisdom—and that His wisdom is so great that it cannot be understood—then we can explain anything ‘mysterious’ in reference to a Divine wisdom. I somewhat empathise with this reply, however, in the context of the problem of evil and suffering, it is a false argument. It is the atheist that refers to God’s attributes to begin with; His power and mercy. All that is being said is that they should refer to God as who He is, not as an agent with only two attributes. If they were to include other attributes such as wisdom, their argument would not be valid. If they were to include the attribute of wisdom they would have to show how Divine wisdom is incompatible with a world full of suffering or evil. This would be impossible to prove because there are so many examples in our intellectual and practical lives where we admit our intellectual inferiority—in other words, there are cases where we submit to a wisdom we cannot understand. We rationally submit to realities that we cannot understand on a regular basis. For example, when we visit the doctor we assume that the doctor is an authority. We trust the doctor’s diagnosis on this basis. We even take the medicine the doctor prescribes without any second thought. This and many other similar examples clearly show that referring to God’s wisdom is not evading the problem. Rather, it is accurately presenting who God is and not making out that God has only two attributes. Since He is The-Wise, and His names and attributes are maximally perfect, it follows that there is wisdom behind everything that He does—even if we do not know or understand that wisdom. Many of us do not understand how diseases work, but just because we do not understanding something does not negate its existence.

The Qur’an uses profound stories and narratives to instil this understanding. Take, for instance, the story of Moses and a man he meets on his travels, known as Khidr. Moses observes him do things that seem unjust and evil, but at the end of their journey, the wisdom that Moses did not have access to is brought to light:

“So the two turned back, retraced their footsteps, and found one of Our servants— a man to whom We had granted Our mercy and whom We had given knowledge of Our own. Moses said to him, ‘May I follow you so that you can teach me some of the right guidance you have been taught?’ The man said, ‘You will not be able to bear with me patiently. How could you be patient in matters beyond your knowledge?’ Moses said, ‘God willing, you will find me patient. I will not disobey you in any way.’ The man said, ‘If you follow me then, do not query anything I do before I mention it to you myself.’ They travelled on. Later, when they got into a boat, and the man made a hole in it, Moses said, ‘How could you make a hole in it? Do you want to drown its passengers? What a strange thing to do!’ He replied, ‘Did I not tell you that you would never be able to bear with me patiently?’ Moses said, ‘Forgive me for forgetting. Do not make it too hard for me to follow you.’ And so they travelled on. Then, when they met a young boy and the man killed him, Moses said, ‘How could you kill an innocent person? He has not killed anyone! What a terrible thing to do!’ He replied, ‘Did I not tell you that you would never be able to bear with me patiently?’ Moses said, ‘From now on, if I query anything you do, banish me from your company— you have put up with enough from me.’ And so they travelled on. Then, when they came to a town and asked the inhabitants for food but were refused hospitality, they saw a wall there that was on the point of falling down and the man repaired it. Moses said, ‘But if you had wished you could have taken payment for doing that.’ He said, ‘This is where you and I part company. I will tell you the meaning of the things you could not bear with patiently: the boat belonged to some needy people who made their living from the sea and I damaged it because I knew that coming after them was a king who was seizing every [serviceable] boat by force. The young boy had parents who were people of faith, and so, fearing he would trouble them through wickedness and disbelief, we wished that their Lord should give them another child—purer and more compassionate—in his place. [4] The wall belonged to two young orphans in the town and there was buried treasure beneath it belonging to them. Their father had been a righteous man, so your Lord intended them to reach maturity and then dig up their treasure as a mercy from your Lord. I did not do [these things] of my own accord: these are the explanations for those things you could not bear with patience.’”^[5]

In addition to contrasting our limited wisdom with God’s, this story also provides key lessons and spiritual insights. The first lesson is that in order to understand God’s will, one has to be humble. Moses approached Khidr, and knew that he had some Divinely inspired knowledge that God had not given to Moses. Moses humbly asked to learn from him, yet Khidr responded by questioning his ability to be patient; nevertheless, Moses insisted and wanted to learn. (The spiritual status of Moses is very high according to the Islamic tradition. He was a prophet and messenger, yet he approached the man with humility.) The second lesson is that patience is required to emotionally and psychologically deal with the suffering and evil in the world. Khidr knew that Moses would not be able to be patient with him, as he was going to do things that Moses thought were evil. Moses tried to be patient but always questioned the man’s actions and expressed his anger at the perceived evil. However, at the end of the story, Khidr explained the Divine wisdom behind his actions after exclaiming that Moses was not able to be patient. What we learn from this story is that to be able to deal with evil and suffering in the world, including our inability to understand it, we must be humble and patient.

Commenting on the above verses, the classical scholar Ibn Kathir explained that Khidr was the one to whom God had given knowledge of the reality behind the perceived evil and suffering, and He had not given it to Moses. With reference to the statement “You will not be able to bear with me patiently”, Ibn Kathir writes that this means: “You will not be able to accompany with me when you see me doing things that go against your law, because I have knowledge from God that He has not taught you, and you have knowledge from God that He has not taught me.”^[6]

In essence, God’s wisdom is unbounded and complete, whereas we have limited wisdom and knowledge. Another way of putting it is that God has the totality of wisdom and knowledge; we just have its particulars. We see things from the perspective of our fragmentary viewpoint. To fall for the trap of egocentrism is like believing you know the entire puzzle after seeing only one piece. Hence Ibn Kathir explains that the verse “How could you be patient in matters beyond your knowledge?” means that there is a Divine wisdom that we cannot access: “For I know that you will denounce me justifiably, but I have knowledge of God’s wisdom and the hidden interests which I can see but you cannot.”^[7]

The view that everything that happens is in line with a Divine wisdom is empowering and positive. This is because God’s wisdom does not contradict other aspects of His nature, such as His perfection and goodness. Therefore, evil and suffering are ultimately part of a Divine purpose. Among many other classical scholars, the 14^th century scholar Ibn Taymiyya summarises this point well: “God does not create pure evil. Rather, in everything that He creates is a wise purpose by virtue of what is good. However, there may be some evil in it for some people, and this is partial, relative evil. As for total evil or absolute evil, the Lord is exonerated of that.”^[8]

This does not negate the concept of objective moral truths. Even if everything is in line with ultimate goodness, and evil is ‘partial’, it does not undermine the concept of objective evil. Objective evil is not the same as absolute evil, rather it is evil based on a particular context or set of variables. So something can be objectively evil due to certain variables or context, and at the same time it can be included with an ultimate Divine purpose that is good and wise.

