Heavenly Hues Winning Paper #3
*The following paper is one of the winning papers from the past Heavenly Hues class written by Br. Mobeen and Br. Zuhair. Sr. Mona and Sr. Nimat’s paper is posted here and Sr. Erum’s paper was previously posted here.
Note: In the original paper Arabic was included for all the ayaat. For whatever reason, when pasting it into the text editor the Arabic just became a bunch of gobblety gook so only English translation is included.
Note 2: The paper is long.
The Basis of Understanding Good and Evil in the Qur’an: a Thematic Study
i) Good vs. Evil Introduction
For hundreds of years philosophers debated the ontological reality of both good and evil. Did one manifest itself from the other? Or rather, was one the result of the lack of the other? These questions led many to try to define good and evil through the purview of their own predilections. These theories can be found in the works of many Greek Philosophers, most notably Aristotle in his Nichomachean Ethics.
In our modern context, good and evil are used often times by groups appealing to become morally vindicated. Terms such as ‘Axis of Evil’ and fighting in the ‘cause of good’ have been used as a justification for many atrocities. In fact, almost every group that has ever existed that performed an evil action considered their evil action to be virtuous within some capacity. These realities have made it all the more important to not only understand both good and evil, but to understand how to manifest them in our lives for indeed the believers are those who are patient during difficulties and thankful during times of ease. Allah (سبحان و تعلى) speaks about this in the Quran when He Says:
19. Verily, man (disbeliever) was created very impatient; 20. Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him; 21. and niggardly when good touches him;- 22. except those devoted to Salaat (prayers) 23. those who remain constant In their Salaat (prayers); 24. and those In whose wealth there is a known right, 25. for the beggar who asks, and for the unlucky who has lost his property and wealth, (and his means of living has been straitened); 26. and those who believe In the Day of recompense, 27. and those who fear the torment of their Lord, 28. Verily! the torment of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure, 29. and those who Guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts) 30. except with their wives and the (women slaves and captives) whom their Right hands possess, for (Then) they are not to be blamed, 31. but Whosoever seeks beyond that, Then it is those who are trespassers. 32. and those who keep their trusts and covenants; 33. and those who stand firm In their testimonies; 34. and those who Guard their Salaat (prayers) well , 35. such shall Dwell In the Gardens (i.e. Paradise) honoured.
Here Allah (سبحان و تعلى) tells us that those who are consistent in their prayers and adhere to goodness in all times (give sadaqah to poor, believe in the Day of Judgment, etc.) are those who are able to overcome the problematic approaches to evil and good that surround society.
We pray that Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Accepts from this humble research and that it serves as a source of benefit to all who read it. Allahumma Ameen.
ii) Paper Overview
The word khayr and sharr appear a multitude of times in the Quran in various contexts and to comprehensively address this topic is, in all honesty, outside the scope of this research. It is for this reason that rather than approaching the topic of khayr/sharr from all angles, the discussion will be relegated to ayaat pertaining to categories of individuals (ie believers, disbelievers, and humanity) and how they relate to goodness and evil.
iii) Humanity in Reference to Good
In the Quran, Allah (سبحان و تعلى) clarifies a number of misconceptions held by society (both today’s society and those of the past). One such misconception which was widespread during the time of the Prophet (ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭ ﺳﻠﻢ) was that of good and its meaning. It is arguable that this same misconception is raging in our society today as the term good has become overused to the point that what truly is good and evil are many times mixed.
When the Muslims were in Makkah, Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Revealed the following verse:
177. it is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, and each and Every act of obedience to Allâh, etc.) that You turn Your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes In Allâh, the Last day, the angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, In spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masâkin (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and gives the Zakât, and who fulfill their Covenant when they make it, and who are As-Sâbirin (the patient ones, etc.) In extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). such are the people of the Truth and they are AlMuttaqûn (pious – see V.2:2).
