Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Further you say that Allah created Insan for test. Dont you think that Allah who is all knowing does not know the results of test without testing Insan. If Allah is testing us then he has not given us equal opportunity. I have 5 children but they are totaly different from each other although I have fed them the same food, given them the same tarbiat.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Allah knows the result of our test.

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 67 Surah Al-Mulk verse 2: (among several verses in the Quran): He (Allah) it is who Created death and life, that He may test you, to see which of you is the best in deeds.

Thus brother, when you say I said it, the truth is that I did not say it from myself. I only repeated what Allah Himself said in the Holy Quran.

One of the attributes of Allah is that He is the All-Knowing. He has full knowledge of everything that exists, and knows even the inner secrets of our hearts. A leaf does not fall from a tree, but He has full knowledge of it! He knows absolutely everything there is to know, from its beginning to its end! That is Allah, the All-Knowing, and nothing is beyond his grasp and Knowledge.

The fact is that because of His Perfect Knowledge, He knows the results of our test: whether we go to Paradise or whether we are to go to the eternal torture of Hell Fire. He Knows it, and no one should have any doubts about that in the least.

Among His attributes is that He is also the All-Just, and Allah will base his Judgements on Justice. And He will judge us on our deeds, as stated clearly in the above aayah of Surah Al-Mulk and at several other places in the Quran. This is a promise from the Creator, and who is there to make a better promise than the Lord of the Worlds Himself.

Allah in His Divine Wisdom and Justice, has promised us that the results of our test is not going to be based on His Knowledge, but rather on our deeds. It would be unjust of Allah (and I seek refuge in Allah from saying this), if He were to grant us Paradise or Hell, based on His Knowledge alone.

Lets use an example of an university-examination in this world, to understand the issue better. A Professor teaches the same syllabus to all his students with the same fervour and enthusiasm, without discrimination. There are some students who are very attentive and hardworking, know the examinations are going to be held soon, and are constantly preparing for it. The Professor knows in his heart that they will pass the examination. But there are some who joke, play and take the examination issue lightly, thinking they will cross the hurdle when it comes. The Professor knows that most of these will fail the examination. But the examinations are still held for everybody, and everybody is graded according to merit. The results of the examination are not based on the knowledge of the Professor, whether he knew somebody was going to pass or fail, but rather on the merit of the student. If the student fails, the Professor will not be held accountable for it after he has made the syllabus clear to the student. The student will have no one to blame except himself!

Similarly, Allah’s decision of one going to Paradise or Hell Fire is not based on His Knowledge, but rather on the deeds or merits of the person. If the person fails, he will have nobody to blame, except himself! The syllabus of the Holy Quran is clear and with us, for those who care to read and understand it.

Now the natural question to arise would be, why does Allah allow some people to do evil or reject His message, and thus fail the test in the hereafter?

Had Allah forced everyone to be His obedient believing slaves, there would have been no test at all. He has given only man the faculty to study, learn and think for himself. He has not given this faculty of reasoning to any of his other creations.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 72-73: We (Allah) offered this trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they all refused to bear it, and were afraid of it. But man undertook to bear this trust. Indeed, he is unjust and ignorant! The inevitable result of bearing the burden of the trust is that Allah should punish the hypocrite men and women, and the mushrik (one who invokes others with Allah) men and women, and accept the repentance of the believing men and women. Allah is indeed Forgiving and Merciful.

Allah has sent down the syllabus of the Holy Quran for mankind to read, understand, ponder and study its aayahs, for he will be held accountable for it on the Day of Judgment. Allah made it clearly known through his Books and His Messengers, what is good and what is bad. Then Allah left man free to do as he wills. He can either believe in the Message and prepare for the examination, or treat this life like sport and play, and neglect the coming of the examination. Whatever man chooses to do, Allah makes the path easy for him.

When man believes in the Message and does good, Allah is pleased with him. When man acts arrogant and rejects his Message, Allah allows him to, but is displeased with his actions. But He, in His Divine Wisdom and sense of Justice, does not stop man from doing either, and allows them to carry on the test. The Day of Results is not in this world, but on the Day of Judgment.

Again, to understand the concept better, lets take the example of the Professor and his students in today’s university. During the actual examinations, the Professor looks into the answers being written by his students. If he sees the student writing the right answers, he is pleased. And if he sees the student writing the wrong answers, he is displeased, but does not hold the student’s hand and stop him. He allows all of them to complete the examination.

Thus, in conclusion, I would like to repeat again, that Allah definitely knows who amongst His slaves are going to make it to Paradise, and who is to go to Hell Fire. He is indeed the All Wise, the All Knowing. He has sent man on this earth for a limited time for a test, to see who amongst them believes, fears Allah and the Last Day, and does good deeds. For these He has Promised a reward that will never end. And bear in mind that whoever fails this test on the Day of Judgment, will have no one to blame, but himself, and have nothing for himself but eternal regret.

May Allah guide us to read and understand the Holy Quran, which is the syllabus for our test. May Allah guide us to believe in Him, worship Him Alone, and recognize the importance of this test of ours. May Allah guide you and us all to the Straight Path of Islam. Ameen.

May Allah guide all mankind to read and understand the Glorious Quran. May Allah hold the people accountable on the Day of Judgement who debarred other people from understanding the Message, that the All-Wise, All-Knowing has sent for the guidance of all mankind! But, alas, that Day will only be of regrets for the one who never even tried to understand the Glorious Quran. Imagine their pleading with Allah that they obeyed so and so, who told them not to understand the Quran, after Allah has revealed tens of times in the Quran itself, that the Quran is easy to understand!! Imagine their plight when they will plead that they obeyed the word of man, and held it superior to the word of Allah! Imagine their plight when they will plead in the court of Allah, that they did not even give the Glorious Quran one chance for understanding! They rejected the guidance of the message without even opening one page to understand the Glorious Quran! Imagine their plight when they will plead that they became Abde-Human (Slaves of Human Beings) rather than becoming Abd-Allah (Slaves of Allah)!

May Allah guide our brethren of the community to read and understand the Divine Message, even only once! Just give the Glorious Quran once chance and then decide whether what the Quran is guiding towards is right or wrong. One does not need the permission of man to understand the Message of Allah!!

May Allah have Mercy on all of us … Ameen.

May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al-Mustaqeem

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan