The Big Questions (Part I of III) – On Atheism, God & More…

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1. Pingback: muslimmatters.org » The Big Questions, Part II—The Purpose of Life

2. 

   Parvez

   December 13, 2013 at 10:00 PM

   Response to the problem of evil
   Allah (swt) has created human beings with innate disposition (fitra) that Allah is one supreme God and that Allah bestowed humanity with objective moral values.
   “And by the soul and He who proportioned it. Then He showed him what is wrong for him and what is right for him. Indeed he succeeds who purifies his own self and indeed he fails who corrupts his own self.” [Quran Surah Ash-Shams 91: 7-10]
   Regarding the increased emphasis placed on the role of human reason, the Islamic teachings imply that the unaided human mind is able to find out that the more major sins such as alcohol or murder are immoral and evil without the aid of revelation. Also Quran states that the existence of God is so evident and rationally discernible, that every human being who has intellect and the ability to think (thus excluding children and the mentally ill and disabled) and was unreached by the message of Islam and does not believe in God will end up in hell, and divine amnesty is only available to those non-Muslims who believed in God, avoided the major sins regarding human sanctity and were unreached by the message.
   Narrated Abu-Huraira: Allah’s Apostle (saw) said, “No child is born except on the fitra and then Satan come to misguide him.” [Bukhari]
   Prophet Muhammad (saw) said; “Seek the guidance of thy soul! Seek the guidance of thy soul! Seek the guidance of thy soul! The virtuous deed is one whereby thy soul feels restful and thy heart contented and sinful act is one which irritates thy soul and which contracts thy heart even though the other people endorse it as lawful.” (Musnad Ahmad).
   The proponent of the problem of evil is faces a problem because God is required a rational basis for objective good and evil. Without God these terms are relative as there is no conceptual anchor, apart from God himself, which transcends human subjectivity. So the terms evil and good are just ephemeral without God. In absence of the Law Giver, relativism takes hold and no absolute standards exist and hence objective moral values do not exist.
   Therefore in order for the atheist’s premise to make objective sense, God’s existence is necessary. In this light the Muslim or theist may argue:
   1. If God did not exist, then objective moral values would not exist
   2. Evil exists
   3. Therefore objective moral values exists (from premise 2)
   4. Therefore, God exists

   We all feel a strong abhorrence against rape, incest, murder and even against smaller crimes when we personally are the victims, there are objective moral values and therefore there is a Law-Giver, a God. If there is no God and we base our morals on social pressure then this not the ultimate reality of truth. This is because moral values will be subjected to social pressures which are relative and flawed because of human’s lack of knowledge. Our conscience cannot be explained if we take revelation out of the picture and try to explain it purely on the basis of naturalism or scientific materialism.

   Muslims believe that part of God’s names and attributes include ‘the Just’, ‘the Severe in Punishment’, ‘the Wise’, ‘the Avenger’, and ‘the Compassionate’, amongst many others. So if God was just good and omnipotent, then there may be problem in reconciling suffering and evil in the world. However if you include attributes such as ‘the Severe in Punishment’ and ‘the Wise’, these problems would not exist. Because perceived evil and suffering in the world can be due to,
   • God’s punishment as a result of our sins and bad actions.
   • God’s wisdom, as there may be divine wisdom in permitting evil and suffering. Even if we can’t evaluate what the wisdom is, it doesn’t mean it is not there. To argue such a thing would be a logical fallacy, known as the argument from ignorance. The story of Khidr which can be found in the 18th chapter of Qur’an from verses 60 to 82 is an eloquent account of how God’s wisdom, whether understood or not, has positive results and benefits for humanity.
   In addition to this the Muslim can argue that the problem of evil is logically posterior to the existence of God. You need to establish that God exists first before attempting to reconcile who God is with our perception of reality, in this case, evil and suffering.

