Adnan Oktar A9 TV; January 4th, 2015

Some say, “Why do we suffer through ordeals in this world? Why do we feel pain?” That is because you are educated through those pains. You become a person, you become a real human being. Otherwise, if you do not suffer through any ordeals, you would simply be dull. Man is educated through ordeals.

A person who suffers through ordeals and who experiences hardships will become beautiful. He becomes even more beautiful as time passes and he becomes even younger. If the unbelievers live through the same things, they would collapse. But Muslims become even younger and even more beautiful with hardships. These have the exact opposite impact.

A Muslim should definitely live suffering through ordeals and hardships. For instance one writes books and makes research for God while the other goes around having fun. But Muslims suffer through hardships. Then you look and see that he is very radiant and has become so beautiful. The other one says, “I am living my life in leisure,” but you see that he has become dull and blunt and has lost his meaning. Such a person cannot have fun. He imagines that he is having fun but he cannot.

One doesn’t suffer in the path of God, he doesn’t suffer through ordeals or face any difficulty yet he says, “I am ready for Heaven.” You cannot go to Heaven. Do you know what you are? That means, may God forbid, you are a human being created in the form of a man with a beautiful appearance yet without soul. It is impossible for them to go to Heaven. These are created as a special intermediary form for this world.

Ordeals beautify people.

One says, “I have lived a very happy life, I have never faced any troubles all my life.” That is not a gain. First of all he won’t go to Heaven. In the Qur’an God says; “Or did you suppose that you would enter the Garden without facing the same as those who came before you?” (Surat Al-Baqara, 214) A Muslim should strive on the path of God, face difficulties and make an effort against unbelief, against the hypocrites.

Those who strive on the path of God become beautiful. Those who face difficulties on the path of God become beautiful. Those who do not face any difficulties become ugly, their meaning would be lost, they would become dull and blunt. I mean they would become coarse.

There has to be art everywhere, the artists should be protected. By founding a Ministry of Quality and Arts, all the beauties of art should be presented to our people.

Some people ask, “Why does God create pain?” There is beauty in the essence of pain that is why. Paradise cannot be attained without pain. There is no love without pain. A person would then be obtuse. One needs to go through all these ordeals and pains to gain that profundity.

This world would never be without pain or suffering. Pain is in the origin of love. Life has no meaning without love anyway. There has to be pain, people have to go through ordeals.

Living love, if that love is based on love of God, that love is acceptable. If it is not based on love of God, it means nothing. That has nothing to do with love, affection or endearment. Anyone who claims otherwise would be lying. It is love only if it is based on the love of God.

Love based on the love of God would make one madly in love with the love of God. Such a person would devote his heart to God. He would become a helpless lover. His love for God becomes even more intense as he sees the manifestations of God.

The lover would do all kinds of sacrifices for their beloved one. If need be, he would sacrifice his own life for God, and protect and watch over the beloved one. He would take great care to prevent her honor, her pride, her chastity, and to prevent any harm to her mind or her body. He would pay attention to her food, her drink, her sleep and everything about her. This is the sign of a lover. He would protect her at all costs.

In order to be in love, one needs to have a morality like that of the Prophets. One needs to be committed to God and to live for God. One needs to retire from this world. Would an egoistical, selfish person be in love? Such a person would be wearing that cloak anyway. If one is egoistical and selfish, that means it is over for him.

If you regard arts as unsavory, if you despise music, painting, sculpture and architecture, if you attempt to run away from a house with paintings, if you say "dogs are evil, you should chase off them when you see them," such a country would never advance. The reason why Europe advanced is because they are open to arts and science.

Islam is where love and affection can be experienced in the most beautiful fashion. Muslims are in love with Muslims; they never put a limit to their love because they love with the love of God. Would one be surprised at the love of God? One should not be surprised at the love for other people either. That would always increase. A Muslim could never say, "I love God this much," as that love is endless.

Ultimately man is a weak creature. He dies and is buried in a grave. When he loses a loved one, he loses himself, saying, “I am dying, I am burning inside out, I am all done!” What would you say to that beloved one in the grave? You would flee in fear when you see that body in the grave. Well then, Who is the One to be loved? God is. Who is the One Who shows you that image? God.

If you become fixated on the love of a person, it would be idolatry. You should love with the love of God. Even the songs are about separation. Why don’t you love as the manifestation of God? If you love as the manifestation of God, you would not feel the need for such songs. You would not feel all that pain.

If artists are not appreciated properly, art will disappear completely in time and then the world will be tarnished. The beauty of the world would then be destroyed. Artists are the ones that beautify the world.

Artists are teachers of love, teachers of beauty. The door should be opened all the way for artists. A Ministry of Arts and Aesthetics should be established.

Artists should be given prominence. Their love, their affection, would have a positive impact on society. Artists have a special kindness, they have a special quality of the soul. They could be a very nice example for society in that respect.

We need to protect artists very well. It is not that easy to bring up artists. Artists are beautiful people who try to present people beauties; all artists care for is beauty. They also should be treated nicely and protected as their due.

Leaving an artist to his own means during his difficulties is a lack of good conscience. First of all, an artist should not struggle to make a living. They should be provided a perfect life. The state has many means, so these means should be at their disposal so that they can comfortably perform their art. If you force them into a life struggling to make a living, how could they perform? How could they perform under these conditions?

Artists are people of love. People of love live on love. Artists would die if you do not show love to them. They won't be able to perform art either. You need to applaud them, encourage them, compliment them, award them and blandish them. They need to know that they are loved to feel exuberant.

A Muslim should be alert against insanity, against running amok; that is a plot of satan. Satan wants to drag people into Hell. It wants to drag people to its side. A Muslim should not accept that because he knows that it is religiously unlawful; he would seek refuge in Almighty God and say, “God is enough for us and the Best of Guardians,” and avoid unlawful conduct.