The above verse was revealed after the shifting of the qiblah from Masjid al-Aqsa to the ka’bah. This move was difficult for many of the Ahlul kitaab to accept and in the process many became frustrated as to say that the Muslims were disrespecting Masjid al-Aqsa. That is why Allah (سبحان و تعلى) clarified that true righteousness, piety, and goodness is not to turn your face to the east to the west in salaah, but it is to manifest quality in your belief. If what you believe does not impact your actions and character, then what you believe is not important. Allah is Telling us that this religion is not simply cosmetic, rather it is very real and practical and should begin to impact people. That is why when commanded to do something by Allah or His Messenger (ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭ ﺳﻠﻢ), the Sahabah would respond saying ‘We hear, and we obey.’
Allah (سبحان و تعلى) also tells us about humanities propensity to assess blame to people. When good comes to them, they celebrate and become arrogant, but when even the slightest difficulty overtakes them they complain. In Surah an-Nisaa Allah (سبحان و تعلى) describes this phenomenon:
78. “Wheresoever You may be, death will overtake You even if You are In fortresses built up strong and high!” and if some good reaches them, they say, “This is from Allâh,” but if some evil befalls them, they say, “This is from You (O Muhammad ).” say: “All things are from Allâh,” so what is wrong with These people that they fail to understand any word? (an-Nisaa)
This is the attitude of both the hypocrites and disbelievers. They can not accept the fact that evil has befallen them in any sort of way and are impatient with the decree. In Suratul Ma’arij Allah (سبحان و تعلى) further emphasizes this by Saying:
19. Verily, man (disbeliever) was created very impatient;
20. Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him;
21. and niggardly when good touches him;-
Here Allah tells us about the impatience of man; that it is intrinsically a part of their nature to be impatient and that the only way to remove that impatience is through spiritual development. Both good and evil result in sins for most of mankind due to their negligence of Allah (سبحان و تعلى) whereas the believer is the one who mentions Allah in both the good and difficult times.
iv) The Believers Approach to Good
One of the most powerful and consistent messages delivered in the Quran is the believers understanding of good.
In Suratun-Nahl, Allah (سبحان و تعلى) contrasts the response of the believers and disbelievers when questioned concerning revelation:
“And when it is said to them: “What is it that your Lord has revealed” They say: “Tales of the men of old!” They will bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, and also the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge. Evil indeed is that which they shall bear!”[i]
Here we see a fundamental flaw in the disbelievers understanding of Allah’s revelation such as the Quran and previous scripture. Their response of “Tales of the men of old” is not only heresy, but an outright rejection of divine scripture. Ibn Katheer (rahimahullah) discusses this verse by saying that the disbelievers accuse the pious and prophets of having conjured the Quran from others[ii] and substantiates this opinion through other verses in the Quran such as:
وَقَالُواْ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِىَ تُمْلَى عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيل
And they say: “Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon.” (25:12)[iii]
Later Allah (سبحان و تعلى) says:
“And (when) it is said to those who had Taqwa (piety and righteousness), ”What is it that your Lord has revealed” They say: “That which is good.” For those who do good in this world, there is good, and the home of the Hereafter will be better. And excellent indeed will be the home (i.e. Paradise) of those who have Taqwa.)”[iv]
So we see here how, when prompted with the exact same question, the believer provides a diametrically contrastive response. The difference is that the disbelievers merely guess whereas those who believe are not only convinced of their opinion, but hold little to no doubt of its authenticity. That is why Allah (سبحان و تعلى) shows us that not only is their response that the revelation itself is good, but as a result they also manifest goodness in their lives. When one understands that Allah’s revelation is nothing but good (khayr), performs actions of goodness in this world, and gets goodness returned to him in this world as a result of his good works, what will be that person’s end other than good? Indeed, that is what Allah is telling us in this verse and to emphasize the notion of striving towards good, He (swt) concludes with a return to the hereafter. So the entire first part of this verse deals directly with issues in this life- people are questioning the pious about Allah’s revelation and they realize the goodness in it, the pious manifest goodness in their lives, the pious receive goodness as a result of the goodness that they do, but ultimately, and most importantly, the pious are those who receive the blessing of goodness in the hereafter.
