In this article, I have used some classical topics in philosophy for the development of my conclusion. In my efforts to escape exhaustive details, I have only used basic definitions to keep this article short.
a. “The Problem of Evil” in the venue of atheism
“The Problem of EVIL” is the question that most atheists jubilantly expose to disprove the existence of God. In fact, some of them claim, it is the strongest argument that help keeping their disbelief in the existence of God. They somewhat feel proud in exposing “The Problem of EVIL” because apparently this argument has the power to utterly devastate the logic of some poorly educated people who are emotionally inclined to God whereas it can create a profound misperception in many impassive believers. In many low level debates, atheists sometime get unprecedented victory over their theist counterparts with the help of this argument.
So why is this? Why “The Problem of EVIL” has a potential to place human cognition in a bewildering state? Let us analyse this problem in the environment of atheism.
Although there are few versions of “The Problem of EVIL,” I have chosen the argument, which Dr Bruce Russell of Wayne University has developed. There is no certain criteria behind this choice because all versions give similar conclusions “there is no God.” The premises of this argument go like this:
1. If God exist He would not allow excessive unnecessary suffering
2. But there is excessive unnecessary suffering
3. So God does not exist
The word “Unnecessary” counter argue the justification that ratification of EVIL is the necessity to bring greater good or prevent from greater EVIL for the reason that life is full of “Unnecessary” EVIL the purpose of which is to harm people for the sake of harm only whereas “Excessive” shows that there exists way more EVIL than what is the necessity.
Although Dr Russell failed to provide flawless benchmarks for these two terms but I will not argue against “Unnecessary” and “Excessive” as discussion over Kinds of Evil is not the purpose of this article.
Most religions have misconceptions that Sufferings and Deaths are the pure consequences of human sins and God has nothing to do with that. In fact, I will talk otherwise and prove that behind every suffering and Death there is a Will of God. No suffering and Death occur without the permission of God. Check out the following verse from Quran to have a little taste of this fact.
“With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knoweth but He. He knoweth whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. NOT A LEAF DOTH FALL BUT WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is (inscribed) in a record clear (to those who can read).”
Al An'am (6)
-Verse 59-
“The Problem of EVIL” is intuitively obvious on its face and the premises of Dr Russell make the conclusion uncompromising. However, in reality, “The Problem of EVIL” is a self-contradicting argument due to the lack of rational essence in the context of atheism.
While developing his premises, Dr Russell totally undermined “The Theory of Evolution.”
Atheists use “The Theory of Evolution” to show that there is no need of any god to exist.
As a side note, simply keep in mind that “The Theory of Evolution” is not open to examination, experiment, or experience. It simply cannot, as it is not an observable and testable phenomenon in the world of science.
From atheistic perspective, humans are the product of random genetic mutations. Secular humanism preaches that the human species came to be by reproducing successive generations in a progression of unguided evolution as an integral expression of nature, which is self-existing. Thus, random evolution is the deriving agent of the human behaviour.
So here my question is:
If the evolved genes are the sole controlling agents that control all aspects of human behavioural-propensities then how “The Problem of EVIL” fits in “The Theory of Evolution” since, in reality, “The Problem of EVIL” is not a rational argument rather it is an emotional argument.
“The Problem of EVIL” under the hood of “The Theory of Evolution” is a duplicitous argument. It is no more than a hypocrisy because “Natural Selection” works like a machine that does not care about GOOD or EVIL. It only cares for the fittest and terminates everything else. It is not an honest assessment of things. Morality is an artificial construct in this realm.
However, atheists use “The Problem of EVIL” quiet successfully because the feeling of EVIL is the innate feature that is common in all human beings.
b. “The Problem of Evil” from the Sceptic Standpoint
For the sake of argument if I agree that “The Theory of Evolution” is true and natural selection, picks the fittest as well as God cannot exist because of the existence of EVIL then all these assumptions eradicate any chance to establish a point of reference for the EVIL. EVIL utterly loses its meaning. Without having counter values, it is impossible to find right principles. To find and judge EVIL, ABSOLUTE GOOD is the necessity.
