Answers to the Most Common Questions in Islam

Found this great reddit post where the user u/ACloseCaller that Lists some of the most common questions we or others ask ourselves, and the ayats that answer them. 

The original post is here.

Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction. - Quran 4:82

1) What is the purpose of Life? 

[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving - Quran 67:2

2) For what reason do we exist?

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. - Quran 51:56

3) Who is God?

He is Allah , other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. He is Allah , other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him. He is Allah , the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. - Quran 59:22-24

4) Why would a Merciful God allow us to suffer?

Do the people think that they will be left to say, 'We believe' and they will not be tried? But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars. - Quran 29:2-3

5) Where is God during all this chaos we see and suffering? 

And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare [in horror]. Racing ahead, their heads raised up, their glance does not come back to them, and their hearts are void. - Quran 14:42 - 43

And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for their wrongdoing, He would not have left upon the earth any creature, but He defers them for a specified term. And when their term has come, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it]. - Quran 16:61

6) If God really exists, then why did He allow such and such to happen to me? 

Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned... - Quran 2:286

For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease - Quran 94:5-6

7) I keep asking God for such and such and yet God hasn't answered me. 

..perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. - Quran 2:216

And man supplicates for evil as he supplicates for good, and man is ever hasty. - Quran 17:11

8) If God exists, then why doesn't He just appear or speak to us? 

Those who do not know say, "Why does Allah not speak to us or there come to us a sign?" Thus spoke those before them like their words. Their hearts resemble each other. We have shown clearly the signs to a people who are certain [in faith]. - Quran 2:118

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason. - Quran 2:164

9) What is the soul? and what happens to us when we die?

And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little." - Quran 17:85

Say, "The angel of death will take you who has been entrusted with you. Then to your Lord you will be returned." - Quran 32:11

10) If this Quran is truly a guide for all of Mankind then why was it revealed in Arabic? 

And if We had made it a non-Arabic Qur'an, they would have said, "Why are its verses not explained in detail [in our language]? Is it a foreign [recitation] and an Arab [messenger]?" Say, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure." - Quran 41:44 

11) If God exists, then why do evil people live lavishly and good people suffer?

And if it were not that the people would become one community [of disbelievers], We would have made for those who disbelieve in the Most Merciful - for their houses - ceilings and stairways of silver upon which to mount And for their houses - doors and couches [of silver] upon which to recline And gold ornament. But all that is not but the enjoyment of worldly life. And the Hereafter with your Lord is for the righteous. - Quran 43:33-35

...do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,"When is the help of Allah ?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near. - Quran 2:214

Why Doesn't Istikhara Always Seem to Work?

disclaimer: These are my own thoughts on the nature of istikhara, I'm not a scholar. 

Istikhara is an acknowledgement that we as humans have limited knowledge and ability and don't know what's best for us and a request for Allah (SWT) to guide us.  

Here is the istikhara dua (from Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 21, Number 263):

"O Allah! I seek goodness from Your Knowledge and with Your Power (and Might) I seek strength, and I ask from You Your Great Blessings, because You have the Power and I do not have the power. You Know everything and I do not know, and You have knowledge of the unseen. Oh Allah! If in Your Knowledge this action ------------------------------------------------ (which I intend to do) is better for my religion and faith, for my life and end (death), for here (in this world) and the hereafter then make it destined for me and make it easy for me and then add blessings (baraka') in it, for me. O Allah! In Your Knowledge if this action is bad for me, bad for my religion and faith, for my life and end (death), for here (in this world) and the hereafter then turn it away from me and turn me away from it and whatever is better for me, ordain (destine) that for me and then make me satisfied with it."

Now let's break it down:

"O Allah! I seek goodness from Your Knowledge and with Your Power (and Might) I seek strength, and I ask from You Your Great Blessings, because You have the Power and I do not have the power."

This is an admission of weakness. That we are not capable and we need God to help us. 

You Know everything and I do not know, and You have knowledge of the unseen.

This is another admission of weakness: that we do not have perfect knowledge of all things, even our own situations. It is also a praise, stating that we know Allah (SWT) knows everything, seen and unseen. This includes past, present, and future, all possible outcomes of any situation, everyone's actions everywhere and how they have or can interact. It's a MIND BOGGLING amount of information that we could never comprehend. We CANNOT and DO NOT know everything Allah (SWT) knows. Remember this. 

Oh Allah! If in Your Knowledge this action ------------------------------------------------ (which I intend to do) is better for my religion and faith...

"Better for my religion and faith" encompasses outcomes including but not limited to:
- increasing you in faith 

- helping you practice your faith

- not going against your faith

- not decreasing you in faith

- avoiding things that may decrease your faith

[better]...for my life and end (death)...

encompasses outcomes including but not limited to:

- making your life (and death) easier 

- making your life (and death) better

- avoiding things that may make either worse

[better]...for here (in this world) and the hereafter...

encompasses outcomes including but not limited to:

- making your quality of life better

- making your quality of life less worse

- making your afterlife better

- making your afterlife less worse (hey, take what you can get!)

