Hi Everyone,
What does the Qur'an teach about the existence of evil and suffering? Why does evil and suffering exist? Who is responsible for evil and suffering? Will there always be evil and suffering in the world?
Matt
P.S. I hope I've put this in the right place - Mods, feel free to move it elsewhere if that is appropriate!
Peace,
In Islam, you don't inherit anyone else's sin. When a baby is born, he/she is born sinless. As to why there is evil and suffering in the world;
I think this answer this relevant to the question;
Title of Fatwa Why Does Allah Allow Suffering and Evil in the World?
Date of Reply 27/Jul/2004
Topic Of Fatwa Muslim Belief
Country Applied Algeria
Question of Fatwa I was wondering if you could possibly help me resolve some conflicting issues. If God is All-Powerful, He must be able to prevent evil. If God is All-Good, He must want to prevent evil. But evil and suffering exist. How is it possible for God to be both All-Powerful and All-Good and still allow a world in which evil and suffering exist? I would greatly appreciate a response.
Name of Mufti Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi
Content of Reply
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear brother, in Islam, thanks for the question you posed, it's very interesting, and that is why we also try our best to furnish you with appropriate answer.
In response to your question, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, Director of the Islamic Society of Orange County and President of the Islamic Society of North America, states:
“Indeed Allah is All-Powerful (Al-'Aziz) and He is able to do all things ('ala kull sha'in qadir). The Qur'an has mentioned this hundreds of times. It is also mentioned in the Qur'an that Allah is the Creator and He is the Best Creator. “Glory be to Allah, the best Creator.” (Al-Mu'minun: 14)
But then the question comes why do pain and sufferings exist in the world. We find sickness, old age and death. We see things that are ugly, people who are insane and foolish. There are storms, earthquakes, floods, draught and famine. We also see people commit sins, show disloyalty, unfaithfulness, greed and insincerity. We see people commit rapes, murders; they fight and make wars. We know all these and many more problems. There are evils caused by human beings and there are natural disasters. There are suffering for individuals and there are those that involve a large number of people.
But we also know that this is not the whole story. Besides all these negative things, we also see beauty, health, prosperity, life, birth, wisdom, intelligence, growth and progress. We also see goodness among people, faith, sincerity, charity, love and the spirit of sacrifice. We also see a lot of virtue and piety. It is wrong to see one side of the coin and not to see the other side. Any philosophy that concentrates on one aspect of the creation and denies or ignores the other side is partially true and partial truths are no truth at all.
It is also the fact that the element of good is more in the creation than the element of evil. We all see that there are more people who are healthy than those who are sick. There are more that eat well than those who starve.
There are more that lead decent life than those who commit crimes. Goodness is the rule and evil is the exception. Virtue is the norm and sin is the aberration. Generally trees bear fruits, the flowers bloom, the winds move smoothly.
But then the question is why does Allah allow these exceptions to the rules?
Let us ask this question to understand Allah's ways in His creation. The Qur'an tells us that good, evil and whatever happens in this world happens by Allah's Will (mashi'at Allah). Only Allah knows fully His Will. We finite beings cannot grasp fully His infinite Will and Wisdom. He runs His universe the way He deems fit. The Qur'an tells us that Allah is Wise and everything that Allah does is right, just, good and fair. We must submit and surrender to His Will. The Qur'an has not given us all the details about Allah's Will, but it has enlightened us with the guidance that is useful and sufficient for us. There are several points that we should keep in our mind to understand this issue:
1. First of all, Allah did not make this world a permanent world. This is a temporary world and everything here has a time limit. When its times comes it will die, come to an end and finish. Neither the good things of this world are forever, nor the bad things eternal. We are here for a short time and we are being tested. Those who will pass this test will find an eternal world that is perfect and permanent. Those who will fail this test shall see the evil consequences of their sins and corruption.
