Islamic Thoughts

• ANALYSES
• 1 Behavior code of Muslims toward non-Muslims
• 2 September 11 (2001) attacks on America not compatible with Islam
• 3 Ways To Defuse Religious Tensions
• 4 The Value Of The Ten Commandments
• 5 Bright Spot Of The Us Constitution: Religious Freedom
• 6 Lessons from the prophet's hudaibiah treaty.
• 7 Rulers' roles in promotion of christianity.
• 8 Exploring a model definition of 'religion'
• 9 Where islam stands as a civilized religion?
• 10 Proving god's existence through experimental science.
• 11 Roles of man as necessary & God as sufficient condition.
• 12 Human kindness is a shadow of god's kindness.
• 13 Why islam is the best choice for the Africans?
• 14 In Old Age, All Roads Lead To Death.
• 15 No Creations Are Without Purposes & Uses.
• 16 Prayer Prevents People From Bad Actions.
• 17 When Haram May Be Excusable: Five-Step Conditions.
• 18 Islamization Of Some Un-Islamic Cultures.
• 19 Greater The Faith, Tougher The Test.
• 20 How Science Can Make A Difference For Muslims?
• 21 The Time Gap Reality Between Sin & Punishment.
• 22 Good & Bad Days Alternate In Cyclic Order.
• 23 Let Moon-Sighting Unite & Not Divide The Muslims.
• 24 Faith Crisis Among Some Intellectuals.
• 25 Islamic Policy Toward Animals.
• 26 Improving The Muslim Performance (Aamal) Standard.
• ARGUMENTS
• 27 How Middle Course Better Than Conservative And Liberal Extremes?
• 28 Why God Is The Best One To Be Worshipped?
• 29 Costs And Benefits Of Belief In The Afterlife
• 30 Bible Is Similar To Hadith But Different From Quran
• 31 Defaming Islam: Freedom Of Speech Or Violation Of Rights?
• 32 How Islam Compares With Democracy?
• 33 Who Is Responsible For '0' Small Pox Since 1980?
• 34 Timeliness Is The Leading Condition For Prayer.
• 35 Ten Arguments For Women's Education.
• 36 Why Physical Fitness Matters For The Muslims?
• 37 Homosexuality Vs Adultery: Which Is Worse And How?
• 38 Countering Abortionist Argument
• 39 Which Is Better: Open Or Secret Prayer?
• 40 Small Or Large Recitation: Which Is Better In Prayer?
• 41 Personal Or Social Suffering: Which Is More Painful & Why?
• 42 Cultural Slavery Vs Cultural Diffusion.
• 43 Why Should America Ban Religious Defamation?
• ASSORTMENTS
• 44 Visible Action Of Invisible God: From Author's Diary.
• 45 Optional Good Deeds Are Like Bodyguards For Compulsory Ones.
• 46 The Gravitation Law Of Performance (Not One Of Newton).
• 47 The Theory Of Relativity (Not That Of Einstein).
• 48 In Good Deeds
• 49 "Rob Peter to pay Paul" is not for islam
• 50 Muslims Cannot Be "Penny Wise And Pound Foolish".
• 51 Islam Endorses Salad Bowl & Not Melting Pot Theory.
• 52 100% Homosexuality Means Prospect Of 'O' World Population.
• 53 Sinning In Teens To 40's & Suffering From 50's To Death.
• 54 Revenge May Be Lower But Not Greater Than Harm.
• 55 Why Karl Marx Is Irrelevant Forever?
• 56 Is God The Same One For All Religions?
• 57 How God Controls Economy And Livelihood?
• 58 How Muslim Repression In Myanmar Violates Buddhist Principles?
• MISCELLANEOUS
• 59 Grim Reality of Death: Unfailing Lesson for Everyone
• 60 Religion Vs Reason: Which is More Important?

19 : GREATER THE FAITH, TOUGHER THE TEST

Islam explains major background causes for your sufferings in this life. One reason is your sin for why you get punishment as a consequence. Another reason is the divine policy of testing the level of your faith through good and bad. "Do people think that they will be left alone upon their claim "we believe' and they will not be tested? (29:2)". This will play well to the system of multi-layer Paradise. God arranged for eight sections of Paradise in the Afterlife, with Jannat-ul-Ferdous being the best followed by seven others in decreasing order of quality. You will go to this Paradise if you can show the best of performance. You will reach this goal if, for example, if you show extreme tolerance in the face of hardships (like complex disease of prophet Ayub, brutal torture of the Prophet's companion Billal etc.) without complaints against God, wholeheartedly making supreme sacrifice for Him (like martyrdom of the Prophet's companion Hamza), in addition to maximizing good deeds and minimizing sins.

Likewise, those who will end up as the second best (with little lower tolerance and sacrifices) will be placed in the second best Paradise and so on. At the other end of spectrum, the worst quality of performances (like failing in test of patience such as through blaming God for personal troubles, committing other sinful actions and doing few good things, if any) will be returned with hellish sufferings.

Now the question arises: How far your test of faith will go? The answer is: God "tests you to the extent I (He) express who among you try utmost and show patience" (21:35). Under this policy, tests will be tougher for those with stronger faith. This type of people will be very resilient and their patience will be very hard to crack. As a result, you see the prophets are generally born into hard life and are put to hard tests while God's black listed people like Pharaoh most often enjoyed an easy-going, luxurious life. In this manner, His test strategy is designed to determine your level of performances (good or bad) in order to find a matching placement (Paradise or Hell) in the Afterlife.

The test of your faith is a very complex issue involving a host of factors. One of them is patience that God plans to test by introducing you to a variety of troubles or sufferings. Sacrifice is another determinant that counts toward your success in the Afterlife. While you show involuntary patience during your hard times, you make sacrifices of time, labor, money etc. on voluntary basis in order to secure your high place with God. He also tests your faith through Satanic spirits which stand in the way of your good actions or instigate to do sinful actions. The Satan plays a role in your tests through good and bad, as a trial. For example, when you want to spend in charity, Satan threatens you with poverty (2:268) and the same agent makes you feel good for committing sins like adultery, gaining illegal fortunes etc. It is therefore important you strive hard to pass the test of God by showing patience in trying circumstances, making big sacrifices in good causes and distancing yourself from sins by dodging the Satan.