The Journey

of a Toiler

Abbas Al Humaid

The Journey of a Toiler (Novel)

All rights reserved by the author

– Abbas Ali Mahmood –

First edition–April, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-912275-00-7

OTHER PUBLICATIONS BY THIS AUTHOR:

1. Islamic Strategy – How to Participate in the Development of

the Muslim Nation

2. Your Career Path - Develop your Business Portfolio

3. Introduction to Shi’a Islam - The Islamic Vision of Life

4. The Tranquil Soul - Practical Steps to Achieve Happiness and

Success

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

+96895385151

abbas.alhumaid@gmail.com

www.alhumaid.org

Contents

Prologue ............................................................................... 4

Lost ....................................................................................... 9

Tough Situations ............................................................... 47

The Story of Life ............................................................... 82

The Perpetual Spiral of Life .......................................... 109

Love Makes Miracles ..................................................... 147

The Bitterness of Estrangement .................................... 185

The Conspiracy ............................................................... 211

Descending to the Abyss ............................................... 235

And Life Continues ........................................................ 270

Abut the Author ............................................................. 307

4

Prologue

I am not a scholar in religion, nor am I specialized

in the Islamic doctrines. I am not a novelist or an

author. I do not claim any of these roles. I am just an

ordinary person sailing along the course of life with his

small family, in pursuit of a good life, security, truth

and Allah’s blessing. Like anyone else, life confronts

me with all of its might and complexities, as if meaning

to challenge me; yet I do not panic or retreat, but go

forward defending my survival, dignity and values.

My armor consists of patience, will and contemplation.

I find relief in what my humble understanding can

comprehend of the wonderful values, concepts, and

practices of Islam that are embedded in the Islamic

texts and embodied in our Islamic doctrines. At times I

have been thrilled by victory; at others, I have sipped

on the bitterness of defeat. I have occasionally

overexerted myself, and often felt powerless - but each

time I have felt weak, I have sensed the presence of the

divine hand extending towards me. Throughout all

this, I have wondered at the pressing mysteries and

dilemmas of life, existence and the universe. But

Prologue

5

although I these mysteries have challenged me, at some

point, I began tackling them one by one and integrating

the jigsaw pieces into the bigger, fascinating picture of

creation by the divine hand.

This novel is allegorical because the concepts and

techniques in it are real. I have tried and practiced

them myself, time after time, in situations even tougher

than those experienced by the protagonist of the novel.

These concepts and techniques have enabled me to

enjoy happiness and peace of mind in a life in which, it

seems, the stronger you prove yourself to be, the

rougher and harsher it becomes.

The questions that have disturbed me about life and

existence are many. I am certain they disturb many

others, too; but like many things in life, it is often easier

for us just to avoid them. Since my childhood, I have

chosen to confront these questions and not to believe in

anything just because I am told to do so. When I

believed in Allah and recognized his beauty and might

– to as great an extent as my limited mind would allow

- I realized how massive the secrets and facts of the

universe really are.

1- Does God (Allah) really exist, or is He merely

fiction? Why must there be a creator? Why can’t

the creator have a creator? Can there be a co-

creator? How do we know that Allah is generous

Prologue

6

and honest in his promises to us? How do we

know that He has all the attributes of perfection as

described by Him? What is Allah? Will we be able,

one day, to see Him?

2- Does Allah really love us and have mercy on us?

Why, then, did He create ailments and diseases?

Why does He allow people to starve and die of

sickness? Why did He create criminals, germs and

beasts? Why did He make some of us smarter and

wealthier while others are poorer, less healthy or

less smart? Why did He not create us directly in the

heavens instead of on Earth where we suffer

torments, err and then are subject to His wrath?

3- Why did Allah create us? What does He want from

us in this life? Is it to reconstruct the Earth? But

then why? Does He need us to reconstruct the

Earth? Is the Earth more important than humans?

Why did He create the Earth in the first place? Did

He create us to worship Him? But then - why? He

does not need our worship; it does not add

anything to Him.

4- Is death indignity and torment? How could it not

be; we hear that those who die suffer the severest

of torment, right from the moment of their dying to

their compression in the grave, their torture in Al

Prologue

7

Barzakh (1) at the hands of ‘Monker and Nakeer’

(2) and their final destiny, hell. But do they not say

that death is the ascension to Allah? How, then,

could the ascension to Allah be torture and misery?

5- Why would He torture us in hell? What is it to Him

if we commit a few sins without meaning to

challenge His authority? We do it only out of our

whims of lust, weakness, and ignorance. Why are

we punished for temporary sins - like listening to

songs - for periods of time that are

disproportionate to our sins by a scale of millions?

Would we not consider it unjust to burn someone

who is cursing us? Why, then, do we consider the

burning of cursers in hell a just punishment? Is it

because it came from Allah? Is it because He is

stronger than us?

6- Why did Allah insist that we pray to Him and ask

Him about our needs? If He already knows our

desires and needs, and He can fulfill them, then

why would He make it a condition that we pray to

Him? Does He need the prayers?

1 „Al Barzakh‟ is an Arabic word meaning an “isthmus” or separation. In Islamic

literature, it denotes the intermediate life between this life and the final life. It

begins with death and ends with resurrection at the judgment day. (Translator)

2 Monker and Nakeer are the names, in Islamic literature, of the two angels who

undertake the initial questioning of people immediately after their death.