The perspective of those who are truly pious cannot be understood intrinsically; rather it is something that is acquired through serious studying and knowledge. Allah (سبحان و تعلى) says:
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ وَيْلَكُمْ ثَوَابُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ
“But those who were given (religious) knowledge said: “Woe to you! The reward of Allah (in the Hereafter) is better) “[v]
In this verse the word khayr is being used to that which is better and that is very important because anyone can identify good works, but it is only those of knowledge who understand what is better.
Allah subhana wa ta’ala further emphasizes that when He says:
“(and what is with Allah for the righteous is better.)”[vi]
And
وَلَلاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَّكَ مِنَ الاٍّول
“(And indeed the Hereafter is better for you than the present)”[vii]
From the seerah of the Prophet (ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭ ﺳﻠﻢ) there is an incident that not only impacted the Muslim community, but as stated in many books of seerah, it had the potential to tear the fabric of the community apart due to the significance of what had occurred. This incident is often referred to as hadith al-ifk or the tradition/narration of lies wherein our mother Aisha (radi Allahu anhaa) was slandered by a group of hypocrites.[viii] Allah (سبحان و تعلى) revealed ayaat to exonerate Aisha (radi Allahu anhaa) of this accusation, and in doing so Placed perspective on what the attitude of the believer should be in times of difficulty:
11. Verily! those who brought forth the slander (against ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) the wife of the Prophet ) are a group among you. consider it not a bad thing for you. Nay, it is good for you. unto Every man among them will be paid that which He had earned of the sin, and as for Him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be a great torment. 12. why then, did not the believers, men and women, when You heard it (the slander) think good of their own people and say: “This (charge) is an obvious lie?” [ix]
These two verses both mention the word khayr and both do so with differing implications on how we are to understand it. In the first verse (ayah 11), Allah (سبحان و تعلى) addresses the believers by saying that there were hypocrites amongst them who had brought forth slander against Aisha (radi Allahu anhaa). This news is definitely alarming in that they not only knowingly slandered Aisha (radi Allahu anhaa) but proclaimed to be Muslim and a follower of the Prophet (ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭ ﺳﻠﻢ). The implications of such a reality could stem far and wide, especially considering the size of the ummah at that time and the harm that can be done through this intentional propagation of slander. Allah (سبحان و تعلى) goes on immediately after this declaration to say “consider it not a bad thing for you. Nay, it is good for you.” This short statement is so powerful, to consider one of the most trying and difficult times for the ummah of Islam as a time of good, a time in which Allah (سبحان و تعلى) was not punishing us, but rewarding us with an opportunity to seek good deeds through patience and perseverance is absolutely compelling. The concept itself may seem simple, but actually applying the principle in every day life during difficult times can be extremely challenging. Indeed, this entire dunya is not but a trial for the believer and that is why Allah (سبحان و تعلى) finishes the ayah by Saying “Every man among them will be paid that which He had earned of the sin, and as for Him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be a great torment.” Once again, perspective is being put on life because people may have considered retaliation against the slanderers, but the Most Just is Allah and He is the Judge of all judges.
What is even more astonishing about the above quoted passage is how Allah (سبحان و تعلى) connects the importance of maintaining perspective in life with not only the hereafter, but with your dealings with others in this dunya. The next verse (ayah 12), Allah (سبحان و تعلى) says [why then, did not the believers, men and women, when You heard it (the slander) think good of their own people and say: "This (charge) is an obvious lie?"]. This is because the believer consumes his life with doing good as well as thinking good of others. Righteousness is not a one-way street and you have to reciprocate that feeling of goodness to others when you receive it. That is why, when hearing rumors of evil speech about a brother or sister, you automatically assume good of them because if you were in their shoes, wouldn’t you want people to assume good of you??
v) The Disbelievers Approach to Good
The uniqueness of the sahabah is that the overwhelming majority of them had been, at some point, disbelievers. Coming from that religious backdrop, they were not only better able to understand the fallacies contained within their own faith but were better able to understand Islam as those who leave darkness are better able to appreciate light.
It is with this intent that this section will highlight the disbelievers approach to good, for indeed Allah (سبحان و تعلى) has not only informed us about the general notion of good and evil as it pertains to the believers, but to those who disbelieve as well.