- avoiding things that may decrease quality of life or afterlife

...then make it destined for me and make it easy for me and then add blessings (baraka') in it, for me.

The end of the first request: asking for the action/outcome, asking that achieving the outcome or performing the action is easy, and that the action/outcome has blessings in it (that good things will come from it). 

O Allah! In Your Knowledge if this action is bad for me, bad for my religion and faith, for my life and end (death), for here (in this world) and the hereafter... 

Now the converse of the request, encompassing outcomes that include:

- harming you, your health, your faith, and all the things connected to those

- worsening your quality of life, your afterlife, your life, your death and all things connected to those

...then turn it away from me and turn me away from it and whatever is better for me, ordain (destine) that for me and then make me satisfied with it.

The end of the converse of the request: asking for the action/outcome to appear undesirable, or be made unattainable, and to instead be turned toward something better and to be made pleased with it. 

After making the dua, it is recommended that you obtain as much knowledge on your decision as possible, in line with the "Trust in Allah, but tether your camel" way of thinking, then do what you wholeheartedly believe is the right choice. 

But...what if you do all this, and it turns out your decision was a bad one? You take the job, buy the car, go back to college, or whatever, and everything is awful? 

For instance: 

-The job is awful, you're miserable every day, it wasn't what you expected at all.

-The car ends up costing you hundreds of dollars every month in repairs, it's uncomfortable, it's hard to drive, just being in it raises your blood pressure. 

-You spend thousands on tuition, end up hating the coursework in the second year, and just wish you could drop out. 

Did Allah (SWT) reject your istikhara? You asked for a good outcome and this is NOT GOOD AT ALL. What's going on? 

Istikhara works. It always works. Your outcome IS always the best outcome, it may just not look like it because you have limited knowledge. By getting frustrated with the outcome of istikhara, you are essentially saying that you don't believe Allah (SWT) chose the best for you. Remember, we only have a tiny fraction of knowledge, whereas Allah (SWT) has all of it. 

Think bigger:

- Maybe that bad job WAS the best of the available options and you just need to stick it out until MORE options become available at which point Allah (SWT) will turn you away from it and ordain something better for you.

- Maybe without the car you would have been late to work and been fired.

- Maybe the experience with this car will shape future purchases resulting in more money saved in the long run. 

- Maybe sitting in this awful vehicle for 30 minutes each day is building your tolerance for discomfort prepping you for another situation you'll face in 2 years. 

- Maybe you needed to attend these courses to interact with certain people who will expand your mind in certain ways that will improve your faith or ability to do your job in 10 years. 

- Maybe you need to be at this job because Allah (SWT) thinks you could benefit from practicing some patience, or dealing with difficult personalities. Then in 4 years you'll be able to use this experience in another situation resulting in a good outcome.

- Maybe even just the stories from the place will earn you good friends and respect. 

These are all 'maybe's of course, because no one can know for sure until the time comes, and even then we can only guess at the connections. 

Or maybe you don't want to consider the million possible reasons why you had a bad outcome. That's fine, it doesn't change the fact that you still have limited knowledge. If you're looking for a quick and easy explanation, every bad situation has a few things in common: 

- they teach patience (a key aspect of the muslim personality)

- "With every difficulty there is relief." Quran 94:5

- there's a good story to be told later. 

Bearing a bad situation with patience is one of the best things a Muslim can do. 

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3090; (classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, no. 2599. )

"It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Great reward comes with great trials. When Allah loves a people, He tests them, and whoever accepts it attains His pleasure, whereas whoever shows discontent with it incurs His wrath.”"

This goes hand in hand with the second commonality:

Narrated and classed as hasan by at-Tirmidhi (2396); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, no. 146 

The two reasons are mentioned together in the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Nothing befalls a believer, a (prick of a) thorn or more than that, but Allaah will raise him one degree in status thereby, or erase a bad deed.”

Finally, the best stories are the ones where you overcame a difficulty. Maybe your story will inspire someone else, gain you a friend, get you a job, who knows. Allah (SWT) knows, but we do not. 

It's arrogant to assume that we are so special that doing istikhara will always result in the outcome that we like and we'll never experience any hardship if we do istikhara. Istikhara doesn't ask for the outcome that makes us content immediately. It asks for the outcomes that are better for our deen and dunya as a whole and across our entire life and into our afterlife. And even if it did ask for an immediate, positive outcome, Allah (SWT) always answers, but sometimes the answer is "No", and the dua gets banked. As always, Allah (SWT) knows best.