(Translator)

Prologue

8

7- Did Allah not create us to worship Him? Why,

then, did he allow Satan to seduce us, exploiting

our lusts and weaknesses and leading to misery in

the afterlife? Why did Allah answer the request of

Satan to live long enough to seduce us? Is it

because Satan provoked Him, highly exalted be He

above this? Or is it that Allah hates us? Is this not a

great injustice? Is this not contradicting the

purpose of creation to begin with?

This novel attempts to deal with all these questions

and many more in a manner that is simple yet relatable

to day-to-day life. I have tried to make the allegory

palatable to the tastes of the general public and to

human instinct. I have certainly attempted to abide by

the religious texts as well as to take into account the life

situation in which we find ourselves, and hope that this

will make the narrative vibrant and resonant with

happiness.

47

Chapter II

Tough Situations

Tough Situations

48

I continued my endeavor ardently, with a fiery will

inside me. What’s more, I was anxious of an unknown

future. I knew my path was not paved with gold, and

at times, I doubted if I could change my reality, but I

had nothing to lose. I dearly wished that I could excel

and make my father proud of me, wherever he was.

My first mission was to get a public relations officer

job with a reasonable salary (at least 250 Omani riyals

plus a car and fuel), preferably in a big firm. At the

same time, I aimed to prepare for the CMA certification

through distance learning with a US university.

With his wide network of contacts, Uncle Issa

managed to arrange a number of interviews in some

companies looking for a good PRO.

My first interview was on Wednesday at 1pm, at a

local firm that worked with the stock market and

business investments. It was located in Commercial

Street, Muttrah. I was apprehensive, as all my hopes

were tied to this job. I couldn’t go back to sleep after

dawn prayer. I was scared of disappointment and of

lost opportunities.

In the bag where I kept my clothes and other stuff,

there were only two dishdashas, and both of them

were dirtied. I picked the better of the two and asked

by mother to iron it for me. The iron was broken, so I

took it to my Aunt Safia’s house and she did it for me.

Tough Situations

49

I didn’t have money to put gas in my father’s car, so

I went to the Corniche to take public transport. It was

very hot, and I was drenched in sweat. It took longer

than I expected to find a minibus taxi to take me to Al

Wadi Al Kabir area, near the company.

By now, it was almost 1 pm, and I was running late.

O God, please help me - I need this job. The traffic was

heavy where I was going. It felt as if the clock was

ticking faster than usual, intent on adding to my

burden.

It was 1:19 pm when I got to the company’s block,

and I had to ask for their exact location. By the time I

finally arrived, it was almost 1:30. Someone was at the

door getting ready to leave. I asked him where to find

Mohammed Attiya, the director of the company’s

administrative affairs. Lo and behold, it was him. I was

panting and sweaty. Thanks to this and my stained

clothing, I looked like a homeless vagabond. I told the

man that I was the one he was supposed to interview.

He looked at me with disgust, admonished me for

being late and told me I was not suitable for the job.

Then he walked out.

I was struck by a kind of lightning. Humiliated, I

froze on the spot. My chest hurt with fury and blood

boiled in my arteries. I ran out of the place. Everything

was wrong. I was filled with despair and frustration.

Tough Situations

50

With no fare, I walked back five kilometers home in the

hot weather. I felt like smashing the windows of these

rich people’s fancy cars, but I restrained myself.

One hour in the simmering heat, and my anger

turned to depression and exhaustion. I arrived home

feeling utterly devastated. I couldn’t say a word. I

switched on the air conditioner and fell onto the

mattress in a curled fetal position. ‚I’m tired. I’m going

to lie down ‘til I die,‛ I told my mother. She kept

crying, which only added to my pain and anger.

‚Enough!‛ I shouted at her. ‚If you don’t stop

crying, I’ll run out and never come back!‛ It was the

first time I had raised my voice at my mother. She was

dumbfounded and scared, and moved backwards.

The demons were dancing around me, but a thin

thread kept me tied to Allah. I kept praying for His

help as I fell into a deep sleep. I woke up later, at night,

to hear the voice of Uncle Issa. ‚I am sorry, it is entirely

my fault,‛ he was saying softly.

The sleep had helped to calm me down and my

uncle’s presence soothed me. Indeed, I needed to see

him.

‚Uncle!‛

‚After your mother called me, I called Mohammed

Attiya, and I found out how things had gone. I

Tough Situations

51

apologized on your behalf for you being late and asked

him to give you another chance.‛

‚No, Uncle. I can’t work in that company after what

happened. It was my fault,‛ I said, raising myself up to

a seated position.

‚Ok, but there are many other places you can work.

It was not your fault, but mine. I’ll stay with you until

you calm down. I’m sorry.‛

‚Please Uncle, don’t apologize, you’ve done enough

for me.‛

‚Listen, my love, we both know you can’t send a

soldier to battle without sufficient preparation. In the

same way, you can’t go to interviews without having

prepared. You need good clothes and other accessories,

like sandals, a watch, a good kumma and some cash to

be able to use the car.‛

To that, I couldn’t respond. He knew we couldn’t

afford all that, and I could not accept any money from

him. I would never do that.

‚I borrowed some money for you from the youth

fund in the community. You can pay it back later,

when you get hired,‛ he said.

That sounded good. The youth fund was a

voluntary venture by some in the community to help

Tough Situations

52

young people like me get back on their feet, and I was

eligible for it.

