After much experience and meditation...

After much experience and meditation, [Siddhartha Gautama] Buddha arrived at the Four Noble Truths, the first of which is the existence of suffering in the world and its inevitability.[230] Then he, who did not believe in monotheism [ tawhīd ] in its Abrahamic sense, presented a most detailed analysis of the phenomenon of suffering and recommended certain ways on how to be completely released from it.[231] But, though the first question seems more philosophical, it is the second question that has occupied the minds to a greater extent; and that is the ethical aspect of suffering.

Are all these miseries in the world acceptable? Could not the existing world have been better than this? Are all these sufferings compatible with the justice, omniscience, and omnipotence of God? If there is a being other than God who could create another world, could he (the being other than God) have been able to cause a world better than this one to appear? Is the poet’s following assertion valid?

گر بر فلكم دست بُدى چون يزدان برداشتمى من اين فلک را ز ميان وز نو فلكى ديگر چنان ساختمى كآزاده به كام دل رسيدى آسان If like the Creator I had only dominion over the heaven, I would have taken away this heaven. And then a new heaven would I make; As you can easily have whatever your heart dictates. One of the most ancient and famous writings about suffering is the Book of Job in the Old Testament. We have all heard about the story of Prophet Job [ Ayyūb ] ( ‘a ).

The Glorious Qur’an briefly points to the story of his life and states that Job ( ‘a ) fell ill but chose patience, and tasted the pain of suffering until he attained a pleasant end. According to the Qur’an, Job ( ‘a ) experienced such suffering that he raised his hands in supplication and sought God’s assistance. His prayer was granted and regained whatever he had lost.

God mentions Job ( ‘a ) as a patient servant.[232] The story of Job ( ‘a ) is narrated more elaborately in the Judeo-Christian sources.

In the Book of Job in which the different dimensions have been discussed and explained, it is narrated that Job ( ‘a ) was an affluent and influential man, and the fame of his wealth and power was known everywhere: Job ( ‘a ) had seven sons, three daughters, and possessing seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred cows, five hundred she-donkeys, and innumerable servants.

He was being acknowledged as the richest man of the entire district.[233] Job ( ‘a ) was an upright person and a philanthropist.