IS GOD MERCIFUL? ISLAM’S RESPONSE TO EVIL & SUFFERING (PART 2 OF 5)

Comparing man with God exposes their inability to understand things holistically. The atheist would probably at this point exclaim that this means man has more compassion than God. This further highlights their inability to see things from beyond their perspective, and exposes their failure to fathom that God’s actions and will are in line with a Divine reason that we cannot access. God does not want evil and suffering to happen. God does not stop these things from happening because He sees something we do not, not that He wants evil and suffering to continue. God has the picture and we just have a pixel. Understanding this facilitates spiritual and intellectual tranquillity because the believer understands that ultimately all that occurs in the world is in line with a superior Divine wisdom that is based on superior Divine goodness. Refusing to accept this is actually where the atheist falls into the quagmire of arrogance, egocentrism and ultimately despair. He has failed the test, and his misunderstanding of God makes him forget who God is, and dismisses the fact of Divine wisdom, mercy and goodness.

At this point the atheist might respond by describing the above as an intelligent way of evading the problem. If the theist can refer to God’s wisdom—and that His wisdom is so great that it cannot be understood—then we can explain anything ‘mysterious’ in reference to a Divine wisdom. I somewhat empathise with this reply, however, in the context of the problem of evil and suffering, it is a false argument. It is the atheist that refers to God’s attributes to begin with; His power and mercy. All that is being said is that they should refer to God as who He is, not as an agent with only two attributes. If they were to include other attributes such as wisdom, their argument would not be valid. If they were to include the attribute of wisdom they would have to show how Divine wisdom is incompatible with a world full of suffering or evil. This would be impossible to prove because there are so many examples in our intellectual and practical lives where we admit our intellectual inferiority—in other words, there are cases where we submit to a wisdom we cannot understand. We rationally submit to realities that we cannot understand on a regular basis. For example, when we visit the doctor we assume that the doctor is an authority. We trust the doctor’s diagnosis on this basis. We even take the medicine the doctor prescribes without any second thought. This and many other similar examples clearly show that referring to God’s wisdom is not evading the problem. Rather, it is accurately presenting who God is and not making out that God has only two attributes. Since He is The-Wise, and His names and attributes are maximally perfect, it follows that there is wisdom behind everything that He does—even if we do not know or understand that wisdom. Many of us do not understand how diseases work, but just because we do not understanding something does not negate its existence.

The Quran uses profound stories and narratives to instil this understanding. Take, for instance, the story of Moses and a man he meets on his travels, known as Khidr. Moses observes him do things that seem unjust and evil, but at the end of their journey, the wisdom that Moses did not have access to is brought to light:

"So the two turned back, retraced their footsteps, and found one of Our servants—a man to whom We had granted Our mercy and whom We had given knowledge of Our own. Moses said to him, ‘May I follow you so that you can teach me some of the right guidance you have been taught?’ The man said, ‘You will not be able to bear with me patiently. How could you be patient in matters beyond your knowledge?’ Moses said, ‘God willing, you will find me patient. I will not disobey you in any way.’ The man said, ‘If you follow me then, do not query anything I do before I mention it to you myself.’ They travelled on. Later, when they got into a boat, and the man made a hole in it, Moses said, ‘How could you make a hole in it? Do you want to drown its passengers? What a strange thing to do!’ He replied, ‘Did I not tell you that you would never be able to bear with me patiently?’ Moses said, ‘Forgive me for forgetting. Do not make it too hard for me to follow you.’ And so they travelled on. Then, when they met a young boy and the man killed him, Moses said, ‘How could you kill an innocent person? He has not killed anyone! What a terrible thing to do!’ He replied, ‘Did I not tell you that you would never be able to bear with me patiently?’ Moses said, ‘From now on, if I query anything you do, banish me from your company— you have put up with enough from me.’ And so they travelled on. Then, when they came to a town and asked the inhabitants for food but were refused hospitality, they saw a wall there that was on the point of falling down and the man repaired it. Moses said, ‘But if you had wished you could have taken payment for doing that.’ He said, ‘This is where you and I part company. I will tell you the meaning of the things you could not bear with patiently: the boat belonged to some needy people who made their living from the sea and I damaged it because I knew that coming after them was a king who was seizing every [serviceable] boat by force. The young boy had parents who were people of faith, and so, fearing he would trouble them through wickedness and disbelief, we wished that their Lord should give them another child—purer and more compassionate—in his place.[1]  The wall belonged to two young orphans in the town and there was buried treasure beneath it belonging to them. Their father had been a righteous man, so your Lord intended them to reach maturity and then dig up their treasure as a mercy from your Lord. I did not do [these things] of my own accord: these are the explanations for those things you could not bear with patience.’" (Quran 18: 65-82)

-islamreligion.com

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FOOTNOTES:

[1]This part of the story shows God’s mercy. All children enter paradise—which is eternal bliss—regardless of their beliefs and actions. Therefore, God inspiring the man to kill the boy is to be understood through the lens of mercy and compassion.

