The problem of evil
If God is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent, how does He allow the existence of 'evil', such as suffering, natural disaster, sin or immorality. This question has challenged theologians and philosophers through the ages.
A classic example is of a baby deer burning in a forest fire, and the question why God did not save it. This is like putting God in man's shoes. The question is, are the life and working of a creator-engineer and the washing machine he creates same? Can a constructed robot designed to follow a code of conduct demand the same code from the scientists who made it.
Certainly, God is capable of creating many worlds free from all evil, corruption, hurt; His own abode and the Heavens He has promised the good-doers are such worlds. But this present world, of the Earthly life and the Universe that bounds it, is specially designed as a 'test' for humanity.
Though it may seem to be boundless in time and space, it is really a speck in God creative space. And it is evident that this design has elements of construction and destruction, of life and death, of systems within systems within systems. And inevitably it has elements of good and evil so that humans may choose between them with their freewill.
The Quran says, "We will surely test you with things of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient" Al-Baqarah (2:155). So, for those who have goodness in their hearts, hardships, pain and loss will push them towards the better choices like of patience, perseverance, sacrifice, altruism, and trust in the greater good.
Therefore, man is not in a position to question the morality of God, because He is in a fundamentally different and unknowable matrix: "Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives the visions; and He is the Intricate-Knower" Al-Anaam (6:106). Therefore, regarding the baby deer burning in a forest fire, only Allah knows what matter belies between Him and the fawn and how He saves it from undue pain; we are not in a position to ask.
On the other hand, whatever immorality is committed by humans resonates in his/her own life, in his/her community and their generations. Every human act has repercussions. So, the Quran says, "Whatever affliction befalls you is because of what your own hands have committed. And He pardons much" Ash-Shura (42:30). An-Nisa (4:79) further clarifies this by saying, "Whatever good befalls you is from Allah, and whatever evil befalls you is from yourself." Human perception is finite and prone to misjudgment in the face of Divine Wisdom, Who does not deny justice but has deferred ultimate justice for the final day of judgment.
In Asrar-e-Khudi, poem 5, titled 'Dar Biyan Aynke Asal Nizam-e-Alam Az Khudi Ast', Iqbal elaborates that God is the beholder of the ultimate and absolute khudi (ego), and the material world is the remains of the secret doings of the ultimate khudi. Khudi creates the 'other' or 'evil', to realise itself and its goodness.
Evil emerges from His creative power only so that He can crush it down. As in Al-Anfal (8:8), "that He may make-true Truth and falsify Falsehood, distasteful though it be to the criminals." Iqbal says that the design of the universe is extravagant and so much goes through the stages of destruction for the creation of new beginnings and new meanings. And only with the duality of opposing realities is created the copious mural of being and becoming; of self-realisation and self-actualisation; of challenge, agency and action.
The Quran also gives a hint of evil as being part of the grand design of God's creative power, when it talks of the Tree of Zaqqum, "For We have truly made it a trial for the wrong-doers. Lo! it is a tree that springs in the heart of hell" As-Saaffat (37:63, 64). And is it possible that it is the same tree that was given an opening in the garden where Adam and Eve were stationed and of which God had ordained Adam not to come close to nor taste of it, yet if Adam would not have tasted from the evil tree, the story of mankind would not have begun.
The purpose of life on Earth would not have commenced, there would be no test, no trial, no tribulation. And mankind would not have been shifted through the sieve that would separate the vain from the humble; the self-loving desirous from the oft-giving altruist; the gluttonous genocide-approvers from the planet-friendly saviors of humanity; the lovers of corruption and malice from the lovers of goodness and piety. Nor would humanity be able to actualise its love or hate for the Creator and source of all goodness, God!
Therefore, instead of judging God, upon the seemingly present physical evil, for which there may be justification hidden to us for reasons, humanity should concentrate upon moral evil of which it may itself be guilty of. And if humanity would indeed believe truly upon God and tread the good path He has identified for us, perhaps then He would defer the present 'evil' and ordain for the present world only copious growth and prosperity, like He promised the people through Noah and said, "I ask you to seek forgiveness from your Lord, He is the oft-forgiving. He will send rain to you in abundance. And will aid you with wealth and sons, and will make for you gardens and make for you rivers" Noah (71;12). And even though Noah remained among his people for 'a thousand less fifty years' Al-Ankabut (29: 14) before the flood came, they ridiculed him, scolded him and plotted against him, and in place of the love of God, they said " forsake not Wadd, nor Suwa', nor Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr" (71:23).
