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Allah Depriving Some People from Intelligence or Wealth

Question

Assalam o Alaikum!My question is:Did Almighty Allah create every person with equal abilities like intelligence, wisdom, cleverness, logic or we are different by birth. In general life if a task is given to a intelligent and clever person he will do it efficiently while a dull or less intelligent person may put huge efforts and still unable to do task this may push this person to sense of deprivation and disappointment.Actually I want to ask you how this kind of person who is lacking in abilities be satisfied in this life?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

There is no doubt that Allah created his slaves and made them different in the level of intelligence and discernment based on His knowledge and wisdom. Likewise, He created them different in health, beauty, and (the number of) offspring they have, and so on. Allah Says (what means): {And Allah has favored some of you over others in provision.} [Quran 16:71]

Commenting on this verse, Ash-Shawkaani  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said:

Allah has favored some of you over others in provision, so He made you different in your provision, He expanded the provision to some of His Slaves to the extent that He provided some of them enough livelihood to suffice thousands of the people. On the other hand, Allah restricted the provision on some of His Slaves to the point that they do not find food to eat except by asking and begging people for it. There is a great wisdom behind this which the slaves’ minds would not perceive or realize the real reasons behind it. Just like Allah made His Slaves vary in wealth, He also made them different in intelligence, knowledge, understanding, the strength and weakness of their bodies, good looks, bad looks, health, illness, and other conditions ...” [End of quote]

As for how can a person who is not given understanding and discernment be satisfied and content, then if he realizes that this was predestined by Allah and that Allah does not do anything without wisdom, then he will be satisfied, content and pleased with whatever Allah has decreed for him. If a person ponders upon the wisdom of Allah making His Slaves vary in provision, then he would become pleased and content. When Allah provides, He provides for a wisdom, and when He holds back provision, then He does so for a wisdom.

It could be that preventing a person from provision is better for him than providing him with it. Allah Says (what means): {And if Allah had extended [excessively] provision for His servants, they would have committed tyranny throughout the earth. But He sends [it] down in an amount which He wills. Indeed He is, of His servants, Acquainted and Seeing.} [Quran 42:27]

When interpreting this verse, Imam Ibn Katheer  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him provided, as evidence, the Hadeeth reported by At-Tabaraani and Ad-Daylami in his book Al-Firdaws, and Abu Na’eem in his book Al-Hilya, on the authority of Anas and ‘Umar  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  them that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Jibreel came to me and said, ‘O Muhammad, your Lord sends greets with Salam and says, ‘Some of My salves will not have good faith except when they are rich, so if I make them poor, they will become disbelievers (Kafar), while others will not have good faith except when they are poor, so if I make them rich, they will become disbelievers. Also, some servants of Mine will not have good faith except when they are sick, so if I grant them good health, they will become disbelievers, whereas, others will not have good faith except when they are healthy, so if I make them ill, they will become disbelievers.” The Arabic word “Kafar” can mean disbelieve or be ungrateful.

Although the Hadeeth is inauthentic, and Ibn Al-Jawzi reported it in Al-'Ilal [a book of inauthentic Ahadeeth], yet its meaning is correct.

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 129811.

Allah knows best.

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