READ PART 1 : Is God Merciful? Islam’s Response to Evil & Suffering (Part 1 of 5)

HAJJ - THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME (PART 2 OF 2): THE RITES OF ABRAHAM

Just after sunset, the mass of pilgrims proceeds to Muzdalifah, an open plain about halfway between Arafat and Mina.  There they first pray and then collect a fixed number of chickpea-sized pebbles to use on the following days.

Before daybreak on the third day, pilgrims move en masse from Muzdalifah to Mina.  There they cast at white pillars the pebbles they have previously collected, a practice associated with the Prophet Abraham.  As pilgrims throw seven pebbles at each of these pillars, they remember the story of Satan’s attempt to persuade Abraham to disregard God’s command to sacrifice his son.

Throwing the pebbles is symbolic of humans’ attempt to cast away evil and vice, not once but seven times - the number seven symbolizing infinity.

Following the casting of the pebbles, most pilgrims sacrifice a goat, sheep or some other animal.  They give the meat to the poor after, in some cases, keeping a small portion for themselves.

This rite is associated with Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son in accordance with God’s wish.  It symbolizes the Muslim’s willingness to part with what is precious to him, and reminds us of the spirit of Islam, in which submission to God’s will plays a leading role.  This act also reminds the pilgrim to share worldly goods with those who are less fortunate, and serves as an offer of thanksgiving to God.

As the pilgrims have, at this stage, finished a major part of the hajj, they are now allowed to shed their ihram and put on everyday clothes.  On this day Muslims around the world share the happiness the pilgrims feel and join them by performing identical, individual sacrifices in a worldwide celebration of ‘Eid al-Adha, “the Festival of Sacrifice.”  Men either shave their heads or clip their hair, and women cut off a symbolic lock, to mark their partial deconsecration.  This is done as a symbol of humility.  All proscriptions, save the one of conjugal relations, are now lifted.

Still so journing in Mina, pilgrims visit Mecca to perform another essential rite of the hajj: the tawaf, the seven-fold circling of the Kaaba, with a prayer recited during each circuit.  Their circumambulation of the Kaaba, the symbol of God’s oneness, implies that all human activity must have God at its center.  It also symbolizes the unity of God and man.

Thomas Abercrombie, a convert to Islam and a writer and photographer for National Geographic Magazine, performed the hajj in the 1970’s and described the sense of unity and harmony pilgrims feel during the circling:

“Seven times we circled the shrine repeating the ritual devotions in Arabic: ‘Lord God, from such a distant land I have come unto Thee....  Grant me shelter under Thy throne.’  Caught up in the whirling scene, lifted by the poetry of the prayers, we orbited God’s house in accord with the atoms, in harmony with the planets.”

While making their circuits pilgrims may kiss or touch the Black Stone.  This oval stone, first mounted in a silver frame late in the seventh century, has a special place in the hearts of Muslims as, according to some hadeeth, it is the sole remnant of the original structure built by Abraham and Ishmael.  But perhaps the single most important reason for kissing the stone is that the Prophet did so.

No devotional significance whatsoever is attached to the stone, for it is not, nor has ever been, an object of worship.  The second caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, made this crystal clear when, on kissing the stone himself in emulation of the Prophet, he proclaimed:

“I know that you are but a stone, incapable of doing good or harm.  Had I not seen the Messenger of God kiss you - may God’s blessing and peace be upon him - I would not kiss you.”

After completing the tawaf, pilgrims pray, preferably at the Station of Abraham, the site where Abraham stood while he built the Kaaba.  Then they drink of the water of Zamzam.

Another, and sometimes final, rite is the sa’y, or “exerting.”  This is a reenactment of a memorable episode in the life of Hagar, who was taken into what the Quran calls the “uncultivable valley” of Mecca, with her infant son Ishmael, to settle there.

The sa’y commemorates Hagar’s frantic search for water to quench Ishmael’s thirst.  She ran back and forth seven times between two rocky hillocks, al-Safa and al-Marwah, until she found the sacred water known as Zamzam.  This water, which sprang forth miraculously under Ishmael’s tiny feet, is springs from the same well from which pilgrims drink today

These rites performed, the pilgrims are completely deconsecrated: They may resume all normal activities.  They now return to Mina, where they stay up to the 12th or 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah.  There they throw their remaining pebbles at each of the pillars in the manner practiced or approved by the Prophet.  They then take leave of the friends they have made during the Hajj.  Before leaving Mecca, however, pilgrims make a final tawaf round the Kaaba to bid farewell to the Holy City.

