One Disbeliever Is Rich, Another Poor — Why Are Both in Hell?

Question

There are many poor disbelievers in this world, and most of them are in need even of their daily bread, yet upon death they end up in Hell. Meanwhile wealthy disbelievers (umara’) live in this world in comfort, though their disbelief is even more severe; what, then, is the reason that upon death the fire of Hell [overtakes] them as well?

Answer

These are the mysteries (rumuz) of divine power (qudra) — who can know with whom, in what matter, and for what reason [something occurs]? One should not seek to probe into this. Upon seeing someone afflicted by a calamity, one should say: [ar]الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي عَافَانِي مِمَّا ابْتَلَاكَ بِهِ[/ar] “Praise be to Allah, Who has spared me from that with which He has…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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