If Everything Was Created for the Prophet, Is This Not Unfair to Others Who Suffer?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

 

Question

Assalamu ‘Alaykum.

I read that everything was created for the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). I mean no disrespect but this sounds very unfair to me. Why were tens of billions of people created with so much suffering and problems in this world just for one person? Why does Allah expect us to love Him the most when He clearly has a favorite?

Answer

Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

Allah Created You To Reward You In Paradise

The matter is simple: Allah created you, me, and everyone else to manifest His infinite kindness and generosity on us, forever. He has created us all for Paradise. This is clear from the text of the Qur’an, and explained in detail in this article.

Everyone who the message of Islam reaches has a choice to believe in a sound rational religion – which is backed up with proof. 

Those who choose to accept this invitation are rewarded with everlasting happiness in Paradise. The opportunity is open for everyone – even the likes of Fir’awn who chose to claim divinity.

Those who do not hear the message, or only come across it in a distorted manner are excused. (Ghazali, Faysal al Tafriqa) That is why we were created. To be recipients of unending, indescribable bliss.

Gifts Given to the Deserving 

Not everyone is the same, though. Some are better than others because of their innate goodness and choices. For example, some people are more likely to serve and help those in need, and others have a tendency to make selfish choices. There are clear standards of good and bad, and people who embody them.

So, if some are are better than others due to their choices and innate qualities, then they deserve more reward. It’s logical and fair.

The best of all people is the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). Look at his life. His way of treating people. His kindness and concern for people. Even on the Day of Judgement, he is worried about his followers, keen to save them from the Hellfire. Is this not a beautiful quality? 

With all his beautiful qualities and deeds, he is the most deserving of Allah’s favours and rewards in Paradise. He struggled to ensure the invitation to the infinite pleasure reach us. Everyone around him loved him. He took care of the needs of the poor. He never refused to give to anyone who asked him for something (Allah bless him and give him peace).

Time after time He showed he was the best of humanity through his deeds. His other beautiful qualities are also surpassingly amazing. For this, and much more, Allah loves him, and has promised him tremendous rewards in Paradise. He’ll be given the greatest rewards for his virtues. Is that so wrong?

Have you never liked someone and given them a gift? Have you not bought a nice present for a loved one? Was that unfair to all the others you are fond of? Clearly not. They are your gifts and you choose who to give them to. 

The others in Paradise will be given so much that all their needs, wishes, and deepest desires will be fulfilled. Is there anything wrong with giving them all they want, and another person some more? Would someone full from a seven-course meal begrudge an extra slice of cake another has? He’s full. He has no desire or inclination to it. Also, the people in Paradise won’t feel that there is a disparity between them and others.

Loving and Being Loved Are Blessings From Allah

One of the greatest feelings in this life is to be loved by someone you love. Having loved ones in life is a blessing, and loving others is too. 

Allah does not demand from us that we love none other than Him. He creates love in us from birth. We are free to love who we want.

Rather, we are encouraged to love Him for the gifts He gives us, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) told us (Tirmidhi). This is a special love the creation has for its Creator, for the blessing of existence and so much more. The problem is when people place this love in created beings and worship them.

Anything you do to get closer to Allah, to please Him, to be loved by Him – it’s all something you’ll be rewarded for. Perhaps you are someone of the elite who is dearly beloved to Allah. With your position secure – as is the position of every Believer – is there any issue with another being loved by Allah?

Allah perfection and greatness are infinite. His love and favours cannot be used up, such that some would suffer from others having a share of them. This is an important point to note.

You’ll have more than you can wish for, even if you were to list off your greatest desires for a trillion years non-stop. You’ll be one of the special beings Allah rewards in Paradise forever. Your place is secure.

As for the suffering of people – they will be rewarded for it all. A moment in Paradise will make them forget a lifetime of pain. Those who chose not to go there will live with the consequences of their choice. No one is treated unfairly, and no one is punished because of the trick question.

Everything Being Created For the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)

Let’s use an analogy to get this point across. Imagine an excellent school, build and equipped with the best money can buy. It has the best facilities and the best teachers. When the students who have studied there end their education, out of the thousands from a particular year group, there are three who outshone everyone.

If the headteacher said that the school was built for these three students he’d be correct. If he said the school was made for all the students who study there he’d also be correct. It’s a matter of context.

The former statement means that the purpose of the school is to educate students in order for them to do the best that can be done – and that is represented in those three. They benefitted the most, so in a sense, the school’s purpose was manifested in the highest way in these three students. This does not mean that others did not learn or achieve anything.

In the same way, Allah created us to manifest His kindness and generosity on us. Those who are more deserving get more. The most deserving of Allah’s creation can be seen as the very reason it was created – because he manifested the good in the best way, and the reward he gets is appropriate to that too.

This is fairness. Not to mention that the rewards any of us get in Paradise are far beyond what we actually deserve for our deeds. How can a life of even a thousand years be equal to a reward that never ends? Let alone the quality of that reward.

I hope this context makes the matter clear for you.

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History, he moved to Damascus in 2007, where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital. He was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.