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You will never understand why you’re here if you don’t know the One who brought you here. You will never understand why you were blessed with something, if you don’t know what it means to be a blessing yourself. You will never understand why you’re in pain, if you don’t believe in the virtue of patience. You will never make sense of this life, if you don’t believe in an afterlife. You will never know who you are, if you don’t know who you want to become. You will never know where you are going, if you don’t know where you came from. We live in a world full of suffering which is meant to wake us from our slumber. But if we constantly dwell on what we feel has missed us, we may be missing out on a far greater sense of purpose and self-worth. A life with less confusion and more certainty. A life of meaning where we learn to live in harmony with divine decree, so that we could get to know our Lord who created us and our stories. You may have asked before, why me? But have you ever asked, why not me?
List of contents
Preface
Introduction to Qadar
Where was I before I was born?
Why did Allah choose this time for me?
What happened on my birth day?
Why is this my family?
What shaped my personality?
Why do I have these (dis)abilities?
Why do I look like this?
Why am I rich or poor?
Why do I have to carry their burden?
Did I choose to be muslim?
Why is Allah not answering me?
Why make istikhārah?
Will I ever find true love?
Why were hurtful people put in my life?
What if I could have changed things?
Why do they get the life I want?
I did not mean to hurt you
How do I fi nd love in loneliness?
Why did they have to die?
Why is everything falling apart?
Is Allah testing or punishing me?
Can I escape the outcome of my sins?
Why is there so much suffering in the world?
Do good deeds extend my life?
What if it is too late?
How can I accept that I am dying?
Will Allah still forgive me?
What will the day of my death be like?
When life comes full circle
Did my life really matter?
Final reflection
About the author
Imam Omar Suleiman is the Founder and President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, and an Adjunct Professor of Islamic Studies in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at SMU (Southern Methodist University). He is also the Resident Scholar at Valley Ranch Islamic Center and Co-Chair of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square. He holds a Bachelors in Accounting, a Bachelors in Islamic Law, a Masters in Islamic Finance, a Masters in Political History, and is currently pursuing a Phd. in Islamic Thought and Civilization from the International Islamic University of Malaysia.