Usually pilgrims either precede or follow the hajj, “the greater pilgrimage,” with the umrah, “the lesser pilgrimage,” which is sanctioned by the Quran and was performed by the Prophet.  The umrah, unlike the hajj, takes place only in Mecca itself and can be performed at any time of the year.  The ihram, talbiyah and the restrictions required by the state of consecration are equally essential in the umrah, which also shares three other rituals with the hajj: the tawaf, sa’y and shaving or clipping the hair.  The observance of the umrah by pilgrims and visitors symbolizes veneration for the unique sanctity of Mecca.

Before or after going to Mecca, pilgrims also avail themselves of the opportunity provided by the hajj or the umrah to visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, the second holiest city in Islam.  Here, the Prophet lies buried in a simple grave.  The visit to Medina is not obligatory, as it is not part of the hajj or umrah, but the city - which welcomed Muhammad when he migrated there from Mecca - is rich in moving memories and historical sites that are evocative of him as a Prophet and statesman.

In this city, loved by Muslims for centuries, people still feel the effect of the Prophet’s life.  Muhammad Asad, an Austrian Jew who converted to Islam in 1926 and made five pilgrimages between 1927 and 1932, comments on this aspect of the city:

“Even after thirteen centuries [the Prophet’s] spiritual presence is almost as alive here as it was then.  It was only because of him that the scattered group of villages once called Yathrib became a city and has been loved by all Muslims down to this day as no city anywhere else in the world has ever been loved.  It has not even a name of its own: for more than thirteen hundred years it has been called Madinat an-Nabi, ‘the City of the Prophet.’  For more than thirteen hundred years, so much love has converged here that all shapes and movements have acquired a kind of family resemblance, and all differences of appearance find a tonal transition into a common harmony.”

As pilgrims of diverse races and tongues return to their homes, they carry with them cherished memories of Abraham, Ishmael, Hagar, and Muhammad.  They will always remember that universal concourse, where poor and rich, black and white, young and old, met on equal footing.

They return with a sense of awe and serenity: awe for their experience at Arafat, when they felt closest to God as they stood on the site where the Prophet delivered his sermon during his first and last pilgrimage; serenity for having shed their sins on that plain, and being thus relieved of such a heavy burden.  They also return with a better understanding of the conditions of their brothers in Islam.  Thus is born a spirit of caring for others and an understanding of their own rich heritage that will last throughout their lives.

The pilgrims go back radiant with hope and joy, for they have fulfilled God’s ancient injunction to humankind to undertake the pilgrimage.  Above all, they return with a prayer on their lips: May it please God, they pray, to find their hajj acceptable, and may what the Prophet said be true of their own individual journey:

“There is no reward for a pious pilgrimage but Paradise.” (Al-Tirmidhi) -islamreligion.com

READ PART 1 : Hajj - The Journey of a Lifetime (part 1 of 2): The Day of Arafah and its Preparation

HAJJ - THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME (PART 1 OF 2): THE DAY OF ARAFAH AND ITS PREPARATION

The hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, a central duty of Islam whose origins date back to the Prophet Abraham, brings together Muslims of all races and tongues for one of life’s most moving spiritual experiences.

For 14 centuries, countless millions of Muslims, men and women from the four corners of the earth, have made the pilgrimage to Mecca, the birthplace of Islam.  In carrying out this obligation, they fulfill one of the five “pillars” of Islam, or central religious duties of the believer.

Muslims trace the recorded origins of the divinely prescribed pilgrimage to the Prophet Abraham.  According to the Quran, it was Abraham who, together with Ishmael built the Kabah, “the House of God”, the direction toward which Muslims turn in their worship five times each day.  It was Abraham, too who established the rituals of the hajj, which recall events or practices in his life and that of Hagar and their son Ishmael.

In the chapter entitled “The Pilgrimage”, the Quran speaks of the divine command to perform the hajj and prophesies the permanence of this institution:

“And when We assigned for Abraham the place of the House, saying ‘Do not associate Anything with Me, and purify My House for those who go around it and for those who stand and bow and prostrate themselves in worship.  And proclaim the Pilgrimage among humankind: They will come to you on foot and on every camel made lean By traveling deep, distant ravines.’” (Quran 22:26-27)

By the time the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, received the divine call, however, pagan practices had come to muddy some of the original observances of the hajj.  The Prophet, as ordained by God, continued the Abrahamic hajj after restoring its rituals to their original purity.

Furthermore, Muhammad himself instructed the believers in the rituals of the hajj.  He did this in two ways: by his own practice, or by approving the practices of his Companions.  This added some complexity to the rituals, but also provided increased flexibility in carrying them out, much to the benefit of pilgrims ever since.  It is lawful, for instance, to have some variation in the order in which the several rites are carried out, because the Prophet himself is recorded as having approved such actions.  Thus, the rites of the hajj are elaborate, numerous and varied; aspects of some of them are highlighted below.

The hajj to Mecca is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation upon male and female adults whose health and means permit it, or, in the words of the Quran, upon “those who can make their way there.”  It is not an obligation on children, though some children do accompany their parents on this journey.