This evokes positive psychological responses from believers because all the evil and all the suffering that occur are for a Divine purpose. Ibn Taymiyya summarises this point as well: “If God—exalted is He—is Creator of everything, He creates good and evil on account of the wise purpose that He has in that by virtue of which His action is good and perfect.”^[9]

Henri Laoust in his Essay sur les doctrines sociales et politiques de Taki-d-Din Ahmad b. Taimiya, also explains this position: “God is essentially providence. Evil is without real existence in the world. All that God has willed can only conform to a sovereign justice and an infinite goodness, provided, however, that it is envisaged from the point of view of the totality and not from that of the fragmentary and imperfect knowledge that His creatures have of reality….”^[10]

Does God give us reasons for why He has allowed evil and suffering to exist?

A sufficient response to the second assumption is to provide a strong argument that God has communicated some reasons to us about why He has allowed evil and suffering in the world. The intellectual richness of Islamic thought provides us with many reasons.

Our purpose is worship

The primary purpose of the human being is not to enjoy a transitory sense of happiness; rather, it is to achieve a deep internal peace through knowing and worshipping God. This fulfilment of the Divine purpose will result in everlasting bliss and true happiness. So, if this is our primary purpose, other aspects of human experience are secondary. The Qur’an states, “I did not create either jinn [spirit world] or man except to worship Me.”^[11]

Consider someone who has never experienced any suffering or pain, but experiences pleasure all the time. This person, by virtue of his state of ease, has forgotten God and therefore failed to do what he was created to do. Compare this person with someone whose experiences of hardship and pain have led him to God, and fulfilled his purpose in life. From the perspective of the Islamic spiritual tradition, the one whose suffering has led him to God is better than the one who has never suffered and whose pleasures have led him away from God.

Life is a test

God also created us for a test, and part of this test is to experience trials with suffering and evil. Passing the test facilitates our permanent abode of eternal bliss in paradise. The Qur’an explains that God created death and life, “so that He may put you to test, to find out which of you is best in deeds: He is the The-Almighty, The-Forgiving.”^[12]

On a basic level, the atheist misunderstands the purpose of our existence on Earth. The world is supposed to be an arena of trials and tribulations in order to test our conduct and for us to cultivate virtue. For example, how can we cultivate patience if we do not experience things that test our patience? How can we become courageous if there are no dangers to be confronted? How can we be compassionate if no one is in need of it? Life being a test answers these questions. We need them to ensure our moral and spiritual growth. We are not here to party; that is the purpose of paradise.

So why is life a test? Since God is perfectly good, He wants every single one of us to believe and as a result to experience eternal bliss with Him in paradise. God makes it clear that He prefers belief for us all: “And He does not approve for His servants disbelief.”[13]

This clearly shows that God does not want anyone to go to hell. However, if He were to enforce that and send everyone to paradise, then a gross violation of justice would take place; God would be treating Moses and the Pharaoh and Hitler and Jesus as the same. A mechanism is needed to ensure that people who enter paradise do so based on merit. This explains why life is a test. Life is just a mechanism to see who among us are truly deserving of eternal happiness. As such, life is filled with obstacles, which act as tests of our conduct.

In this regard, Islam is extremely empowering because it sees suffering, evil, harm, pain and problems as a test. We can have fun, but we have been created with a purpose and that purpose is to worship God. The empowering Islamic view is that tests are seen as sign of God’s love. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “When God loves a servant, He tests him.”^[14]

The reason God tests those whom He loves is because it is an avenue to achieve the eternal bliss of paradise—and entering paradise is a result of Divine love and mercy. God points this out clearly in the Qur’an: “Do you suppose that you will enter the Garden without first having suffered like those before you? They were afflicted by misfortune and hardship, and they were so shaken that even [their] messenger and the believers with him cried, ‘When will God’s help arrive?’ Truly, God’s help is near.”^[15]

The beauty of the Islamic tradition is that God, who knows us better than we know ourselves, has already empowered us and tells us that we have what it takes to overcome these trials. “God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear.”^[16]

However, if we cannot overcome these trials after having tried our best, God’s mercy and justice will ensure that we are recompensed in some way, either in this life or the eternal life that awaits us.

Knowing God

Having hardship and suffering enables us to realise and know God’s attributes, such as The-Protector and The-Healer. For example, without the pain of illness we would not appreciate the attribute of God being The-Healer, or the one who gives us health. Knowing God in the Islamic spiritual tradition is a greater good, and worth the experience of suffering or pain, as it will ensure the fulfilment of our primary purpose, which ultimately leads to paradise.

Greater good

Suffering and evil allow a greater good, also known as second-order good. First-order good is physical pleasure and happiness, and first-order evil is physical pain and sadness. Some examples of second-order goodness include courage, humility and patience. However, in order to have a second-order good (like courage) there must be a first-order evil (like cowardice). According to the Qur’an, elevated good such as courage and humility do not have the same value as evil: “Say Prophet, bad cannot be likened to good, though you may be dazzled by how abundant the bad is. Be mindful of God, people of understanding, so that you may prosper.”^[17]

Free will

God has given us free will, and free will includes choosing evil acts. This explains personal evil, which is evil or suffering committed by a human being. One can ask: why has God given us free will at all? In order for the tests in life to be meaningful, there must be free will. An exam is pointless if the student is obligated or forced to answer correctly on each question. Similarly, in the exam of life, human beings must be given adequate freedom to do as they please.

Good and evil lose their meaning if God were to always ensure we chose good. Take the following example into consideration: someone points a loaded gun to your head and asks you to give charity. You give the money, but does it have any moral value? It does not, for it only has value if a free agent chooses to do so.

