Is Allah the source of evil and disbelief?

[rybak303]

I've read about half of the Koran and I've noticed several verses which seem to imply that Allah causes people to disbelieve by blinding them to the truth and also that evil is created by Allah to test the faithful. To me this is disturbing because if Allah creates evil creatures and blinds disbelievers to truth then the source of evil and disbelief is ultimately not Satan but Allah.

 

[Ğħαrєєвαħ]

Greetings of peace

Could you post the verses please..

From my understanding Allaah is not the source rather evil within the person causes them to do so.. He gave us free will to do what we want, if we want to follow him then we do what he wants.

Yes, he will test us and that also in many ways

"And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.)." (Al Qur'aan 2:155)

If he Allaah was the source of evil as you mention, why would then he test us with things that cause us to become stronger and cause no harm to ourselves nor others around us whether they are muslim or non-muslim?

Muslim=Submitter to the will of God, a muslim testifies that there is no God and that Muhammad is his messenger and all the previoous messengers of God, one must believe in them, they were examples, guidance for the nation they were sent to, Prophet Muhammad was an example for the whole of mankind.

"And We have not sent you (O Muhammad SAW) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most of men know not. " (Al Qur'aan 34:28)

Also if he was the source of evil why would he command us to stay away from evil and do good?

"Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful." (Al Qur'aan 3:104)

"You [true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad SAW and his Sunnah (legal ways, etc.)] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden), and you believe in Allah. And had the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) believed, it would have been better for them; among them are some who have faith, but most of them are Al-Fasiqun (disobedient to Allah - and rebellious against Allah's Command)." (Al Qur'aan 3 :110)

I will let someone else reply to your other questions..

 

[May Ayob]

I've read about half of the Koran and I've noticed several verses which seem to imply that Allah causes people to disbelieve by blinding them to the truth and also that evil is created by Allah to test the faithful. To me this is disturbing because if Allah creates evil creatures and blinds disbelievers to truth then the source of evil and disbelief is ultimately not Satan but Allah.

Salaam
First off , You have to know that God s.w.t doesn't misguide people for no reason, Nothing He does is without Wisdom and comprehensive Knowledge.
When Allah "causes" people to disbeleif it is not by "forcing" them into disbeleif it is rather by letting them choose what they want to be according to his Will, The cause here is The Will He doesn't want you to be a disbeliever but if you want to be one He does not force you to not be , But this all happens under his Will,Another thing is that in Islam - Bad leads to Bad and Good leads to Good; From this we deduce that anyone( regardless of what ever) who wants to do good and has chosen to be a good person Allah s.w.t will lead and Guide them to the Truth and increase them in it as he is Generous , Also anyone who has chosen to do bad and follow evil Allah will Allow them ( under His will) to do what ever but they can not blame except them selves because it was their Choice and Responsiblity, All this is regarding them following Evil and them fully acknowledging what they are doing and it's consequences. The one who does out of ignorance is not to be accounted Insha'Allah and will be forgiven by Allah.

No the source of Evil and disbelief is not Allah and this is a trick the Devil is trying to decive you with; I'll try to explain hopefully what I will say makes some sense:
When Allah s.w.t Created He knew what was going to happen; He did not "cause" it to happen but rather He allowed the one who is going to happen under Hid Permission and not his cause for example:
I am a teacher and I have full knowledge about every student with me in class, I know literally everything about them not only academically but everything else...If I used my knowledge to assume who is going to the right "thing" or the wrong"thing" regarding their behavior there is a high probablity that I wont be mistaken as credit to the knowledge I gained about these students, So if I know one of my student is a trouble maker and he insists on beating other students and bullying them then it wouldn't be my fault if I accounted him for what he did as it is his repsonsiblity, and because I saw him beating a student infront of my eyes does not mean I am the causer of this even nor does it mean that I a approve of it but rather it merely mean that it happened under my Presence and permission this I may let this student beat more kids and after the right number of complain I can simply kick this student out of school and give my fellow students a releif from ever seeing him again(This is what is meant by leading them blind)

I hope what I said was correct, The brothers and sister may correct me if I am wrong , I also hope It made some sense and It helps

Salaam

 

[Ramadhan]

evil is created by Allah to test the faithful.

Please provide those verses.

 

[SFatima]

I've read about half of the Koran and I've noticed several verses which seem to imply that Allah causes people to disbelieve by blinding them to the truth and also that evil is created by Allah to test the faithful. To me this is disturbing because if Allah creates evil creatures and blinds disbelievers to truth then the source of evil and disbelief is ultimately not Satan but Allah.

You have to quote the actual ayah(verse) which you are referring to, otherwise all the answers would be going around in random circles.

Allah swt also says somewhere that " you err because of your own nafs( ego/desires)".