Allah (سبحان و تعلى) says in the Quran:
178. and let not the disbelievers think that Our postponing of their punishment is good for them. we postpone the punishment Only so that they may increase In sinfulness. and for them is a disgracing torment.[x]
The disbelievers have difficulty in accepting the notion of accountability and that is referenced quite clearly in this verse by their belief that the very delay of its coming is a blessing of Allah. The postponing of the day of Judgment is of no benefit for the disbelievers because the meantime spent between their lives in this dunya and the accounting will be spent in more disobedience. For the disbelievers the accumulation of sins will not only occur through their evil actions and beliefs, but by their negligence to the commandments of Allah as Allah will question them about every prayer they missed, every fast they skipped, and every year of zakah that went unpaid.[xi]
In Suratul Baqarah Allah (سبحان و تعلى) informs us about the reaction of the disbelievers towards the goodness received by the believers:
105. neither those who disbelieve among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) nor Al-Mushrikûn (the disbelievers In the Oneness of Allâh, idolaters, polytheists, pagans, etc.) like that there should be sent down unto You any good from Your Lord. but Allâh chooses for his Mercy whom He wills. and Allâh is the Owner of great Bounty.[xii]
In this verse Allah (سبحان و تعلى) makes it clear that those clear polytheists as well as the People of the Scripture (ahlul kitab) detest the good that is sent down to the believers. They envy the good that Allah Sends down to the believers because for them, this dunya is their jannah, it is their goal to have all the success they can in it. Because of their obsession with it, Allah prevents them from enjoying both the good of this world and the akhira, and Allah is the Source of Strength.
Another description that Allah gives the disbelievers is that they will enjoy the fruits of this dunya but will be prevented of it in the akhira. In Surah Ta-ha, Allah (سبحان و تعلى) says:
:
131. and strain not Your eyes In longing for the things we have given for enjoyment to various groups of them (polytheists and disbelievers In the Oneness of Allâh), the splendour of the life of This world that we may test them thereby. but the provision (good reward In the Hereafter) of Your Lord is better and more lasting.[xiii]
Here Allah is addressing the believers telling them that when they see the disbelievers possessing the luxuries of this life to not be envious. That is why in the previous verse mentioned it was shown that the disbelievers are the possessors of envy because this life means so much to them. As for the believers, they realize that the enjoyment that the disbelievers have in this life, either through the halal means or haram means, are merely temporary and that the good reward will be in the hereafter.
vi) Humanity in Reference to Evil
Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Describes humanity many times within the Quran as it is He (سبحان و تعلى) Who knows us best. Allah (سبحان و تعلى) is the only One qualified of explaining the primordial state of mankind and it is He (سبحان و تعلى) Who knows what is best for us.
One of the recurring topics within the Quran is that of patience as it is the cornerstone for entering jannah. In Suratul Isra, Allah (سبحان و تعلى) explains the correlation between our impatience and the evil that we dispose unto others:
11. and man invokes (Allâh) for evil as He invokes (Allâh) for good and man is ever hasty [i.e., if He is angry with somebody, He invokes (saying): "O Allâh! Curse him, etc." and that one should not do, but one should be patient].[xiv]
Here Allah (سبحان و تعلى) is Saying that mankind frequently invokes Him (سبحان و تعلى) for evil. In fact, the call occurs so much that it is as if man is asking for good and this is a direct result of the hastiness that humanity has. This is especially the case today as we live in a society that wants everything done immediately. When a societal infrastructure is built off of haste, then it is only natural that people will be hasty with their supplications to Allah (سبحان و تعلى) and they may implore Allah’s wrath on someone while that person may have asked for forgiveness or changes.
In another verse within the same surah, Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Says:
83. and when we bestow Our Grace on man (the disbeliever), He turns away and becomes arrogant, far away from the Right Path. and when evil touches Him He is In great despair.[xv]
This is the default reaction for humanity. When any good comes their way, they become arrogant, forgetting Allah (سبحان و تعلى) totally and attributing any good and success to themselves. Then when the slightest bit of evil comes their way, they despair and do nothing but make the situation worse. That is why when the sahabah were faced with a difficulty or trial, their emaan actually increased[xvi] whereas the average person may have faltered and collapsed within the same situation.