Detachment from the world

According to the Islamic tradition, God has created us so that we may worship and draw near to Him. A fundamental principle concerning this is that we must detach ourselves from the ephemeral nature of the world. Known as dunya, meaning low or lowly, the ephemeral world is the place of limitations, suffering, loss, desires, ego, excessiveness and evil. Suffering shows us how truly low the dunya is, thereby facilitating our detachment from it. Thus we are able to draw closer to God.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was reported to have said, “Love of the dunya is the root of all evil.”[18] The greatest evil according to Islam is denying and associating partners with God; therefore detachment from the dunya is necessary to reach the ultimate spiritual goal of nearness to God, and subsequently paradise.

The Qur’an makes it very clear that the dunya is ephemeral and a deceiving enjoyment: “Know that the life of this dunya is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children—like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris.”[19]

The concept of the dunya should not be confused with the positive aspects of creation, known in Arabic as ‘alam and khlaq. These concepts relate to the beauty and wonder of what God has created. They are intended to encourage people to reflect and understand which serve as a means to conclude that there is a Divine power, mercy and wisdom behind them.

Suffering of innocent people is temporary

Even if there is a lot of greater good to be actualised, one may observe that some people still suffer without experiencing any relief. This is why in Islam, God not only provides justifications for evil and suffering in this world but also recompenses them. At the end, all believers who suffered and were innocent will be granted eternal bliss, and all the suffering they had—even if they suffered all of their life—will be forgotten forever. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

“… the person who had suffered the most affliction in the world of those destined for Paradise will be brought forth and merely dipped into Paradise for a moment. Then he will be asked ‘O son of Adam, have you ever seen suffering? Have you ever experienced hardship in your life?’ He will reply ‘No my Lord, by God. I have never undergone suffering. I have never seen hardship.’”^[20]

Spiritual perspectives

Under atheism, evil has no purpose. It is one of the blind forces in the world that indiscriminately chooses its prey. Those who are victims of suffering and evil have no emotional and rational perspectives to help alleviate their suffering or put their experiences into context. Someone could have suffered all their lives and just ended up in the grave. All of their suffering, sacrifice and pain would have absolutely no meaning whatsoever. Evil is viewed to occur due to prior physical processes, and those who experience evil have no recourse. They cannot attribute any type of will to it, whether human or Divine, because everything is just reduced to blind, random and non-rational physical occurrences. Thus, the logical implications of atheism are quite depressing.

The Islamic tradition has a fountain of concepts, principles and ideas that facilitate the believer’s journey in life. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ empowered the believers with hope and patience. All of the suffering that we face is a means of spiritual purification, thereby facilitating paradise in which we will forget every suffering that we ever experienced:

“No calamity befalls a Muslim but that God expiates some of his sins because of it, even though it were the prick he receives from a thorn.”^[21]

“Amazing is the affair of the believer, verily all of his affair is good, and this is for no one except the believer. If something of good/happiness befalls him he is grateful and that is good for him. If something of harm befalls him he is patient and that is good for him.”^[22]

Even natural disasters and fatal illnesses are seen through the eyes of hope, mercy and forgiveness. The Islamic perspective on illness is that it is a form of purification, which facilitates eternal bliss in paradise for the sick. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ encouraged visiting the sick: “Feed the hungry, visit the sick, and free the captives.”^[23] Those who take care of the sick are rewarded with mercy and forgiveness, and ultimately paradise. There are many Prophetic traditions that elaborate on these points. For example, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that if a believer dies of the plague or a stomach illness, they are considered as a martyr, and all martyrs[24] go to paradise.^[25] There are inspiring traditions of mercy, reward and blessings for those who visit and care for the sick; the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that whoever visits a sick person “is plunging into mercy until he sits down, and when he sits down he is submerged in it.”^[26] A moving and powerful narration from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ teaches us that those who visit the sick will find God with them:

“Verily, God, the Exalted and Glorious, will say on the Day of Judgement: ‘O Son of Adam! I fell ill, but you did not visit Me.’ The human will ask, ‘O my Sustainer! How could I visit You when You are the Sustainer of the Worlds? And how can You fall sick?’ He, the Almighty, will say, ‘Did you not know that such and such a servant of Mine was sick. But you did not visit him. Did you not know that, had you visited him, you would have found Me by his side?’”^[27]

Even in the case of natural disasters like tsunamis, the believing victims would be considered people of paradise because death by drowning is considered martyrdom in the Islamic tradition. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said in this regard, “Anyone who drowns is a martyr.”^[28] Islamic scholars conclude that if a believer died as a result of being crushed by a building during an earthquake (some even extend this to a plane or a car crash), then they are considered people of paradise. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that one of the martyrs includes “the one who died in a collapsed (building)”.^[29]

But God could create a world without suffering

Notwithstanding the discussion so far, a key objection that usually follows is “but God could create a world without suffering”. This contention is just a repackaging of the original argument; in other words, why has God allowed evil and suffering to exist? Therefore, the same answer applies; Divine wisdom. The one who makes this objection does so because they cannot understand why there is evil and suffering in the first place, and they believe that a merciful and powerful God should prevent every evil and suffering. Nevertheless, this has already been addressed in this essay.

The ‘problem’ of evil and suffering is not a problem for the believer, as evil and suffering are understood as functions of God’s profound wisdom, perfection and goodness. The spiritual teachings of Islam create a sense of hope, patience and tranquillity. The logical implications of atheism is that one is plunged into a hopeless state and does not have any answers to why evil and suffering exist. This ignorance is mostly due to an egocentrism that makes them fail in their ability to see things from another perspective, just as I was when I thought my parents were malicious when they prevented me from drinking my grandfather’s whisky.

Last updated 4 May 2017. Taken and adapted from my book “The Divine Reality: God, Islam & The Mirage of Atheism”. You can purchase the book here.

