THE WELL TO DO REBELS

      Some people have objected upon the aforementioned verse (NO.26) saying:- ``If God answers the believers who do good deeds; why do we find among them so many poor and needy?''

      Before we apply to the comments here, we should know that, being poor or rich is not a criterion to measure God's love for His servants. The answer of Qurän to the question is:-

      ``If Allah were to extend the sustenance for His servants, it would cause them to rebel. He therefore sends down whatever He will in due measure, that He knows His servants better than any one else.''

      There are many wealthy men upon the earth, that their wealth has brought upon them utter misfortune and serious inconvenience and trouble! These are clear signs that wealth does not bring prosperity. We can see people who are very rich and having an extensive welfare, but they are afflicted with all sorts of troubles like; insecurity, disorder, diseases, fear and anxiety, moral contaminations, and embarrassments.

      Sometimes great wealth turns to a painful punishment for people!

      On the other hand, most of the short comings in our sustenance is generally due to our laziness and acting sluggishly. Islam is a religion based upon good works and righteous deeds. Strife and endeavour is a tenet here. God will help those who help themselves.

      Then the reference is to a main source of Man's sustenance, which is the rain.

      Here in the verse NO.28, the Arabic, ``GHAIS'' has been used because it means useful rain. We do have sometimes a rain which is harmful.

      God never ceases His rain of Mercy from falling upon His servants, even those with evil deeds!

      When there seems to be no hope for any kind of rainfall, we at once find our land under a shower of Ghais=a very useful rainfall.

      God's Grace and Mercy comes to our help, when we have lost all our hopes, and He will open new doors to us where we least expected. Our Lord is always active in cherishing and protecting His creatures, and therefore we must never give up our hope of receiving His help.

      Then the attentions are attracted to the Greatness of God, and His wonderful signs of creationِThe creation of heavens that includes millions of Galaxies. Such Milky Ways or Galaxies are huge system of stars in gravitational association with each other, and well removed in space from similar systems. Among them is the band of stars that we call the Milky Way, which is formed by a disc-shaped galaxy to which our sun and our earth belongs.

      Our Milky-way which is only one among the millions of Galaxies, contains some ten billions of stars, most of which lie within a region about 80000 light-years wide, and 20000/~ light years thick.

      The Milky-way was long thought to be the largest galaxy; but revised distance concept have revealed that many other galaxies are larger than it.

      Our sun is in the outer region of the Milky-way, and about 26500 light-years from the galactic center.

      For more detail about galaxies, please refer to International Encyclopedia volume NO.7.

      Then mention is made of the moving creatures that are scattered throughout the universe, as well as in our earth. Only countless number, and thousands of kinds, of moving creatures are living upon the earth; which is considered as a droplet in the ocean of galaxies!

      The Arabic, ``DÄBBAT'' translated to moving creature, includes all kinds of living, and crawling animals and creatures. It is remarkable that the verse (NO.29) implies that there are also living and moving creatures in the skies. Although it has not scientifically been proved yet, Qurän confirms such an existance, and even Hazrat Imam Ali (AS) has said:-

      ``These stars that you see in the sky, are cities the like of our cities on the earth; and each of them is connected with the other in the skies, with a column of light.''

      We therefore should know that life is not confined to our little globe. It can be traced in some form or other, in the milliards of planets that exists.

      The ending of the said verse (NO.29) is:- ``He Who has created infinite numbers of separate creatures, and scattered them here and there, can easily bring them together too.''

THE MISFORTUNES THAT AFFLICT MAN

      ``And whatever of affliction may afflict you, is for what your hands have earned and Allah forgives a lot.''

      With regards to the above verse we will have to note a few points:-

      1- What afflicts Man, of misfortunes and troubles, are some sort of a warning from our Merciful Creator. Pains, fear, grief, and such things are signs and alarms that something is going wrong in our body or soul.

      2- Every slip, scratch, or stumble that afflicts our body, is due to a fault or a sin that we have committed. Even if a wasp has stung you, do not doubt that you have done something wrong in that field.

      3- The troubles and afflictions of the saints and prophets, are an exception, because they deliberately and voluntarily have taken over a duty that might cause serious troubles, and even martyrdom, for them. They have knowingly accepted the harms and troubles that are the by products of their endeavour, for the excellent consequences and sweet fruits that their work and patience will bear eventually.

      4- Afflictions are sometime the result of the collective work or custom of a group of people, a party, or even a nation. When the calamity or a punishment touches a town, all the citizens might not have had a hand in the source of the trouble, but it will make all of them to taste it. This is inevitable that a harsh earthquake may also injure the innocent children too. Had the children been delivered, who knows that they would not do the same thing that has now afflicted their parents. When a huge fire has been kindled it will burn the dry pieces of wood as well as the wet moisty pieces.

      God will never take back His Mercy and favours that Has bestowed on Man, and will never change the fate and destiny of a people unless they change their inside and inner self.

      As a matter of fact, the fruit of our deeds is a part of our deeds, and is mingled with what we have done, and always there is a reaction for every action.

      To put this in an abstract, we may say:- ``Life is what we make it.'' All the pains, fears, sorrows, and troubles of our life are alarms and warners that will give us a notice of an approaching dangers. We therefore must admit that such afflictions when appear, are by their nature a useful notice that warn Man to take some precautionary actions. All of us should know that any trouble, fear, pain, and whatever we may call it a bad luck, are the consequences of our wrongs, and faults, and as soon as troubles appear we must immediately take necessary measures to remove the source or the cause of our trouble.

      So if anyone is to be blamed for a Man's afflictions, first of firsts, it is himself:-

      ``And whatever of affliction may afflict you, it is for what your hands have earned, and God forgives a lot.''