Monthly Archives: August 2014

For The Respect Of God: The Etiquette Of Sacred Texts

Soul Food For The Week Of 8/27/14

Soul food is a weekly collection of verses, stories, and quotes from various traditions to meditate on. All verses from the Hebrew Bible, Deuterocanonical books, and New Testament, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). All verses from the Quran, unless otherwise noted, are from the MAS Abdel Haleem Translation.

Jewish

Torah

“But Moses said to the Lord, ‘O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now

that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.’ Then the Lord said

to him, ‘Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the

Lord?”

-Exodus 4:10-11

Talmud

“Do not be as slaves, who serve their master for the sake of reward. Rather, be as slaves who serve their master not for the sake of reward. And the fear of Heaven should be upon you.”

-Ethics Of The Fathers 1:3

Pseudepigrapha

“Now therefore, my children, in patience and meekness spend the number of your days, that you inherit

endless life. Endure for the sake of the Lord every wound, every injury, every evil word and attack. If

ill-requitals befall you, return them not either to neighbor or enemy, because the Lord will return them

for you and be your avenger on the day of great judgment, that there be no avenging here among men.”

-Enoch, 2 Enoch or The Book Of the Secrets Of Enoch 50:3-5

Other

“I will not pay an evil reward to a man; I will pursue him with goodness.”

-Dead Sea Scrolls, The Community Rule Manuscript, Cave 4, Column 9

Christian

New Testament

“Pay attention to what you hear! The standard you apply will be the standard applied to you, and then

some.”

-Jesus, The Gospel of Mark 4:24 SV

Church Fathers

“Are you angry? Be angry at your own sins, examine your conscience and judge your evil deeds. This is the benefit of anger, wherefore God placed it in us.”

-St. John Chrysostom

New Testament Apocrypha

“My Redeemer, redeem me, for I am yours; the one who has come forth from you. You are my mind;

bring me forth! You are my treasure house; open for me! You are my fullness; take me to you!”

-Paul, Prayer of The Apostle Paul 1:6-9

Other

“Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.”

-St. Francis of Assisi

Islamic

Quran

“Keep up the prayer, my son; command what is right; forbid what is wrong; bear anything that happens

to you steadfastly: these are things to be aspired to.”

-Luqman The Wise, Quran 31:17

Hadith Al-Qudsi

On the authority of Abu Sa’id (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah said:

Let not any one of you belittle himself. They said: O Messenger of Allah, how can any one of us belittle himself? He said: He finds a matter concerning Allah about which he should say something, and he does not say [it], so Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says to him on the Day of Resurrection: What prevented you from saying something about such-and-such and such-and-such? He say: [It was] out of fear of people. Then He says: Rather it is I whom you should more properly fear.

-Hadith Al-Qudsi 22, Related By Ibn Majah

Hadith

“Shall I not inform you of a better act than fasting, alms, and prayers? Making peace between one another: enmity and malice tear up heavenly rewards by the roots.”

-Abu-Dawood, Book 42, Hadith 4901

Sufism

“Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. At the first gate, ask yourself ‘Is is true.’ At the second gate ask, ‘Is it necessary.’ At the third gate ask, ‘Is it kind.’ “

-Sufi Proverb

Other

“A real man is the one who fears the death of his heart, not his body”

-Ibn Al-Qayyim

Other Wisdom

“A man maybe ruined by his tongue,

beware and you will do well.”

-Any, Instruction of Any

“Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am

contradicted.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

What Theists Can Learn From Atheists

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“Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.”

-Ben Zoma, Ethics Of The Fathers 4:1

What can theists, particularly those of the Abrahamic variety learn from Atheists? Actually quite a lot. I am not an Atheist, I am a strongly convicted theist of the Islamic brand, however I do believe we could learn a great deal from moderate Atheists, to make ourselves better. These ideas of theirs, once seen heretical by the masses and still are by Fundamentalists are Skepticism and a belief in action over prayer.

Skepticism among many religious believers, especially those whom are conservative and those whom are extremists view skepticism as something dangerous, something to be avoided. These type of people believe that doubting will lead people to questioning their faith and may even cause them to abandon their faith. While it is true that such a mind set has led some to abandon their beliefs, it has led many to deeper levels of belief.

I experienced this type of thinking first hand growing up. When I was a kid my family was very fundamentalist in their beliefs as Christians, and myself had a passionate interest in Science. My family was aware of my passion and my interests in studying about subjects they considered taboo, such as evolution, was not allowed.

However questioning our beliefs is the only way one can perceive the truth deeply. Many theists, especially those of us whom come from countries and cultures where our religious beliefs are the majority, take our religions for granted. We may know the basics (and many do not know that.), but very seldom do most people dive deeper than that. If we truly want to appreciate our faith and develop a much more profound understanding of it, we have to be able to ask questions, to seek knowledge. Peter Abelard Said it best,

“By doubting we come to inquiry, and by inquiry we perceive the truth.”

This questioning nature is something that we should not only practice in our religious lives, but the lives we live on Social media as well. All too often, especially during conflicts such as the recent Gaza conflict when emotions run ramped, we share stuff without verifying whether it is true or not, especially regarding something negative. Often times among fundamentalist or conservative religious groups you will find deceptive material is passed around about groups they wish to vilify. Sometimes even moderate believers will share these items without questioning their truthfulness. This material hurts their targeted victims by furthering negative, false stereotypes. One example of this was a picture that was past around by the right wing website, FreePatriot.org which it claim depicted a Christian woman falling to her death because she was pushed by Muslim extremists. However this picture was actually a cropped picture of a schizophrenia patient from Shanghai, China who fell on her own.

