Death of a Child - What does Islam Say About it?
Question
Title: Death of a Child - What does Islam Say About it? Question: I have one short question - a six-year-old gets cancer and dies. What would Islam say about it? Answer: If I have understood your question correctly, it pertains to the explanation of apparently cruel happenings in the world. Sometimes it seems that things, which apparently are extremely cruel happen, which makes us doubt the mercy and sometimes even the existence of a Loving Creator. According to the Qur'an, the life of this world is a testing ground for us. At one instance, the Qur'an says that God created the heavens and the earth and settled us in the earth to test us as to who among us does good deeds ( Hu'd 11: 7). At another instance, it says that God created life and death to test us as to whom among us does good deeds ( Al-Mulk 67: 2). The Qur'an also tells us that for the purpose of this test the Creator puts us through good times as well as bad times ( Al-Anbiaa 21: 35). Keeping all these aspects in perspective, it should be quite clear that all happenings whether they directly concern us or happen around us are basically a part of the test. Indeed, if our lives were to end at death, it would have been quite difficult to observe such happenings and still believe in the mercy of the Creator. But, on the contrary, a complete view of life - a view that does not end at death but believes in the everlasting life of bliss - gives us the hope that whatever hard times we might face in this life, if we keep ourselves steadfast in being obedient to our Creator, we shall then be infinitely rewarded for our steadfastness. In other words, the explanation of such events given by Islam is that the life of this world is a test. Man is put in this test. For the purposes of this test, man is put through different types of situations. In good times, he is tested for his thankfulness and gratitude, while in hard times he is tested for his steadfastness, endurance and patience. Those who succeed in the test of this life shall be rewarded with the everlasting bliss of the life hereafter. It should also be kept in mind that in situations like the one that you have mentioned, it is, in fact, not the child but the parents and those around the child who are being tested. Moreover, it seems that the child shall in any case be infinitely compensated for the temporary suffering that it is put through for the purposes of the test. 24 th July 1999
Answer
Title: Death of a Child - What does Islam Say About it? Question: I have one short question - a six-year-old gets cancer and dies. What would Islam say about it? Answer: If I have understood your question correctly, it pertains to the explanation of apparently cruel happenings in the world. Sometimes it seems that things, which apparently are extremely cruel happen, which makes us doubt the mercy and sometimes even the existence of a Loving Creator. According to the Qur'an, the life of this world is a testing ground for us. At one instance, the Qur'an says that God created the heavens and the earth and settled us in the earth to test us as to who among us does good deeds ( Hu'd 11: 7). At another instance, it says that God created life and death to test us as to whom among us does good deeds ( Al-Mulk 67: 2). The Qur'an also tells us that for the purpose of this test the Creator puts us through good times as well as bad times ( Al-Anbiaa 21: 35). Keeping all these aspects in perspective, it should be quite clear that all happenings whether they directly concern us or happen around us are basically a part of the test. Indeed, if our lives were to end at death, it would have been quite difficult to observe such happenings and still believe in the mercy of the Creator. But, on the contrary, a complete view of life - a view that does not end at death but believes in the everlasting life of bliss - gives us the hope that whatever hard times we might face in this life, if we keep ourselves steadfast in being obedient to our Creator, we shall then be infinitely rewarded for our steadfastness. In other words, the explanation of such events given by Islam is that the life of this world is a test. Man is put in this test. For the purposes of this test, man is put through different types of situations. In good times, he is tested for his thankfulness and gratitude, while in hard times he is tested for his steadfastness, endurance and patience. Those who succeed in the test of this life shall be rewarded with the everlasting bliss of the life hereafter. It should also be kept in mind that in situations like the one that you have mentioned, it is, in fact, not the child but the parents and those around the child who are being tested. Moreover, it seems that the child shall in any case be infinitely compensated for the temporary suffering that it is put through for the purposes of the test. 24 th July 1999
Ask a follow-up
A follow-up appears here only after an editor approves it.