   The intellectual richness of Islamic Theology provides us with many reasons for having trials, some of which include:
   1. The primary purpose of the human being is not happiness rather it is to know and worship God. This fulfilment of the divine purpose will result in everlasting bliss and happiness. So if this is our primary purpose other aspects of human experience our secondary. The Qur’an, the book of the Muslims states: “I did not create either jinn or man except to worship Me.” [Qur’an 51:56-57]

   2. God also created us for a test, and part of this test is to be tested with suffering and evil. The Qur’an mentions “The One Who created death and life, so that He may put you to test, to find out which of you is best in deeds: He is the all-Almighty, the all-Forgiving” [Qur’an 67: 2]

   We are bound to be tested and pushed to our limits, each of us to our own level. When Maryam was delivering her son all alone, she said, “Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight!” (19:23) The tafseer mentions that Maryam (alayha salaam) was not only in physical pain and solitude, but also experiencing the pain of ostracism and isolation that occurs when you are telling the truth but no one believes you. She spoke these words at a time when she had already been given the good news of being chosen above all women and that her son would be a Prophet of Allāh. This reminds us that even the best people, whom Allāh has clearly chosen, are still human. Everyone’s patience and steadfastness is pushed to the limit at one time or another. Everyone reaches a point where they contemplate just giving up, but that doesn’t mean that it’s all over. You must always put your trust in Allāh and keep going. Remember, these are words said by Maryam, the best woman to walk on the earth! This shows us that being patient doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t ever become overwhelmed, or won’t ever complain, but patience is when you do get overwhelmed and still keep going, and only complain to Allāh. (12:85) Sabr does not mean that you are happy with the decree of Allāh, sabr means that you accept the decree of Allāh even if you don’t understand it.

   3. Having hardship and suffering enables us to realise and know God’s attributes such as ‘the Victorious’ and ‘the Healer’. For example without the pain and suffering of illness we would not appreciate the attribute of God being ‘the Healer’. Knowing God and revering Him is a greater good, and worth the experience of suffering or pain as it will mean the fulfilment of our primary purpose.

   Trials help us to acknowledge, appreciate and firmly believe in some of the Divine attributes of Allah.
   When we suffer and we supplicate to Allah and He removes our suffering then the attributes of Allah are manifested to us, such as; God is the Answerer, Helper, Patron, Healer, Acceptor of repentance, Forgiver and the Curer.

   “And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?” (15:56) Never, ever, dear believer, lose hope in the Mercy of Allāh. After Ya’qub (alayhi salaam) tells his sons that he only complains to Allāh, he says in the next āyah, “And never give up hope of Allāh’s Mercy. Certainly no one despairs of Allah’s Mercy except the people who disbelieve.” (12:87) Only the disbelievers despair in the Mercy of Allāh because they are not aware of His Wisdom, His Knowledge, His Most Beautiful Names and Attributes, and that His Mercy extends to all things.

   4. God has given us free will, and limited free will includes choosing between good and evil acts. Thus generally human sufferings are the divine legislated consequences of their own actions.
   Repent from your sins if you are faced with a calamity because you never know if this calamity you’re facing is a result of your own sins. One of the salaf said, “I disobey Allāh to find its effect in the way my animal behaves and my wife [treats me].” Ibn Zayd said, “Sins overcome the hearts until no good can get through to them.”

   5. People can also suffer from past, present or future sins. God has knowledge of everything which is not contingent on time. Please refer to the story of Khidr in the Qur’an where it mentions Khidr’s reply to Prophet Moses “All this was done as a mercy from your Lord. What I did was not done by my own will. That is the interpretation of those actions which you could not bear to watch with patience.”[Qur’an 18:82]

   6. Suffering allows 2nd order good. 1st order good is physical pleasure and happiness and 1st order evil is physical pain and sadness. 2nd order goodness is elevated goodness such as courage, perseverance & tolerance and can only happen if suffering or evil exist.

   “And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.” [26:80]
   Aishah reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah about pestilence and he said, “It is a punishment which Allah sends upon whomsoever He wills, but Allah has made it as a mercy to the believers. Anyone who remains in a town which is plagued with pestilence maintaining patience expecting the reward from Allah, and knowing that nothing will befall him other than what Allah has foreordained for him, he would receive a reward of martyrdom.” [Bukhāri]
   So in the hadith of Aisha there is proof for the virtue of being patient and expecting (reward from Allāh), and that if a human being makes himself patient and remains in the land in which the plague has befallen and then he dies from it, Allāh will write for him the equivalent of the reward of a shaheed. And that is from the blessing of Allāh, Glorified and Exalted.
   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 (as) is mentioned in the Qur’an as a Prophet who was very patient. Good people sometimes suffer but their sufferings heal others and bring goodness to their communities. People learn lessons from their good examples.
   “And [mention] Ayyub, when he called to his Lord, “Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” [21:83]

   O Allāh, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men.
   O Allāh, it is Your mercy that I hope for, so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye, and rectify for me all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshiped except You.

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