Before setting out, a pilgrim should redress all wrongs, pay all debts, plan to have enough funds for his own journey and for the maintenance of his family while he is away, and prepare himself for good conduct throughout the hajj.

When pilgrims undertake the hajj journey, they follow in the footsteps of millions before them.  Nowadays hundreds of thousands of believers from over 70 nations arrive in the Mecca by road, sea and air every year, completing a journey now much shorter and in some ways less arduous than it often was in the past.

Till the 19th century, traveling the long distance to Mecca usually meant being part of a caravan.  There were three main caravans: the Egyptian one, which formed in Cairo; the Iraqi one, which set out from Baghdad; and the Syrian, which, after 1453, started at Istanbul, gathered pilgrims along the way, and proceeded to Mecca from Damascus.

As the hajj journey took months if all went well, pilgrims carried with them the provisions they needed to sustain them on their trip.  The caravans were elaborately supplied with amenities and security if the persons traveling were rich, but the poor often ran out of provisions and had to interrupt their journey in order to work, save up their earnings, and then go on their way.  This resulted in long journeys which, in some cases, spanned ten years or more.  Travel in earlier days was filled with adventure.  The roads were often unsafe due to bandit raids.  The terrain the pilgrims passed through was also dangerous, and natural hazards and diseases often claimed many lives along the way.  Thus, the successful return of pilgrims to their families was the occasion of joyous celebration and thanksgiving for their safe arrival.

Lured by the mystique of Mecca and Medina, many Westerners have visited these two holy cities, on which the pilgrims converge, since the 15th century.  Some of them disguised themselves as Muslims; others, who had genuinely converted, came to fulfill their duty.  But all seem to have been moved by their experience, and many recorded their impressions of the journey and the rituals of the hajj in fascinating accounts.  Many hajj travelogues exist, written in languages as diverse as the pilgrims themselves.

The pilgrimage takes place each year between the 8th and the 13th days of Dhul-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Muslim lunar calendar.  Its first rite is the donning of the ihram.

The ihram, worn by men, is a white seamless garment made up of two pieces of cloth or toweling; one covers the body from waist down past the knees, and the other is thrown over the shoulder.  This garb was worn by both Abraham and Muhammad.  Women dress as they usually do.  Men’s heads must be uncovered; both men and women may use an umbrella.

The ihram is a symbol of purity and of the renunciation of evil and mundane matters.  It also indicates the equality of all people in the eyes of God.  When the pilgrim wears his white apparel, he or she enters into a state of purity that prohibits quarreling, committing violence to man or animal and having conjugal relations.  Once he puts on his hajj clothes the pilgrim cannot shave, cut his nails or wear any jewelry, and he will keep his unsown garment on till he completes the pilgrimage.

A pilgrim who is already in Mecca starts his hajj from the moment he puts on the ihram.  Some pilgrims coming from a distance may have entered Mecca earlier with their ihram on and may still be wearing it.  The donning of the ihram is accompanied by the primary invocation of the hajj, the talbiyah:

“Here I am, O God, at Thy Command!  Here I am at Thy Command!  Thou art without associate; Here I am at Thy Command!  Thine are praise and grace and dominion!  Thou art without associate.”

The thunderous, melodious chants of the talbiyah ring out not only in Mecca but also at other nearby sacred locations connected with the hajj.

On the first day of the hajj, pilgrims sweep out of Mecca toward Mina, a small uninhabited village east of the city.  As their throngs spread through Mina, the pilgrims generally spend their time meditating and praying, as the Prophet did on his pilgrimage.

During the second day, the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, pilgrims leave Mina for the plain of Arafat where they rest.  This is the central rite of the hajj.  As they congregate there, the pilgrims’ stance and gathering reminds them of the Day of Judgment.  Some of them gather at the Mount of Mercy, where the Prophet delivered his unforgettable Farewell Sermon, enunciating far-reaching religious, economic, social and political reforms.  These are emotionally charged hours, which the pilgrims spend in worship and supplication.  Many shed tears as they ask God to forgive them.  On this sacred spot, they reach the culmination of their religious lives as they feel the presence and closeness of a merciful God.

The first Englishwoman to perform the hajj, Lady Evelyn Cobbold, described in 1934 the feelings pilgrims experience at Arafat.

“It would require a master pen to describe the scene, poignant in its intensity, of that great concourse of humanity of which I was one small unit, completely lost to their surroundings in a fervor of religious enthusiasm.  Many of the pilgrims had tears streaming down their cheeks; others raised their faces to the starlit sky that had witnessed this drama so often in the past centuries.  The shining eyes, the passionate appeals, the pitiful hands outstretched in prayer moved me in a way that nothing had ever done before, and I felt caught up in a strong wave of spiritual exaltation.  I was one with the rest of the pilgrims in a sublime act of complete surrender to the Supreme Will which is Islam.”

