Question 56: Does life consist of a struggle? Is a more humane and better lifestyle not possible?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Answer: Allah established a complete network of assistance and solidarity among the beings in this realm. Clouds help plants with rain; plants help animals, and animals help humans.

At the end of what struggle did the sheep win the war with the grass and dominate the grass? Did the cows, camels and oxen eat the things that they obtained through fighting? Are the foods that ants, butterflies, roses and nightingales have products of a struggle? All of this is a grace, bestowal and grant of Allah to those living beings.

Life is not a struggle; an example of complete cooperation is displayed by the sun, air, water, soil, mountains and vineyards, animals, plants and people.

In the human body, the eye helps the hand, the hand helps the face, the lungs help the heart, the heart helps the blood and the blood meets the needs of the body with the nutrients it carries. The needs of each one of the one hundred trillion cells in man are instantly met by the others. Food is at the disposal of the stomach and the stomach is at the disposal of the body.

In fact, the current food chain in the universe is based on the principle that living beings benefit from each other. For example, there are very small organisms in the seas called plankton. They play a role in the conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygen. Thus, the air is cleaned by these microorganisms. These small beings are also the food of small fish. Can the small fish’s eating these plankton be regarded as a struggle? If we assume that small fish do not eat them, what will those small fish feed on? Small fish are sustenance for big fish. God Almighty makes one fish lay a million eggs for the continuation of this food chain and for keeping the balance in the universe. Thus, the number of fish is kept at a certain rate and their food is provided. Very few of these fish are food for humans. All of them are necessary for a certain order and system in the universe; thus, the food of living beings is provided too.

Those who regard life as a struggle by considering the beings that have this perfect system of assistance as strangers and enemies to one another are supporters of materialist thought and positivist philosophy.

Allah makes the entire universe help man all the time and He does not show consent to his being hurt spiritually; He states that it will be in favor of man to ask Allah for things that will arrange and improve his eternal life.

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