A Fire that Burns Everything in Its Path
Struggling with different kinds of illnesses and financial problems is among the challenges faced by all people in life. These challenges may be trials for people because God wants to test them. Sometimes they happen as a result of ungratefulness for previous blessings one has received. Just as thankfulness causes more blessings to come, lack of it will cause losing blessings.
God says in Verse 28 of Surah Al-Baqarah: “How dare you deny the existence of God Who gave you life when you initially had no life. He will cause you to die and bring you to life again. Then you will return to His Presence.”
This verse underlines that mankind who is weak should not deny the existence the Creator who needs no one and nothing. Some of the lessons one can learn from this verse are as follows:
1- Kufr is an Arabic word that means covering and concealing the truth. A farmer is sometimes called a Kafir because he conceals the seed in soil. A Kafir (unbeliever) is someone who conceals the value of the blessings given by God or tries to hide the existence of God.
2- The Quran reminds all of us that we had been inanimate objects like wood and are but then we were given the blessing of life. We have been given brain, eyes, ears, and limbs and we have been blessed with intellect and understanding. Then how come we move toward Kufr and deny the existence of God?
3- The best way for knowing God is reflecting on our creation and the creation of the world. Thinking about creation, life and death will lead us to the conclusion that our life is not from ourselves. If that was the case, we would live forever but the fact is that life is given to us (by God) and then taken from us.
God disproves of those who live in Kufr and dies in Kufr: “Surely those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers, these it is on whom is the curse of Allah and the angels and men all.” (Verse 161 of Surah Al-Baqarah)