References

[1] The problem of evil and suffering argument has been expressed in a number of different ways. Some of the arguments use the words good, merciful, loving or kind interchangeably. Despite the varying use of words, the argument remains the same. Instead of using the word good, terms like merciful, loving, kind, etc., can also be used. The problem of evil assumes that the traditional concept of God must include an attribute that would imply God does not want evil and suffering to exist. Hence, using alternative words like merciful, loving and kind do not affect the argument.

[2] This assumption has been adapted from Professor William Lane Craig’s treatment on the problem of evil. Moreland, J. P. and Craig, W. L. (2003). Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview. Downers Grove, Ill, InterVarsity Press. See chapter 27.

[3] Shaha, A. (2012) The Young Atheist’s Handbook, p. 51.

^[4] This part of the story shows God’s mercy. All children enter paradise—which is eternal bliss—regardless of their beliefs and actions. Therefore, God inspiring the man to kill the boy is to be understood through the lens of mercy and compassion.

^[5] The Qur’an, Chapter 18, Verses 65 to 82.

^[6] Ibn Kathir, I. (1999) Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Atheem. Vol 5, p. 181.

^[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibn Taymiyyah, A. (2004) Majmu’ al-Fatawa Shaykhul Islam Ahmad bin Taymiyyah. Vol 14, p. 266.

^[9] Ibn Taymiyyah, A. (1986) Minhaj al-Sunnah. Edited by Muhammad Rashad Salim. Riyadh: Jami’ah al-Imam Muhammad bin Saud al-Islamiyah. Vol 3, p142.

^[10] Cited in Hoover, J. (2007) Ibn Taymiyya’s Theodicy of Perpetual Optimism. Leiden: Brill, p.4.

^[11] The Qur’an, Chapter 51, Verse 56.

^[12] The Qur’an, Chapter 67, Verse 2.

^[13] The Qur’an, Chapter 39, Verse 7.

^[14] Narrated by Tirmidhi.

^[15] The Qur’an, Chapter 2, Verse 214.

^[16] The Qur’an Chapter 2, Verse 286.

[17] The Qur’an, Chapter 5, Verse 100.

[18] Al-Bayhaqi’s Shuʿab al-Iman, traced back to Al-Hasan Al-Basri, who ascribes it to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The scholars have graded this Prophetic tradition as hasan; its level of authenticity is good.

[19] The Qur’an, Chapter 57, Verse 20.

[20] Narrated by Muslim.

[21] Narrated by Bukhari.

[22] Narrated by Muslim.

[23] Narrated by Bukhari.

[24] Anyone that attempts suicide bombing or engages in terrorism and dies as a result is not considered a martyr. These evil acts are forbidden in Islam.

[25] Narrated by Muslim.

[26] Narrated by Ahmad.

[27] Narrated by Muslim.

[28] Ibid.

[29] Ibid.

We are in the midst of a global pandemic. COVID-19 is in almost every country of the world. People are many times more likely to die once infected with the disease than if they were infected with the flu. Fear and anxiety have dominated our day-to-day lives. Countries are on lockdown; schools are closed, and social lives are dismantled. Many will inevitably lose their loved ones. Many will die before they can say goodbye.

Many of us have shown great compassion and unity, irrespective of our differences. This is why I believe that, even in these unprecedented times, COVID-19 can be the means for an intellectual and spiritual awakening. What follows are some key points for us to consider.^[1]

[1] Many of these points have been taken and adapted from the book by Hamza Andreas Tzortzis, The Divine Reality: God, Islam and The Mirage of Atheism. New Revised Edition (2019). Lion Rock Publishing.

We are Dependent on God

“O humanity! It is you who stand in need of God, but God alone is the Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.” The Qur’an, Chapter 35, Verse 15

If we do not acknowledge our own reality we will not be aware of the insights and truths that this pandemic can give us. COVID-19 has made us realise that we are not self-sufficient. We are limited and needy. Our very existence and our ability to function is dependent on almost an infinite number of things; things that we cannot control and have no power over. This should make us mindful that we cannot sustain ourselves; when we were born we couldn’t feed, clothe or clean ourselves, we were dependent on our parents. We also need a public health system, hospitals, doctors, nurses, farms, farmers, animals, plants, family, parents, friends, an economic system, banks, an ideal environment, oxygen, water, food, buildings, construction companies, builders, and much more. The list is endless.

All of these things are ultimately dependent on God. Since God created us and all of the things mentioned above, our very existence is solely dependent on Him. We are not self-sufficient, even if some of us are deluded in thinking that we are.

“Indeed, man transgresses, because he sees himself as self-sufficient.” The Qur’an, Chapter 96, Verses 6 and 7

The whole world has been turned upside down over a single strand of RNA. This small virus, which we cannot see with the naked eye, has affected nearly every country in the world. There is currently no cure. Economies are on the verge of collapse and health systems are overwhelmed. People are fearful and anxious. Populations have been asked to stay at home. No amount of money and power in the world can reverse what has happened. This should teach us an important lesson, especially for those who are arrogant: we must be humble.

“We have already sent [messengers] to nations before you; then We seized them with suffering and adversity that perhaps they may humble themselves [to Us].” The Qur’an, Chapter 6, Verse 42

“And give good news O Prophet to the humble.” The Qur’an, Chapter 22, Verse 34

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One of the biggest barriers to Divine guidance and mercy is the delusion of self-sufficiency, which is ultimately based on ego and arrogance. The Qur’an makes this point clear:

“There is the one who is miserly, and is self-satisfied, who denies goodness—We shall smooth his way towards hardship and his wealth will not help him as he falls. Our part is to provide guidance.” The Qur’an, Chapter 92, Verses 8 to 12

COVID-19 and God’s Signs

Many of us have never directly observed a virus. Even though it is visible with a microscope, many of us rely on scientific textbooks and images, and what the experts tell us. However, we do observe and feel the effects of the virus. This is enough for anyone to conclude the virus exists. Applying this to God, not only do we have an innate awareness of His existence, we can observe and feel the effects of His reality.

We live in this amazing universe. We hope, love, seek justice and believe in the ultimate value of human life. We reason, infer, deduce, and discover. We live in a vast universe with billions of stars, galaxies and planets. The universe contains sentient beings that can have a unique stream of consciousness. The universe has laws and displays a precise arrangement that, if different, would have prevented conscious, sentient life. We live on a planet with over 6,000 languages and over eight million species. We feel—deep down inside—the wrongness of evil, and the rightness of good.

