Evil and Suffering... Is there a God?

Here is a beautiful analogy which helps to naswer this question and prove to us that there is a God - Allah despite evil and suffering around the world:

Once a cutomer went to barber to get a haircut. During the haircut he began to converse with the barber and he said, 'you know what.. i dont believe in God. If there was a God then why is there so much evil and suffering and poverty around the world, there cannot be a God!' The Barber decided it was best not to reply and so continued with the haricut. After it was finished, the customer paid the Barber and left the Salon.

Five minutes later, the customer returned and said to the barber, 'you know what... barbers dont exist!' The Barber replied,'What do you mean barbers don't exist, I'm a barber!' The customer replied,
' If barbers exist then why is there a man outside who is really dirty and hairy with hair up to his mid back and a really unclean,long beard?'

The Barber replied,' Just because there is a man outside who is really hairy and scruffy with dirty hair and beard doesn't mean barbers don't exist. He didn't come to me so how can I help him?'

Similarly, just because there is poverty and suffering around the world doesn't mean that God doesn't exist, if they don't turn to Him then how do they expect God to help them?

And Allah Knows Best.

Get Sponsered4Charity

As Salamu Alaikum,

There is a huge need for us to get involved in charity work in this day and age. I came across this poster i was emailed about getting sponsered4charity which is basically encouraging us to get sponsered for charity to help our brothers and sisters around the world. This is very important especially after recent natural hazards such as the Bangladesh Cyclone and the Indonesian Landslide. So please brothers and sisters, get sponsered for charity in your community and get involved!

Long ago in the city of Baghdad, there was a Muslim empire. On one side of the River Tigris were the royal palaces and on the other side was the city. The Muslims were gathered in the Royal Palace when an athiest approached them. He said to them, ' I don't believe in God, there cannot be a God, you cannot hear Him or see Him, you're wasting your time! Bring me your best debator and I will debate this issue with him.' The best debator at the time was Abu Hanifah Rahimullah. A messenger from amongst the Muslims was sent over the River Tigris to the city, where Abu Hanifah Rahimullah was, in order to tell him about the athiest who was awaiting him. On crossing the River Tigris, the messenger conveyed the message to Abu Hanifah Rahimullah saying, ' Oh Abu Hanifah, an athiest is waiting for you, to debate you, please come!' Abu Hanifah Rahimullah told the messeneger that he would be on his way.

The messenger went over the River Tigris once again and to the Royal Palaces, where everyone including the athiest awaited the arrival of Abu Hanifah Rahimullah. It was sunset at the time and one hour had passed, but Abu Hanifah Rahimullah still hadn't arrived. Another hour had passed, but still there was no sign of him. The Muslims started to become tense and worried about his late arrival. They did not want the athiest to think that they were too scared to debate him, yet they did not want to take up the challenge themselves as Abu Hanifah Rahimullah was the best of Debators from amongst the Muslims. Another hour passed, and suddenly the athiest started laughing and said, ' Your best debator is too scared! He knows he's wrong, he is too frightened to come and debate with me. I gurantee he will not turn up today.'
The Muslims increased in apprehension and eventually it had passed midnight, and the athiest had a smile on his face. The clock ticked on, and finally Abu Hanifah Rahimullah had arrived. The Muslims inquired about his lateness and remarked, 'Oh Abu Hanifah, a messenger sent for you hours ago, and you arrive now, explain your lateness to us.'
Abu Hanifah Rahimullah apologises for his lateness and begins to explain, while the atheist listens to his story

'Once the messenger delivered the message to me, I began to make my way to the River Tigris, and on reaching the river bank I realised there was no boat, in order to cross the river. It was getting dark, and I looked around, there was no boat anywhere nor was there a navigator or a sailor in order for me to cross the river to get to the Royal Palaces. I continued to look around for a boat, as I did not want the athiest to think I was running away and did not want to debate with him. I was standing on the river bank looking for a navigator or a boat when something caught my attention in the middle of the river. I looked forward, and to my amazement I saw planks of wood rising to the surface from the sea bed. I was shocked, amazed, I couldn't believe what I saw seeing. Ready made planks of wood were rising up to the surface and joining together. They were all the same width and length, I was astounded at what I saw.

I continued to look into the middle of the river, and then I saw nails coming up from the sea floor. They positioned themselves onto the boat and held the planks together, without them being banged. I stood in amazemnt and thought to myself, 'Oh Allah, how can this happen, planks of wood rising to the surface by itself, and then nails positioning themselves onto the boat without being banged?' I could not undertsand what was happening before my eyes.'

The athiest meanwhile was listening with a smile on his face. Abu Hanifah Rahimullah continued,
' I was still standing on the river bank watching these planks of wood join together with nails. I could see water seeping through the gaps in the wood, and suddenly I saw a sealer appear from the river and it began sealing the gaps without someone having poured it, again I thought, 'Ya Allah, how is this possible, how can sealer appear and seal the gaps without someone having poured it, and nails appear without someone having banged them.' I looked closer and I could see a boat forming before my eyes, I stood in amazement and was filled with shock. All of a sudden a sail appeared and I though to myself, 'How is this happening, a boat has appeared before my eyes by itself, planks of wood, nails, sealer and now a sail, but how can I use this boat in order to cross the river to the Royal Palaces?' I stood staring in wonderment and suddenly the boat began to move. It came towards me against the current. It stood floating beside me while I was on the river bank, as if telling me to embark onto it. I went on the boat and yet again it began to move. There was no navigator or sailor on the boat, and the boat began to travel towards the direction of the royal palaces, without anyone having programmed it as to where to go. I could not understand what was happening, and how this boat had formed and was taking me to my destination against the flow of water. The boat eventually reached the other side of the River Tigris and I disembarked. I turned around and the boat had disappeared, and that is why I am late.'

At this moment, the athiest brust out laughing and remarked, ' Oh Abu Hanifah, I heard that you were the best debator from amongst the Muslims, I heard that you were the wisest, the most knowledgable from amongst your people. From seeing you today, I can say that you show none of these qulities. You speak of a boat appearing from nowhere, without someone having built it. Nails positioning themselves without someone having banged them, sealer being poured without someone having poured it, and the boat taking you to your destination without a navigator against the tide, your taking childish, your talking rediculous, I swear I do not belive a word of it!'

Abu Hanifah Rahimullah turned to the athiest and replied, 'You don't belive a word of it? You dont believe that nails can appear by themselves? You dont belive sealer can be poured by itself? You dont believe that a boat can move without a navigator, hence you don't belive that a boat can appear without a boat maker?'

The athiest remarked defiantly, 'Yes I dont belive a word of it!'

Abu Hanifah Rahimullah replied, 'If you cannot believe that a boat came without a boat maker, than this is only a boat, how can you belive that the whole world, the universe, the stars, the oceans, and the planets came without a creator?


The athiest astonished at his reply got up and fled.