This is the original unedited photo.

This is the cropped image which was posted to FreePatriot.org

Skepticism is much like the water of our spiritual lives, in the right amounts it is healthy, and even necessary for life, but too much of it can kill us. We need to be at the level where we do not take everything we see on T.V or shared via social media or everything we hear from a Rabbi, Priest, preacher, minister, Imam, Sheik, or Ustad at face value. Many of these people are well meaning and would never purposefully feed us false information, however there are some who use their pulpit to do such a thing, to spread hate and fear. So I encourage everyone to fact check what their religious leaders are telling them. Even if they are telling the truth this can lead to a much more profound understanding of the truth.

Secondly Atheists focus on action, rather than prayer. One of my Atheist friends once shared a picture comparing a warehouse full of food for the poor to an empty warehouse full of “prayers” for the poor. It really struck a chord with me. I believe in prayer, I FIRMLY believe prayer works (If I did not believe in prayer this former minimum wage slave would not be writing this from East Java, Indonesia but would still be holding a sign for a third rate Pizza chain.), and I just as passionately believe that it is prayer is a must for every believer, to have a deep relationship with God. I believe it is essential, but I believe action should not be neglected. While I do believe God is perfectly capable of super natural acts, I believe that God works through people.

I believe the following story illustrates this point excellently:

There was once a man whom was caught in a flood. The flood had risen so high that he had to climb on top of his house, and it had continue to rise. The man then prayed and asked God to save him and God had told him he would. Moments later someone on raft came by and told the man he was there to save him. The man refused to leave with him, saying that God said he would save him. Then someone else came on a motorboat and told the man that he was there to save him, but again the man refused, saying God would save him. Next came someone on a helicopter, but again the man refused saying God would save him. Finally the waters raised so high that the man drowned. When he went before God, he asked God why he did not save him.

God replied, “I sent someone to save you with a raft, with a motorboat, and with a helicopter, but you refused all of them.”

Our religious traditions are full of examples of God acting through people. The sheer fact that God uses prophets to communicate to us is evidence of this, but the laws these prophets give us reinforces this. These laws, the ones focusing on social justice, call us to action to help our fellow man. Take the following for example:

“Have you considered the person who denies the Judgement? It is he who pushes aside the orphan and does not urge others to feed the needy.”ⁱ

“You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge.” ⁱⁱ

“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.”ⁱⁱⁱ

All of these laws deal with proper treatment of the vulnerable in society. When we observe these laws and fulfill them, God is acting through us and is using us to do good in the world.

I am not saying that we should not pray for these people, undoubtedly we should, but if possible our prayer should be matched with action. Every action counts too, no mater whether you can only spare a dime or give thirty minutes of your time. Little by little, drop by drop, even the mighty ocean is filled with water. I am also not saying that people who can not do anything, should not pray for their less fortunate brothers and sisters, what I am saying is that those who are perfectly capable of doing both, should. Prayer is an act of faith, we pray and have faith God hears us. The author of the Epistle of James said it best,

“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.” ^iv

When you help your fellow man, make sure you help them because it is what God asks of you or because you feel compassion towards them, not to promote your religion or to showoff. Showing off by helping others is condemned and the opposite is praised,

“…Then will be brought a man whom Allah had made abundantly rich and had granted every kind of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them and (admit having enjoyed them in his lifetime). Allah will (then) ask: What have you done (to requite these blessings)? He will say: I spent money in every cause in which Thou wished that it should be spent. Allah will say: You are lying. You did (so) that it might be said about (You):” He is a generous fellow” and so it was said. Then will Allah pass orders and he will be dragged with his face downward and thrown into Hell.” ^v

“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”^vi

“A man who gives charity in secret is greater than Moses our Teacher.”^vii

It is perfectly fine to share with those you are helping that God loves them and to invite them to a religious service. However, it is never ok to ask people to accept your beliefs or to attend a service in order for you to help them. In none of our scriptures is there a verse that says do not help anyone unless they believe as you do. Need knows no creed. Starvation, knows no religious orientation. When you help people, this is an opportunity to let God’s love and light shine through you to those that need it the most. Do not spoil it by trying to force your beliefs on people, rather let your actions and motivations speak for themselves.

Though I may not agree with their theology or lack thereof, I do believe there is much we could learn from moderate atheists. One does not have to agree with everything a person or group says or believes to believe that some of their ideas and practices are good. A touch of skepticism and being more active in helping your fellow could not hurt anyone. I challenge every theist who reads this to try it out for themselves.

i Quran 107:1-3, Haleem translation

ii Deuteronomy 24:17, NRSV

iii Luke 14:13, NRSV

iv James 2:26, NRSV

v Hadith Sahih-Muslim, 20, 4688

vi Matthew 6:2-4, NRSV

vii Talmud – Mas. Baba Bathra 9b, Soncino Translation

The Day Of Resurrection: A Modern Adaptation Of Hadith Qudsi 18 And Matthew 25:41-45

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I wrote the following back in the Spring of 2012, after coming across the aforementioned passages in Hadith Al-Qudsi and The Gospel of Matthew. Though it is short, I attempted to adapt the passages to the current times and situations myself, my family, and my community were facing. Drug addiction, especially heroine addiction, was, and unfortunately still is a major problem both my family and home town face. This is not the fault of the addicts, this is the fault of the dealers whom take advantage of their sickness, they are in effect modern day slave masters and the addicts, slaves. They cause much suffering to both the addicts, their families, and communities. At the same time several of my close friends and myself were facing relationship troubles with both love interests and people who claimed to be our friends. The common theme here is using people and exploiting them. All people are ends in themselves, not means to an end. When someone is being exploited they are no longer treated as a person, but objects to help the exploiter reach their goal. Though the injustice in this world may seem great at times and those whom cause injustice may seem and feel invincible, this is not to last. Their injustice will one day come to an end and they will be served justice, either in this world or on the Day Of Judgement. This Justice on the Day of Judgement is the subject of this adaptation.

