Misconceptions about God's Provisions

Friends, often in our daily lives, we observe realities that we perceive as unfair or inappropriate regarding what God has bestowed upon us. We frequently see the lives of those far from religion, such as corrupt individuals, appearing much more prosperous and affluent than the lives of those who constantly strive to draw closer to their Lord. Such realities often cause many who wish to draw closer to God and fulfill their religious duties to waver, and even turn away, believing that God has been unjust in His treatment of His servants—between the believers (those who strive to draw closer to their Lord) and the non-believers (those far from religious teachings). Friends, this is not the case. Such feelings and thoughts are deceptions from Satan, designed to make us, who strive for a spiritual life, stumble by fostering negative assumptions about the blessings and gifts bestowed by Allah. Friends, in fact, the Quran explains that what we have long considered pleasure and enjoyment, obtained by those who stray from God's path—like corrupt individuals who acquire wealth by taking what is not rightfully theirs—is actually not a manifestation of God's love, but rather a form of punishment from Him. Allah says: “So when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened to them the doors of every [good] thing until, when they rejoiced in what they had been given, We seized them suddenly, and they were [then] in despair.” Qs: 6-44 Friends, from the verse above, it is clear that what we have long assumed about Allah is our own mistake and ignorance. However, we are also not permitted to judge that those whose lives appear full of pleasure and enjoyment are necessarily far from God's path, nor that those whose lives are full of suffering are necessarily close to God. Because a person's faith or lack thereof cannot be measured or judged by the pleasures and ease of life they possess. Therefore, let us collectively reflect on what we have done in our lives thus far, which has led to our current circumstances. Truth comes from Allah, errors are my own.