The lives of believers have been intense and full of struggle in every era. In response to the believers' efforts to spread the moral teachings of the Quran, it is observed that disbelievers attempt to silence them through various methods such as oppression, threats, imprisonment, and exile.
The reason for this oppression is not that Muslims commit errors, excesses, or acts of imprudence. By their very nature, disbelievers harbor a deep-seated malice and hostility toward believers. God reveals this reality in the verse: “If something good happens to you, it galls them. If something bad strikes you, they rejoice at it. But if you are steadfast and have taqwa, their scheming will not harm you in any way. Allah encompasses what they do.” (Surah Ali 'Imran, 120)
The attitude of disbelievers is not limited to waiting silently for believers to come to harm; whenever they find an opportunity, they try every means to destroy them or render them ineffective. For instance, Prophet Joseph’s brothers harbored hostility toward him not because he had done them any wrong, but due to the intense jealousy within themselves. It is incorrect to say, "If Prophet Joseph had not acted this way, his brothers would not have harmed him"; because the real reason was that his brothers succumbed to the feelings of the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah), such as envy, jealousy, and malice, which are entirely contrary to moral teachings of Islam. Their motive for plotting against Prophet Joseph is described in the Quran as follows:
“When they declared, ‘Why! Yusuf and his brother are dearer to our father than we are although we constitute a powerful group. Our father is clearly making a mistake. Kill Yusuf or expel him to some land so that your father will look to you alone and then you can be people who do right.’
(Surah Yusuf, 8-9)
On the other hand, the well into which Prophet Joseph was thrown was not in a crowded place frequently used by people. As understood from the verses, it was rather visited by caravans only when they needed water. Therefore, Prophet Joseph did not know how long he would remain there or whether he would ever be rescued. Furthermore, even if he were to be found by people, he had no way of knowing what kind of individuals they would be or what they would do to him. Yet, Prophet Joseph never succumbed to an ignorant thought such as, "Why did I fall into the well? If only I had done things differently, this wouldn't have happened." Because such an approach implies questioning the destiny created by God and, God forbid, attempting to lecture God. Instead, he relied on God with patience and trust, showing complete submission. In the end, the ultimate good and blessing of his being thrown into the well became manifest. For this reason, God warns the believers by stating: "Fighting is prescribed for you even if it is hateful to you. It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. God knows and you do not know.” (Surah Al-Baqara, 216)
A superficial person who lacks trust in God and fails to realize that everything is under the control of God—in accordance with the verse, "The keys of the Unseen are in His possession. No one knows them but Him. He knows everything in the land and sea. No leaf falls without His knowing it. There is no seed in the darkness of the earth, and nothing moist or dry which is not in a Clear Book.” (Surah Al-An'am, 59)—can easily fall into doubt and fear. For a sincere believer, thinking that they can change the course of their life through something they did or did not do is not a perspective aligned with the Quran. Because God is the Creator of all things, and even the smallest detail is under His knowledge and control:
“ You do not engage in any matter or recite any of the Qur’an or do any action without Our witnessing you while you are occupied with it. Not even the smallest speck eludes your Lord, either on earth or in heaven. Nor is there anything smaller than that, or larger, which is not in a Clear Book. " (Surah Yunus, 61)
The Destiny Lived is God’s Decree and It Is the Best of All
Every Muslim asks God for what they deem beneficial, knowing that it is God Who fulfills desires and decrees both good and bad. Every event, every word, every mistake, or success in our lives takes place within a precise plan decreed by God. To those who say, "They are those who said of their brothers, when they themselves had stayed behind, ‘If they had only obeyed us, they would not have been killed.’ Say, ‘Then ward off death from yourselves if you are telling the truth.’" (Surah Ali 'Imran, 168), thereby exposing the error and ignorance of those who reject destiny.
For a believer to blame the difficulties they experience on another believer or believers—who have dedicated their youth and lives to striving in the way of God, and who have set an example with their patience, self-sacrifice, and morality—is both a sign of great ingratitude and a demonstration of profound ignorance. Even more gravely, searching for causes with an ugly and crude logic like "if it hadn't been this way, this wouldn't have happened" is to challenge the destiny predetermined by God; this is a severe delusion that must be corrected with sincere and heartfelt repentance.
For instance, during the time of Prophet Moses, some Jews held Prophet Moses responsible for the hardships they experienced, saying, "They said, ‘We suffered harm before you came to us and after you came to us.’ He said, ‘It may well be that your Lord is going to destroy your enemy and make you the successors in the land so that He can see how you behave.’ " (Surah Al-A'raf, 129). This manner of speech, observed in many verses, is a classic characteristic that surfaces during difficult times among individuals who lack depth in faith.
"Whenever a good thing came to them, they said, ‘This is our due.’ But if anything bad happened to them, they would blame their ill fortune on Musa and those with him. No indeed! Their ill fortune will be with God. But most of them did not know. "
(Surah Al-A'raf, 131)
The exact same situation is observed during the time of Prophet Salih. The people of Thamud said to Prophet Salih, "They said, ‘We see you, and those with you, as an evil omen.’ He said, ‘No, your evil omen is with God; you are merely a people undergoing a trial.’ "
(Surah An-Naml, 47)
When people encounter difficulties that they dislike as a requirement of their worldly test, attributing these hardships to a specific person or a single event is also an indication that they have not fully comprehended the Quran. Because human beings live out the destiny ordained in its most beneficial form by God—Who loves them, grants them unrequited blessings, and wills eternal Paradise for them—and they cannot escape it. In other words, even if an event in a person's life were rewound a thousand times and experienced anew, and even if every conceivable precaution were taken, the exact same event would still take place. Our Lord explains this secret in the verses of the Quran as follows:
"Nothing occurs, either in the earth or in yourselves, without its being in a Book before We make it happen. That is something easy for God. " (Surah Al-Hadid, 22)
"That is so that you will not be grieved about the things that pass you by or exult about the things that come to you. God does not love any vain or boastful man: " (Surah Al-Hadid, 23)
As understood from these verses, when people fail to realize that whatever happens to them occurs by the will of God and remain unaware that they are being tested, it drags them into false evaluations. Even if it may seem logically sound on the surface, for a believer to constantly criticize another and make comments such as, "If you hadn't done this, it wouldn't have happened," is not aligned with the Quran.
In conclusion, every moment and every difficulty a person encounters in life is not due to superficial causes, but is a requirement of the test decreed by God. Even if a believer cannot immediately perceive the divine wisdom behind an event, they remain noble and trustful in accordance with Quranic morality, and do not blame those around them based on selfish desires. At the same time, saying "if you hadn't done this, it wouldn't have happened"—that is, God forbid, being dissatisfied with destiny and attributing it to a servant—means ascribing a power that belongs only to God to that person. However, a believer knows that everything happens solely by the will of God; no one possesses any independent power of their own. Therefore, rather than searching for human causes behind the difficulties they face, a believer should evaluate these hardships through the lessons and insights that will bring gain to their afterlife. Knowing that every adversity comes from God, they must submit to that destiny with patience and gratitude.