“On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) will say on the Day of Resurrection: O son of Adam, I fell ill and you visited Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so had fallen ill and you visited him not? Did you not know that had you visited him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and so asked you for food and you fed him not? Did you not know that had you fed him you would surely have found that (the reward for doing so) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked you to give Me to drink and you gave Me not to drink. He will say: O Lord, how should I give You to drink when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: My servant So-and-so asked you to give him to drink and you gave him not to drink. Had you given him to drink you would have surely found that with Me.”
-Hadith Qudsi 18, related by Muslim

“Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’”

-Matthew 25: 41-45 (NRSV)

The Modern Adaptation

Remember to treat your fellow man well and do not use one another, for one day there will come a day
of severe judgment. On this day your brothers, sisters, parents, children, lovers, family, and friends will
abandon you. On this day you will go before God, the owner of the Day of Judgment. He will say,
“Why did you use me?”

And you will say, “My Lord when did I ever meet you to use you?”

And God will say, “I was your former lover whom you used to make others jealous, whom you used as a back up
plan, whom you used for sex, whom you used for money. I was the sick heroin addict whom you exploited to make money, whose life and family you destroyed, whom you made to cause his children to go without food, whom you made steal from his Mother, whom you caused to overdose. You were my fair weather friend.”

Then you will say, “When did I ever mistreat you?”

God will respond, “I was the poor beggar whom you refused to give money to because you said I would use it to buy drugs, even though you had never met me nor knew anything about me. I was the lover you lead on, I was the person you hated. I sent a prophet to every nation, from Adam to Muhammad to show you how to live, yet you did not take heed. Depart from me into the fire.”

Soul Food For The Week Of 8/20/2014 Helping The Poor

The Relationship Between Antisemitism and Islamophobia and How To Defeat Both

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“Hatred never ends through hatred.

By non-hate alone does it end.

This is an ancient truth.”

-Buddha, Dhammapada

There are two evils that are currently spreading like cancer, and in this modern age of information are still infecting people, they are Antisemitism and Islamophobia. Antisemitism is defined as “hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group.”ⁱ, where as Islamophobia is “A hatred or fear of Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force.”ⁱⁱ. They may seem to be very different and isolated from each other but in fact they are related and in most instances, are exactly the same.

Hate is a vicious cycle. Person A attacks person B, followed by person B attacking A in retaliation, and it continues on in this same fashion indefinitely, until one person is killed or refuses to participate any more. The same is true with hate speech, though it is much more complicated as it does not involve just one person but groups of people and groups of groupsⁱⁱⁱ. When tensions get high as a result of political events, such as the current conflict in Gaza, Islamophobia and Antisemitism tends to spread rapidly on both sides of the conflict.

Antisemitism and Islamophobia not only hurts the people whom the hate is directed at, it also hurts the people whom the person who is spreading the hate belongs too, especially if it is a Jew participating in Islamophobia or a Muslim in Antisemitism. There are people whom participate in both Antisemitism and Islamophobia, who believe that Islam and Judaism are religions of hate, and when a Jew makes an Islamophobic statement or a Muslim shares Antisemitic pictures, it gives these people the evidence they need to back up their false beliefs. Secondly neither religion is based on hate, but if there is someone whom wishes to convert to either faith, and they see a believer or believers participating in this type of behavior, it could very well make them lose all interest in joining the religion, because it could give them the false idea that the religion in question promotes hate.

There are circles of hatemongers who are both Antisemitic and Islamophobic, these are the people I mentioned above, whom love to see Jews and Muslims participate in this type of behavior. These people take much of the old Antisemitic hate material and repackage it as Islamophobia. One prime example of this are the following pictures, the one with the Rabbi was made by the Nazis as propaganda, it was repackeged later by the English Defense League as Islamophobia. If you look closely at the picture of the Imam you can even see the shadow of the hat worn by the Rabbi in the original picture.

Nazi propaganda of a Rabbi vandalizing his own Synagogue.

English Defense League propaganda depicting an Imam vandalizing his Mosque or Masjid. It is a poorly modified version of the Nazi propaganda.

This shared hatred is not just limited to pictures, but it can also be found in their slanted views of Jews and Muslims. I am not sure if this is a direct borrowing of hate logic, or if this just coincidences caused by people who hate thinking the same, perhaps both. Compare the following beliefs held by Islamophobes about Muslims and Islam with those of Antisemitists about Jews and Judaism:

Their Religion Tells Them To Conquer the world

“Islam understands its earthly mission to extend the law of Allah over the world by force.”

-Robert Spencer.

“Do you not know that the God of the Old Testament orders the Jews to consume and enslave the peoples of the earth?”

-Julius Streicher.^iv

The Believers of These Faiths Cannot Be Trusted

“When one is under pressure, one may lie in order to protect the religion, this is taught in the Qur’an.” -Robert Spencer.

“We may lie and cheat Gentiles. In the Talmud it says: It is permitted for Jews to cheat Gentiles.”

-The Toadstool, children’s book published by Julius Streicher.^v

These Faiths Are Violent While Christianity Is Not

“There is no Muslim version of ‘love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you’ or ‘if anyone strikes you on the right cheek turn to him the other also’.”

-Robert Spencer.

“The Jew is not being taught, like we are, such texts as, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,’ or ‘If you are smitten on the left cheek, offer then your right one.’”