Indeed, there is so much evil around us today and people must be cognizant of what is truly evil and seek refuge with Allah (سبحان و تعلى) from it. This is why Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Revealed an entire surah surrounding the topic of evil and how to avoid it:
1. say: “I seek Refuge with (Allâh) the Lord of the daybreak,
2. “From the evil of what He has created;
3. “And from the evil of the darkening (night) as it comes with its darkness; (or the moon as it sets or goes away).
4. “And from the evil of the witchcrafts when they blow In the knots,
5. “And from the evil of the envier when He envies.”[xvii]
This surah covers a wide range of evil, from the evil of creation to the evil of our surroundings such as the darkening night. Perhaps the scariest verse in this entire surah is the last verse where Allah Tells us to seek refuge from the envier when he envies as this is something which even the believer can fall into and when a person truly envies another, there are no bounds that they wont cross to get what they want.
vii) The Believers Approach to Evil
As for the believer, some people may have the idea that there is no evil that befalls him as a result of his emaan. Unfortunately some Muslims themselves may hold this misconception, and even a cursory glance at the Book of Allah will show that not only does evil befall the believer, but it is a test of his belief. Allah (سبحان و تعلى) tells us:
35. Everyone will going to taste death, and we shall make a trial of You with evil and with good, and to Us You will be returned.[xviii]
In this verse Allah (سبحان و تعلى) begins it with a reminder that our lives on this Earth will not be eternal and that a Day of Judgment will come, but how do we prepare for this day? The response is clear, as Allah (سبحان و تعلى) mentions that our lives will be filled with both tests in the form of Sharr and Khayr. This verse is not exclusive to a certain group of people or religion, rather it addresses all of mankind.
So here we learn that yes, the believer and everyone else are afflicted by evil as a test and trial. Then one could easily ask, is it Allah who Created evil? And why is this so?
Like any other belief, the believers approach to dealing with evil is dictated by certain axioms which are as follows:
- We cannot generalize a statement affirming or negating that Allah wills bad specifically to exist
- We cannot attribute evil to Allah; not as a Name, Action, or Quality[xix]
We know these principles by the way that Allah refers to evil in the Quran which happens in a number of different ways.
In many verses Allah (سبحان و تعلى) generalizes as saying that He is the Creator of all things. In Suratul An’aam Allah (سبحان و تعلى) says:
101. He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have Children when He has no wife? He created All things and He is the All-Knower of everything[xx]
So when Allah Tells us that He Created all things, this is implicitly showing that Allah Created evil as well.
When evil is mentioned directly, it is always mentioned as a passive voice and is typically referenced to ourselves as we are the cause of evil.
10. ‘And we know not whether evil is intended for those on earth, or whether their Lord intends for them a Right Path.[xxi]
So here Allah references where the evil is intended to which can be considered a passive voice. In other ayaat, Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Says:
1. say: “I seek Refuge with (Allâh) the Lord of the daybreak,
2. “From the evil of what He has created;[xxii]
So here the evil is attributed to what Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Created, not directly as a creation from Allah. In other verses Allah (سبحان و تعلى) mentions the result of the evil that has befallen people, so for example Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Says:
80. “And when I am ill, it is He who cures me;[xxiii]
In other verses and ahadith in the sunnah, evil is also referred to as a part of our own souls. So we see the Prophet (ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭ ﺳﻠﻢ) seeking refuge from the evil of our own souls and this is showing that evil emanates from us as well.[xxiv] All of these evidences are sufficient to show that we don’t ever directly attribute evil to Allah, so if one were to refer to Allah as the Creator of Evil (and we seek refuge with Allah from making such a statement), it would be an inappropriate statement and that should not only be avoided but abhorred.
In another verse Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Speaks about how the believers always avoid doing evil:
69. those who fear Allâh, keep their duty to Him and avoid evil are not responsible for them (the disbelievers) In any case, but (their duty) is to remind them, that they may avoid that (mockery at the Qur’ân). [the order of This Verse was cancelled (abrogated) by the Verse 4:140].[xxv]
In this verse Allah (سبحان و تعلى) stresses the need of avoiding wrongdoers in general. By keeping company with wrongdoers, one’s emaan may be affected to the point of either showing compassion towards evil deeds or performing those deeds, and we seek refuge with Allah (سبحان و تعلى) from that.