Furthermore, if human existence occurred out of a random chance then anything that exists by chance has no intended purpose. In this sense, life or human existence has no real meaning or purpose. Nevertheless, futility is a depressing feeling because man has an Ego. He reasons and speaks, he objectifies, he says 'I' and he means it. Thus, he does not parrot the word 'I'; uttering 'I' he expresses self-awareness. Man has a world, not merely an environment. Man envisages a Higher Life, a higher destiny, whether within history or beyond it. And then he puzzles himself over whether this is a mere fancy, a delusion, or whether it presages the genuine possibility of a higher life. This ego forces man to associate a meaning or purpose to his life so to justify his existence.
However, in the absence of God, the supra-sensory ground and goal, of all reality, is dead; if the supra-sensory world of the Ideas has suffered the loss of its obligatory, and above it, its vitalizing and up-building power, then nothing more remains to which man can cling, and by which he can orient himself.
Achievement of ultimate happiness in the infinitesimal human life is impossible for the reason that people lack meaning of life because they are invariably dissatisfied; either they have not yet obtained what they seek, or they have obtained it and are bored.
If there were no God and no afterlife in which to receive reward or punishment, then life would be (to quote Shakespeare) “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Just as belief in the intelligibility of the world is presupposed by our quest for understanding, the meaningfulness of life is presupposed in living a life. We have to believe that life is not absurd, that it is not a tale told by an idiot, that it makes sense, in order to keep on with the struggles of life.
“The Problem of EVIL” and Islam:
c. Short human life:
“Everything that has a beginning has an end.” It is a famous phrase from the movie Matrix. Some people think that this phrase is the saying of Buddha.
Not to worry about who said that but the main idea behind it is that nature generate things, sustain them for a period, and then destroy them. There is nothing in the universe that can be considered as eternal.
Man lives a minuscule life in the unknown expanse of time. When he is 10 or below he is known as child. Over 65 he is known as senior or old. Therefore, in general and without exceptions, the brightest and most vivid part of human life is around 50 years long. However, almost half of this time people spend in their sound sleep.
“Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and leads it through springs in the earth? Then He causes to grow, therewith, produce of various colours: then it withers; thou wilt see it grow yellow; then He makes it dry up and crumble away. Truly, in this, is a Message of remembrance to men of understanding.”
Az-Zumar (39)
-Verse 21-
In this insignificant period of their lives, most people are ambitious and full of dreams. Most people, in fact, are so immersed in the pleasures of their infinitesimal lives that when someone comes to tell them “hey you need to know what’s behind the door” they usually say, “We are very busy in having some good time and we do not even CARE what is behind the door. Please do not bother us.”
“Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children, as the likeness of vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers, evil-doers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers, good-doers), WHEREAS THE LIFE OF THIS WORLD IS ONLY A DECEIVING ENJOYMENT.”
Al Hadiid (57)
-Verse 20-
d. Death in Islam:
Suppose we cannot formulate a satisfactory analysis of the concept of death: in this respect, death would be mysterious, but no more so than any other concept that defies analysis. Some have said that what makes death especially mysterious and frightening is the fact that we cannot know what it will be like. However, Quran is specific about Death.
“And verily, it is We Who give life, and Who give death: it is We Who remain inheritors (after all else passes away).”
Al Hijr (15)
-Verse 23-
“And it is He Who gives life and causes death, and His is the alternation of night and day. Will you not then understand?”
Al Mu'minuun (23)
-Verse 80-
“Everyone shall taste the death. Then unto Us you shall be returned.”
Al 'Ankabuut (29)
-Verse 57-
“Verily, We it is Who give life and cause death; and to Us is the final return,”
Qaaf (50)
-Verse 43-
“And that it is He (Allah) Who causes death and gives life;”
An-Najm (53)
-Verse 44-
“We have decreed Death to be your common lot, and We are not to be frustrated”
Al Waaqi'ah (56)
-Verse 60-
“To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: It is He Who gives Life and Death; and He has Power over all things.”