-Julius Streicher.^vi

Violence Is Unique To That Religion

”(Islam) is the only major world religion with a developed doctrine and tradition of warfare against unbelievers.”

-Robert Spencer.

“No other people in the world has such prophecies. No other people would dare to say that it was chosen to murder and destroy the other peoples and steal their possessions.”

-Julius Streicher.^vii

Like many illnesses that plague humanity hatred can be cured and prevented. It maybe near impossible to change the mind of someone entrenched in this type of bigotry but it is not unheard of. This can and must be achieved through education and meetings with and between Jews and Muslims. There is a correlation between a persons bigotry and their level of education.^viii The more educated a person is the more likely they are not to hold biases. People tend to fear that which they do not understand, and they tend to dislike what they fear. The more a person learns about a group of people, the more they understand, that while people do have some unique differences, we are more alike than different. The answer is not just in exposing people to books or new ideas, they need to be exposed to new and different people. Then when they get to know these people intimately they will cease to hate. It is hard to be bigoted towards a group of people when you can put a face and a name with them, it makes them human. It is for this same reason that when one country goes to war with another, propaganda is spread to dehumanize the enemy to make them easier to kill, emotionally.

No one can change the past, but we all can change today to make tomorrow better. Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” We do not have to try to be great individuals to change the world, nor do our actions have to be large to do so. If we all make changes in our lives and communities, the sum total of all of our micro changes will result in a macro change. No need to wait, get started today!

What you can do to fight against Antisemitism and Islamophobia

1.Fight falsehood with facts

“Conquer the liar with truth”

-Buddha, Dhammapada

When ever you hear or read someone say or write something antisemitic or Islamophobic, respond with verifiable facts. You don’t have to get into a debate with such people, just state the facts and show the truth. At best they will see the error of their ways, at worst someone else will come along and see what you said, and will know the truth because of you.

2. Educate people

Jews and Muslims have some pretty unique practices, especially when compared to many Christians and secular people who live in the west. If someone asks you a question about one of your practices, explain it to them, and if you know of parallels in their religion be sure to cite them. If there are many people in your area interested in knowing more about your faith, consider trying to set up an open house at your Mosque or Synagogue.

3. Meet People outside of your normal circles.

If you are used to spending time with your friends, and they are all of the same faith as you. Try to make more friends with other people of different faiths. This is not just beneficial for you, but will be for the friends you make who are not Muslim or Jewish. If you have a Facebook account please consider joining these groups to meet Jews and Muslims.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/AbrahamsTent/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/AbrahamicBrotherhood/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/138888629605480/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2204606363/

4. If Your city does not have an interfaith organization, consider starting one.

i “Anti-Semitism.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 12 Aug. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-Semitism>

ii “Islamophobia”. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. 12 August 2014. <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/e

iii There are many hate groups that hate the same things, but they are not the same hate group, for example The Aryan Brotherhood and The Ku Klux Klan.

iv Musaji, Sheila. “Islamophobia & Anti-Semitism: Everything Old Is New Again.” The American Muslim. N.p., 17 July 2013. Web. 12 Aug. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Ftheamericanmuslim.org%2Ftam.php%2Ffeatures%2Farticles%2Fcomparison-propaganda%2F0019178>.

vIbid.

viIbid.

viiIbid.

viii Pappas, Stephanie. “Low IQ & Conservative Beliefs Linked to Prejudice.” LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 26 Jan. 2012. Web. 13 Aug. 2014. <http://www.livescience.com/18132-intelligence-social-conservatism-racism.html>.

A General Letter of Encouragement To Anyone Facing Hard Times and Distress

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I originally wrote the following letter to one of my close family members whom was currently incarcerated in December of 2012 or January 2013. Once he got out he explained to me how helpful and encouraging it was to him, and because of that I believe that others whom are facing difficulties may find encouragement and inspiration in this letter.

“Don’t let your difficulties fill you with anxiety, after all, it is only in the darkest nights that the stars shine more brilliantly”

-Ali Ibn Abi Thalib

Do not let your current situation get you down, no mater how dark things may get, do not let your situation bring you down, fore your situation will show you what you are really like. None of us can control what happens to us in life, however we can control how we respond to the situation, and it is our thoughts, actions, and motivations that determine who we are. When you get through this situation, you will take this experience with you for the rest of your life. When ever something bad happend, from now on you will have the experience and patience to deal with it from this situation.

“Smooth seas don’t make skilled sailors.”

-Ethiopian Proverb

Things may seem difficult at times, but God never promised us life would be easy, he said it would be difficult. All of God’s favored servants and Prophets endured hardships. Abraham wrestled with his wife’s infertility, Moses had to face the trails and tribulations of the bondage of his people, David had to face a giant, Jesus was plotted against, and Muhammad had been the target of an assination attempt. If these individuals, whom were favored by God had a difficult life, should us ordinary people not expect atleast the same?

“Do you think you will enter the Garden without first having suffered like those who passed away before you?”

-Quran 2:214

Yet God promises us that it will not be more difficult than we can stand.

“God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear.”

-Quran 2:286

“No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”

-Paul, 1 Corinthians 10:13

Be patiant and endure in your situation. Be like an ox pulling a heavy load through the mud, though it is tired, though it is constantly getting stuck, and though the load is heavy, the ox never stops looking forward and never stops moving.

” It is the part of a brave combatant to be wounded, and yet overcome. But especially we ought to endure all things for God’s sake, that he may bear with us.”