Another characteristic of the believer is that they may be tried by something which is seemingly evil (at least from the outside) but is in fact good for them. Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Says:
(216. Jihâd (holy fighting In Allâh’s Cause) is ordained for You (Muslims) though You dislike it, and it may be that You dislike a thing which is good for You, and that You like a thing which is bad for you. Allâh knows but You do not know.)[xxvi]
This verse speaks of those who may have been hesitant to work in the Cause of Allah (سبحان و تعلى) for Jihad. Many Muslims may see it as being something inconvenient, especially considering the amount of sacrifices that take place prior to committing to such a cause. Allah Says that in general, there are things in this dunya that we as believers may think of as evil, but they are good for us and vice versa.
Although the ayah refers to Jihad in particular, it’s meaning and values stretch beyond these boundaries. Allah (سبحان و تعلى) explicitly tells us that we may be unable to distinguish good from the evil at first, but we need to reflect upon these “evil” situations and strive for patience in these situations.
viii) The Disbelievers Approach to Evil
One of the characters of disbelievers is that they disbelieve out of avoidance. The words come to their ears, but they don’t hear them and although they see the truth, they choose to avert their gaze. They are those who Allah (سبحان و تعلى) has blessed with hearing and sight, yet they walk around deaf and blind. In the Quran, Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Says:
22. Verily! the worst of (moving) living creatures with Allâh are the deaf and the dumb, those who understand not (i.e. the disbelievers).[xxvii]
Allah (سبحان و تعلى) is not Speaking literally here, rather it is a figurative statement of those who have blinded themselves to the divine guidance. Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Has stated in many verses that the correct path is unmistakable, unambiguous, and transparent to anyone seeking guidance. There is not a single person that sincerely seeks guidance from Allah (سبحان و تعلى) except that he is granted what he is seeking and that is why Allah (سبحان و تعلى) refers to the light of guidance as radiating across the east and the west in abundance.
In a very similar verse within the same surah (suratul Anfaal), Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Says:
55. Verily, the worst of moving (living) creatures before Allâh are those who disbelieve , – so they shall not believe.[xxviii]
This verse can be considered an explanation of the previous one. Both begin with the exact same language (Verily, the worst of moving (living) creatures before Allâh) but the first verse continues to describe the worst creatures as those who reject guidance without specifically identifying or classifying them. The verse only describes the characteristics of that group in that they don’t understand what is clear as night and day. The above ayah designates the worst of creation specifically as the disbelievers. Those who reject faith and will never believe, no matter how much dawah you try to give.
This arrogance of disbelief is described in further detail in Suratul Hajj when Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Says:
72. and when Our clear Verses are recited to them, You will notice a denial on the faces of the disbelievers! they are nearly ready to attack with violence those who recite Our Verses to them. say: “Shall I tell You of something worse than that? the Fire (of Hell) which Allâh has promised to those who disbelieve, and worst indeed is that destination!”[xxix]
Here Allah (سبحان و تعلى) describes the details of the disbelievers facial expressions when being told the truth. The fact is that many who disbelieve become agitated with the slightest mention of Islam or tawheed and in this case, the way that Allah (سبحان و تعلى) is encouraging us to humble them is through the mention of the hellfire. During the time of the Prophet (ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭ ﺳﻠﻢ) there were some disbelievers who couldn’t stand to hear a few verses of the Quran and that is why we find reports of Sahabah reciting the Quran and getting beaten profusely as a response for their recital.[xxx]
viii) Conclusion
The absolute greatest blessing that Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Bestows on His Servants is guidance because with guidance one makes all of his actions geared toward Allah (سبحان و تعلى) by making Him (سبحان و تعلى) the sight with which he sees, the ears with which he hears, and the hand by which he dares.[xxxi] When one reaches this state, their supplications are always Heard by Allah (سبحان و تعلى) and responded to immediately. This station can only be achieved by the believer; one who understands the need to do good at all times and avoid evil at all costs. The believer who never questions Allah (سبحان و تعلى), but focuses on himself and whether or not he is prepared for the Day of Judgment. This is the believer who balances himself within the perpetual station of love, hope, and fear and who supplicates at times when no one else will.[xxxii] In short, this is the believer who strives his best to follow the sunnah of our guide, Muhammad (ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭ ﺳﻠﻢ) in all times and all places.