So, evil is not in the heart of God, it is in the heart of hell; only the hearts of humanity do not shudder of its very thought, rather humanity embraces it in its hearts, in place of the love of God.
"He will not be questioned as to that which He doeth, but they will be questioned" Al-Anbiya (21:23).
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Express Tribune
Saudi Arabia marks start of Islamic year 1447 as Muharram moon sighted
Listen to article Saudi Arabia and several Gulf countries have announced the sighting of the Muharram crescent moon, marking the beginning of the Islamic New Year 1447 Hijri on Thursday, June 26. Religious authorities confirmed the sighting of the new moon on Wednesday evening, signalling the start of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic lunar calendar. The Day of Ashura, observed on the 10th of Muharram, will fall on July 5 in Saudi Arabia. NEWS: The 1st of Muharram 1447 has commenced after Maghrib on Wednesday 25th June 2025 The moon was sighted in Saudi Arabia today which means the month of Dhul Hijjah will be 29 Days. May Allāh accept our siyām, qiyām & acts of worship and may He grant us the ability to… — 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 (@HaramainInfo) June 25, 2025 The beginning of the new Islamic year is being marked with various religious and cultural events across the region. In the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and other Arab nations, special programmes have been planned to commemorate the occasion. As part of the annual tradition, the ceremonial replacement of the Kiswa — the cloth covering the Kaaba in Makkah — also commenced with the arrival of the new year. In Pakistan, the crescent for Muharram 1447 Hijri is expected to be visible on June 26, according to astronomical forecasts. The official announcement will be made by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
Express Tribune
19-06-2025
- Express Tribune
War on women
Another Muharram approaches. Once again, we will gather and mourn wearing black while remembering a tyrant's violence and a family's sacrifice. But let this not be another year where we ritualistically grieve Karbala and then return to silencing our women. Let this not be another Muharram where we cry over Yazid's cruelty while enabling our own. Because if not for a woman, Islam wouldn't have survived. Not the Quran you recite. Not the Hadith you forwarded. Not the faith you gatekeep while violating every principle it upholds. Islam would never have made it past its earliest trials, political boycotts, economic starvation and rebellions, if it weren't carried on the backs, in the arms, and through the voices of women. Before Islam had a following, it had Bibi Khadijah (RA), not just a supporter, but the first believer. A businesswoman. A strategist. A financier. The one who bankrolled the mission of the Prophet (PBUH) when no man dared. When Quraysh exiled him, it was her caravan, her gold, her unwavering faith that sheltered him. It was Bibi Fatima (AS) who bore the lineage through which the Ahlul Bayt lived on. The axis of legacy. The embodiment of strength in grief. It was Aisha (RA) who brilliantly narrated over 2,000 hadith and debated scholars. Her voice helped shape the jurisprudence we now cite while refusing to let women speak in the same rooms. And then came Bibi Zainab (AS), shattered, shackled, but unafraid. After Karbala had become a graveyard and her brother Imam Hussain (AS) lay slaughtered in the sand, it was she who rose, not with weapons, but with words. Dragged to the court of Yazid, surrounded by mockery, she did not ask for mercy. She gave a sermon. She didn't break. She broke him. She was not just surviving. She was defying. And yet today, in a land that recites their names in every sermon, we silence their daughters. We call it modesty when we erase them. We call it culture when we kill them. We turn their resistance into relics, then light candles at their graves. As though mourning without action ever saved anyone. In 2024 alone, over 5,200 cases of gender-based violence were reported in Pakistan — murders, rapes, forced marriages, suicides, disappearances. We call our daughters Zainab, but fear their fire. We call them Aisha, but shush their speech. We call them Khadijah, but question their independence. We call them Fatima, but scorn their principles. We want them quiet. Covered. Passive. We fear their intellect, police their tone and question their clothing. Every year, we mourn the tragedies of the past and the violence of now and walk in processions. We cry for Karbala and for today's graves. And then? We go back. Back to honour killings, child brides, acid attacks. To clerics who blame women, politicians who mock abuse, courts that shame victims, and homes where daughters are silenced. We mourn the dead but never protect the living. Guilt has never been enough. You cannot grieve Karbala and ignore the women being buried in your own neighbourhood. You cannot claim love for Imam Hussain (AS) while tolerating Yazid's spirit in your own actions. If your grief does not make you just, then it is performance. If your rituals don't translate into compassion, then they are empty. If you cry for the women of Islam but ignore the pain of living women, then you are the problem. Because Karbala was not just a battlefield. It was a woman with a voice. And she didn't whisper. Because Muharram will come and go. But the Yazid of today doesn't need a throne; he rules from homes, offices, police stations, pulpits, parliaments, WhatsApp groups, comment sections, and benches. All he needs is a gun, a platform, and our silence. And too many others, like the armies that watched Karbala unfold, just looked away. Had Bibi Zainab stayed silent, you wouldn't even have a story to tell. So tell it. Live it. Let this be the year your grief grows a spine.