She goes on to describe the closeness pilgrims feel to the Prophet while standing in Arafat:

“...as I stand beside the granite pillar, I feel I am on Sacred ground.  I see with my mind’s eye the Prophet delivering that last address, over thirteen hundred years ago, to the weeping multitudes.  I visualize the many preachers who have spoken to countless millions who have assembled on the vast plain below; for this is the culminating scene of the Great Pilgrimage.”

The Prophet is reported to have asked God to pardon the sins of pilgrims who gathered at Arafat, and was granted his wish.  Thus, the hopeful pilgrims prepare to leave this plain joyfully, feeling reborn without sin and intending to turn over a new leaf. - islamreligion.com

IS GOD MERCIFUL? ISLAM’S RESPONSE TO EVIL & SUFFERING (PART 1 OF 5)

When I was a child, my parents would always chide me for trying to drink my grandfather’s whisky.  You can imagine, an active and inquisitive young child observing his grandfather sip this thick, gold, smooth liquid.  I wanted some! However, every time I attempted to secretly drink the enticing beverage, I would get into big trouble.  I never understood why, thus negative thoughts about my parents would race through my mind.  Fast-forward many years: I now realise why they didn’t allow me to drink my grandfather’s whisky, it could have poisoned me.  A 40 percent volume alcoholic drink would not have been pleasant on my young stomach or liver.  However, when I was younger, I did not have access to the wisdom that formed the basis of my parents’ decision, yet I thought I was justified in my negativity towards them.

This sums up the atheist attitude towards God when trying to understand evil and suffering in the world (note: this doesn’t apply to all atheists).  The above story is not intended to belittle the suffering and pain that people experience.  As human beings we must feel empathy and find ways of alleviating people’s hardships.  However, the example is meant to raise a conceptual point.  Due to a valid and genuine concern for human and other sentient beings, many atheists argue that the existence of a powerful and merciful[1] God is incompatible with the existence of evil and suffering in the world.  If He is The-Merciful, He should want the evil and suffering to stop, and if He is All-Powerful, He should be able to stop it.  However, since there is evil and suffering, it means that either He is not powerful, or He lacks mercy, or both.

The evil and suffering argument is a very weak one because it is based on two major false assumptions.  The first concerns the nature of God.  It implies that God is only The-Merciful and All-Powerful, thereby isolating two attributes and ignoring others that the Qur’an has revealed about God.  The second assumption is that God has provided us with no reasons for why He has allowed evil and suffering to exist.[2]  This is not true.  Islamic revelation provides us with many reasons for why God has allowed evil and suffering to exist.  Both assumptions will be addressed below.

Is God only The-Merciful and All-Powerful?

According to the Qur’an, God is Al-Qadeer, meaning the All-Powerful, and Ar-Rahmaan, meaning The-Merciful, which also implies compassion.  Islam requires that mankind know and believe in a God of power, mercy and goodness.  However, the atheist grossly misrepresents the comprehensive Islamic conception of God.  God is not only The-Merciful and All-Powerful; rather, He has many names and attributes.  These are understood holistically via God’s oneness.  For instance, one of His names is Al-Hakeem, meaning the The-Wise.  Since the very nature of God is wisdom, it follows that whatever He wills is in line with Divine wisdom.  When something is explained by an underlying wisdom, it implies a reason for its occurrence.  In this light, the atheist reduces God to two attributes and by doing so builds a straw man, thereby engaging in an irrelevant monologue.

The writer Alom Shaha, who wrote The Young Atheist’s Handbook, responds to the assertion that Divine wisdom is an explanation for evil and suffering by describing it as an intellectual cop-out:

"The problem of evil genuinely stumps most ordinary believers.  In my experience, they usually respond with an answer along the lines of, ‘God moves in mysterious ways.’ Sometimes they’ll say, ‘Suffering is God’s way of testing us,’ to which the obvious response is, ‘Why does he have to test us in such evil ways’ To which the response is, ‘God moves in mysterious ways.’ You get the idea."[3]

Alom, like many other atheists, commits the fallacy of argumentum ad ignoratium, arguing from ignorance.  Just because he cannot access Divine wisdom does not mean it does not exist.  This reasoning is typical of toddlers.  Many children are scolded by their parents for something they want to do, such as eating too many sweets.  The toddlers usually cry or have a tantrum because they think how bad mummy and daddy are, but the child does not realise the wisdom underlying their objection (in this case, too many sweets are bad for their teeth).  Furthermore, this contention misunderstands the definition and nature of God.  Since God is transcendent, knowing and wise, then it logically follows that limited human beings cannot fully comprehend the Divine will.  To even suggest that we can appreciate the totality of God’s wisdom would mean that we are like God, which denies the fact of His transcendence, or implies that God is limited like a human.  This argument has no traction with any believer, because no Muslim believes in a created, limited God.  It is not an intellectual cop-out to refer to Divine wisdom, because it is not referring to some mysterious unknown.  Rather, it truly understands the nature of God and makes the necessary logical conclusions.  As I have pointed out before, God has the picture, and we have just a pixel.