-Ignatius, The Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp 1:14

Perhaps you will be like Jospeph (Yusuf, Yosef), maybe something good will come out of this. He was sold into slavery by his brothers and unjustly put into prision, yet because of these two events he became the second most powerful man in Egypt. Your situation maybe similar to how a pearl is made. An oyester sits at the bottom of the ocean, and because of this, sand enters it. The sand irritates the oyester, but the oyester secretes nacre, a substance that eases the pain. Over time this mixture of nacre and sand creates a pearl, yet without no pain, there could be no pearl.

Remember that God is in control and that he is both all powerful and all merciful. Everything that happens to us, even suffering is an act of God’s mercy.

“A story is told about the saintly Rabbi Yisrael of Rizhin. A man came to him complaining about the Suffering that he endured in his daily life. The Rizhiner Rav consoled him by telling of a Jew who had come before the Heavenly Court for Judgment after his death. His Mitzvos (Merits) and Aveiros (Sins) were placed on the Scale of Justice but, unfortunately, his Aveiros outweighed his Mitzvos and he was to be sentenced to Gehinom (Hell). Then an Angel of Mercy came forward and testified: ‘This man endured much pain in his lifetime, and this should be taken into account.’ Then all the Suffering that he had borne was placed on the Scale together with his Mitzvos, and slowly but surely, the Merit side of the Scale began to descend. It inched down slowly, but fell slightly short. As the man was lead away to Gehinom, he cried out: ‘HaShem (God), You are a Merciful Father! Why couldn’t You give me just a little more Suffering?'”

I scencerly hope and pray that in these words you find comfort and meaning to weather what ever storm you may be facing. May the Peace and Blessings of God be upon you.

Soul Food For The Week Of 8/13/2014

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Soulfood is a weekly collection of verses, stories, and quotes from various traditions to be inspired by and to meditate on.

Jewish

Torah

“Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.”

-Genesis 11:6, NRSV

Talmud

“The world stands on three things: Torah, the service of G-d, and deeds of kindness.”

-Ethics Of The Fathers 2

Pseudepigrapha

“Before everything, fear God

and honor the one that is older than you

for thus you shall be honored by God.”

-The Sentences Of The Syriac Menander 2-4, Translated By T. Baarda

Other

“The Beings who live Below, say that God is on High; while the Angels in Heaven, say that God is on Earth.”

-Zohar

Christian

New Testament

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

-James 4:10, NRSV

Church Fathers

“One day Abba Isaac went to a monastery. He saw a brother committing a sin and he condemned him. When he returned to the desert, an angel of the Lord came and stood in front of the door of his cell, and said, ‘I will not let you enter.’ But he persisted saying, ‘What is the matter?’ and the angel replied, ‘God has sent me to ask you where you want to throw the guilty brother whom you have condemned.’ Immediately he repented and said, ‘I have sinned, forgive me.’ Then the angel said, ‘Get up, God has forgiven you. But from now on, be careful not to judge someone before God has done so.’”

-Sayings Of The Desert Fathers, pg. 109-110

New Testament Apocrypha

“If the flesh came into being because of spirit, that is a marvel, but if spirit came into being because of the body, that is a marvel of marvels. Yet I marvel at how this great wealth has come to dwell in this poverty.”

-The Gospel of Thomas 29, SV

Other

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”

-John Wesley

Islamic

Quran

“So remember Me; I will remember you. Be thankful to Me, and never ungrateful.”

-Quran 2:152, Haleem Translation

Hadith Al-Qudsi

“Allah the Almighty said:

‘I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.”

-Hadith Sahih-Muslim 35, 6471

Hadith

The Prophet said, “While a dog was going round a well and was about to die of thirst, an Israeli prostitute saw it and took off her shoe and watered it. So Allah forgave her because of that good deed.”

-Hadith Sahih-Bukhari 4.673

Sufism

“Only love can understand the secrets of God”

-Rumi, Masnavi

Other

“One day Jesus was walking with his students, and they passed by the carcass of a dog.

The students said, “How this dog stinks!”

But Jesus said, “How white are its teeth!”

-Al-Ghazali’s Revival of the Religious Science 3.108

Ancient Wisdom

“For my own part I openly declare that I am not convinced and that I do not believe injustice to be more gainful than justice, even if uncontrolled and allowed to have free play”

-Socrates, Plato’s Republic, Book one

“The love of man is the beginning of godliness.”

-The Sentences of Sextus 371

Why Do Bad Things Happen?

2 Replies

“Do you suppose that you will enter the Garden without first having suffered like those before you?” (Quran 2:214, Haleem translation).

If God is both all good and all powerful, why does evil exist? That question strikes at the very way a person views the world. Yet in all of our lives, at some point we find ourselves asking this question. After all along this journey, we find much suffering. We get sick, as do our loved ones. People come in and out of our lives. Natural disasters and human caused calamities add to this suffering. Recently with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict many people are asking this question, not just due to the killing, but because of all of the negativity it is bringing out in people. I have myself wrestled with this problem for most of my life and have come to the conclusion that bad things happen, not for anyone reason, but for several reasons.

I must now make a distinction between things that are bad and things that seem bad (I will examine both).“Anything good that happens to you [Prophet] is from God; anything bad is [ultimately] from yourself.” (Quran 4:79, Haleem Translation). Everything that is truly bad originates from ourselves, these things serve to wake us up or to punish us.

First bad things serve as a wake up call, to wake us up from error, to bring us back to God when we go astray. A good example of this can be found in the following story located in the Quran.