‚Thank you, Uncle. I am up for that, but the loan

has to be in my name and you my guarantor.‛

‚Deal.‛

# # # # #

I was not skilled at job interviews, but with each

one I got better and better. Thanks to my good

command of English and my ability to write letters, I

had something of an edge in the interviews. It was not

long before I ended up with three job offers, the best of

which was from an English company, for a job as a

driver and a PRO. The company offered a salary of 450

riyals, including expenses for the car. It was good

enough for me. It allowed me enough spare time to

study in the office, and I also studied during the time I

spent waiting in the long queues of government

institutions to carry out the company’s administrative

tasks.

A comfortable and busy year passed by—our

financial situation improved, we paid all our family

debts and we moved to a bigger house in the same

neighborhood. The only challenge I had during this

year was my struggle with preparing for the American

Tough Situations

53

Management Accounting exam (CMA). It was next to

impossible and caused me deep frustration to begin

with, but with the gradual improvement of my English

skills and my hard work, I managed to progress. I

failed the examinations several times, but finally

passed all four modules. It was not just any success; it

was THE success for me. I wished my father had been

beside me at these moments so that he could have

shared in my happiness. Was he aware of my success ?

Was he proud of me? Or did my achievements make

no difference to him, in the world where he was now? I

missed him.

# # # # #

My next mission was a challenge of a different kind,

but was a reward for my success in the previous one: I

needed to find a job in accounting with a better salary

than my current one. At the same time, I had to enroll

for a graduate degree in business at one of the private

colleges during evenings.

One might say I was lucky, but the way I saw it was

that I was being cared for by Allah. The day after I

passed the exam, I went to see the regional manager of

my company. Over the last year, I had managed to

build a good rapport with everyone at the company

with whom I had come into contact, including this

Tough Situations

54

regional manager — several times, I had helped him

tend to his personal business.

Andro - his name - was bent under the desk as

usual, looking for a pen that had fallen on the floor,

and I waited until he had got up. Moments later, he

settled on his fine chair and peered at me above his

slim spectacles.

‚Mohammed, how can I help you?‛

‚I passed my CMA, sir.‛

‚You did? Congratulations, you earned it. So, what

next?‛

‚To find a job in accounting and complete a

graduate degree in business.‛

‚Obviously you have planned your career well.

Would you like to move to our accounting

department?‛

That was indeed surprising. I was not used to

things going my way so easily. I immediately agreed.

‚Good, then you must find us an excellent PRO to

replace you, and once you’ve done this, you can make

the move. Will two months suffice to get it done?‛ he

smiled, encouragingly.

‚One month will do. I promise the new PRO will be

excellent.‛

Tough Situations

55

‚Fantastic. Take care!‛

‚Thank you, sir.‛

It wasn’t so hard to find a replacement PRO; our

company paid good salaries, and during my work, I

had come to know several talented PROs.

# # # # #

The job took the best part of my time and effort — I

had to work nights and weekends to get things done,

particularly at the end of the month, but this did not

stop me enrolling in evening classes at the College of

Commerce. I returned home exhausted every night,

dragging my feet towards the table to eat my mother’s

delicious dinner, savor a cup of tea and spend some

time with my family. It was my time out from this busy

world.

Despite my fatigue, I felt very enthused when I saw

my mother sitting and knitting a beautiful kumma for

me.

As the days passed, my responsibilities and

burdens increased. I slept only four hours each night. I

had perpetual headaches and I used painkillers all the

time. My body felt like it weighed a ton, and I was

always heavy-eyed, especially while driving. Finally,

my performance at work and in my studies

Tough Situations

56

plummeted, and my mistakes increased. I suffered

nervousness and stress, and if it was not for the twenty

minutes of solitude I made sure I had every night, I

might have had a nervous breakdown.

I had no other choice. I had to continue until I could

go on no longer. I kept telling myself that the years

would soon pass; I would graduate and enjoy a

comfortable life. I was always praying to Allah to help

and I asked my mother to pray for me, but deep down,

I doubted there was any way out of my dilemma

without a miracle from Allah.

One day, while I was praying in the evening, a

strange idea flashed through my mind. I remembered

faking sickness in my early days of school in order to

get a day or two off. I had to convince my parents in

order to make it work, so I first convinced myself that I

was not feeling well, and then guess what? I made

myself sick enough to at least convince my mother.

And it worked the other way round as well: Once it

was safe enough, I reversed the process to be able to

play outside with other kids in the neighborhood.

Now, I thought that maybe if I talked myself into

feeling good and rested enough with only four hours of

sleep, I would do well as a result. It was a funny idea,

but I tried it anyway. The results were spectacularly

prompt. I felt much better and my performance was

Tough Situations

57

enhanced, though I still had trouble driving for long

distances.

I was thrilled at this achievement - not only because

my work and study improved, but also because I

enjoyed life more. I felt this was Allah’s answer to my

prayers. He had made me recognize my true potential

and harvest it. This auto-suggestion helped me get rid

of insomnia, and I also used it to enhance other

potentials I hadn’t yet fulfilled.

# # # # #

The prayer room at the college was small and

deserted. Few people used it, and the lighting was dim.

I felt uncomfortable in the beginning, but over time I

got used to it and felt comfortable in it. I felt more

reverence in my prayer without attracting any

unwanted attention.