Al Hadiid (57)
-Verse 2-
All above verses testify only one truth that the creation of Life and Death of Life are the acts of God alone.
e. Is Death an EVIL?
Many philosophers accept a materialist conception of people. They think that human bodies are merely material objects. People have souls and people never die, is clearly unacceptable to materialists of this sort.
The questions about the evil of death are more puzzling for materialists and others who accept the notion that the dead cannot experience pains or other misfortunes. How then can death harm us? If death cannot harm us, how can it be reasonable for us to fear death and to say Death is an EVIL? In materialist scenario, EVIL of pain and suffering exists only with the existence of life.
Despite the fact that materialist has no reason to be afraid of death, fear of death is a universal feeling in everyone. Why then there is a fear of death in everyone? How can materialist explain that fear?
The Dualist, who believe that our souls continue to live after our bodies die, has an easy reply to these questions. He can say that we do not cease to have experiences at death. If we go to hell, we will suffer eternal torment. Thus, death can harm us and (if we have been bad) it is quite reasonable for us to fear death. Our deaths will mark the beginning of the worst and longest period of misery we will ever experience.
“And the stupor of death will bring Truth (before his eyes): "This was the thing which thou wast trying to escape!"”
Qaaf (50)
-Verse 19-
“But never will they express their desire (for Death), because of the (deeds) their hands have sent on before them! and Allah knows well those that do wrong!”
Al Jumuah (62)
-Verse 7-
“Say: "The Death from which ye flee will truly overtake you: then will ye be sent back to the Knower of things secret and open: and He will tell you (the truth of) the things that ye did!"”
Al Jumuah (62)
-Verse 8-
f. Soul:
For the Greeks, the soul is what gives life to the body. Plato thought of it as a thing separate from the body. A human living on earth consists of two parts, soul and body. The soul is the essential part of the human - what makes me me. It is the part to, which the mental life of humans pertains - it is the soul, which THINKS and FEELS and CHOOSES. Soul and body interact. Bodily states often cause soul states, and soul states often cause bodily states. This view is known as substance dualism. It normally includes the view that the soul is simple, that it does not have parts. For any experience that I have, an auditory or visual sensation or thought, it happens to the whole me.
Descartes, in his Meditations, gave a famous argument, which must be the basis of any justification of substance dualism. He argues that I know infallibly that I exist as a thinking thing, but I do not know infallibly that I have a body; maybe that is all a dream. Hence the body is a separate thing from what is essential to me, namely my soul.
Descartes concluded, “Our soul is in its nature entirely independent of the body, and in consequence that it is not liable to die with it. And then, inasmuch as we observe no other causes capable of destroying it, we are naturally inclined to judge that it is immortal.”
g. Soul in Islamic philosophy:
The discussion of the human soul, its existence, nature, ultimate objective and eternity, occupies a highly important position in Islamic philosophy and forms its main focus.
Muslim philosophers recognized that the first issue that confronts the human mind with regard to the soul is its existence. That is why, at the very beginning of his inquiry about the soul in al-Shifa’ (Healing), Ibn Sina asserts that we infer the existence of the soul from the fact that we observe bodies that perform certain acts with some degree of WILL. These acts are exemplified in taking nourishment, growing, reproducing, moving and perceiving. Since these acts do not belong to the nature of bodies, for this nature is devoid of WILL, they must belong to a principle they have other than bodies. This principle is what is called ‘soul’.
Inasmuch as it has a certain relation to a body, the soul is a form for that body, that is, the perfection of that body. It is a form because a natural body is composed of matter and form, which in the case of animals are body and soul. Since it has been shown that the soul is the source of WILL and therefore is not matter, it remains a form.
“But He (God) fashioned him (Adam) in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His soul. And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding): little thanks do ye give!”