“We have tried them as We tried the owners of a certain garden, who swore that they would harvest its fruits in the morning and made no allowance [for the Will of God]: a disaster from your Lord struck the garden as they slept and by morning it was stripped bare, a desolate land. Still they called each other at daybreak, ‘Go early to your field if you wish to gather all its fruits,’ and went off, whispering, ‘Make sure no poor person enters the garden today!’––they left early, bent on their purpose– but when they saw the garden, they said, ‘We must have lost our way! No– we are ruined!’ The wisest of them said, ‘Did I not say to you, “Will you not glorify God?”’– they said, ‘Glory be to God, Our Lord! Truly, we were doing wrong!’– and then they turned to each other in mutual reproach. They said, ‘Alas for us! We have done terrible wrong, but maybe our Lord will give us something better in its place: we truly turn to Him in hope.’ Such is the punishment [in this life], but greater still is the punishment in the Hereafter, if only they knew.” (Quran 68:17-33, Haleem translation)

In this story the owners of the garden lost their way, they forgot to give God glory and thanks, and may have neglected to give alms to the poor. Because of their faults, God placed a burden upon them. When they went to their garden, they found that it was stripped bare. In the modern world of grocery stores, food stamps, and disaster relief, this problem does not seem that bad, but in the Ancient world this would have been catastrophic, this would have meant starvation. Faced with this problem, the owners of the garden knew they have done wrong, and so decided to turn back to God.

Paul, then known as Saul, was a fervent persecutor of the early Jesus movement, he even played a role in the killing of Stephen, the first of the Jesus movement to be killed (Acts 7:58). While on the way to Damascus to persecute the movement there, he was struck blind (Acts 9:1-31). This was a very bad thing to befall Paul. To be born blind is a tragedy, but to have sight and lose it is a greater one. However because of this event, Paul reformed himself, and went from being one of the greatest opponents of the early Jesus movement, to one of it’s greatest proponents.

David was the greatest leader to ever grace the Kingdom of Israel. He was a poet, warrior, and a King. He started off as the youngest son of a shepherd, and he found favor with God. Many look to his rule as the Golden Age of Israel, and yet he was not immune to having to suffer a wake up call. He had an affair with Bathsheba, the wife of one of the soldiers in the Israelite army, Uriah. Due to his transgressions, Bathsheba had become pregnant and to cover his mistake he has Uriah killed (2 Samuel 11:2-24). God replies to David by sending the prophet Nathan to deliver a message, and the following take place:

“And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, ‘There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.’ Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.’

Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan said to David, ‘Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child that is born to you shall die.’” (2 Samuel 12:1-14, NRSV)

David had committed his sin and had gone astray, and this woke him up from his error. If not for this, then he would have been killed by God’s punishment.

Secondly, bad things happen as punishment from God. When we exceed all bounds and go far astray, we receive divine punishment. This punishment may happen in this life or the hereafter.

The following narrative from the Quran, is a very clear example of a people whom have gone far astray and God unleashing his punishment upon them,

“To the Thamud, We sent their brother, Salih. He said, ‘My people, worship God. You have no god other than Him. It was He who brought you into being from the earth and made you inhabit it, so ask forgiveness from Him, and turn back to Him: my Lord is near, and ready to answer.’ They said, ‘Salih, We used to have such great hope in you. Will you forbid us to worship what our fathers worshiped? We are in grave doubt about what you are asking us to do.’ He said, ‘My people, just think: if I did have clear proof from my Lord, and if He had given me mercy of His own, who could protect me from God if I disobeyed Him? You would only make my loss greater. My people, this camel belongs to God, a sign for you, so leave it to pasture on God’s earth and do not harm it, or you will soon be punished.’ But they hamstrung it, so he said, ‘Enjoy life for another three days: this warning will not prove false.’ And so, when Our command was fulfilled, by Our mercy We saved Salih and his fellow believers from the disgrace of that day. [Prophet], it is your Lord who is the Strong, the Mighty One. The blast struck the evildoers and they lay dead in their homes, as though they had never lived and flourished there. Yes, the Thamud denied their Lord– so away with the Thamud! (Quran 11:61- 68, Haleem translation)”

The disbelievers of Thamud had went far astray, God had blessed them with a sign, the She Camel, yet they disrespected this blessing by killing her. It was because of this that God’s punishment fell upon them.

The Thamud built their buildings by hewing them into the side of mountains. Despite the eloquence of their buildings, because they disrespected God, they were destroyed, it was as if they never existed.

In the New Testament, an example God’s punishment can be found in the book of Acts, in the following passage,

“But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ‘Ananias,’ Peter asked, ‘why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!’ Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. (Acts 5:1-5, NRSV)”

The most famous stories of God’s punishment in the entire Hebrew Bible, is the story of the Sodom and Gomorrah.

“The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground. He said, ‘Please, my lords, turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you can rise early and go on your way.’ They said, ‘No; we will spend the night in the square.’ But he urged them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house; and they called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we may know them.’ Lot went out of the door to the men, shut the door after him, and said, ‘I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please; only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.’ But they replied, ‘Stand back!’ And they said, ‘This fellow came here as an alien, and he would play the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.’ Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near the door to break it down. But the men inside reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And they struck with blindness the men who were at the door of the house, both small and great, so that they were unable to find the door… Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulphur and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.” (Genesis 19:1-11, 24-25, NRSV)

This area, just north of the Dead Sea, is where people believe Sodom and Gormorrah where located before being utterly destroyed.

Some misinterpret the punishment in this story of Sodom and Gomorrah as a result of homosexual practices, when in fact they were being punished because of how they treated their guests. Directly before this story there is the narrative of Abraham with the three angelic guests, in which he treats them with great hospitality, on of the most important cultural norms in the ancient Middle East. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah serves as a foil, which shows people how not to treat travelers and foreigners who reside with you, whom were often poor,

“This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” (Ezekiel 16:49, NRSV)

Next are there are things that seem bad, but are really good. These things, although they may appear bad, actually serve to bring about a greater good, like a sever thunderstorm, ending a drought.