These are all signs for God’s existence and greatness.^[2]

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth; the alternation of the day and night; the ships that sail the sea for the benefit of humanity; the rain sent down by God from the skies, reviving the earth after its death; the scattering of all kinds of creatures throughout; the shifting of the winds; and the clouds drifting between the heavens and the earth—in all of this are surely signs for people of understanding.”The Qur’an, Chapter 2, Verses 164

[2] For arguments for the existence of God and why belief in Him is innate and natural please access the author’s website. Available at: https://www.hamzatzortzis.com. For the Qur’anic argument for God’s existence click here and or the argument from dependency (contingency) click here.

Death and Questioning Our Lives

COVID-19 has been and will be responsible for many deaths. We have seen the global death toll increase at an alarming rate day by day. This has evoked fear and anxiety. But it has also created a window of opportunity for us to reflect on the nature of our existence, and ponder over death and life.

Human beings do not enjoy thinking about death. It creates the realisation within us that all of the attachments we have built in this world will cease to be. Significantly, it awakens us to the brutal fact that we will no longer exist on this planet. We have to face the reality of an inevitable personal apocalypse. There is a profound benefit in reflecting on death. Pondering our finite nature helps diminish our egos and our selfish desires no longer seem that important. Our ephemeral attachments to the material world are put into perspective and our lives are questioned—all of which offer great benefit. Contemplating death provokes thought and gives us a window of opportunity to reflect on the nature of our existence.

“Every soul will taste death. And you will receive full reward on the Day of Judgment. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and is admitted into Paradise will triumph. For this life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.” The Qur’an, Chapter 3, Verse 185

In viewing life through the lens of death, we can enter an emotional and intellectual space where we can assess our situation on this planet. How did we come to be? What should we be doing here? Where are we going? Death can be the driving force behind these critical questions, because the moment we recognise that this life is short, that one day we will breathe our last, it puts everything into perspective.

We are purpose-driven creatures. From brushing our teeth to buying a car, we do these things for a particular purpose, yet some of us do not believe we have a purpose for our own existence. Rejecting the fact that our lives have an ultimate purpose is absurd and counter-intuitive. Having an ultimate purpose for our lives implies that there is a reason for our existence—in other words, some kind of intention and objective. Without an ultimate purpose we have no reason to exist, and we lack a profound meaning for our lives. Denying purpose for the basis of our existence while attributing a made-up purpose to our lives is, by definition, self-delusion. It is no different than saying, “Let’s pretend to have purpose.” This is no different from children who pretend to be doctors and nurses, cowboys and Indians, or mothers and fathers. However, we must all grow up and face the truth that life is not just a game.

Islam’s view on the purpose of our lives is intuitive and empowering. It elevates our existence from products of matter and time to conscious beings who choose to have a relationship with and worship the One who created us. 6667: the imagination station, parts 1 2.

“Our Lord! You have not created all of this without purpose.” The Qur’an, Chapter 3, Verse 191

So what is our purpose?

COVID-19 has made us think of, and want to preserve, the things we need, love and revere. People have been calling and checking in on loved ones, others have hoarded food, many have ignored public health guidance just to enjoy another drink, and a good portion of us have been ensuring we have what we need to sustain ourselves and our loved ones. Many of these things are the things we worship.

Even people who do not believe in God, including those who reject the fact that He is entitled to worship, manifest signs of adoration, reverence and devotion for things. If you do not worship God, you’ll still end up worshipping something. The object that you love and revere the most, including whatever you attribute ultimate power to and believe you are ultimately dependent on, is essentially your object of worship.

“And [yet], among the people are those who take other than God as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love God. But those who believe are stronger in love for God.” The Qur’an, Chapter 2, Verse 165

For many people, this can include an ideology, a leader, a family member, and even their own selves. Polytheism and idolatry is not just about praying to or physically bowing down in front of an object.

“Have you not seen the one who takes his God as his own desire?” The Qur’an, Chapter 45, Verse 23

Even those who call themselves atheists worship someone or something, perhaps unknowingly. This something could very well be one’s own desire. When we reject God’s message and refuse to change ourselves, be it because of arrogance of love of this material world, we have let our own desire get the better of us. We have become slaves of our desires.

“God sets forth the parable of a slave owned by several quarrelsome masters, and a slave owned by only one master. Are they equal in condition? Praise be to God! In fact, most of them do not know.” The Qur’an, Chapter 39, Verse 29

God is essentially telling us that if we do not worship God, we end up worshipping something else. These things enslave us and they become our masters. The Qur’anic analogy is teaching us that without God, we have many ‘masters’ and they all want something from us. They are all ‘at odds with each other’, and we end up in a state of misery, confusion and unhappiness. However, God, who knows everything, including our own selves, and who has more mercy than anyone else, is telling us that He is our master, and that only by worshipping Him alone will we truly free ourselves from the shackles of the things we have taken as replacements for Him.

Just like our need to eat, drink and breathe, worship is an innate tendency. From this perspective, we are natural-born worshippers, because that is who we are and it is our Divinely given purpose. We are worshippers by definition, because God defined and made us that way.

“I did not create the Jinn [spirit world] and humans except to worship Me.” The Qur’an, Chapter 51, Verse 56

God is rooted in our innermost nature, and when God commands us to worship Him it is actually a mercy and act of love. It is as if every human being has a hole in his or her heart. This hole is not physical, it is spiritual, and it needs to be filled to achieve spiritual tranquillity. We attempt to fill this hole with a new job, a holiday, a new house, a new car, a hobby, travel or taking up a popular self-help course. However, every time we fill our hearts with these things, a new hole appears. We are never truly satisfied, and after a while, we seek something else to fill the spiritual void. Yet, once we fill our hearts with the love of God, the hole remains permanently closed. Thus, we feel at peace and experience a tranquillity that can never be put into words, and a serenity that is undisturbed by calamity.