Although I empathise with their concern and anguish at the suffering inflicted on fellow sentient beings, some atheists suffer from a veiled type of egocentrism.  This means they make special effort not to see the world from any perspective other than through their own eyes.  However, in doing so, they commit a type of emotional—or spiritual—fallacy.  They anthropomorphise God and turn Him into a limited man.  They assume that God must see things the way we see things, and therefore He should stop the evil.  If He allows it to continue, He must be questioned and rejected.

The problem of evil and suffering argument exposes a cognitive bias known as egocentrism.  Such a person cannot see any perspective on a particular issue apart from their own.  Some atheists suffer from this cognitive bias.  They assume that since they cannot possibly fathom any good reasons to justify the evil and suffering in the world, everyone else—including God—must also have the same problem.  Thus they deny God, because they assume that God cannot be justified for permitting the evil and suffering in the world.  If God has no justification, then the mercy and power of God are illusions.  Thus, the traditional concept of God is nullified.  However, all atheists have done is superimposed their perspective on God.  This is like arguing that God must think how a human thinks.  This is impossible because human beings and God cannot be compared, as God is transcendent and has the totality of wisdom and knowledge. -islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]The problem of evil and suffering argument has been expressed in a number of different ways.  Some of the arguments use the words good, merciful, loving or kind interchangeably.  Despite the varying use of words, the argument remains the same.  Instead of using the word good, terms like merciful, loving, kind, etc., can also be used.  The problem of evil assumes that the traditional concept of God must include an attribute that would imply God does not want evil and suffering to exist.  Hence, using alternative words like merciful, loving and kind do not affect the argument.

[2]This assumption has been adapted from Professor William Lane Craig’s treatment on the problem of evil.  Moreland, J.  P.  and Craig, W.  L.  (2003).  Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview.  Downers Grove, Ill, InterVarsity Press.  See chapter 27.

[3]Shaha, A.  (2012) The Young Atheist’s Handbook, p.  51.

How to Perform 'Umrah'

What is Umrah?

In Arabic, the word ‘Umrah is derived from I‘timar which means a visit. However, ‘Umrah in Islamic terminology, means paying a visit to Ka’bah, performing Tawaf (circumambulation) around it, walking between Safa and Marwah seven times. A performer of ‘Umrah puts off his Ihram by having his hair shaved or cut. ‘Umrah can be performed along with Hajj and in other days as well.

‘Umrah can be performed during anytime in the year, there is no fixed time for ‘Umrah.

The Pillars of `Umrah are four:

a) Ihram: which is assumed at the Meeqat.

b) Tawaf: around the House.

c) Sa'y: walking between As-Safa and Al-Marwah, which consists of seven circuits.

d) Tahal-lul: which means coming out of the state of Ihram; becoming lawful what was previously prohibited during Ihram.

During ‘Umrah, pilgrims do not go to Mina, ‘Arafat and Muzdalifah or throw pebbles on the Jamrahs (stone pillars representing devils) or offer animal sacrifice. These rites are only performed during Hajj.

How to perform ‘Umrah:

1. When the one who wants to perform ‘Umrah arrives at the Meeqat, it is recommended for him (both man and woman) to take a bath if convenient, including menstruating women and those experiencing postnatal bleeding. The man perfumes his head and beard but not his Ihram garments. There is no harm in what remains of it after Ihram. There is nothing wrong if it is not possible to take a bath at Meeqat.

2. Men are to change into their clothing of Ihram while the women only need to make their intention at that time in the clothing they are already wearing. There is no specific clothing designated for women, except that they are prohibited from wearing the Niqab (face-veil) and gloves. Instead, they may cover their hands with the lower part of their khimar (head covering), while using the upper part of their jilbab (outer garment) or a separate piece of fabric to cover their faces by drawing it down, if there is need to do so.
As for men, they must assume their Ihram at the Meeqat by wearing two pieces of fabric called the Izar and the Ridaa’. The Ridaa’ covers the top half of the body, while the Izar covers the lower half. No other clothing is allowed to be worn in addition to these – no underwear, no pants, no shirt, no turban, no hat, etc. are to be worn.