Evil happens sometimes to bring about great things, to sometimes even to save our lives. The greatest example of this, is a story in which Islam, Christianity, and Judaism all share, the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob. All free faiths agree on the basics of this story.

Joseph is the favorite son of his father, Jacob. Joseph has dreams that he will one day be bowed to by his brothers (Quran 12:4-5, Genesis 37:5-11). His brothers become very jealous of him and plot to kill him, but the eldest convinces the rest of the brothers not to kill him but to sell him to throw him into a pit, where he is picked up by a caravan (Quran 12:5-10,15-19, Genesis 37:12-27). Joseph is eventually sold into slavery in Egypt and bought by the captain of the Egyptian guard. (Quran 12:20-21, Genesis 37:28, 39:1) In his house, God raises Joseph’s rank to were he is second only to his master. This would not last for Joseph and as a result of the wife of the captain of the Egyptian guard trying to seduce Joseph, he is placed in prison (Quran 12:21-35, Genesis 39:2-20). There once again he is raised to the highest rank possible. He meets two of the King of Egypt’s servants, whom are very trouble by dreams they have had. Joseph interprets both of their dreams, telling them that one will be restored to their former position, but the other will be put to death. Joseph tells the one that will be left alive to mention him to the King, but he forgets too(Quran 12: 36-32, Genesis 39:21-40:23). Some time later the king has two dreams which greatly trouble him, but no one is able to interpret them. Then his servant remembers Joseph, who interprets the dreams as meaning there will come seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine (Quran 12:43-53, Genesis 41:1-32). So the king placed Joseph in charge of the nations store houses and Joseph’s rank in Egypt was second only to the King (Quran 12:55-56, Genesis 41:39-44). When the famine came, Joseph’s brothers came to buy grain for their families. Eventually Joseph reveals himself to them and invites them and all of their families to come live in Egypt where they will have plenty to eat and be able to live. (Quran 12:58-100, Genesis 42:1-46:34)

Famine was almost equivalent with death in the ancient world.

It is certainly horrible to be sold into slavery and even worse to be sold into slavery by your brothers. Then when things started to turn around for Joseph, he was unjustly thrown into prison. These all are terrible things to befall a person. However like a mother to be, whom cannot bring a life into this world without experiencing labor pains or an oyster which cannot produce a pearl without suffering the pain caused by the sand that gets caught in its shell, Joseph and his family could not have been saved without suffering through those hardships. Had he not been sold as a slave, he never would have went to Egypt, had he never would have went into the house of the Captain of the Egyptian Guard’s house, he never would have been imprisoned, and without being imprisoned he never would have found favor with the King of Egypt.

God also allows bad things to happen to show us and the world his wonders, to inspire both awe and fear in us. The fear of God is seen as positive in all three religions. Judaism and Christianity view it as the origin of wisdom,

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;” (Psalm 111:10, NRSV).

It is such a fundamental aspect of the Israelite wisdom tradition that the same verse, or slight variations appear multiple times through out the Psalms and Wisdom literature. In Islam the fear of Allah is believed to be so powerful, it can even grant the worst sinner Allah’s forgiveness,

“Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying that a person committed sin beyond measure and when he was going to die, he left this will: When I die, burn my dead body and then cast the ashes to the wind and in the ocean. By Allah, if my Lord takes hold of me, He would torment me as He has not tormented anyone else. They did as he had asked them to do. The Lord said to the earth: Return what you have taken. And he was thus restored to his original form. Allah said to him: What prompted you to do this? He said: My Lord, it was my fear or my awe of you, and because of that Allah forgave him.” (Hadith of Sahih Muslim Book 37, Number 6638)

By far the most famous story of God causing bad things to happen to inspire fear and awe of himself in people, is a story that is central to all three Abrahamic faiths, the story of the Exodus. There are some slight variations between the story as it is found in the Hebrew Bible or Old testament and the Quran, but the over all story is the same.

Some time after the death of Joseph, a new king arose over Egypt and he enslaved the Israelites. The Israelites suffered under this bondage for quite some time. They were not only afflicted by bondage, but they were subjected to other tortures as well, such as the killing of all of their first born sons.(Quran 28:4, Exodus 1:8-22) After some time, God sent Moses and his brother Arron to demand that Pharaoh set the Israelites free (Quran 28:29-35, Exodus 5:1). Pharaoh refuses this and as a result Egypt is struck by plagues, which include the deaths of the Egyptians crops and live stock, the Egyptians being struck with boils, and lastly the deaths of their first born sons (Quran 7:133-136, Exodus 7:14-12:36). Finally Pharaoh decides to let the Israelites go free. He then reneges on his promise and pursues them with his army. God splits the sea to allow the Israelites to cross, yet when Pharaoh and his army follows suit, God closes the sea and utterly destroys them all. (Quran 7:136, Exodus 12:31-14:31)

It is beyond horrible that a race of people should be enslaved and to have their first born children mercilessly slaughtered, but because of this God was able to execute his judgment upon Pharaoh. It was by his many signs and mighty wonders that God liberated the Israelites from their Egyptian oppression. Why did an all powerful God not just simply will it to be that they were never slaves? To demonstrate to the world his power and to instil in us fear and awe of him. Both the Quran and the Bible agree what God did to Pharaoh and the mighty nation of Egypt was to make himself known through out the whole earth,

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. For this time I will send all my plagues upon you yourself, and upon your officials, and upon your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But this is why I have let you live: to show you my power, and to make my name resound through all the earth.” (Exodus 9:13-16 NRSV)

“We took the Children of Israel across the sea. Pharaoh and his troops pursued them in arrogance and aggression. But as he was drowning he cried, ‘I believe there is no God except the one the Children of Israel believe in. I submit to Him.’ ‘Now? When you had always been a rebel, and a troublemaker! Today We shall save only your corpse as a sign to all posterity.” (Quran 7:90-92, Haleem translation)

God also allows evil to exist to help us grow. There can be no growth in a static world, only in a dynamic one, where change is not only possible, it is the very essence of existence. This change is not just change for the better, but just as often is change for the worse. The best story to epitomize this, is again a story that is shared by all three faiths, The story of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden. Again there are differences between the stories of the Bible and the Quran, but the main points are the same.