So why is God worthy of our worship? Below are two of many answers^[3]:

God is worthy of worship by virtue of who He is

The best place to start is to understand who God is. God, by definition, is the One who is entitled to our worship; it is a necessary fact of His own existence. The Qur’an repeatedly highlights this fact about God,

“It is truly I. I am God! There is no God worthy of worship except Me. So worship Me alone, and establish prayer for My remembrance.” The Qur’an, Chapter, 20, Verse 14

God is a maximally perfect Being. He possesses all the perfect names and attributes to the highest degree possible. For example, in Islamic theology, God is described as the The-Loving, and this means that His love is the most perfect and greatest love possible. It is because of these names and attributes that God must be worshipped. We always praise people for their abilities, kindness, knowledge and wisdom. However, God’s power, kindness, knowledge and wisdom are to the highest degree possible with no deficiency or flaw. Therefore, He is worthy of the most extensive form of praise, and praising God is a form of worship. In this light, God is worthy of worship by virtue of who He is.

God is also the only One entitled to our supplications and prayers. He knows best what is good for us, and He wants what is good for us. Such a Being with these attributes must be prayed to, and be asked assistance of. God is worthy of our worship because there is something about God that makes Him so. He is the Being with the most perfect names and attributes.

An important point regarding worshipping God is that it is His right, even if we are not recipients of any type of comfort. If we were to live a life full of suffering^[4], God must still be worshipped. Worshipping God is not dependent on some kind of reciprocal relationship; He gives us life, and we worship Him in return. God showers us with many blessings; however, He is worshipped because of who He is and not necessarily how He decides—via His boundless wisdom—to distribute His bounty. Since God is the only Being whose right is our worship, then all of our acts of worship should be directed to Him alone.

We praise people due to their sporting skill, eloquence, strength or any other attribute. We do so even though they do not benefit us in any direct way. Similarly, God deserves extensive praise by virtue of His perfect names and attributes, and not as a result of how He decided to manifest them in our lives. If we can praise people who have limited and flawed attributes, what does it mean on how we must praise God whose names and attributes have no deficiency or flaw?

“All praise and gratitude is for God—Lord of everything that exists.” The Qur’an, Chapter 1, Verse 1

God has created and also sustains everything

“He is the One who created everything in the Earth for you.” The Qur’an, Chapter 2, Verse 29

There is something in your life that you receive freely, yet you do not earn it and do not own it. There is no good reason to believe that you deserve it either. This thing is this moment, and the next moment, and all of the moments of your existence. You do not earn these moments, so what can you possibly do to earn another instant in your life? This is exactly why in popular culture we call it a gift: the gift of life. If you knew that you had 10 hours left to live and in order to live another 3 days you had to give away all of your wealth, you would immediately do so. That’s why we all consider it to be so precious. You do not own these moments because you do not have the capacity to bring anything into existence; you cannot even create a fly. You do not deserve another moment of your existence because it is not yours; you do not have the ability to produce life, even for a second. Therefore, nothing that you do can be deserving of something that you can never acquire by yourself.

In light of these basic truths, you must always be in a state of gratitude, because you always receive something that you neither earn, nor own, nor deserve. These moments of our existence are from God alone, therefore we must be thankful to God, and acknowledge that all gratitude belongs to Him alone. Gratitude is a key aspect of worship.

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This pandemic should be a reminder of all the blessings we should be grateful for but we take for granted. Everything we use in our daily lives, and all of the essential things that we require to survive, are due to God. It follows then that His is all gratitude. Since God created everything that exists, He is the owner and master of everything, including us and the things that matter to us. Hence, we must be in a sense of awe and gratitude to Him. Since God is our Master, we must be His servants. To deny this is not only rejecting reality, but it is the height of ingratitude, arrogance and thanklessness.

“O humanity! Remember God’s favours upon you. Is there any creator other than God who provides for you from the heaven and the Earth? There is no God worthy of worship except Him. How can you then be deluded from the truth?” The Qur’an, Chapter 35, Verse 3

[3] For more on this topic please read 7 Reasons Why God is Worthy of Worship written by the author; and Why Does God Ask People to Worship published by Yaqeen Institute.

[4] For responses to the problem of evil and suffering please read The Divine Wisdom in Allowing Evil to Exist: Perspectives from Ibn Al-Qayyim and Why Do People Suffer? God’s Existence and the Problem of Evil published by Yaqeen Institute; and Is God Merciful? Islam’s Response to Evil and Suffering written by the author.

Stop the Corruption and Injustice

This pandemic is not a random accident. Our individual and collective actions are responsible for what happens on our planet. This should make us reflect over what we have done, and not done, that may have caused this pandemic. Given our dependency on God and our interconnectedness to other things, including our environment and other people, we should realise that it is our corruption and injustice that has contributed to this pandemic.

“Corruption has spread on land and sea as a result of what people’s hands have done, so that God may cause them to taste the consequences of some of their deeds and perhaps they might return to the right path.” The Qur’an, Chapter 30, Verse 41

The condition of our planet is such that it is on the verge of being destroyed; the staggering levels of pollution are corrupting and destabilising our home. Injustice and war abound. Millions of our fellow human beings have become refugees, millions have been killed during ongoing conflicts, and millions do not have enough to eat to survive. We are collectively responsible for not doing enough to stop evil, and many of us are directly responsible for causing it. We need to take responsibility and understand that this pandemic is a signal, a divine sign, to stop the injustice and corruption on the earth.

“And when he turns away [from you], he hastens about the land to do corruption therein, and to destroy crops and cattle; and God loves not corruption.” The Qur’an, Chapter 2, Verse 205

We must realise that we are vicegerents of the earth. This means that we are responsible to maintain the balance, ensure order and not be wasteful. Unjust wars must stop, the murder of innocent people must cease, unfair economic policies must be scrapped, the ill-treatment of animals must come to an end, wastefulness and greed must be eradicated.

