One of the most common psychological problems in our time that Muslims and non-Muslims suffer from when it comes to their relationship with the Divine. And that is:

“How you guys believe in a God when there so much suffering and there is so much killing; so many children are dying, hungry; there is so much disease and there is so much injustice…?”

Have you ever heard this argument?

And then at the personal level:

“How can there be a God, I didn’t do anything wrong and I lost my job!” “I didn’t do anything wrong and I got cancer!” or “My mother died!”…

The Common Question That Makes Allah Upset

People come to the church and say: “Why did God do this to me?”

This is a common thing. And unfortunately, it’s now starting to happen with Muslims.

“Why Allah is doing this to me?”

A brother whose mother passed away (may Allah enter her into Paradise) came to the mosque distraught apparently and he said:

“Why Allah is doing this to me? What’s my fault in all this?”

When somebody gets sick, they say: “Why is Allah mad at me? Why is this happening to me?”

First of all, understand some very basic things: When Allah says His name in chapter Al-Fatihah, Alhamdulillah, the very next thing He told us about Himself is not Al-Khaliq, is not Al-Malik, is not Ar-Rahman or Ar-Rahim, He told us Rabb al Alameen, the thing with Lordship, Ownership, complete rights over someone…

Accept that Allah is not just the creator, He is your Lord and you have no rights before Him… My computer stops working, do I have the right to break it, to step on it, to throw it away? Is it going to file complaint against me? No! it’s mine…

Now, Allah has not only created us, but owns us entirely. Did I pay for my hands or eyes? Did I decide what gender am I going to be? Or did I decide how old I’m going to be, or my ethnicity, or who’s my father and mother are going to be?

No.

Allah is the one who gave it to me. I didn’t pay Him anything for it; it’s all been given to me.

This idea of ‘God owning me somehow’ is very Christian concept. Allah owes us nothing because He is Rabb, He gives us anyway.