Allah The Exalted — Page 46
4 ease, comfort or pain, sorrow or joy, is experienced by people in this world is not necessarily attributable to God's bounty or His wrath. For instance, anyone's being rich is not a conclusive proof that God is pleased with him, nor is anyone's poverty or privation proof that God Almighty is displeased with him. Both these are a trial so that a wealthy one may be tried in respect of his wealth and a poor one may be tried in respect of his poverty. These verities are set out in detail in the Holy Qur’ a n. [Br a h i n-e-Ahmadiyya, R uha n i Khaz a ’in, Vol. 1, pp. 444-461, footnote 11] It is well established that of the objects that are visible in the universe, none is indispensable. For instance, the earth is spherical and according to the estimate of some, its diameter is approximately eight thousand miles, but there is no firm reason why this shape and this bulk should be essential for it, and why is it not permissible that it should be of greater or lesser bulk or should have a different shape. From this it follows that this shape and bulk, the combination of which constitutes existence, are not essential for the earth. In the same way, the existence and continuation of all things is dispensable. Besides, in many cases circum- stances come into operation which threaten the continuation of certain things and yet they are not wiped out. For instance, despite severe famines and epidemics from the very beginning, all through the seed of every- thing has always survived, while reason permits, indeed it demands, that on account of thousands of hardships and calamities which have afflicted the world from the beginning, it should have happened sometime that in consequence of severe famines, corn which provides sustenance for humanity should have become non-