God creates both Adam and Eve and places them in the Garden (Quran 3:59, Genesis 2:7-15). There they both have a perfect existence, no pain, no labor, and never wanting for anything. God gives them only one rule, do not eat the fruit of a certain tree (Quran 2:35, Genesis 2:16-17). Sometime later after receiving the one rule they are tempted to partake of the fruit by a snake in the Biblical story, whom Christians interpret as Satan, and by Satan in the Quran. Once they eat the fruit they became aware of their nakedness. God became aware of this and banishes them from the Garden, to normal reality, where they are forced to face everyday problems (Quran 7:19-24, Genesis 3:1-24).

Theologians have wrestled with this story for centuries, why would an all knowing, all good God place the tree there, knowing that his creation would disobey him and he would banish them? Quite simply I believe Adam and Eve were never intended to spend all of eternity in the Garden. Growth is not possible in perfection, as perfection is perfect and does not require it, however to be fully human one has to grow. I believe life in the Garden symbolizes life in our mother’s womb, it is perfect, peaceful, and safe. We cannot spend all of our lives there, we cannot grow past a certain point. To fully develop into a full fledged human we have to be born and experience life in this world, both the ups and the down. An Ethiopian proverb reads, “Smooth seas don’t make skilled sailors.” and the same is true for a perfect existence, it does not make mature humans. It seems to me that the following quote is especially true for us:

“As astronauts spend time in space, weightlessness causes muscle atrophy. With little or no resistance required to move, their muscles and bones harden and retract. Astronauts in their thirties can return to Earth with the bone density of people in their seventies. Specific biological and chemical reactions cause this, but in our conversation with the elements, we can perceive something deeper: that yearn as we do to shed the weight of the world, we need to be in the world to realize our dreams. Just as too much gravity is oppressive and crushing, the loss of gravity doesn’t free us but causes us to atrophy and disintegrate at an accelerated rate. Paradoxically, the only way to make it through the weight of the world is to stay in the world.”

–Mark Nepo, A Conversation With The Elements: Wisdom And Practical Guidance On

Opening To The World, Parabola, Winter 2012 / 2013

Finally I believe that God does allow evil to exist in order to test us. This is a classic answer from the three Abrahamic faiths as to why we suffer. Not only do bad things happen to us, but to the world at large as well, to test us. A prime example of this poverty. The less fortunate are all around us and God has commanded us to help them,

“Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, “Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.” (Deuteronomy 15:11, NRSV)

“How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” (1 john 3:17-18, NRSV)

“Give relatives their due, and the needy, and travelers– do not squander your wealth wastefully: those who squander are the brothers of Satan, and Satan is most ungrateful to his Lord.” (Quran 17:26-27, Haleem translation)

Most people, however, normally see their personal suffering are more of a test than that of humanity as a whole. I believe humanity suffers as a whole to test us, to see if we will help our fellow man, yet I also believe that we are truly tested with personal suffering. If God allows us to suffer to test us is a classical explanation of the problem of evil, then the story of Job is the classical literary embodiment of this. As with the previously mentioned stories, the story of Job is a common story among all three faith traditions, with variations in Job’s character. In the Bible he is steadfast in his belief that he has be unjustly afflicted, in the Quran he is steadfast in his prayer to God, never quitting.

Job was a righteous man, whom was God fearing. He was also very prosperous with much livestock and a nice sized family (Job 1:1-5). One day God decided to test him, in the Bible this because of Satan whom claimed that it was only because God’s favor that Job was righteous, in the Quran the reason is directly because of Satan afflicting him (Quran 21:83, Job 1:6-12). Job’s livestock, crops, and family are all taken from him and is even struck with boils (Job 1:13-2:8). In the Biblical story his friends even believe it must be his fault, that he must have done something wrong. Finally God grants Job relief, and not only returns what was lost to him but gives even greater. (Quran 38:41-43, Job 42:7-17)

God tests us by afflicting us with suffering, and we sometimes lose what we have, but he can and will reward us with something greater like Job, if we bear patiently and hold steadfast to him. This maybe in our current life or maybe in the hereafter. But When God promises something he is true to his word. One important lesson to take from the story of Job, is that bad things do in fact happen to good people, that there is not necessarily any direct correlation between morality and suffering.

In conclusion everyone suffers, even, especially even those favored by God. We are not promised a problem free life, in fact God promises that we will suffer,

“Do you suppose that you will enter the Garden without first having suffered like those before you?” (Quran 2:214, Haleem translation)

God not only makes us this promise, he also explains in detail the amount of suffering that is possible, the above verse continues,

“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.”

This verse seems to be very disturbing, but several verses later God makes us another promise,

“God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear:” (Quran 2:286, Haleem translation)

Bibliography

New Revised Standard Version. Coogan, Michael, gen. ed. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.

The Qur’an. Haleem, M.A.S. Abdel , gen. ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

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