On one occasion, however, I was praying in the

evening and pleading for the will to stop listening to

songs when one of my colleagues entered the prayer

room. I immediately wiped my tears away. I was

anxious that he might have seen me crying, perhaps

because it was unusual for people to cry while they

pray, or perhaps because I was scared to be thought of

as a zealot and thus to become the object of my

classmates’ cynicism. I was already seen as ‚different‛

Tough Situations

58

because I did not mingle with or shake hands with

women, and because I refused to listen to songs. Well,

at least in the presence of others; I did so in my private

moments. But I had been caught, and in no time at all,

the other students started making fun of my adherence

to religious doctrines. They did so in a very improper

way. The blood simmered in my veins, but I managed

to remain composed in appearance. I felt like

responding to them harshly, but I couldn’t. I had never

lashed out harshly at anyone in my life. I gripped the

chair beside me hard and wanted to break it over their

heads. I might have given into the desire, had it not

been for me remembering the patience of the Prophet

in response to some people’s intensive malice. I

decided to follow the Prophet’s example.

I calmed down. I put on a confident smile and felt a

chill as I reflected on a verse of the Quran: “And not

equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel

[evil] by that [deed] which is better; and

thereupon the one whom between you and him

is enmity [will become] as though he was a

devoted friend (34) But none is granted it

except those who are patient, and none is

granted it except one having a great portion

[of good] (35).” This made me feel peaceful and calm.

I decided to hear them out and try to understand the

way they think. I noted that despite their cynical

commentary, some of their words demonstrated

Tough Situations

59

respect for me and my adherence to religion. I think

they were simply not used to the way I saw things.

It would have been forgotten, but Amer, the one

who had seen me crying in the prayer room, would not

let it go. He was not wicked. He had been very

religious in the past, and we had previously spent long

hours on the Corniche discussing various religious and

social issues. We were mature for our ages. But he was

deeply shocked when his ‚religious‛ father left his

family and his mother got cancer. He lost his faith in

Allah and turned 360 degrees. His good financial

status, sharp mind, handsome looks and absence of

parental supervision aided this transition.

‚Mohammed, since you read so much about

religion, maybe you can help me. I have some

questions about these doctrines, and I can’t figure out

the answers by myself.‛ The challenging tone was

obvious in his words. I knew his questions were meant

to embarrass me, but I accepted the challenge. I looked

at him with a smile.

‚I am simply someone who is trying to learn. I only

know a little, but please go ahead and ask. If I don’t

know the answer, I will ask and find it out for you,‛ I

replied, in a strong and confident voice.

‚The question that puzzles me is that if Allah loves

us and is merciful, then why did He create ailments

Tough Situations

60

and diseases? Why does He let people starve and die of

diseases? Why did He create criminals and germs and

monsters? Why did He make some of us smart, rich

and healthy while others are poor, sick and dumb?‛

Amer shot his questions at me in rapid succession, and

it caused an uneasy feeling amongst the rest of the

guys. These were taboo issues in our common culture,

and I did not have a detailed and satisfying answer.

However, I could not afford to let them go unanswered

completely.

‚We don’t know many things about this universe.

Allah says, “And mankind have not been given

of knowledge except a little” - what we don’t

doubt is that Allah is omnipotent and omniscient. He

loves us and is merciful on us. Our minds can’t

comprehend his wisdom regarding some of the issues

we face, including those questions you asked. That

does not mean He does not love us. He said in the

Quran, “Indeed Allah is, to the people, Kind

and Merciful.” ‛

‚But<,‛ Amer wanted to interrupt me, but Omar

wouldn’t allow him to, and asked me to continue.

‚I’m almost done with my answer. Let me give you

an example. Do you remember when your father took

you to taekwondo sessions, years ago? You hated it

and thought your dad didn’t love you and was forcing

Tough Situations

61

you to do things you didn’t like. He watched you

getting beaten up over and over again in the practice.

Well, do you still think he didn’t love you? Or was it

that he loved you and wanted to make you strong?

You couldn’t have realized that at that time.‛

‚That does not answer my question,‛ Amer said,

but before he could go on, Salim, another guy,

interjected:

‚Honestly, Amer, your question is improper. We

were just kidding, and you made it serious. It was

improper to second guess Allah’s wisdom. Mohammed

is trying to answer you and you don’t want to listen.‛

‚No, Salim, I didn’t mean to second guess Allah’s

love for us.‛

"Yes, you did. Anyway, let’s drop it. If you have

any further questions, go to the scholars and they will

answer you, but don’t just throw them at another

student.‛

The debate continued amongst a group of them, but

I was done with it. I thanked Allah for inspiring my

answer. I had not been prepared for the debate.

Honestly, what I said, though partially true, was

evading the real answer. Why did Allah create evils?

Why is there so much discrepancy in the distribution of

wealth between people? Puzzling questions with no

Tough Situations

62

easy answer. The example of Amer’s father was not

sufficient. Amer’s father could not achieve his

objectives without forcing his son to train in combat,

but Allah does not need means to achieve what He

wants. Allah said, “His command is only when He

intends a thing that He says to it, "Be," and it

is.”

I don’t understand why Allah didn’t create us in

heaven directly instead of creating us on Earth and

letting us suffer so much and commit sins that lead us

to hell.

