الحمد لله الذي هدانا إلى الإسلام، الحكم العدل اللطيف المقسط الديان

وصلى الله أفضل الصلاة وأكملها وأشملها وأدومها وأجملها على سيدنا وحبيبنا وقدوتنا وأسوتنا وسندنا وشفيعنا ونبينا ورسولنا ومولانا مولى الكونين والثقلين محمد أبي القاسم وجد الحسن والحسين المخصوص بقاب القوسين

أما بعد

The problem of evil (POE) has plagued the minds of many theologians and philosophers in the ages. It has found a popular resurgence in modern times with the rise of atheism, scientist etc. The aim of this post is to find the answer to this problem from an Islamic angle.

What is the problem of evil?

The problem of evil is the supposed contradiction between the belief that God is all powerful, all loving and all knowing yet evil exists.

How do we as Muslims tackle the issue?

First of all we must go back to basics. This issue can be simplified into 2 simple parts:

1. The nature of God

2. What is evil?

3. Can God’s nature allow for evil?

The Nature of God

To even begin the discussion we need to go down to basics. What is God? So we will need to list God’s attributes:

1. Wujūd (existence)

2. Qidam (pre-eternalness)

3. Baqāʾ (eternalness)

4. Waḥdānīyyaħ (oneness)

5. Qiyām Binafsih (self subsistingness)

6. Muḵālafaħ Lil-Ḥawādiṯ (dissimilarity to contingent existences)

7. Qudraħ (power)

8. Takwīn (bringing into being)

9. ʾIrādaħ (will)

10. ‘Ilm (knowledge)

11. Ḥayāʾ (life)

12. Sam’ (hearing)

13. Baṣr (sight)

14. Kalām (speech)

The first is known as Ṣifaħ An-Nafsīyyaħ (Necessary Attribute), 2-6 are known as Ṣifāt As-Salbīyyaħ (Negative Attributes) and the last are known as Ṣifāt Al-Ma’nawīyyaħ (Signicative Attributes). These are known as Ṣifāt Aḏ-Ḏātīyyaħ (Essential Attributes). Without them God isn’t God. Any other attribute you may see in the Qurʾān such as mercy, giving life etc all of these can be potentially conceived without them logically. We only know these attributes from scripture. Or some of these attributes are specifics of the Ṣifāt Aḏ-Ḏātīyyaħ. These are known as Ṣifāt Al-ʾAf’āl (Active Attributes).

So this is how we define God.

What is evil?

From our paradigm, evil is merely that which Allah has defined as evil. Morality is determined by the Creator as of evil and good we’re inherent in objects, then one would be saying God is bound by something contingent, and that which is bound by contingency is contingent itself, hence God places the value of evil or good into something Himself. Now this concept of evil and good is pertaining to morality. Would natural evil be considered good or bad? It can be but the next part will help elucidate how that is defined.

Can God’s nature allow for evil?

As aforementioned, the value of good and evil is defined by God. God’s nature can allow for evil to exist because He has a will.

How is this problematic? The answer is simple. It isn’t.

As a Maturidi, the answer is even more simple.

Allah has wisdom. This wisdom is what we cannot see behind the evil. As mentioned God has will and knowledge. When these are put together perfectly then you get wisdom, which as a necessary being, it needs to be perfect, hence God is perfect.

As of this, Allah’s wisdom which this problem likes to forget. God is not restricted to just 3 attributes, and the attribute of wisdom is the missing piece. No atheist has a response to the wisdom of Allah for it is why evil exists. Just because we don’t know the wisdom doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.