Aslam

Praise be to Allah.for your coming to Islam.

Allah has blessed you by making you Muslim. And praise be to Allah for the

fact that you feel Allah is with you, for this is what brings peace to the

heart and makes deeds righteous.

Please understand that Allah sends trials

upon people so as to distinguish between them, so that it will be known who

will bear them with patience and the hope of reward from Allah, and who will

be filled with despair and will resent the decree of Allah. So those who are

patient will be rewarded with Paradise and those who despair will be

punished with torment, grief and pain in this world, before the Hereafter.

The plane crash which you mentioned is of

this nature. The people on board were either committed Muslims, so this

disaster is an expiation for their sins and will raise their status, as it

is a kind of martyrdom (shahadah) for which they will be rewarded, and their

families will be rewarded if they bear their loss with patience; or they

were kuffar (disbelievers) and evildoers who did not obey their Lord, so the

accident was a punishment from Allah and vengeance from Him.

A Muslim must not feel sad for the death of non-Muslims

because every human being is destined to die. But dying before we Muslims

were able to guide them to Islam is our source of grief and sadness because

whoever is not Muslim is doomed in Hell.

There is nothing mysterious about this as

you claim. It is the decree of Allah which happens at every instant; we must

bear it with patience and not let grief overwhelm us. The crash of this

airplane is a sign from Allah to mankind, to remind them of the greatness of

the power of Allah.

Allah says concerning ships (interpretation

of the meaning):

“And among His Signs are the ships in the

sea like mountains.

If He wills, He causes the wind to cease,

then they would become motionless on the back (of the sea). Verily, in this

are signs for everyone patient and grateful.

Or He may destroy them (by shipwreck)

because of that which their (people) have earned. And He pardons much.

And those who dispute

(polytheists, with Our Messenger Muhammad) as regards Our Ayat (proofs,

signs, verses of Islamic Monotheism) may know that there is no place of

refuge for them (from Allah’s punishment)

So whatever you have been given is but (a

passing) enjoyment for this worldly life, but that which is with Allah

(Paradise) is better and more lasting for those who believe (in the Oneness

of Allah, Islamic Monotheism) and put their trust in their Lord (concerning

all of their affairs).”

[al-Shoora 42:32-36]

Plane crashes and other disasters serve to

remind people that no matter how much progress they make in earthly terms

and how much strength they gain, Allah is stronger and more powerful than

they are. What they do and the developments they have made will not save

them from the punishment and decree of Allah if it comes to them. Let people

go back and look at themselves, and realize how incapable and weak they

really are, and how strong, mighty and powerful Allah is.

Please realize that Allah is close and that

He responds to the call of the one who is in need. Allah does not distance

Himself from man unless man distances himself from Allah and becomes

arrogant.

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad)

concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My

Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on

Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in

Me, so that they may be led aright.”

[al-Baqarah 2:186]

So no one should feel that Allah is far

away from him, unless he has done something to affect the relationship

between him and Allah. If he puts matters right between him and Allah, then

he will not feel that grief and distance.

The feelings of grief and loneliness that

have overwhelmed you are from the accursed Shaytan who wants to cause grief

to those who believe; he does not want to see them active in doing actions

of obedience to Allah that will bring joy to their hearts.

Al-Imam Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on

him) said:

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if an evil whisper from Shaytan

(Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek

refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Knower.”

[Fussilat 41:36]

“Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and

turn away from the foolish (i.e. don’t punish them). And if an evil whisper

comes to you from Shaytan (Satan), then seek refuge with Allah. Verily, He

is All-Hearer, All-Knower.”

[al-A’raf 7:199-200]

“Repel evil with that which is better. We

are Best‑Acquainted with the things they utter.

And say: ‘My Lord! I seek refuge with You

from the whisperings (suggestions) of the Shayateen (devils).

And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! Lest

they should come near me.’”

[al-Muminoon 23:96-98]

“Repel (the evil) with one which is better

(i.e. Allah orders the faithful believers to be patient at the time of

anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly) then verily he, between

whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close

friend.

But none is granted it (the above quality)

except those who are patient — and none is granted it except the owner of

the great portion (of happiness in the Hereafter, i.e., Paradise and of a

high moral character) in this world.

And if an evil whisper from Shaytan (Satan)

tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek refuge in

Allah. Verily, He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Knower.”

[Fussilat 41:34-36]

There is no fourth ayah (verse) with a

meaning like that of these three,

which is that Allah commands us to be kind to human enemies and treat them

kindly so that their inherent good nature will prevail and they will become

our friends. But He commands us to seek refuge with Him from satanic

enemies; there is no point in being kind to them or treating them nicely,

for they want only to destroy the sons of Adam because of the intensity of

the enmity between them and their father Adam beforehand. Allah says

(interpretation of the meaning):

“O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytan (Satan)

deceive you, as he got your parents [Adam and Hawwa (Eve)] out of Paradise.”

[al-A’raf 7:27]

“Surely, Shaytan (Satan) is an enemy to you,

so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that

they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire.”

[Fatir 35:6]

“Will you then take him (Iblees) and his

offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to

you? What an evil is the exchange for the Zalimoon (polytheists, and

wrongdoers, etc).”

[al-Kahf 18:50]

Iblees swore to our father Adam that he was

one of the sincere, but he lied, so how about his dealings with us?

Especially since he said:

“By Your Might, then I will surely mislead

them all, except Your chosen slaves amongst them (i.e. faithful, obedient,

true believers of Islamic Monotheism).”

[Sad 38:82-83 – interpretation of the

meaning]

And Allah says (interpretation of the

meaning):

“So when you want to recite the Quran, seek

refuge with Allah from Shaytan (Satan), the outcast (the cursed one).  Verily,

he has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their

Lord (Allah). His power is only over those who obey and follow him (Satan),

and those who join partners with Him (Allah, i.e. those who are Mushrikoon,

i.e., polytheists.”

[al-Nahl 16:98-100]

(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/14)

So turn to Allah, remember Him and strive to

worship Him, so that your soul will become pure and love for Him will become

firmly entrenched in your heart, and you will be relieved of your worry and

grief. Remember the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him):

The Messenger of Allah  (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no-one who is afflicted by

distress and grief, and says: ‘Allaahumma inni ‘abduka ibn ‘abdika ibn

amatika nasiyati bi yadika, madin fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadauka.

As’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi

kitabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw istatharta bihi fi ‘ilm

il-ghayb ‘indaka an taj’al al-Qurana rabee’a qalbi wa noor sadri wa jala

huzni wa dhihab hammi (O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son

of Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is

forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name

belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your

Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the

knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Quran the life of my

heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a

release for my anxiety),’ but Allah will take away his distress and grief,

and replace it with joy.” (Narrated by al-Imam Ahmad, 3704; it is a saheeh

hadeeth/authentic narration). May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

And Allah knows best.