They say that Allah created Prophet Adam in

heaven, but when he ate of the forbidden tree, Allah

took him down to Earth as a sort of punishment. Why

did Allah create that tree? Why did He make it

accessible to Adam? Why didn’t He stop him from

doing wrong? Why did He allow Satan to fool Prophet

Adam? If Adam deserved that punishment, then what

is the fault that causes us to remain on Earth?

These questions buzzed in my head with no

reprieve. No doubt that Allah was wise and merciful,

but I didn’t know the answers to these riddles, and my

heart was telling me there were deep secrets behind

them.

# # # # #

Tough Situations

63

In the lecture hall, just before the lecture in

marketing, a hot debate was still raging between Amer

and Salim. Other students had gathered around. Their

voices were loud and the scene was conspicuous. It

was unusual to see such an exchange. The lecturer

entered the room and everyone took their seats;

everyone except our group, which carried on

uninterrupted. The lecturer asked us to be seated, then

listened to a brief account of what was going on. He

proposed to make this discussion a formal one as part

of the class activities. Some people tried to object, for

this was a specialized issue and required a religious

scholar, but the lecturer was persuasive and the vote

was in favor of the debate. It was scheduled one month

from now so that each side could prepare effectively.

Most of the members of my team - and ironically,

most of the members of the other team, led by Amer -

were confident of my ability to prevail and reveal the

truth. I did not share in this confidence. It was no

longer a matter of a few questions in my mind: The

faith of dozens of students depended on my ability to

come up with satisfactory answers for Amer’s

questions and many more unforeseen ones. I knew

Allah would not abandon me, but I had no idea where

and how I could get my answers. If Uncle Issa had

been there, I would have sought his help, but he was

Tough Situations

64

on a trip to Germany for treatment, and he would not

be back for some time. I went to some religious

scholars, but I was shocked to find that none of these

had any better answer than what I had already given

Amer that day. It was no good. If I probed them for

deeper answers, their response was to get upset and

warn me against delving into these issues. But I could

not take any of their warnings seriously. I persisted in

my search, particularly in the face of this new challenge

of public debate and a fierce opponent in the form of

Amer.

The days passed by quickly, and the date of debate

drew near. My uncle was only a few days out of

surgery, and I felt I shouldn’t call him for such matters,

but the stakes were high. I picked up the phone and

dialed the number. His voice was weak. I asked how he

was doing, and he spoke heavily. I relayed the short

version of what had happened and asked for his help.

He told me that he did not have full answers for these

questions and advised me to go to his house and check

his library for a book titled The Divine Justice by

Sheikh Murtadha Mutahari.

I spent days reading the book, especially the second

chapter, which was entitled ‚The Solution‛. I read it

over and over again, but didn’t feel I understood it

properly.

Tough Situations

65

The day of the debate dawned. I was very anxious.

The answer was in the book in front of me, but I

couldn’t digest it in a way that would allow me to

present it easily. I thought of all those who had waited

to get the answers and would be disappointed. I dozed

after the dawn prayer with tearful eyes. I prayed from

the depths of my heart and asked Him, for the sake of

the Prophet and his household, to help me. I knew He

could inspire me with the answer.

I woke up - and the answer was clear in my mind.

O God, it was so simple. I didn’t know why I hadn’t

seen it before. I thanked Allah and hopped out of bed,

grabbed the book and skimmed the second chapter

once more. This time, I understood.

# # # # #

That evening, the lecture hall looked like a busy

market. Everyone had made sure to attend and see this

long-awaited debate. Some of them patted my shoulder

on their way to their seats and uttered words of

encouragement and support. I was too preoccupied to

pay attention to that. My forehead sweated and my

hands shook. It was supposed to be a simple discussion

between two groups, but the issue had become a

personal conflict between me and Amer. My team

members gathered around me.

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66

The supervisor asked for Amer to start his motion

and then for me to give my reply. I asked the

supervisor if I could have longer to respond, as the

issue I was to explain was intricate and required some

introduction. He approved no longer than fifteen

minutes.

‚I used to feel that this was a very complex issue

indeed,‛ I said, to break the ice ‚But then, when I

realized the answer, I found it easy and clear. I want to

start by asking Amer a question, if I may.‛

‚Go ahead,‛ the supervisor said, and Amer

approved too.

‚Thank you. You wonder why Allah gave you the

facial features you have right now, don’t you?‛

‚You could say that as an example, yes.‛

‚If your father took you to a plastic surgeon and

had you change the way you look, would you still

wonder why Allah gave you this new look?‛

‚No, but then I would ask my father and the

surgeon why they gave me that new look.‛

‚Exactly!‛ My agreement surprised Amer. He had

expected a different answer.

‚Are you implying that we, humans, created these

evils, not Allah? Because then I would ask why Allah

created evils in the first place.‛

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67

‚Don’t rush me. Let me finish my answer, and then

you can object as you like,‛ I said, with all the

confidence I could muster. ‚I need to clarify two issues

before I give the answer. First, whatever potential and

attributes we may have - like intelligence, strength,

height, and skin color - are the same as our existence.

They are nothing outside our own existence. Our

existence is nothing but the sum of our potential and

attributes. The same is true for everything else, like the

rocks, oceans, stars, jellyfish and all other creatures.

Their existence is the sum of their potential and

attributes. Your facial features, for example, are

nothing but the limits and attributes of the face. The

body is nothing the spatial extension, volume, mass

and all the other physical attributes it has. Does anyone

disagree so far?‛ I looked around the audience, but no

one spoke a word. What I was saying seemed so true.