“He is the One Who has placed you as vicegerents on earth.”The Qur’an, Chapter 6, Verse 165

“Do not spread corruption in the land after it has been set in order.”The Qur’an, Chapter 7, Verse 56

“Eat and drink, but do not waste. Surely He does not like the wasteful.” The Qur’an, Chapter 7, Verse 31

“And He has raised the heavens and has set a balance, that you may not upset the balance.”The Qur’an, Chapter 55, Verses 7 and 8

We are confronted with some choices. To follow God’s guidance which will reset the balance and order, or to continue with the corruption.

“Indeed, God will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”The Qur’an, Chapter 13, Verse 11

Trust the Experts, Trust the Prophet

This global pandemic has kept us glued to our screens waiting for the next update and guidance from the experts; the virologists, epidemiologists and other people of authority. We trust what they have to say, and follow their instructions. However, many of us, the majority in fact, have no way of assessing the truth of their statements. We do not have the academic background nor the expertise. Given our limitations as human beings, we simply cannot know everything. Relying on other people’s testimony is an inevitable and essential part of living.^[5]

Since we can trust some people’s testimony, what about the testimony of a man who is even more trustworthy? It would make sense to trust someone more trustworthy than the people we currently trust.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺclaimed prophethood over 1,400 years ago with the following simple, yet profound message: There is none worthy of worship but God, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺis the final messenger of God.

To test the truth of his message and claim to prophethood, we can only see three main possibilities about his claim^[6]:

• He was a liar
• He was deluded
• He was speaking the truth

Was he a liar?

A brief dip into the rigorously-recorded history of Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺlife reveals considerable information showing us the integrity of his character. He was not a liar and to assert as much is indefensible. The reasons for this abound—for instance, he was known even by the enemies of his message as the “Trustworthy”.

The Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺmessage undermined the economic and power structures of society. 7^thcentury Meccan society was based on trade and commerce. The leaders of Meccan society would attract these traders with the 360 idols they had in the Ka’bah—the cube-shaped structure built by Abraham as a house of worship. The Prophet’s ﷺmessage was simple, yet it powerfully challenged and criticised 7^thcentury Arabian polytheism. Why would he do this if he was a liar? People who lie do so to either avoid some pain or gain some benefit. How do the actions of Muhammad fit that? The pagans actually took their religion very seriously, since they connected it to their ancestors and were proud to follow them. Yet, Muhammad told them that they and their ancestors (including his own) were misguided and ignorant.

The leaders of that society initially mocked him, thinking the Prophet ﷺwould not have an impact. However, as his message was gradually taking root with high-profile conversions, the leadership started to abuse the Prophet ﷺ, both physically and psychologically. Proof of the Prophet’s ﷺreliability and credibility is substantiated by the fact that a liar usually lies for some worldly gain. However, he was persecuted for his beliefs, boycotted and exiled from his beloved city—Mecca. He was starved of food and stoned by children to the point where blood drenched his legs. His wife passed away and his beloved companions were tortured and persecuted. Muhammad ﷺsuffered tremendously for his message and rejected outright the riches and power he was offered to stop promulgating his message. He was uncompromising in his call to God’s oneness and worship. Rather than desiring worldly increase during his lifetime or self-worship in the future, Muhammad ﷺhad nothing to gain from staying firm on his message – something which he had to suffer greatly for.

Was he deluded?

“Your fellow man is neither misguided nor astray; nor does he speak of his own whims.” The Qur’an, Chapter 53, Verses 2 and 3

To claim that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺwas deluded is to argue that he was misled to believe that he was the messenger of God. If someone is deluded, they have a strong conviction in a belief despite any evidence to the contrary. Another way of looking at the issue of delusion is that when someone is deluded, they speak falsehood whilst believing it to be true. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺhad many experiences during his life that, if he were deluded, he would have used as evidence to support his delusion. One example is the passing away of his son, Ibrahim. The boy died at an early age and the day he died there was a solar eclipse. Many Arabs thought that God made the eclipse happen because His prophet’s son passed away. If the Prophet ﷺwere deluded, he would have used such an opportunity to reinforce his claim. However, he did not and rejected the people’s assertions. The Prophet ﷺreplied to them in the following way: “The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death of someone from the people but they are two signs amongst the signs of God. When you see them, stand up and pray.”^[7]

The Prophet Muhammad’sﷺmessage began and continued with a clear and open call to single out for worship the One Creator alone, and he also drew people’s attention to their own illogical position in worshipping the idols they created with their very own hands, which could neither help nor harm them. The fact that Muhammad was able to affect such massive and long-lasting change to very deep-seated practices amongst his people shows that claims of him being delusional or mad are very hard to sustain.

In fact, Islam continues until today to massively improve and affect people’s lives. Interestingly, even non-Muslim historians consider Muhammad to be one of the most influential people of all time. This is because the impact of his teachings is not limited only to a personal spiritual sphere, but can be applied to a broad spectrum of human existence, including economics, family life, legal systems, dietary rules and hygiene.

How and from where did an illiterate man living in the desert get such knowledge and insight? In fact, one might go as far as to say that if Muhammad’s ﷺteachings were a product of delusion, on what basis could we call anyone sane? Take for example, how he managed to successfully affect a total ban on alcohol. This is a truly formidable task. The Arabs of the time were heavy drinkers and even wrote epic poems in praise of wine.

All of this begs the question: from where did Muhammad get such deep and profound insight, wisdom and understanding of human nature? How was he able to bring about such long-lasting and profound changes to not only his people but indeed the world? One final possibility remains. It is the only one that really can explain the extraordinary phenomenon that was the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

He was speaking the truth

“Muhammad is the messenger of God.” The Qur’an, Chapter 48, Verse 29

If he really was a Messenger of God who received inspiration and guidance from the Creator, that explains both his complete honesty, truthfulness and uncompromising dedication to conveying the message of monotheism, as well as his deep insight into human nature and the ability to positively guide and direct his people, and indeed people from all races and cultures until today. It explains the depth of social, psychological, theological, legal, historical and epistemological insights within his teachings.

Considering what has been discussed so far, the most reasonable conclusion is that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺwas speaking the truth. To reject his message, would be logically equivalent to rejecting the message of experts that we’ve been listening to attentively during this pandemic.