2. Allah has placed a physical law and a moral law in this universe. Allah allows suffering to occur when one or more of these laws are broken. The physical law is based on cause and effect. Sickness comes if one does not take care of one's health or is exposed to infections. A car accident occurs when one is not alert, or drives in a careless manner, or if the cars are not checked, roads and freeways are not made and kept in right shape, or the traffic laws are not right or not properly enforced. Study of causes and effects is very important to facilitate safeguards. Even here we should keep in mind that Allah often saves us and He does not let us suffer from every negligence. How many times it happens that we are not careful and still we reach safely to our destinations. The way people drive in some cities, it is a miracle that more accidents do not happen and more people do not suffer. Allah says:
“(Allah) Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur'an. He has created man: He has taught him speech (and Intelligence). The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed; and the herbs and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration. And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice), in order that you may not transgress (due) balance. So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures." (Ar-Rahman:1-10)
The way we exceed the measures set by Allah and violate His laws of cause and effect is incredible. It is really the mercy of Allah that we are saved. Strictly speaking, the question should not be why does Allah allow suffering, but how much Allah protects us and saves us all the time in spite of our violations and negligence. The Qur'an says:
“If Allah were to punish people according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His sight all His servants." (Fatir:45)
But sometimes Allah does punish people because of their violations of His laws whether they are physical or moral. The Qur'an tells us that many nations and communities were destroyed because of their sinful lifestyles:
“If they treat thy (mission) as false, so did the Peoples before them (with their Prophets), the People of Noah, and Ad and Thamud. Those of Abraham and Lut; and the Companions of the Madyan people; and Moses was rejected (in the same way). But I granted respite to the Unbelievers, and (only) after that did I punish them: but how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! How many populations have We destroyed, which were given to wrong-doing! They tumbled down on their roofs. And how many wells are lying idle and neglected, and castles lofty and well-built?" (Al-Hajj: 42-45)
3. Suffering can also be a test and trial for some people. Allah allows some people to suffer in order to test their patience and steadfastness. Even Allah's Prophets and Messengers were made to suffer. Prophet Ayyub (Job) is mentioned in the Qur'an as a Prophet who was very patient. Good people sometimes suffer but their sufferings heal others and bring goodness to their communities. People learn lessons from their good examples. Martyrs die for their faith, soldiers give their lives for their nations and this brings liberation and freedom for their people.
4. Allah sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others, how they react to them. When you see a person who is sick, poor and needy, then you are tested by Allah. Allah is there with that suffering person to test your charity and your faith. In a very moving Hadith Qudsi (Divine Hadith) the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, ‘O son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me.' He will say, ‘O my Lord, how could I visit You, when you are the Lord of the Worlds.' Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was sick and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me there?' Allah will say, ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not.' He shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I feed you and you are the Lord of the Worlds?' And Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was in need of food and you did not feed him? Did you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that to have been for Me?' ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me to drink.' The man shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I give You water, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?' Allah will say, ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for water and you did not give him to drink water. Did you not know that if you had given him to drink, you would have found that to have been for Me.' (Muslim, Hadith no. 4661)
Prophet 'Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, is also reported to have said something similar. (See Matthew 25: 35-45)
So to summarize, we can say that sufferings occur to teach us that we must adhere to Allah's natural and moral laws. It is sometimes to punish those who violate Allah's natural or moral laws. It is to test our faith in Allah and to test our commitment to human values and charity. Whenever we encounter suffering we should ask ourselves, “Have we broken any law of Allah?” Let us study the cause of the problem and use the corrective methods. “Could it be a punishment?” Let us repent and ask forgiveness and reform our ways. “Could it be a test and trial for us?” Let us work hard to pass this test.
Believers face the sufferings with prayers, repentance and good deeds. The non-believers face the sufferings with doubts and confusions. They blame Allah or make arguments against Him.
May Allah keep us on the right path, Amen!
Allah Almighty knows best.
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Sc...
There is another, somewhat similar, article here:
http://www.irfi.org/articles/article..._suffering.htm
Other explanations I have heard are:
1. That when a person suffers patiently, Allah rewards us him/her with a higher place in heaven.
2. Allah allows suffering because He wants to hear our voices. He wants us to turn to him in repentance and in prayer.
Thank your for this interesting question.
I look forward to hearing from you again.
Regards,
Hayat Anne Collins Osman
Dear Brother,
1.As the Qur’an states, man is totally responsible for his evils, for it is he who wants the evils. Since evils are destructive, man may perpetrate much destruction with a single evil act, like burning down a house with one match, and he becomes deserving of an awesome punishment. However, he does not have the right to take pride in good deeds; his part in them is extremely small. For what wants and requires the good deeds is Divine mercy, and what creates them is dominical power. Both request and reply, reason and cause, are from God. Man only comes to have them through supplication, belief, consciousness, and consent. As for evils, it is man’s soul that wants them, either through capacity or through choice, -like in the white and beautiful light of the sun some substances become black and putrefy, and the blackness is related to their capacity- however, it is Almighty God Who creates the evils through a Divine law which comprises numerous benefits. That is to say, the cause and the request are from the soul, so that it is the soul which is responsible, while it is Almighty God Who creates the evils and brings them into existence, and since they have other results and fruits which are good, they are good.
2. In addition to the minor evils, there are numerous universal good purposes in the existence of Satan, and human attainments and perfections. Yes, however many degrees there are from a seed to a huge tree, the abilities lodged in human nature are more numerous. There are degrees from a minute particle to the sun. For these abilities and potentialities to develop, action is required, a transaction is necessary. The action of the mechanism of progress in such a transaction is brought about through striving. And striving occurs through the existence of evil spirits and harmful things. Otherwise man’s station would have been constant like that of the angels. There would have been no classes in human kind, which resembles thousands of species. And it is contrary to wisdom and justice to abandon a thousand instances of good so as to avoid one minor evil.