Then the pilgrim makes the intention at the Meeqat to begin the rites of ‘Umrah by entering the state of Ihram. The intention must be made in the heart, while the statement made afterwards is: “Labayka ‘Umrah” or “Allahumma labbayka ‘Umrah”. This statement begins the rites of `Umrah. So the first pillar of `Umrah is the Ihram. The intention is made in the heart, while the tongue recites the opening Talbiyyah. And if you wish, when uttering Talbiyyah, you may state a condition to Allah fearing that which may prevent you from completion of the ‘Umrah whether illness or fear - saying “in habasanee habes fa mahillee haithu habastanee” (I come out of the state of Ihram from the place You prevent me from continuing). So if you do that and are then prevented or become ill - then you may come out of Ihram. Then repeat the Talbiyyah: “labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la shareeka laka labbayk, innal-hamda wan-ni'mata laka wal-mulk, la shareeka lak” (“In response to your call O Allah I perform ‘Umrah, here I am O Allah. In response to Your call. You have no partner. In response to Your call. All Praise and Blessings, and the Ownership of all that You created is Yours (alone). You have no partner”)

Upon arriving at the sacred mosque in Makkah (Al-Masjid Al-Haram), you should enter with your right foot and say: "Bismillah, Allahumma Salli 'Ala Muhammad, Allahumma Ighfirli waftahli Abwaba Rahmatik. (In the name of Allah! O Allah! Exalt the mention of your Messenger. O Allah! Forgive my sins, and open the gates of Your mercy for me)." You should enter in a manner expressing humility and gratitude to the blessings He, Almighty, conferred upon you.

3. Upon arriving at the Ka’bah, stop reciting the Talbiyyah, then approach the Black Stone, touch it with your right hand and kiss it. If this isn't possible, you should face the Black Stone and point to it. Don’t push and shove, causing harm and being harmed by other people. When touching the Stone, the following is said: “Bismil-lah, Allahu Akbar” (In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest) or "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest).

A pilgrim must walk, keeping the Ka’bah on his left. When you reach the Yamani corner touch it with your right hand, if possible, but do not kiss it, and say: “Bismil-lahi wa Allahu Akbar”. If this is difficult for you, then go on performing tawaf without touching it, pointing at it or even saying “Allahu Akbar” because this was not narrated from the Prophet  on the other hand whenever you reach or are parallel to the black stone, touch it with your right hand, kiss it and say, “Bismillah Allahu Akbar”, if it is not possible then it is enough to point at it and say, “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar”.

During this Tawaf it is preferred for a man to do two things:

a) Al-Idhtibaa' from the beginning of Tawaf until the end, which is placing the middle of one's Redaa' under the right arm and the ends of it over the left shoulder. When you are finished performing Tawaf, you may return your Reda' to its original state because the time for A-Idhtibaa' is only during Tawaf.

b) Ar-Raml during the first three circuits only. Ar-Raml means speeding up one's pace with small steps.

Make supplication from your heart, for that which will benefit you. Recite whatever you wish, supplicate to Allah by asking for good, recite the Quran, anything you wish. There are no specific statements or supplications to be recited during the Tawaf that are authentically established in the Sunnah. However it is recommended to say between the two corners during each circumbulance as it is reported from the Messenger of Allah : “...Our Lord, grant us good in this life and good in the hereafter and save us from the punishment of the Hellfire.” [Quran: 2:201]

4. When you complete seven circuits of Tawaf, approach Maqam Ibraheem (Ibraheem’s station) and recite this verse (which means): “And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibraheem as a place of Prayer...” [Quran: 2:125]

Then pray two short Rak’ahs, as close as conveniently possible, behind Maqam Ibraheem. If it is not possible then you can pray them anywhere in the sacred mosque. It is preferred to recite during the first Rak'ah the chapter "Al-Kafiroon" [109] and during the second one the chapter of “Al-lkhlas” [112].

Upon completing the two Rak'ahs, return to the Black Stone and touch it, if convenient

5. The next stage is to go to Safa. Upon approaching the foot of Safa, the following verse is recited (which means): “Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah are from the symbols of Allah. So it is not a sin on him who performs Hajj or 'Umrah of the house (ka 'bah) to perform the going (tawaf) between them. And whoever does good voluntarily, then verily, Allah is the All-Recognizer, All-Knower.” [Quran; 2:158]

6. Then climb unto mount Safa until the Ka'bah is visible, if possible. Facing the Ka’bah the following is to be said 3 times, and between each time one is to make ones own supplication:

“Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. La ilaha il-lall-llahu wadahu la shareeka lahu, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu, wa huwa 'ala qulli shay'in qadeer. La ilaha il-lall-llahu wahdahu, anjaza wa'dahu, wa nasara 'abdahu, wa hazamal ahzaba wahdahu" (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, Who has no partner. To Him belongs the dominion, to Him belongs all praise, and He has power over everything. He fulfilled His promise, gave victory to His servant, and defeated the confederates alone.)

7. Then descend and go towards Marwah, running between the fluorescent green lights (for men only), upon reaching Marwah climb upon it if it is possible, and repeat the same procedure as when ascending Safa except you are not to recite the above-mentioned verse, because it is recited when ascending Safa for the first time only. This completes one circuit. Then one continues back to Safa running between the fluorescent green lights (for men only) - thus completing two circuits.

There are no particular supplications to be recited between Safa and Marwah. Seven circuits are to be completed ending the last one on Marwah.

