An Islamic Perspective Of Sufferings in the World.
Introduction
Suffering is a universal phenomenon which means we all, at some point in our lives, experience sufferings. Sufferings are any unpleasant experiences that we have in certain situations. Be its illness, depression, unrest, natural calamity, emergency or fiasco, it counts as sufferings. Real sufferings and the idea of an all-loving, infinitely merciful God is hard to grasp for many people. This idea of sufferings is pertained as the problem of evil. This problem of evil is often presented as the justification of atheism today. If God is all-loving, why there are sufferings in the world? In a contemporary study, Americans were asked, “If you could ask God only one question, and you knew He would give you an answer, what would you ask?” The most common question was, “Why is there pain and suffering in the world?”[1] Does God like torturing us? (Is he sadist?). Is there any meaning behind these sufferings? This paper presents the case of Muslim theodicy.
[1] Lee Strobel, The Case for Faith (Michigan: Zondervan, 2000)
Quran about Sufferings
Quran is quite explicit about sufferings in the world. Allah says in the Quran:
"Verily, we shall put you to test with some fear and hunger, and with some loss of wealth, lives, and offspring. And (O Muhammad) convey good tidings to those who are patient, who say, when inflicted by hardship, “Verily we are of God and verily to Him shall we return;” upon them is the blessings of Allah and His mercy.” (2:155)
As Quran describes sufferings from God as a test, it becomes clear that there is a higher purpose affixed with sufferings. Otherwise, why Allah would take a test aimlessly? No teacher ever conducts an exam without the purpose of evaluation. Then how the creator can do something randomly with no objective? Whatever we do, there is a purpose of it. Even the activities that we consider a waste of time, like using social media, gaming and streaming etc. has an entertainment purpose.
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This very notion indicates that our creator does everything with a purpose because logically God cannot give us something if he himself doesn’t possess that.
From an Islamic perspective, our salvation is in being close to the Almighty. Thus, any sufferings that bring you closer to your lord, aren’t sufferings rather blessings. If God makes you go through a little trial and tribulation and that trial eventually takes you closer to Allah which can lead you to the heaven for an eternal life of joy and bliss. Is it something bad happened to you? Definitely Not!
Many atheists argue that what about floods, earthquakes and wars that inflict sufferings to a greater degree, and even innocents are tormented? Isn’t it unfair on God’s part to punish those who did nothing wrong? As Muslims, we believe in an all-knowing God. This very impression of an all-knowing God requires us to believe in his wisdom for what he does. God, based on his knowledge, knows what the innocents are going to do later in their lives. These infants can become thieves, robbers or terrorists once reaching a certain age. These vicious acts can lead them to hellfire because of their vulnerability to the environment they are living in. If God, in a forfeit, casts death upon those innocents and rewards them paradise for eternity, would that still be an oppression? Again No! Thus, what apparently seems agonizing can be a blessing from God. Muslims are theodicists who try to understand God’s wisdom in allowing evil to exist.
In the words of famous Sunni theologian Ibn al-Qayyim, the case of theodicy is
“Evil, as an independent phenomenon whereby no dimension of good is involved, has no existence in the world. There is nothing in our existence that can be called pure evil, because every evil in this world is good from one angle or another. For example, sickness harms the body from one angle while from other angles tests patience, evokes resilience and may even strengthen immunity. Most disliked things are usually this way; never void of some benefit or another for the human being.”[1]
[1] Ibn al-Qayyim, Shifā’ al-‘Alīl fī Masā’il al-Qaḍā’i wal-Qadari wal-Ḥikmati wat-Ta‘līl (Cairo: Dar at-Turath, 1978), pp. 380-413.
Quran further says:
“Do people think once they say, “We believe,” that they will be left without being put to test?
We certainly tested those before them. And in this way, Allah will clearly distinguish between those who are truthful and those who are liars.”[1]
These verses of Surah Al-Ankabut refer to a test that distinguishes believers from disbelievers, patients from impetuous and truthful from liars. Considering life a test, is there any other way to judge people? The case of Muslim theodicy argues that Allah judges’ people based on their actions. The greater the good deeds, the more elevated the levels.
Sufferings and the Purpose of Life
The Qur’an and Sunnah do not simply claim that the existence of evil can be rationally reconciled with the existence of an All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Most-Compassionate God. They also affirm that there is discernible wisdom behind what may appear to be evil, and hence Sunni theodicy involves “reason guided by revelation.”[1]
Sufferings serve a greater purpose in life. The purpose of this life, as described by the Quran is:
“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship me.”[1]
[1] Chapter (51) sūrat l-dhāriyāt (The Wind that Scatter) Verse 56
God’s wisdom necessitates that there is meaning behind every evil that God allows to exist. This leads to an inference that sufferings must serve a greater purpose in human life to accomplish its ultimate goal (Worshipping Allah). God allows evil to exist, sufferings to prevail for various reasons some of which can be reconciled with the purpose of life. Some reasons are;
Rewards and Punishments: God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. This, for the righteous is a motive for righteousness and a stern warning for the wicked ones as a sign of severe punishments that’s coming their way if they don’t refrain from doing evil deeds.
Correction: Sometimes, sufferings are inflicted to correct someone. Just like certain laws are to be followed no matter what, God afflicts sufferings to discipline and correct humans. Can any country or institution operate without Laws? If not, then why there shouldn’t be a set of rules and regulations from God for the universe?