Thank you very much for your reply, selsebil. Is all of this taught by the Qur'an? (If so, could you possibly provide the references?) Or does some of it come out of your own thinking?format_quote Originally Posted by selsebil
What is your view on the other questions in my first post? For example, why does evil exist? (Or in other words, why does Allah create/allow evil at all? Why is it necessary for the purpose(s) that Allah has for the world?)
I hope this may help you. Here are even some references from Quran. Please read the 4 post of this thread by brother Hamza.
http://www.islamicboard.com/manners-...our-lives.html
What about Gratuitous evil btw? Like Earthquakes, Tsunamis and other natural disasters/evils that are not caused by human free will.
Evil is caused by people, not by God, and we've all done it, so if you want to know why it exists then you're barking up the wrong tree. Just ask yourself.
The Koran seems to depict suffering as having the same purpose (or a variation thereof) as pleasure. They're both there to help us move closer to God, just in different ways. Suffering motivates us to turn to Him, which is why it's natural even for people who don't ordinarily think about Him or like Him or maybe even believe in Him to pray for help in times of crisis. Pleasure and happiness motivate us to be grateful to Him. Both bring God to the forefront of our minds when otherwise He might not have been.
such things are not 'evil' in the sense that whoever causes them is doing something bad, but I suppose they can be reffered to as evil in that they have a grevious effect on manyformat_quote Originally Posted by Sigma
such 'natural disasters' are punishments of ALlah as a consequence of mankinds evil; they can also serve as a warning [i.e when there is just a tremor] and as a brother mentioned, they can serve as a means for people turning to Allah; also they serve as a means of purging many believers [who die in them] of all their sins and thus making them martyrs
Peace
format_quote Originally Posted by Sigma
Not evil but natural disasters. I'm not sure if it is caused by Allah or not.
Well, Allah is all-powerful so he has the ability to stop any natural disasters ergo any natural disasters that occur are by Allah's will. Anyway, it's not that the natural disasters themselves are evil but the evil is some innocent people will suffer a lot and die. E.g. a poor person who has been a practising muslim his whole life in Pakistan, who then is stuck under rubble for 15 days and then he dies of hunger or w/e. This person seemingly did nothing to deserve such anguish. Of course, evil people suffer too but a lot of innocent people suffer seemingly without cause in such disasters.format_quote Originally Posted by Guestfellow
Not evil but natural disasters. I'm not sure if it is caused by Allah or not.
See above to see the problem of natural disasters as a punishment (people who don't "deserve" punishment are punished). Also, if they serve as a means for purging people of their sins. Then why those people specifically? If an earthquake purged me of my sins I'd go running to tectonic plate boundaries! Why does Allah seemingly arbitarily pick who to purge of their sins?format_quote Originally Posted by Abu-Abdullahsuch things are not 'evil' in the sense that whoever causes them is doing something bad, but I suppose they can be reffered to as evil in that they have a grevious effect on many
such 'natural disasters' are punishments of ALlah as a consequence of mankinds evil; they can also serve as a warning [i.e when there is just a tremor] and as a brother mentioned, they can serve as a means for people turning to Allah; also they serve as a means of purging many believers [who die in them] of all their sins and thus making them martyrs
Peace
We've all done things to deserve worse anguish than that. Scripture is clear on the matter. Some people receive it in this life instead.format_quote Originally Posted by Sigma
Natural disasters serve more than one useful purpose but it is true that every single bit of suffering--even much smaller ones--that a believer experiences is expiation for past sins. We all sin, and we all suffer. Unless you know the grand total of sin and suffering of anyone throughout their lifetime (which is impossible even for your own self), you can't really start comparing, and we should hope that none of it bleeds through into the hereafter.See above to see the problem of natural disasters as a punishment (people who don't "deserve" punishment are punished). Also, if they serve as a means for purging people of their sins. Then why those people specifically? If an earthquake purged me of my sins I'd go running to tectonic plate boundaries! Why does Allah seemingly arbitarily pick who to purge of their sins?
format_quote Originally Posted by Sigma
Everyone has committed a sin. Suffering is a part of human life. Some suffer more than others, does not necessarily mean its evil.
natural disasters....
it is human nature to blame God---If only God did not cause an earthquake---so many people would not have died----but by doing this, we fail to consider the human responsibilities in this matter----for example in the earthquake in China in which a school building collapsed during an earthquake---it was found that the shoddy construction was the cause of the building collapsing. God has given us intelligence---we have the technology today to make buildings that withstand earthquakes and the technology to make good construction materials---but greed can get in the way and cause harm.
likewise in the case of the asian tsunami, underwater detection probes were set all around the ocean---had the U.S. military informed the relevant governments---they could have saved lives---but in order to keep the location of these things secret they did not---and other things---such as environmental destruction of the coastlines to make way for luxurious hotels and beaches for tourists---also contributed to the devastation.