Then one is to have his hair cut although shaving it is better. Women should shorten their hair by a finger-tips length from the end. The rights of 'Umrah have now been completed. -islamweb.net

LIFE WITHOUT GOD: THE IMPLICATIONS OF ATHEISM (PART 5 OF 5)

Inevitably, if we do not worship God, we end up worshipping other ‘gods’.  Think about it.  Our partners, our bosses, our teachers, our friends, the societies we live in, and even our own desires ‘enslave’ us in some way.  Take, for example, social norms.  Many of us define beauty based on social pressures.  We may have a range of likes and dislikes, but these are shaped by others.  Ask yourself, why are you wearing these trousers or this skirt? Saying you like it is a shallow response; the point is, why do you like it? If we keep on probing in this way, many will end up admitting "because other people think it looks nice".  Unfortunately, we’ve all been influenced by the endless adverts and peer pressure that bombard us.

In this respect we have many ‘masters’ and they all want something from us.  They are all ‘at odds with each other’, and we end up living confused, unfulfilled lives.  God, who knows us better than we know ourselves, who loves us more than our mothers love us, is telling us that He is our true master, and only by worshipping Him alone will we truly free ourselves.

The Muslim writer Yasmin Mogahed explains in her book, Reclaim Your Heart, that anything other than God is weak and feeble, and that our freedom lies in worshipping Him:

"Every time you run after, seek, or petition something weak or feeble… you too become weak or feeble.  Even if you do reach that which you seek, it will never be enough.  You will soon need to seek something else.  You will never reach true contentment or satisfaction.  That is why we live in a world of trade-ins and upgrades.  Your phone, your car, your computer, your woman, your man, can always be traded in for a newer, better model.  However, there is a freedom from that slavery.  When the object upon which you place all your weight is unshaking, unbreakable, and unending, you cannot fall."[1]

The next question is: Where are we going? We have a choice: to embrace God’s eternal, unbounded mercy, or to run away from it.  Accepting His mercy, by responding to His message, and obeying, worshipping and loving Him will facilitate our eternal happiness in paradise.  Rejecting and running away from God’s mercy necessitates that we end up in a place devoid of His love, a place of unhappiness—hell.  So we have a choice.  Either we decide to embrace His mercy or try to escape from it.  We have the free will to choose.  Even though God wants good for us, He does not force us to make the right choices.  The choices we make in this life will shape our lives after we die:

"…and when that Day comes, no soul will speak except by His permission, and some of them will be wretched and some happy." (Quran 11:105)

"There they will stay—a happy home and resting place!" (Quran 25:75)

Since our ultimate purpose is to worship God, we must establish our natural balance to find out who we really are.  When we worship God, we free ourselves, and find ourselves.  If we do not, we are forgetting what makes us human (see Chapter 15):

"And be not like those who forgot God, so He made them forget themselves." (Quran 59:19) 

In summary, atheism cannot provide profound answers for our existence, and therefore real, meaningful happiness can never be achieved.  If someone argues that they are happy under atheism, I would argue it is a drunken type of happiness.  They only sober up when they start thinking deeply about their own existence.  Even if they have attempted to find the answers and have settled with not knowing—or being sceptical about the available responses—they will still not achieve ultimate happiness.  Compare the person who knows why they exist and where they are going with the one who does not.  Their conditions are not the same, even if they both claim to be happy.

This chapter has clearly shown the logical implications of denying God.  While atheists are emotionally justified in believing their lives have a sense of ultimate value, hope, happiness and purpose, the point is clear: intellectually they are groundless.  Even Richard Dawkins appreciates the logical implications of naturalism.  He argues that under naturalism, everything is meaningless and based on pitiless indifference:

"On the contrary, if the universe were just electrons and selfish genes, meaningless tragedies like the crashing of this bus are exactly what we should expect, along with equally meaningless good fortune.  Such a universe would be neither evil nor good in intention.  It would manifest no intentions of any kind.  In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won’t find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice.  The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference."[2]

A universe made up of non-rational, blind, cold physical stuff is not concerned with our emotions.  Only God can provide the intellectual justification for the things that define our humanity.

        Last updated 21 May 2019.  Taken and adapted from my book "The Divine Reality: God, Islam & The Mirage of Atheism' - islamreligion.com

PARTS OF THIS ARTICLE

• READ PART 1 - Life Without God: The Implications of Atheism (part 1 of 5)
• READ PART 2 - Life Without God: The Implications of Atheism (part 2 of 5)
• READ PART 3 - Life Without God: The Implications of Atheism (Part 2 of 5)
• READ PART 4 - Life Without God: The Implications of Atheism (Part 4 of 5)
• 
  

FOOTNOTES:

[1]Mogahed, Y.  (2015) Reclaim Your Heart.  2nd Edition.  San Clemente, CA: FB Publishing, p.  55.

[2]Dawkins, R.  (2001) River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life.  London: Phoenix, p.  155.