The trend of questioning God has become an all too common reality today as people sit and dictate terms to Allah (سبحان و تعلى). They question the creation of Allah (سبحان و تعلى) and say that if Allah (سبحان و تعلى) had not intended evil to happen, then there would not have been any evil on earth.
That is why ahlus sunnah wal jama’ah is the group closest to Allah (سبحان و تعلى). By consensus, the scholars of sunnah have agreed that every creation of Allah’s was either totally good or possessed more good than evil, eliminating the possibility that Allah (سبحان و تعلى) would ever create something with an equivalent amount of good and evil in it, let alone an object totally evil.[xxxiii]
Finally, one needs to understand that the principle foundation to approaching both good and evil require patience. Patience is our key to jannah and to attain it, one must be thankful during times of good and patient during difficult times. This was the way of all the Prophets as well as the righteous after them and it is only through patience that we will be able to handle any and all difficulties that come our way.
We pray that Allah (سبحان و تعلى) Grants us strength during difficulties and makes us from those who engage in good wherever we see it and work to suppress evil wherever it may be. Ameen.
References
[i] An-Nahl: 24-25
[ii] For a full discussion of this, see Tafsir Ibn Katheer (Abridged) English translation of these verses.
[iii] Al-Furqan:12
[iv] An-Nahl :30
[v] Al-Qasas:80
[vi] Aal-Imran:198
[vii] Ad-Duha:4
[viii] See Tafseer ibn Katheer of an-Nur:11. Ibn Katheer narrates the majority of this incident and begins with the following statement “Imam Ahmad recorded that Az-Zuhri said: Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib, `Urwah bin Az-Zubayr, `Alqamah bin Waqqas and `Ubaydullah bin `Abdullah bin `Utbah bin Mas`ud told me about the story of `A’ishah, the wife of the Prophet , when the people of the slander said what they said about her”
[ix] An-Nur:11-12
[x] Aal-Imran:178
[xi] This was mentioned by Dr. Basyouni in Rays of Faith. It was stated that even if the disbelievers made salaah, it would not be accepted from them since a prerequisite is the shahada and that on the Day of Judgment, every salah not prayed will be asked about. This principle extends to every act of worship that they overlooked in this dunya.
[xii] Al-Baqarah: 105
[xiii] Ta-Ha:131
[xiv] Al-Isra:11
[xv] Al-Isra:83
[xvi] See Aal-Imran:173 for one such example
[xvii] Al-Falaq:1-5
[xviii] Al-Anbiya:35
[xix] Both Axioms were mentioned by Dr. Basyouni in Rays of Faith
[xx] Al-An’aam:101
[xxi] Jinn:10
[xxii] 113:1-2
[xxiii] Ash-Shuara:80
[xxiv] This was a part of Khutbatul Haajah: A number of hadeeth scholars, such as Imaam al-Nisaa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him), have reported Khutbah al-Haajah. Al-Nisaa’i reported that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet 
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us Khutbat al-Haajah: Al-hamdu Lillaahi nasta’eenahu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na’oodhu billaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa sayi’aati a’maalinaa. (http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=2066&misc=&offset=0&sort=d)
[xxv] Al-An’aam:69
[xxvi] Al-Baqarah:216
[xxvii] Al-Anfaal:22
[xxviii] Al-Anfaal:55
[xxix] Al-Hajj:72
[xxx] Abdullah ibn Masood and Abu Bakr were both of those beaten when reciting the Quran to the disbelievers in Makkah, may Allah be pleased with them both.
[xxxi] See Bukhari, vol 8, Book 76, hadith 509
[xxxii] “The heart is like a bird: love at its head and its two wings are hope and fear.”
Ibn Al-Qayyim, Madarij al-Salikin
[xxxiii] Dr. Basyouni stated this unequivocally in Rays of Faith
