The Inexplicable

his rebellious actions? The answer is that there was no other way of selecting those priceless souls who are worthy of entering heaven. The whole vast world of God, and the countless objects it contains, is fully obedient to God. There is nothing from tiny ants to massive constellations that wavers even slightly from His will. But these things are subservient because they are powerless; they have no option but to adopt the path of obedience. God required an intelligent and realistic being that, in spite of its power, would realize that it was powerless; a being that would surrender to God of its own free will, without any compulsion. It is for the selection of such rare and precious souls that God has created life on earth. From ancient times until the present day, the matter that has perplexed the human mind more than any other is the problem of evil in the world of man. In the words of one philosopher, the whole of human history seems to be a register of cruelty and evil. It is quite true that man has used his freedom in a most tyrannical way. But God tolerated such great evil for one reason alone: without it there was no way of selecting that lofty species which would be fit to be accommodated in heaven. Only under conditions of freedom and power could individuals be chosen from among the human race, concerning whom God’s angels, that watch over the world, would testify that these are the ones who had complete power of their own, but made themselves powerless for the sake of God. The terrible evil that occurs on earth is really the price of a wonderful good: that from the jungle of humanity those blessed souls should be picked out who, consciously and deliberately, surrender to God. These are the ones who obey God on the basis of realism, not on the basis of compulsion. Such souls stand out from the rest of mankind. They had the chance to deny the truth, but they did not do so; they were able to assume a high position for themselves, but they showed themselves content to occupy a rear seat, and give pride of place to God; they could have sought to consolidate their own power and interests, but they voluntarily relinquished all selfish aims, and sought to consolidate the truth alone. Such souls could not be selected unless they were placed under conditions of total freedom. Such conditions could not come into being unless the price of freedom—evil in the world of man—was also born. The purpose of the Islamic call is to search for such individuals.