Allah swt does not mis-guide people, it is satan who does that. You have to understand the verse with its proper meanings, and vast contexts. I fear that you have read another case of mis-translation. For what I have read, it is said something like,

" And they ( the disbelievers) are blinded by the darkness as if the light of their eyes has been snatched, and they act as blind, deaf and mute, so then, do they not see?

" And that is Implied to THOSE disbelievers specifically, who have sinned so much, have been so open in their dis-obedience to Allah, that by continuously doing so, they seal their own fate, commit shirk (polytheism, assign partners to Allah), follow the shaitan, EVEN after knowing WELL that satan will side with them only till this world lasts, after that ,they shall have no helper, no companion. It is one thing to want guidance and that is the true want/right of man, and it is another thing to not want guidance, because true guidance might not get you worldly riches/pleasures as are given by following desires which are lead by satan.

( If you have read that satan and its forces give access to immense wealth and worldly delights to its followers, yes, Only by the will of Allah, but not with His pleasure, that wealth and riches are the deception of satan, which blind their eyes and they fore-sake their creator. Thinking that this life is the only life they will have, so why not enjoy it to the fullest even if it means being corrupt and tyrant and disobeying God's laws, cuz at this point in the world, it is really really hard to be all wealthy and yet be totally pious, wealth is a temptation and all temptations can lead to fitnah ( meaning evil desires; start from any rich man, or any man in position of power, from the president of the state to a senator, IMF's Ceo etc, and one can open a never ending closet, full of stinky skeletons)) And then there are those who are given riches by Allah swt Himself, and they spend all of it while obeying him and not indulging in vain discourse and throwing money away on luxury.

And THAT is the point, where the verse carries it meaning, that one becomes so clouded by one's own sinning that he does not even wish to see the worth or value of his actions, neither does he think that he is answerable to anyone in this world or the hereafter, as it is his own personal matter. And such a man is blinded by his apparent success, fame, wealth and popularity in women, that he is a legend or something and people will follow his ways, his lifestyle and will fall for the same old worldly pleasures that he gave himself into, and he himself, along with people supporting him, live in this deception by their own free will.

For Allah swt says something like (similar words) " I have rights upon every soul and I shall keep on guiding them as long as they ask for it".

Why then people ask for innumerable wealth & riches and power and beautiful women and children, BUT Never once ask the Creator to guide them, if they are right? What is so hard about asking for true guidance if one is so sure that they are not wrongly guided?

Why fear guidance if one is so sure that it is leading to something good? The truth is, that all these people deny themselves the guidance from Allah swt, by arrogantly thinking that they don't need divine guidance and as long as they are famous, rich ,desired, they are rightly guided and Allah swt knows their thinking very well. it is aprt of Muslim prayer thats is said 5 times a day, to repeat the prayer for right guidance in each moment of it, which other religion teaches that?

He gives them trials, and chances in their lives, even rich corrupt people go through their own worries, but do they turn to God for help? They mostly don't, and when they do, it is only momentarily and later, they forget that they were helped by Him in the time of need and cant help running back to satan being his loyal aid ,embracing hell fire.

Its all free will, where the Creator is on the Man's side and man is on satan's side, and chooses to be, even if the satan disappoints him several times, he doesn't want to give up his corrupt ways/wealth. Then why choose to give up on God?

Allah swt has granted mercy and forgiveness to anyone and everyone who wishes to seek it, no matter how huge or offensive the crime a man commits, and even then people don't ask Him for His forgiveness? Is that Not blindness caused by a personal choice? Is that not arrogant and evil to be so self absorbed as to not ask to be rightly guided?

As for the assumption that Allah swt created satan and he is evil so all evil must be created by him is a blatant ignorant assumption. People who read the Quran in full detail know that Satan was not called satan initially, and was Created as a pious being among Djins, who worshiped God all over the Universe and was among His favorites. What caused his decline from that status? he committed an arrogant mistake, and did not ask for forgiveness in jealousy of man being created, despite being prompted by God to ask for forgiveness .( imagine the omnipotent God asking his creation to ask for forgiveness, despite the fact that God had all authority and full power to burn and shatter him to pieces just right there).

And from then on satan promised to corrupt the entire humanity so that humanity would disobey God as much as he did, But Allah swt told him that humans would not act as arrogant and dis-obedient as him, and He will repeatedly forgive them as long as they ask for forgiveness and guidance, except those, who choose to side by satan and act arrogant about their sins and insist on increasing in their sins while not seeking forgiveness.

Hence Allah swt places trials( shortcomings, small failures) infront of us to make us spiritually strong and satan keeps dazzling temptations infront of us to weaken our spiritual strength so that we may fall into his trap and deny our spiritual growth.

hope you got the concept of evil figured.