The Problem Of Evil

By Maryah Damlaj

Are we born evil? Why is there so much suffering in the world? If God is All-Loving and All-Compassionate as people say, then why did God create evil beings?

These questions and many others are frequently being asked; surprisingly, by some believers themselves. There is no religion that tries to disprove that God is All-Caring, All-Loving, and Subtly Kind. Then, why is there so much evil that encompasses every region in this world? Since God is Good, He would then create everything good. Yet, it’s strange how satan, referred to as the ultimate evil by some people, is created by Allah Himself. In that sense, one would feel there is a logical contradiction between the good attributes of Allah and the presence of evil, which is why this is referred to as the logical problem.

Allah is perfect good. He alone is the Absolute good. He indeed created everything good! “Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?” (Qur’an 67:14) There is absolutely no evil whatsoever. Evil is merely the absence of goodness. Allah has not given the devil the power to forcibly misguide man. He can only whisper man to do evil acts. However, it is man who has the free will who decides to misuse his discretion and surrender to his/her desires and sentiments.

Also, for morality to be achieved, no one should be forced to do good. Therefore, Allah, the Utterly Just, would simply give people the free choice or the free will to decide upon their actions. Superficially, the problem of evil sounds evil, but philosophically it can prove the existence of God.

Furthermore, for someone to claim there is evil, he/she would judge the act subjectively. There is no objectivity in his argument. These are purely probabilistic judgments because humans have morally insufficient reasons to label an action as being evil or good. An act might seem to be evil in the short-term; yet, genuinely good in the long-term. The same applies vice versa. The problem here is that we don’t have enough knowledge or even enough resources to make judgments regarding what is considered evil or what is considered good.

Anyway, if the situation was still perceived as unfair from a man’s limited scope, that person, if patient, will be compensated in the Afterlife for that claimed unfair treatment. So even if someone experienced torments in this life, he would still be rewarded.

Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good! The satan collapses, feels defeat, humiliation, and jealous when he sees the son of Adam as in prostration (sujood). This is because it reminds him when he refused to prostrate to Adam (peace be upon him) when Allah commanded him.  If that is so, then one of the tactics to avoid evil and to become closer to Allah, the All-Good, is through prostrating or performing sujood: “Prostrate in adoration and bring yourself close (to Allah)" (Qur’an 96:19). Therefore, prayers will liberate us from satan; hence, liberating us from evil. This is one of the reasons why the first thing which will be judged among a man's deeds on the Day of Resurrection is Prayer.

            It is through prayers, that we can liberate ourselves from evil. We should try as much as possible to reject the beautified temptations that the devil tries to create for us and return to the All-Loving, the All-Caring God Who loves us even more than our dear mothers.