We MUST take responsibility for our own actions and choices---because what we decide to do is something we have control over.....
"a gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials"---Seneca
format_quote Originally Posted by Sigma
apart from a few saintly people my dear brother and children, we are all sinners and who are we to say that some among us dont deserve it?; do we know where they stand with ALlah? [but ultimately it is a means of blessings and admonishment for the believers]; there are ofcourse good practicing Muslims and there is a hadith? in which it says that basically when a 'natural disaster' strikes, the good along with the bad die too and they will be judged according to their deeds, thus the good people will have every last bit of sin of theirs purged and become martyrs [and this may apply to relatively bad Muslims/believers too.]
the good people and innocents [such as children who have not reached puberty yet] do get effected by the bad consequences of sins too, for example if a parent smokes in front of their children, the children get harmed too, but it is ofcourse not a punishment for the children, and for the good people, it is by and large a means to get closer to ALlah [by practicing patience, etc,] or to get martyred
format_quote Originally Posted by Sigma
only Allah chooses who to bless; shaykh Hamza Yusuf said about the Muslim dead of the tsunami; they have made it! [inshAllah]
my dear brother, our source of knowledge is the Quran and sunnah and we should base our views/beliefs on it's teachings, and not the independent thinking of our fallible intellect, and a glance at what Allah and His messenger teaches about this issue, clarifies all:
Say: He has power to send torment on you from above or from under your feet, or to cover you with confusion in party strife, and make you to taste the violence of one another.)(Al-An`am 6:65)
And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.) (Ash-Shura 42: 30)
(Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allah, but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself.) (An-Nisaa’ 4:79)
(So We punished each (of them) for his sins, of them were some on whom We sent Hasib (a violent wind with showers of stones), and of them were some who were overtaken by As-Saihah (torment — extremely loud noise ), and of them were some whom We caused the earth to swallow, and of them were some whom We drowned. It was not Allah, Who wronged them, but they wronged themselves.) (Al-`Ankabut 29: 40)
They killed the she-camel and defied their Lord’s command and they said, “O Salih! Bring to us that punishment which you promise us if you are from amongst the Messengers”. The earthquake seized them and they became faced down laid in their houses. (Surah 7:77-78)
The earthquake seized them and they became prostrate on their knees in their homes. Those who rejected Shuayb (alayhis’ salam) seemed as though they never lived in those homes and those who rejected Shuayb (alayhis’ salam) they were the losers. (Surah 7:91-92)
Sahih Muslim:
Chapter# 51, Book 20, Number 4705:
... The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: The martyrs are of five kinds: one who dies of plague; one who dies of diarrhoea (or cholera) ; one who is drowned; one who is buried under debris and one who dies fighting in the way of Allah.
Book 20, Number 4706: ...Ibn Miqsam said: I testify the truth of your father’s statement (with regard to this tradition) that the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: One who is drowned is a martyr.
Sunan Abu-Dawud: 3105
... The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: There are seven types of martyrdom in addition to being killed in Allah's cause: one who dies of plague is a martyr; one who is drowned is a martyr; one who dies of pleurisy is a martyr; one who dies of an internal complaint is a martyr; one who is burnt to death is a martyr; who one is killed by a building falling on him is a martyr; and a woman who dies while pregnant is a martyr.
In ahadith it is stated:
“Anas [ra] says, “I went into the presence of Aishah [ra] whilst someone else was seated with her. The person asked, ‘O Mother of the believers, relate to us regarding earthquakes (as to their cause)’ She turned her face away. I (Anas) asked her, ‘Relate to us regarding earthquakes, O Mother of the believers!’ She said, “O Anas, if I were to inform you thereof, you will live a sorrowful life and you will die in this state of grief and you will be raised on the Day of Judgement whilst this fear is in your heart.” I said, “O Mother, relate to me.” She then said, “When a woman removes her clothes in a house other than her husbands (an indication towards adultery), she tears the veil between her and Allah. When she applies perfume to please a male other than her husband, this will be a source of fire and a blemish for her. When the people then begin to commit adultery, consume alcohol and use musical instruments, Allah becomes enraged in the heavens and orders the Earth to shake them. If they repent and refrain, then it is good for them, otherwise Allah will cause it to fall upon them.” I asked, “Is this their punishment?” She said, “It is rather a mercy, means of blessings and admonishment for the believers, and a punishment, display of anger and torment for the unbelievers.”
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