Not a leaf falls but that He (the Lord) knows it. (Holy Quran, Al-An’am, 6:59)
Violation of the Lord’s commands is the gateway to darkness.
Man lost his memory of the Lord’s merci because he was intoxicated with the power of choice (authority), which was granted to him by the Lord. He was deceived by the devil’s adorable appearance while sleeping in neglect and ignorance. He was robbed of his gem essence and he experienced suffer, pain, fear, disappointment and anxious with all his heart for the first time. While being ashamed of breaching his promise, he demanded forgiveness from the Lord and repented.
The beneficent and merciful Lord forgave him and accepted his repentance. But He commanded man to go to the lowest stage of the Creation to compensate his past wrong deeds and prove practically how he would fulfill his promise. Thus he stepped in this vale and a big test started.
It is a fact for man to face a selection dilemma, the dilemma of the opposites; one way, the way of light and the other, the way of darkness. This is the world’s Great Architect (the Lord) who helps the man in his every selection to separate values from anti-values and fly to the source of creation, or wander in the depth of darkness. In the latter case, it is harder takes a longer way to make a comeback and sometimes it is unattainable so that he will exit from the creation cycle (the physical world).
Mainly all people experience the darkness in various spectra and the result of darkness is sufferings, pain and sadness whose source is losing the keys which once opened all the locks in life easily. Man was robbed of the keys as the result of ignorance, drowning in the world of material, companionship with vices, partnership with negative forces, etc. This made him weaker and weaker so that there was no trace of humanity and he started to descend to the nethermost depths (of the creation). At the moment he was a devil in human clothing that will evoke the Lord’s anger and will suffer a terrible torment.
However one of the most basic and significant principles to exit darkness and move toward light is knowledge. When facing problems, man must be able to find solutions by contemplating. He cannot solve with patience unless he knows his sufferings’ source and nature.
This excerpt tries to look into some of the reasons (of his sufferings). I beg for the authorities’ permission to express my conceptions.
Nature of sufferings
1. Man’s sufferings are compensations for his own mistakes. Pain is pierces understanding (it leads to understanding). By better understanding, man has the opportunity to make amends in the new condition. This opportunity is a blessing because it can make him do his payback that is not but the Lord’s forgiveness.
2. The merciful and compassionate the Lord, the closest to man of his father and mother, makes the trap himself and liberate him from it so that he could be strengthened to separate values from anti-values that is not but the Lord’s blessing.
3. Sometimes sufferings are like pits in man’s way in order for him to fall into them to be amused, to change his path and not to fall in a bigger hole. This is not but the Lord’s wisdom.
4. We should know that the conditions the Lord prepared for us are the best and most perfect ones in which we can move toward perfection that is not but the Lord’s favor and should be appreciated.
5. From another point of view, the Lord makes human beings face problems in order to remind them of Him, an excuse for them to get closer to Him. Who loves people more than the Lord? The lover who has vitalized man, breathed into him of His (created) soul, and acclaimed Himself delightedly for His creation.
He gives suffer (to man) and says: “I am closer to heartbroken people”. Which type of love is more beautiful than the Lord’s love?, the love with no borders. We should close our eyes and open our heart to see what is unbelievable. How beautiful it will be if the Lord likes man romantically and remembers him all the time; and how intolerable it would be if He left us alone for a second, in that case we will have a bitter fate. Thus thank God for giving suffer (to us).
For any reason and excuse, and according to the divine plan of the Lord, treasures have been placed within sufferings. Since universe is moving toward perfection, it needs the most skilled and professional forces whose training and educating is carried out through problems and sufferings. All these are signs for those who contemplate.
And the last words:
The Lord charges no soul except within its capacity. Difficulties and problems are the Lord’s invaluable blessing, therefore they should not attributed His curse. The most valuable matter for us (travelers and companions) is that we are placed in a bed for growth and we can rise to the highest levels, Ensha’allah.
written by: co-guide: Farzad
translated by: Marjan
July 1, 2016