if there is a god then why is there people suffering in this world??

Question

and not what people do, i mean illness as well like cancer??

Answer 1

Why Does Allah Allow Suffering and Evil in the World?

Q1. 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.

A 1. 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 23:14)

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. Beside 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 then those who starve.

There are more that live decent life then 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 and evil 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:


First of all, Allah did not make this world a permanent world. This is a temporary world and every thing 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 they will find an eternal world that is perfect and permanent. Those who will fail this test they shall see the evil consequences of their sins and corruption.

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 give safeguards. Even here we should keep in mind that Allah often saves us and He does not let us suffer for 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! 2- It is He Who has taught the Qur’an. 3- He has created man: 4- He has taught him speech (and Intelligence). 5- The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed; 6- And the herbs and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration. 7- And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice), 8- In order that you may not transgress (due) balance. 9- So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. 10- It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures. (al-Rahman 55:1-10)

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 35:45)

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 43- Those of Abraham and Lut; 44- 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)! 45- 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 22:42-45)

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 patients. Good people sometimes suffer but their sufferings heal others and bring goodness to their communities. People learn lessons from their good examples. Martyrs dies for their faith, soldiers give their lives for their nations and this brings liberation and freedom for their people.

Allah allows sometime 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, 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 looking for 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. 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.

Answer 2

Your question implies that if there is a god, he's some sort of all-powerful superhero. But if God is omnipresent, that means God is the universe. If God is omnipotent, that means that all power or energy in the universe is God. If God is omniscient, then all experiences of all living things is God. That's pretty impressive, but does not mention any place that God won't let suffering happen. Preventing suffering and nurturing those who suffer on this planet is up to humans. A great deal of the suffering in the world occurs because humans are not doing THEIR job. Greed, politics, aggression, indifference to entire ecosystems, etc, etc, are why there is so much suffering. Nice thing about it is that each human that does work to make it better does make a difference.

Answer 3

I dont think 'God' looks after us until we die. We are responsible, to a certain degree, for each other. Unfortunately our way of life has lead to most of the horrible illness' and suffering we endure here on earth, that is why our scientists and doctors are always researching and learning about diseases and things. People that do die from cancer etc. leave a legacy for researchers to learn more and maybe save the next victim. Dont ever give up hope. I lost my 30 yr old son in law from cancer recently and I know in times of grief we want to blame and get angry at someone or something and especially want to know why, but life goes on and so does research and we can only try and do the right thing with our lives and hope it doesnot happen to us. As individuals we can make a difference even if it is only to our own family.

Answer 4

Because what happens to us and others is governed by us, not just as individuals but as a whole. Individually we only have some control over what happens in our lives. There are many other things that have an influence such as economics, politics and social policies. People suffer through illness but we have made amazing progress in recent years in medicine and will continue to do so.

There's no evidence that god exists so therefore he/she/it has nothing to do with suffering or any other part of the human condition.

Answer 5

Complicated question, if your really nice i'm sure a priest will come to yor rescue.... until then...

A quick answer is there is much evil and corruption in the world, many things are not health to do or eat, we take what we assume are calculated risks everyday inwhat we eat watch and what we do, we don't really know the dangers or the level of risk esspecially when we do so many different things.

Scientists say, every action as a eual positive or negative reaction, this is simplified as the bible says what you will reap what you sow. which is metaphor using farming speak. A lot of famers around back then.

God bless, try not to party too hard, don't put your trust in science, stay healthy, eat organic, stay away from processed foods as much as you can read your bible pray loads and loads, it's true what thy say it's beautiful to pray. Find a good husband raise beautiful kids. Meanwhile I'll pray the Lord wil bless and keep you.

Answer 6

Sin causes suffering. Man was given dominion over the world by God. Does mankind have a means to end world hunger? Of course it does; if we can spend millions on war, space exploration, etc, then surely there is enough to end this. So how does this prove there is no God. All you have to do is open your eyes, and you will know there is a God. People want free will, but then they want to know how God could allow things to happen. People are to blame for the world, period. We have made it what it is, and the fact that we complain rather than do something about it helps prove the point and shows where the blame truly lies. God gave us Jesus, have most people attempted to see what He says is true? No, people refuse to humble themselves out of pride and disbelief. And so it goes.

Answer 7

Why God Allows Pain
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard
trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good
conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber
said: "I
don't believe that God exists." "Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that
God doesn't
exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick
people?
Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would
be
neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving a God who
would
allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because
he didn't
want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the
customer
left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man
in the
street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.
He looked
dirty and unkempt.. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and
he said
to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist." "How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am
here, and I
am a barber. And I just worked on you!" No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if
they did,
there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed
beards, like
that man outside." "Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is that people do not
come to
me." "Exactly! "- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God
DOES exist!
What happens is that people don't go to Him and do not look for
Him.
That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

Answer 8

Why God Allows Pain
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard
trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good
conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber
said: "I
don't believe that God exists." "Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that
God doesn't
exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick
people?
Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would
be
neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving a God who
would
allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because
he didn't
want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the
customer
left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man
in the
street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.
He looked
dirty and unkempt.. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and
he said
to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist." "How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am
here, and I
am a barber. And I just worked on you!" No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if
they did,
there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed
beards, like
that man outside." "Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is that people do not
come to
me." "Exactly! "- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God
DOES exist!
What happens is that people don't go to Him and do not look for
Him.
That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

Answer 9

It's hard to know why there is so much suffering in this world, we've all seen it in some sort of way or another and we know it's not fair and the victims are chosen without regard to race, color, creed or status in society ect ect...There is nothing anyone can say to give rational reason or explination to this. One of my uncles died a slow & painful death from throat cancer & i asked my mum a similar question at the time & what she said to me around the time that he was coming to the end of his suffering always stuck with me, "This earth is just a waiting place for us before we go to God's kingdom in heaven"
It didnt answer the question to why there is so much suffering in the world, but i guess it just told me to try to have faith in god, even though it can be so hard to understand his reasons a lot of the time.
R.

Answer 10

God gave us free will, as a consequence of free will, people can make bad or ill-informed decisions, For examples

San Francisco is built near major fault lines and has frequent earthquakes, New Orleans is the 3rd lowest point in the USA, and like much of the Southeastern USA sea front got flattened and flooded by a hurricane.

Many disasters are the consequence of people making the decision to stay in unsafe geographic areas, leaders not preparing sufficient defences against disasters.

Africa's frequent famines have more to do with wars, wasteful spending on weapons and the impoverished tool-less farmers compelled to grow inedible cash crops rather than food for themselves than the droughts.

Diseases are a little more complex, but feeding cows meat and bone meal led to BSE, smoking leads to lung cancer, heavy drinking leads to liver failure. Poor hygiene and misuse of antibiotics led to MRSA and so on a so forth. AIDS spread more rapidly from drug use, poor blood transfusion screening and unprotected indiscriminate sex than homosexuality, although there is little that can be done about infected mothers giving birth to infected children in Third World Countries at present.

Answer 11

I can give you the Christian's answer. The story of Adam & Eve, which may well be just a story but conveying theological truth, tells us that mankind rejected God and chose to obey Satan. Satan is the evil force in the universe. So it was man's choice. And if you read all the questions and answers on this web site, you'll see just how many people there are out there who are opposed to God. You may even be one of them.

Mankind chose to obey the evil force, and God has allowed the evil to rule the world ever since. Therefore all the suffering in the world is not God's doing, but it's what mankind chose for him/herself, and God doesn't force us to do anything against our will.

I hope this answers your question