The supervisor gestured to me to go on.

‚The attributes and potential of each being in this

universe interacts with the attributes and potential of

all the other beings around it, and this makes up the

motion of the universe. Take, for example, the

interaction of the nature of tissue paper with the nature

of liquid water. The tissue paper gets wet if falls into

the water. Another example is our human physical

nature, which interacts with the nature of Earth. We

can walk, run, and jump, but we can’t fly like birds or

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68

breathe in water like fish or crawl like reptiles, because

we have different natures.‛

‚Mohammed.‛ The supervisor interrupted me.

‚Would you explain this issue further for the

audience?‛

‚Sure, professor. What I am saying is that all

creatures and beings with their vast diversity,

including humans, animals, and even angels and

demons, interact with each other by means of whatever

attributes and potential they have. This mutual

interaction between things forms the natural laws that

govern the universe, like gravity, sea tides, cause and

effect and all the other laws of physics. This leads us to

deduce that all these laws, despite governing and

outlining the motion of existence, are not something

external or independent of the existence of things. The

laws are the same as the things. For example, if a piece

of rock fell on an egg, it would break it. If it didn’t,

there must have been something that protected the

eggshell; otherwise, the rock wouldn’t be a rock and

the eggshell wouldn’t be an eggshell.

‚This is the basis upon which all sciences are

founded, and it is the foundation for all the systems in

existence. No one would ever believe that pouring

water on the ground could cause a nuclear explosion. If

the USA claimed that it had never bombed Hiroshima,

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69

but instead had thrown a bouquet of flowers that

caused the explosion, we would be laughing, wouldn’t

we?

‚These laws are what the Quran refers to

collectively as ‘Sunnat Allah’ [the way of Allah], and

this means that they cannot ever vary. “But you will

never find in the way of Allah any change, and

you will never find in the way of Allah any

alteration.” ‛

‚Excellent point. Go on,‛ the supervisor said.

‚The second issue I want to introduce is that Allah

did not create each being with a separate will. He did

not create my father with a will that is different than

the will created in me or in any other thing. Everything

in this universe is created with one simple [non-

compound] will, a continuous flow of existence as

described by the Quran: “Indeed, all things We

created with predestination (49) And Our

command is but one, like a glance of the eye.”

All the creatures of the Earth were created and formed

according to the laws governing the universe, and

work by cause and effect.

‚The point in the introduction is a natural result of

the previous one. According to the law of cause and

effect, my being, with all my attributes and potential, is

a natural and inevitable result of the fertilization of the

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70

ovum in my mother’s womb with one particular sperm

among billions of sperm in my father, with the

subsequent inheritance of specific features.

‚If it was another sperm that had fertilized the

ovum, or if it was another ovum that was fertilized,

then it wouldn’t have been me who came out, it would

have been someone else. This logic applies to all other

creatures and things as well. Every creature and every

being is the result of a particular set of causes that

created them in that particular way and thereby

determined their characteristics and potential.‛

‚Are you implying that Allah created the universe

and that it is now acting alone on the basis of these

natural laws, with no interference from Allah?‛ Amer

asked.

‚Of course not. The whole universe is perpetually

and innately dependent in its existence on the

independent existence of Allah. Allah’s bestowal of

existence on the universe is a perpetual one, much like

the light emitted by the sun to the Earth. This makes

things visible. Allah describes Himself as The Light:

“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the

earth.” ‛

‚So, in effect, did Allah create me with my

attributes and potential, or did my parents create me?‛

asked Amer.

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71

‚Both answers are true. Allah created you and your

parents also created you. Let me ask you: Who grew

the mango trees in the backyard of your home?‛

‚My father did.‛

‚But Allah says: “And have you seen that

[seed] which you sow? (63) Is it you who

makes it grow, or are We the grower?” Allah

attributes growing plants to Himself. Let me clarify

that part. When we make a fire, we also get intense

heat. When we put an egg over the fire, it gets cooked.

So what cooked the egg? Was it the fire or the heat?‛

I felt very comfortable when I heard many voices

amongst the audience saying, ‚Both.‛

‚Well then. Back to the Amer’s question: Why is

one person smarter or stronger or richer than another?

Why were germs and monsters created? The answer is

that Allah bestowed one simple perpetual existence on

all that could be, even if it was an incomplete being. He

did not withhold existence on anything that could be

because He is gracious and giving. Existence is in itself

good, and everything supplements this good with as

much potential as it has as a result of the interaction of

everything with everything else under the system of

cause and effect.

‚Allah gives an analogy for this system: “Say,

Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the

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72

One, the Prevailing (16) He sends down from

the sky, rain, and valleys flow according to

their capacity.” Valleys can only accommodate as

much as their size can hold, not as much as they are

offered by rain; and likewise, everything receives as

much existence as it can accommodate, not as much as

it is offered by Allah. The reason for this variation is

the direct causes that precede its creation.

‚This follows the analogy with which I began my

talk, when I asked you about the new looks you would

be given by a plastic surgeon. You said you wouldn’t

blame Allah because the surgeon and your father

would be the reason for the change in your facial

features, not Allah. By the same token, your other

attributes are the natural outcome of the genes you

inherited from your parents, and the same is true for

everything happening in the universe, which is a

natural result of the motion and interaction of things

with each other.‛

I paused for few moments to allow it to sink in,

then to drive the point home, I asked the audience,

‚Let me ask you: We all find some sort of deficiency in

ourselves, but would you rather not be at all? Do you

wish that Allah had never created you? Or do you feel

happy you exist and that Allah did not deny you

existence just because you are a few things short of

perfect?‛ I was so touched by my own idea, and was

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73

feeling so grateful for Allah. The supervisor clapped

his hands intently, followed by the other students and,

surprisingly, Amer himself.