Express Tribune
14-06-2025
- Express Tribune
Speak gently
The writer is an educationist based in Larkana. She can be reached at sairasamo88@ Listen to article Throughout the centuries, rude and harsh behaviour has been a major factor in the destruction of peace and stable environments, often leading to conflict, instability, and disdain in people's hearts. A single word spoken harshly can throw the world into confusion and frustration, inviting despair and disappointment. Such behaviour can either stem from the nature or from the society that raises individuals who lack manners and gentle conduct — traits which are not inherently innate but must be nurtured. Tone reveals one's hidden personality and can have severe repercussions. People often become reactionary when confronted with rudeness, mirroring the negativity they receive. This is the bitter harvest reaped from discourteousness. Words like ill-mannered, impertinent, impolite and thoughtless come to mind when thinking about those who misbehave. Isn't it so? Plagued by such behaviour, countries frequently face political turmoil. This is visibly evident in state leaders who violate political decorum, often creating noisy and hostile environments in assembly halls or on media platforms — launching vitriolic attacks on each other. In doing so, they contribute to the erosion of human values. Strict social control, authoritative governance and human rights abuses often follow such displays of dominance, much to the dismay of the public. In a world full of noise and harshness, even a small gesture of gentleness can disarm the warmonger and pave the way toward peace. A gentle speech can act as therapy during times of despair and disappointment, solving manifold problems that harsh behaviour only exacerbates. For instance, nations often resort to violence and war when faced with stern rhetoric and rigid stances. However, the same nations are willing to call a ceasefire when invited to the dialogue table - a peaceful alternative. Kind words and moderate language open many doors to bonding and building relationships based on love and respect. The Quran emphasises this in Surah Al-Baqarah: "And speak kindly to people." (2:83) All prophets throughout time have been epitomes of gentleness, teaching lessons of decency, sobriety and politeness. Yet, we seldom act upon these teachings. Does it cost dollars to speak kindly and softly? Do we earn accolades for high-pitched voice or behaving rudely? Certainly not. Then why is the world so invested in such destructive and senseless behaviour just to showcase dominance? Let us examine the reality: people often behave rudely to assert that "might is right". But in doing so, they reveal their lack of inner value, stooping to low levels while trying to belittle others. This doesn't impress the recipient — it only paints a picture of moral weakness and poor upbringing. Those who encounter such individuals often respond with dislike and contempt, rightly seeing them as troublesome and undignified. Being kind and polite in communication wins hearts, earns respect and creates a lasting impression. Respect born out of fear is not true respect; it is mere compulsion bred from resentment. Even animals respond with loyalty when treated kindly. Humans, with their complex emotions, respond a thousand times more positively when shown love and regard. Words carry tremendous power. Post-Pahalgam, India and Pakistan teetered on the edge of fragility. The nasty rhetoric exchanged — statements from Modi and military officials aired on the media — only inflamed hatred and animosity. If those same situations had been handled with diplomacy and dialogue, peace in the region might have been preserved. We all hoped for tranquility instead of belligerency. In short, courteous behaviour and gentle words have the significant power to conquer everything. Therefore, create a world where people live with mutual respect and love, and let your words contribute to building an amiable environment for all. Moreover, let's avoid the world of mess and destruction. Hatred no more. Young and old, age and aged, all need the world where harmony prevails and love rules.
