The Problem of Evil

THE LIFE WE WERE SEARCHING FOR “The world is infinitely beautiful. Only one thing in it is not beautiful: man.” Man is the only creature in the known universe that harbours enmity with his fellow humans (Quran, 2:36). He creates corruption on the earth instead of reforming it. He engages in actions that destroy crops and generations (Quran, 2:205), and so on. Why is there a difference between the two domains— man’s world and the rest of the universe? This is because the rest of the universe directly functions according to God’s command. It is compelled to be the way God wants it to be. But man has been given freedom by God for the test. And so, man can choose to walk either of the two paths: the right or the wrong path. The cause of the corruption of the human world is just this. The rest of the universe is bound to follow God’s will, which is why it is defect-free. In contrast, man follows his desires, which is why chaos, strife, and corruption keep emerging in his affairs. Every evil found on earth results from a wrong use of human freedom. Throughout history, man has proven correct the apprehension the angels had expressed before God when man was created. The Quran says: “When your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am putting a successor on earth,’ they said, ‘Will You place someone there who will cause corruption on it and shed blood, while we glorify You with Your praise and extol Your holiness?’” (2:30) However, it is essential to understand that man’s freedom is not absolute. Only temporary freedom is given to him