Dear Br: As-salaamu alaykum. Abiding by the rules of Islam is a very important criteria in life in every way and manner, and at all levels. However, in Islamic history, there have been many occasions where Muslims experienced hardship and suffering such as the 'Battle of the Camel' (al-Jamal) which occurred between the companions of the prophet (pbuh), and who can say that those people did not abide by the rules of Islam? They were indeed the ones who adhered the most to the teachings of Islam. Therefore, God has many ways to test those who believe in Him, and one of these tests is 'wars'. Wars and sufferings are not a sign or a criteria to measure the level of belief of a certain Muslim community since wars occur to non-Muslims too. Also, many people who don't adhere to God's guidelines are living in this world in a lot of luxurious conditions but does this mean that God is pleased with them? Of course not. Wars, earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, etc. are all an integral part of our terrestrial life and God has created them for some reason. They can be a punishment, a test, a sign of His Greatness, etc. While only God truly knows why Muslims are suffering so much at the present time, our duty is to return to the right path and abide by Islam in all of its aspects of our lives. This will not guarantee us that we won't experience wars or natural disasters, but it constitutes the first step on the road of salvation in this life and the hereafter.
However, sometimes, the "bad things" which happen to us are nothing more or less than the concequenses of our actions, as the following verse tells us.
[4:79] Whatever good, (O man!) happens to thee, is from Allah. but whatever evil happens to thee, is from thy (own) soul. and We have sent thee as an apostle to (instruct) mankind. And enough is Allah for a witness.
And sometimes disasters and sufferings, can be a signal of a need of an important change in our life style, and in that case thing get worse before getting better. [2:216] Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.
Thank you for asking and God knows best (Source: IslamiCity) Classified in Abiding by the rules of Islam & Punishment >