[5] For a more on the epistemology of testimony please read McMyler, B. (2011). Testimony, Truth and Authority. New York: Oxford University Press; Coady, C. A. (1992). Testimony: A Philosophical Study. Oxford: Oxford University Press; Fricker, E. (2006). Testimony and Epistemic Autonomy. In: Jennifer Lackey, J and Sosa, E, ed, The Epistemology of Testimony. Oxford: Oxford University Press; Lehrer, K. (2006). Testimony and Trustworthiness. In: Jennifer Lackey, J and Sosa, E, ed, The Epistemology of Testimony. For a summary available online please read the relevant sections of God’s Testimony: The Divine Authorship of the Qur’an written by the author.

[6] For more on this argument, including responses to popular and academic objections, please read and access Proof of Prophethood Series published by Yaqeen Institute; and The Prophetic Truth: Why Muhammad ﷺi s God’s Final Messenger written by the author.

[7]This is an authentic saying of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, as narrated by Al-Bukhari. For more on sayings attributed to the Prophet (also referred to as hadith; ahadith, pl.) please read Brown, Jonathan. (2017) Hadith: Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World. Second Edition. Oneworld Publications.

COVID-19 Can Lead you to Paradise

God created us to worship Him, and part of worshipping Him is to be tested, and trials like this global pandemic are part of this test. Passing the test, by responding in a way that is pleasing to God, facilitates our permanent abode of eternal bliss in Paradise. The Qur’an explains that God created death and life:

“He is the One Who created life and death in order to test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving.” The Qur’an, Chapter 67, Verse 2

The world is an arena of trials and tribulations to test our conduct and for us to cultivate virtue. For example, how can we cultivate patience if we do not experience things that test our patience? How can we become courageous if there are no dangers to be confronted? How can we be compassionate if no one is in need of it? Life being a test answers these questions. We need them to ensure our moral and spiritual growth. We are not here to party; that is the purpose of paradise. During these difficult times we must be patient and courageous and show compassion for those infected with the virus by helping them in any way we can.

So why is life a test? Since God is perfectly good, He wants every single one of us to believe and as a result to experience eternal bliss with Him in paradise. God makes it clear that He prefers belief for us all:

“… nor does He approve of disbelief from His servants.”The Qur’an, Chapter 39, Verse 7

This clearly shows that God does not want anyone to go to hell. However, if He were to enforce that and send everyone to paradise, then a gross violation of justice would take place; God would be treating Moses and the Pharaoh and Hitler and Jesus as the same. A mechanism is needed to ensure that people who enter paradise do so based on merit. This explains why life is a test. Life is just a mechanism to see who among us are truly deserving of eternal happiness. As such, life is filled with obstacles, which act as tests of our conduct.

Islam is empowering. It sees suffering, evil, harm, pain and problems as a test. The empowering Islamic view is that tests are seen as signs of God’s love. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺsaid, “When God loves a servant, He tests him.”^[8] The reason God tests those whom He loves is because tests are a pathway to Paradise—and being admitted to paradise is a result of divine love and mercy. God points this out clearly in the Qur’an:

“Do you think you will be admitted into Paradise without being tested like those before you? They were afflicted with suffering and adversity and were so severely shaken that even the Messenger and the believers with him cried out. ‘When will God’s help come?’ Indeed, God’s help is always near.”The Qur’an, Chapter 2, Verse 214

The beauty of Islam is that God, who knows us better than we know ourselves, has already empowered us and tells us that we have what it takes to overcome these trials:

“God does not require of any soul more than it can afford.”The Qur’an, Chapter 2, Verse 286

However, if we cannot overcome these trials after having tried our best, God’s mercy and justice will ensure that we are recompensed in some way, either in this life or the eternal life that awaits us.

This particular test of COVID-19 can help achieve Paradise, if a believer, after having been patient and relied upon God, hoped for His reward and understood that nothing occurs in absence of God’s decree, will get the reward of a martyr. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺconcerning plagues said:

“It is a punishment that God sends upon whoever he wills, but God has made it a mercy for the believers. Any servant who resides in a land afflicted by plague, remaining patient and hoping for reward from God, knowing that nothing will befall him but what God has decreed, he will be given the reward of a martyr.”^[9]

[8] An authentic saying of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, as narrated by Tirmidhi.

[9] An authentic saying of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, as narrated by Al-Bukhari. (Some points to note concerning this statement of the Prophet ﷺ: i. There is a debate amongst scholars if this applies to the current pandemic. ii. The concept of martyrdom in Islam has nothing to do with suicide bombing or terrorism. Islam teaches that terrorism and suicide bombings are a great evil and must be condemned).

Conclusion: A Viral Awakening

“We will certainly make them taste some of the minor torment in this life before the major torment of the Hereafter, so perhaps they will return to the Right Path. And who does more wrong than the one who is reminded of God’s revelations then turns away from them?” The Qur’an, Chapter 32, Verses 21 and 22

This global pandemic should create a viral awakening. It is time to return to the path of God. We must be humble, accept God’s signs and realise we are ultimately dependent on Him. This trial that we are facing should make us aware of the impermanence of life and that our purpose is to worship God. If we trust the experts guiding us during this pandemic we should trust and accept God’s messenger. This God-given test can be a sign of either divine love or our own arrogance. If we are patient, hoping for God’s reward, act compassionately and do the right thing we will pass the test and be eligible for Paradise—a place that if the person who suffered the most on earth would be dipped for a moment, he would exclaim, as the Prophet ﷺinformed us, “I have never suffered!”^[10]

The choice for us is to accept the fact that God is the only deity worthy of worship and that Prophet Muhammad ﷺis His final messenger, pass the test and be eligible for eternal bliss, or reject the truth and by virtue of that go to Hell—because we have chosen to reject God’s guidance and mercy. Now is the time to believe and be mindful of Him:

“And whoever is mindful of God, He will make a way out for him, and provide for them from sources they could never imagine.” The Qur’an, Chapter 65, Verses 2 and 3

May God guide, protect and have mercy on you all.

[10] An authentic saying of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, as narrated by Muslim.

Last updated 25 April 2020.