Muslims: Why is there evil in the world?

Question

I've asked Christians this, I'm curious as to how Muslims answer this question. If god is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, why is there evil and suffering?

Answer 1

Because God has given respite to Satan until the Day of Judgment. Satan swore to God by God's honor that he would mislead all of humanity, except those who form a friendship with God. God said to Satan, what you say is true and whoever follows you, I will throw them into the hellfire.

So God first branded humanity with the knowledge of right and wrong and the knowledge that God is there and always willing to accept a person. It's up to the person to decide which path he/she wants to follow. So evil comes from humanity's own choices in this world.

This is essentially and summarized from Islamic and Qur'anic teachings.

Answer 2

This is one of the nice e-mails I received and I would like to share it with you

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? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving 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! That's what happens when people do not come to me." "Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, does exist! That's what happens when people do not go to him and don't look to him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

Answer 3

God has given us free will and as we are taught, it is a bigger evil than the devil himself. Worldy desires and jealousy breeds evil. Money and power breed evil?

God is about hope and love. Have you ever noticed that when we humans lose someone dear to us (as in death), we all get over it after some time and accept the fact and get busy with our wordly chores.

God has given the luxury of will to humans only. Do you see the animal kingdom whipping it self out?

I can honestly say that if each any every human being on this planet followed those very traits of god that you described whole heartedly, evil will be no more.

Answer 4

i wont go over the same Devil thing, it was very well explained by Mustafa, but i would say that God has given each one of us a Brain to think and a Book of guidance called Qu'ran.

some people have forgotten the original message of the Quran. a true muslim will always be patient, forgiving, kind, and enduring. a haughty, disrespectful and harsh person cant be a muslim. u should tolerate and be pateint until the last breathe of ur tolerance.

Aal-e-Imran | 200 verses | The family of Imran سورة آل عمران
Sura #3 | Madina
200 O ye who believe! Endure, outdo all others in endurance, be ready, and observe your duty to Allah, in order that ye may succeed

Al-Isra | 111 verses | The night journey سورة الإسراء
Sura #17 | Makkah
37 And walk not in the earth exultant. Lo! thou canst not rend the earth, nor canst thou stretch to the height of the hills.
38 The evil of all that is hateful in the sight of thy Lord

Al-Hadid | 29 verses | The Iron سورة الحديد
Sura #57 | Madina
23 That ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which hath been given. Allah loveth not all prideful boasters,

Al-Muzzammil | 20 verses | The enshrouded one سورة المزمل
Sura #73 | Makkah
10 And bear with patience what they utter, and part from them with a fair leave-taking.

Al-Baqara | 286 verses | The Cow سورة البقرة
Sura #2 | Madina
177 It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing.

FOR PEOPLE WHO TRY TO KILL OTHER INNOCENT PEOPLE AND GIVE IT THE NAME OF ALLAH, LIKE THOSE SUICIDE BOMBERS -- MAY BE THEY FORGOT TO READ THIS VERSE. THIS ALSO APPLIES TO THOSE WHO DO IT IN A POLITICAL MANNER TOO.

Al-Rahman | 78 verses | The Beneficient سورة الرحمن
Sura #55 | Makkah
33 O company of jinn and men, if ye have power to penetrate (all) regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate (them)! Ye will never penetrate them save with (Our) sanction.

Answer 5

to add to what brother Mustafa said...

Satan has been given respite until the Day of Judgement to do his worst. Only those who do not heed to him but to God will be successful.

In Islam there is no 'turn the other cheek'. If someone lays a finger on you or your family or your friends or community, send him to his grave.

not responding to evil is also evil.

Answer 6

I will qoute verses from the Quran to answer your question

Let us look at Noble Verses 10:99-100 "If it had been thy Lord's will, they would all have believed, all who are on earth! wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe! No soul can believe, except by the will of God, and He will place doubt (or obscurity) on those who will not understand."

Let us look at Noble Verse 10:99 "If it had been thy Lord's will, they would all have believed,- all who are on earth! wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!"

"No soul can believe, except by the will of God, and He will place doubt (or obscurity) on those who will not understand." (The Noble Quran, 10:100).


so basiclly, god created us from diffferent colours, races, Ideas,Countries while he could created us all the same

I mean what`s the purpose of life If all of us are good people, in this case why don`t we all go straight to heaven!!!

so simply this is a test

Answer 7

every human can do any thing in the life but God will make him happy or make him suffer in the after life so those terrorist will suffer in the after life

Answer 8

peace. god knows everything. this world belongs to him, you belong to him. so follow his law as much as you can. and i think we would have been in major pain but for god's saving us from the consequences of our actions. this page may serve as a Center: geocities.com/nf2peh47k8j5

Answer 9

Very well done and great answer for all above

Answer 10

for testing man