‚I’ve asked many people about this dilemma, but I

never got such an answer before,‛ Amer said, ‚But I

have two more questions.‛

‚Okay.‛

‚The first question: If Allah bestowed one simple

and perpetual, existence and if every being receives

this bestowal to the extent that it can according to the

causes that created it, then there must be one being that

received its existence directly from Allah and did not

have any prior causes for it other than Allah. Right?‛

asked Amer.

‚That’s right. This first affected being - or the first

emanation of Allah, as some call it - has all the

attributes of perfection, strength and intensity in

existence that any creature could ever have, including

will and cognition. All other creatures and beings came

from this first emanated creature under consideration

of the hierarchy of the system of cause and effect, as I

clarified previously.‛

‚To be honest, this notion is novel to me, and it will

take me some time to fully absorb it. Anyhow, let me

get to the second question - and correct me if I am

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74

wrong. What you are saying is that the universe is

operating according to systems and rules that are

determined by the interaction of existent things with

each other, and that these interactions are governed by

the things’ attributes and potentials, which in turn are

nothing but their very existence, and nothing external

to it, right?‛

‚That pretty much sums it up, thank you.‛

‚You said that these rules governing the universe

are ‘Sunnat Allah’, and cannot lag or vary no matter

what happens. The egg wouldn’t be an egg if it didn’t

break when a rock fell on it, and the water wouldn’t be

water if it caused a nuclear explosion. Is that right?‛

‚Yes.‛

‚My question, then, is: What is prayer for? Why do

we ask Allah to do certain things for us, if everything

in existence is governed by the interactions of things?‛

asked Amer.

I took few moments to think. At that moment, I

remembered how Allah was always supporting and

caring for me in every moment of my life, even when I

didn’t realize it or thought that He had let me down. A

chill went through my body.

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75

‚If you found something burning beside your little

brother’s bed when he was asleep, what would you

do?‛

‚I would wake him up and try to put it out.‛

‚How would you put it out?‛

‚Using a fire extinguisher, of course.‛

‚Let’s say you could put it out by blowing on it

only once; would you wake up your brother, or just

put it out?‛

‚What’s your point?‛

‚Bear with me. If you had the powers of Superman,

would blowing the fire out be violating natural laws?‛

‚No, it would be in accordance with natural laws.‛

‚In other words, deciding what is in violation of

laws of nature and what is not depends on the

available resources and on their attributes and

potential, right?‛

‚I guess that is right.‛

‚You put out the fire using an extinguisher. Your

little brother couldn’t do that, because he is too small to

carry or operate the cylinder, but Superman wouldn’t

even need the extinguisher, because he could just blow

strong wind on the flame and put it out. This is because

he is strong and has higher powers. Now, would Allah,

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76

the Omnipotent, not be able to put out the fire as

well?‛

Amer didn’t speak. I continued.

‚Yes, He could, and He wouldn’t need an

extinguisher or even to blow wind. The Quran says,

“His command is only when He intends a

thing that He says to it, "Be," and it is.” His

intervention would not be violating any laws of nature

at all. We pray to Him and ask Him things because He

is the Omnipotent and is merciful to us. Everything,

including us, is His and goes by His command. He

commanded us to pray and ask, and He guaranteed

that the answer will come in one way or another. The

Quran says: “Call upon Me; I will respond to

you.” ‛

‚That is wonderful.‛ Amer clapped his hands and

seemed very satisfied. I was surprised by his reaction. I

thought he would keep arguing and find something to

prolong the discussion, but it seems I had misjudged

him.

‚Thank, you Amer. I ask you, the supervisor, and

the audience to allow me a few more minutes to share

my experience in this regard.‛

I took a few moments to gather my ideas and

memories. When I spoke, my voice was calm and deep,

but also conveyed an obvious conviction.

