THE SKEPTIC

Irfan Zahid Siddiqi

" And why the pain, My Lord..."
" For you to appreciate mercy."
" And why heartache; crying without shedding tears..."
" For you to understand that physical pain is much easier to endure than emotional despair."
" And why temptation..."
" For you to choose, to decide. I created you an independent thinker."
" And why Your worship."
" For you to seek, that which is better."
" And why the threat of punishment..."
" For you to abstain."
" And why sorrow..."
" For you to appreciate a moment of true joy."
" And why joy..."
" To wash away your tears."
" And why happiness..."
" To show you what lies in wait for the best of you."
" And who are the best..."
" Those who can, but don't...And those who can't, but do."
" But why is it easier for a fortunate few..."
" It is tougher than you think. For the more they have, the easier it gets to forget. Their test is much more difficult than yours."
" And why love..."
" To satisfy your soul."
" And why desire..."
" To teach you to care."
" And why loss..."
" For you to enjoy a moment of true victory."
" And why sacrifice..."
" For you to learn that the hand which gives is better than the one that receives."
" And why the day of judgement..."
" To bestow upon you your reward."
" And why the books..."
" To guide you, and those sent before you."
" But why more than one..."
" As there is a time for laughter and a time for tears, so was there a proper time for revelation."
" And why equality..."
" For all men were made of sand, fire and water."
" And why is a successful man better than a good human being..."
" For the successful man feels very little, and the good human being a little too much."
" And why liars..."
" So that you learn to filter all that you are told."
" And why drink..."
" For you to step into the abyss of sin."
" And why is life unfaithful..."
" For you deem it a friend."
" And why insanity..."
" For you to see how fortunate you are."
" And why sanity..."
" For you to realize how unfortunate you are to be one of the fortunate ones."
" And why death..."
" To counter creation."
" And why life..."
" For you to question your existence."
" And why sin..."
" To help quench the thirst of the fire."
" And why contradiction..."
" So that you are capable enough to differentiate."
" And why virtue..."
" For you to be able to appreciate the good in the people."
" And why pleasure..."
" For you to thank your Lord."
" And why individuality..."
" To show you the diversity of my creation."
" And why conformity..."
" For you to see that in conformity lies your true strength."
" And why is love for sale..."
" So that you can learn to accept defeat with your head held high."
" Why are tears..."
" To help you regain control of your emotions."
" And why a conscience..."
" To help you get to the Garden of your Lord."
" And why infatuation..."
" So that you are able to distinguish it from love."
" And why hope..."
" To show you that a quitter is a loser."
" And why opportunity..."
" To show you that a loser is not a quitter, and not always a loser."
" And how can we differentiate between a lie and the truth..."
" A lie is repeated many times, the truth seldom is."
" And why lust..."
" So that you can learn to outgrow it."
" And why are people racists..."
" For in them dwells a sense of insecurity."
" And why is life different from living..."
" As there is a difference between dreaming and doing, there is a difference between life and living."
" And why is it that some people are completely misunderstood..."
" For no one is willing to recognize their greatness."
" And why do we always hurt those we love..."
" For they are the only ones who are sure to forgive you."
" And why do I disagree with every principle of life..."
" For life disagrees with every single principle of yours."
" And why do we cry..."
" As it rains to let the storm spend its fury, so you cry to relieve your feelings."
" And why will..."
" To help you stand strong..."
" And why ability..."
" For you to believe in yourself."
" And why death..."
" To counter creation."
" And why trust..."
" So that you can turn your back completely without the fear of being stabbed."
" And why beauty..."
" To make you believe."
" Why life after death..."
" For some to enjoy the fruits of their harvest and for others to regret not ploughing the fields."
" And why Eve..."
" For Adam needed a companion."
" And why fame..."
" For you to be humble."
" And why glory..."
" For you to understand that true victory needs not to be highlighted."
" And why fear..."
" So that you learn to appreciate freedom."
" And why grief..."
" To help you determine your well-wishers."
" And why the disbelievers..."
" To show you the rightful owners of the pit of fire."
" And why patience..."
" So that you can relish a moment of achievement."
" And why humility..."
" So that you understand that the best from you do not need to boast."
" And why the burden of taking a favour..."
" So that you can learn to return it."
" And why torment..."
" So that you are never cruel."
" And why solitude..."
" For you to reach out to your Lord."
" And why mercy..."
" To show you that mercy does what the harshest punishment will not."
" And why a chance to repent..."
" To show you that your Lord is fair."
" And why Your wrath..."
" To bring an end to the lives of those, who care not for my creation."
" And why were the innocent slain..."
" For you to respect martyrdom."
" And why hate..."
" For you to destroy yourselves."
" And why a heart..."
" To give you a place from which to shed unseen tears."
" And why peace..."
" So that you can prosper."
" And why war..."
" For you to know that a day of ruling is better than a thousand years of slavery."
" And why arrogance..."
" To lead you astray."
" And why rebellion..."
" To teach you never to adopt to a system that is against the fundamental teachings of your Lord."
" And why night..."
" To let you set aside your duties and burdens of the day and rest in peaceful worship."
" And why defeat..."
" To spark the desire to win."
" And why suffering..."
" To ease your pain."
" And why enemies, My Lord..."
" For you to have friends. There is no such thing as a true friend. Your enemy's enemy is your friend."

And at that he turned around and laughed.
His Lord was amused. " Why the laughter?" his Lord asked him.
" For today...today, I finally know..."
" And what is that," his Lord asked him.
" You're the one with all the answers... You figure it out."

And sometimes, just sometimes, it makes me wonder.