Sins: Most of the time, the hardships we go through and the sufferings are caused by our own vicious actions. As Quran describes this as;
“Whatever affliction befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned, and yet He overlooks many (of the wrongs you do).[1]
Allah does overlook many of the notorious acts humans do. Had he not overlooked our sins, we would have ceased to exist since we all sin at some point.
The Problem of Reductionist Approach
As understood by Christians and Jews, God is all-loving, all-powerful and all-good. Atheists assume that the monotheistic religions have the same understanding of God; the Christian and Jews God is same as Muslims God. This reductionist approach clearly overlooks the crucial attribute of God that is wisdom. One of the 99 attributes of God, one is Al-Hakim (the most wise). Believing in the wisest God necessitates finding wisdom in God’s plan. This reductionist approach causes problem to understand God’s attributes when one of his attributes is considered to outweigh the others. God’s mercy doesn’t outweigh his justice surely. Imagine if a judge releases someone guilty, out of his mercy, would we call that judge a good judge?
One of the attributes of God is Al-Alim (All-knowing) meaning God’s knowledge encompasses of past, present and future. This leads to another inference that we cannot understand the wisdom of God in its fullest sense since we don’t have the knowledge of past and future. In fact, we have little knowledge of our present. As angels asked God at the time of creation. As Quran describes;
“[Remember] when your lord said to the angels “I am going to place a vicegerent on earth” They asked [Allah], “Will you place someone who will spread corruption there and shed blood while we glorify your praises and proclaim your holiness?” Allah responded “I know what, which you know not”[1]
Had the God not stated this capacity of mankind having the power to cause corruption and bloodshed way before his creation, he could be called sadist. But since angels know that the way Adam is created and the authority he has been given, surely there would be wrong use of power from the children of Adam.
The emphasis on God’s Knowledge and Wisdom cannot be overlooked when discussing “evil” in any of its forms, as one finds when closely studying the Qur’an. In the story of Mūsá (Moses) and al-Khiḍr, for example, the “prima facie evil” acts of Khiḍr—sinking a boat, killing a boy—are problematic for Mūsá as both his knowledge and wisdom in that scenario are limited.[1]
If a doctor is operating someone when apparently he is not dressed like a doctor, would people believe he is doing this right? A tree would never know the reason why gardener cuts it, plough it and sometimes waters it. So the divine wisdom in its completeness cannot be comprehended.
Unlike the never ending debate of free will and determinism, we intuitively believe in free will. We believe in freedom of choice. From a Quranic perspective, we have free will as well.
Quran says:
“And [we have] shown them two ways, of right and wrong.”[1]
Evil is the byproduct of free will and that’s the reason why angels asked
“Will you place someone who will spread corruption there and shed blood while we glorify your praises and proclaim your holiness?” Allah responded “I know what, which you know not” Since angels knew humans would use their free will to oppress others, taking others rights by force, inflicting wars and sufferings on others through their actions.
Now imagine a world free of any sufferings and evil. We won’t have any choice either. Logically, it’s evident if we had only one option to opt, we would have no choice at all. How our actions will be rendered good if there is no evil? One of the objections about the problem of evil is that why God doesn’t stop evil by interfering? Now if God stops evil by force, how would we exercise freedom of choice? From an Islamic perspective (that life is a test), the whole test becomes meaningless with the direct intervention from God.
With the direct intervention from God, to prevent the every evil actions, the free will becomes bound. If free will excludes the ability to commit harm, then human beings would not be able to perform good by choice, which is a primary objective of human existence.[1]
In the words of prominent Islamic scholar Abul Ala Maududi, the actions cannot be rendered as good or bad in its objectivity rather it’s the intention that makes an act good or evil. He argues that there is no way we can declare something good or evil. Consider the example; a person happens to find a lost wallet and picks it up? Is it a good or a bad act? It’s neither good nor bad. But if the person intends to return it to its owner, it’s a good act, but if he intends to keep all the money for himself, it’s a bad act.[2] This choice is pertained as our free will. If it’s God who decides what to do? How would we be judged on such actions? The entire concept of the life hereafter collapses. How God can punish us for the acts we never did intentionally? How would he reward us for our actions that were not by choice?
[2] The Context is taken from risalah “Masla Jabr o Qadr” by Maududi
Conclusion
Problems and sufferings are real. But there is a wisdom behinds Gods action to allow evil to exist. Furthermore, it’s essential that God gives us free will if he hold us accountable for our actions and would reward or punish us for our these actions. The case of Muslim theodicy, believes in Gods wisdom in allowing evil to exist rather than blaming God being a sadist. Muslims don’t believe that God tortures us willfully or intentionally since there is nothing can be added in Gods attributes by punishing us. Would he be exalted more if he tortures us? Would he be praised more if he inflicts more sufferings on us? No! Some of the sufferings make part of the test of this worldly life. Some are our own earned through our action and some are afflicted on us to amend our ways to turn to the right path.
References
[1] Lee Strobel, the Case for Faith (Michigan: Zondervan, 2000)
2 Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 155
3 Ibn al-Qayyim, Shifā’ al-‘Alīl fī Masā’il al-Qaḍā’i wal-Qadari wal-Ḥikmati wat-Ta‘līl (Cairo: Dar at-Turath, 1978), pp. 380-413.