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77

‚We all have bad days and bad periods from time

to time, but I may have had the worst among you. For

my whole life, my family has been poor. My father

passed away when I was in high school, a critical

period of my life. I was very attached to him, and this

caused me to fail to get into university. Right now, I am

juggling several responsibilities at home, in my job and

here in college. I don’t have enough time to sleep. You

might assume that I am the most miserable among you,

but the truth is that I am the happiest. I discovered that

all the difficulties I had had been for my good. I

suffered bad depression for a full year after the death

of my father, but at the same time, it opened my heart

and soul to true love - Allah’s love. If it had not been

for my father’s death and its consequences, I would

still be that silly little boy. My failure to get into

university opened up new horizons for me. The

pressures I have from my various responsibilities have

strengthened my will and perseverance. They’ve

sharpened my mind and made me discover a lot about

myself that I wouldn’t have otherwise. In summary,

what I want to say is if we look at the big picture, these

apparent evils do us good, and Allah witnesses our

endurance and cares for us. In fact, that is why he tests

us from time to time with these hardships. The Quran

says: “And We will surely test you with

something of fear and hunger and a loss of

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78

wealth and lives and fruits, but give good

tidings to the patient, (155) Who, when

disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong

to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return

(166) Those are the ones upon whom are

blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is

those who are the [rightly] guided.” There is no

such thing as absolute evil in existence. How could

there be when the only source of existence is Allah,

who is nothing but absolute good, perfection and

beauty, and has no deficit or evil in Him? The problem

is that we look at things from a narrow and limited

perspective defined by our egos and by how much

pleasure we get from things, even if that pleasure is

momentary. Take school as an example; kids hate it, as

Amer hated the Taekwondo classes. Death represents

an absolute evil in general human culture, but in reality

it is an unparalleled good because it allows humans to

ascend to a greater phase of life. It is like the day of

birth to another world. Yes, it is good and wonderful

for the fact that it is ascension to Allah and eternal

happiness. My father died and we felt sad for his

parting, and that was out of our belief that an evil thing

had happened to him. In reality, however, it was the

best thing that had ever happened to him.‛

I stopped talking, and a heavy silence set in over

the hall. Everyone was touched, perhaps by the

mention of death, the issue that we all avoid talking

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79

about as if from fear of making it a reality. Or perhaps I

had presented my idea too vehemently. The supervisor

was the first to clap, followed by all the others.

‚That is great, Mohammed. Nice presentation and

an optimistic perspective on life. We need to learn to

think like you.‛

He then asked the audience if they had any

question, but there were none.

# # # # #

I was exhausted, probably because of the

continuous vigilance I had exhibited and the anxiety I

had had during the last month. Now that I had been

unburdened, I should have felt thrilled by the victory,

but something deep inside me denied me that feeling. I

didn’t know what exactly it was, but it was strong

enough to make me oblivious to all the complements I

got from the students, and to delve deeper and find

out.

I drove to the beach. There were very few people

around. I laid on my back. The soft, cold sand absorbed

the exhaustion of my body and the cool breeze filled

my lungs with fresh energy.

‚Yes, that’s right. My thirst is not yet quenched,‛ I

thought. ‚Although I’ve solved the mystery of divine

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80

justice and this has reduced much of the buzzing in my

mind, it has also increased my eagerness to know the

truth, the whole truth. The picture still has a lot of

missing pieces.

‚Why did Allah create us? To worship Him? If so,

then why did He allow Satan to seduce us and send us

to hell? Why did He grant Satan his request, when he

knew it would end up harming us? Is it that Satan

provoked Allah? Or is it that Allah loves Satan? Or

does Allah hate us? All these answers are unacceptable

but then, what is the answer?

‚If I had a good horse and I intended to use it in an

important race, would it not be total ignorance to allow

my enemy access to the stable and let him cripple my

horse? Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of buying the

horse in the first place? Moreover, wouldn’t it be unfair

to punish the horse for eating from the hand of

someone else instead of from mine? Why does Allah

create us to worship Him and for His succession? He

surely knows we are beings of lust and desire. Even the

angels described man as the one “who causes

corruption therein and sheds blood”, and then

He [Allah] allows Satan to exploit our earthly desires,

leading to one sin after another. This, then, fulfills the

prophecy of the angels and we end up in hell for a very

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81

long time. Why? Is that not evil itself? Is that not the

result of Allah’s will?‛

My eyes filled with tears and I was overcome by a

bitter sense of defeat. ‚O God, forgive me for having

the audacity to think like that, but how can I silence my

mind? Do you want me to silence my mind? You are

the one who invited us to think. I am sure there is

much I have to know and that there is a great story for

this universe, told by you. O God, I love you from the

depths of my heart. I know you are the most merciful,

the most gracious, and that you love us.‛

I slept deeply.

(This part of the book is not displayed in the free preview)

307

Abut the Author

Abbas is a seasoned C- Level executive, business

visionary, with successful history of delivering

unprecedented growth and 25+years of career in

renowned organizations such as Arthur Anderson,

E&Y and KPMG distinguished by sustained

accomplishments. Recognized as a thought leader,

innovator, trustworthy business advisor and an expert

in defining, evolving and executing business strategies.

Renowned for broad strengths in strategic

management, risk management, change management

and optimizing business processes. Aiding

government-owned companies to realize their

economic goals.

Abut the Author

308

He is one of a few thousand people globally who is

authorized by the International Council of

Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI), a UN-

sanctioned non-governmental organization, to practice

as a management consultant.

He has also been awarded the status of "Fellow" in

the management consultancy field. This is the highest

level of professional accreditation and is awarded to

those who can demonstrate evidence of significant

contribution to the management consultancy

profession. As of 2009, this status had been awarded to

less than a thousand management consultants around

the world.

Accredited in Sep 2010 by the Chartered

Management Institute (CMI, UK) to assess candidates

for prestigious accreditation - Chartered Manager

(CMgr) status, the ultimate accolade for any practicing

professional manager. Me being one of two outside of

the UK.

Abbas studied Islamic doctrines and creed in Iran

for 6 years.

He is the holder of a range of fellowships, academic

qualifications and international professional

qualifications including "Certified Public Accountant"

(CPA) accreditation from the USA, "Certified

Management Consultant‛ (CMC) and "Chartered

Abut the Author

309

Manager‛ (CMgr) accreditation from the UK and

"Certified Fraud Examiner" (CFE) accreditation from

the USA. He holds two B.A. degrees, one in accounting

and the other in economy, and a postgraduate diploma

in business administration from Heriot-Watt

University, UK.