The Quest of a Curious Muslim — Page 10
MY PRAYERS ARE NOT BEING ANSWERED. WHAT DO I DO? 10 something as good for us while it is not good for us at all. Allah says: و َ ﻋ َ ىس ٰ ۤ ا َ ن ۡ ﺗ َ ﻜ ۡ ﺮ َ ﻫ ُ ﻮ ۡ ا ﺷ َ ﻴ ۡ ـ ٔ ً ﺎ و 7 ﻫ ُ ﻮ َ ﺧ َ ري ۡ ٌ ﻟ 7 ـ مك ُ ۡ ۚ و َ ﻋ َ ىس ٰ ۤ ا َ ن ۡ حت ُ ِ ﺒ K ﻮ ۡ ا ﺷ َ ﻴ ۡ ـ ٔ ً ﺎ و 7 ﻫ ُ ﻮ َ رش َ j ﻟ 7 ـ مك ُ ۡ ؕ و َ ا Q ّ ٰ ُ ﯾ َ ﻌ ۡ مل َ ُ و َ ا َ ﻧ ۡ ـ مت ُ ۡ ﻻ َ ا ﺗ َ ﻌ ۡ ﻠ َ ﻤ ُ ﻮ ۡ ن َ ﴿ ۲١٧ ﴾ That is, there are times when we dislike something but it is actually good for us, and there are times when we think that something is good and likeable, but in fact it is bad for us. Allah is the only One who knows all things (Holy Quran, 2:217). This verse prompts us to do an exercise. Think of those times when we prayed for something that turned out to be bad for us later on. Thinking of this from another angle, consider the example of a baby crying and pleading with his mother to let him put his hand in fire. Would the mother allow it? There are other times when it is not in the Decree of Allah to grant what we are seeking from Him. For instance, if a person asks for his life to be extended to 1,000 years, that is a wish that will not