Question Summary:
Atheistic views

Question Detail:

i am a muslim who is leaning day by day towards athiestic viewsbecause I have doubts... can you clarify them for me?lets start.
1. well i have heard allah does not place a burden on a soul more than it can bear.... so what about the people who commit suicide?
 
2. Allah loves us like 70 mothers.
and why would he then put people in hell? i for one recall asking my mother, "if i cut your hands and feet and starve you... torture you in every way i can and then you are given a choice to put me in heaven or hell... she said i would rather die than put you in hell... so i asked her is there any case in which you will put me into hell? she said no..... so i asked her a second question if you have the power to put me into heaven for eternity which is absolutely great compared to the life of this world would you choose to put me into trials and tribulations in this mortal world.... so she said even if a thorn pricks you i can't stand that..... see where i am getting with this..... so your so called Allah the most merciful of those who show mercy.
how does he do that when we can't starve him, torture him, we can't affect him in any way yet he chooses to enjoy people's torture..
now i don't want you to prove that Allah is 70 times more merciful than a mother.... but if you prove that he is 1/70 times merciful that would be enough...

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
We make duaa Allah keep you firm on Imaan and that Allah grant you sharhe sadr (satisfaction of the heart) in understanding Imaan. However, this also requires one to be sincere and honest. We have to use the divine given abilities correctly to understand Allah and Imaan.
It is true that Allah never burdens a person more than he can bear. This is clear from the following verse:
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
TRANSLATION:
“Allah does not place on a soul responsibility (duty) except what is within its capability.” [Al-baqarah: 286]
The cause of suicide is then not about the burden being more. It is about managing the burden. The burden is within ones capacity. However, the person does not manage the burden correctly and commits suicide. It is his negligence by not using the various resources of treating himself that he has committed suicide. He is totally responsible for the act. He was not burdened with something he could not bear. If you do say so, then what criteria do you have to determine that? How would you justify that the person was out burdened rather than not managing his burden?
There are innumerable examples of people with suicidal tendencies that have been treated with counselling and medication. If they would not have resorted to treatment and if their condition deteriorated to the point of suicide, that is their negligence.
The second issue raised by you is why a person would be thrown into hell despite Allah being All Loving.
The answer to this is very simple. One of the many attributes of Allah Almighty is Ar-Rahman; The Most Merciful. And the manifestation of this attribute is Jannah (Paradise). On the other hand, Allah is also Shadeedul-Eqaab – شديد العقاب (severe in punishment) and the manifestation of this attribute is hell. A person will go to hell because Allah is severe in punishment, not because Allah is Ar-Rahman (The Most Merciful). The question to ask is why is Allah severe in punishment?
 
Consider this angle. Allah rewards an obedient person with Jannah. If an obedient person is also put in hell without any cause of the Mercy of Allah, would it be fair? The obedient and disobedient are equal? How would one justify the quality of Allah being Al-Aadil (The Most Just)?
May Allah guide you and remove your doubts. Aameen.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Safwaan Ibn Ml Ahmed Ibn Ibrahim 
Student Darul Iftaa
Limbe, Malawi
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.