As Sajdah (32)
-Verse 9-
h. The Will:
As traditionally conceived, the WILL is the faculty of choice or decision, by which we determine which actions we shall perform. As a faculty of decision, the WILL is naturally seen as the point at which we exercise our freedom of action - our control of how we act. It is within our control or up to us which actions we perform only because we have a capacity to decide which actions we shall perform, and it is up to us, which such decisions, we take. We exercise our freedom of action through freely taken decisions about how we shall act.
Our ordinary intuition about freedom of action suggests it is up to us which actions we perform only because we are capable of taking decisions about how we shall act, and it is up to us which actions we decide to perform.
“It is We Who have placed you with authority on earth, and provided you therein with means for the fulfilment of your life: small are the thanks that ye give!”
Al A'raf (7)
-Verse 10-
“It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when ye knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections: that ye may give thanks (to Allah..”
An Nahl (16)
-Verse 78-
“As to those who hold fast by the Book and establish regular prayer (by their own WILL), - never shall We suffer the reward of the righteous to perish.”
Al A'raf (7)
-Verse 170-
i. Resurrection:
The theories about the origin of life are not within the limits of knowledge but rather in the limits of logic and metaphysics since life is evident in plants and animals but we have not managed to locate it physically in them.
Our only grounds for supposing something to be logically possible are that we can make sense of it; we can spell out what it would be like for it to be true. Our only grounds for supposing something to be logically impossible are that we can derive a contradiction from it. It does look as if each of us can tell a coherent story of losing our body and yet continuing to think, and it does not look as if there is an obvious contradiction involved.
Logically, nothingness cannot be expressed in any logical form because there is no way in which nothingness can be defined in terms of being. The universe can only function because it is not nothingness. Since pure nothingness is an impossibility, there never was a time when Being did not exist. In short, Being is eternal. Thus, Being possesses the divine attributes of necessity, eternity, omnipresence, and infinity. Consequently, Being is God Himself.
Philosophical speculation on the afterlife contains a great deal of debate on the coherence of competing thought experiments. It may appear that materialist accounts of person, according to which a person is his or her body, are ill-suited to lending any credibility to an afterlife scenario, but late twentieth century philosophers have challenged this conclusion. Some have argued that a physical object (such as a human body) can cease to exist and then be re-created. This process entails what has been called a “gap inclusive” or “intermittent” identity, for it posits an interval when a person temporarily ceases to exist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality
O mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We may manifest (our power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known (much), and (further), thou seest the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down rain on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs).
Al Hajj (22)
-Verse 5-
And He it is Who makes the Night as a Robe for you, and Sleep as Repose, and makes the Day (as it were) a Resurrection.
Al Furqaan (25)
-Verse 47-
And it is Allah Who sends the winds, so that they raise up the clouds, and We drive them to a dead land, and revive therewith the earth after its death. As such (will be) the Resurrection!
Faathir (35)
-Verse 9-
j. Purpose and meaning of human life:
Now someone may raise a question, what is the purpose and meaning of life, death, and resurrection?
Every single blood cell and every organ of human body has a purpose of its existence. All corporeal organs are the mean for human experiences of pains and pleasures. But what is the purpose of human being as a whole. Is the purpose of his intelligence and logic is to intensify his personal pleasures, comfort, and satisfaction? Is pleasure, comfort, and satisfaction the ultimate goal of minuscule human life or perhaps people are simply abusing their freedom by misusing their intelligence and logic for the fulfilment of their selfish desires?
Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between!
Al Anbiyaa' (21)
-Verse 16-
"Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?"
Al Mu'minuun (23)
-Verse 115-
“Not without purpose did We create heaven and earth and all between! That were the thought of Unbelievers! But woe to the Unbelievers because of the Fire (of Hell)!”
Shaad (38)
-Verse 27-
And We created not the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, for mere play,
Ad Dukhaan (44)
-Verse 38-
So what is the purpose of man?
Suppose there is no God then this conception makes human existence ultimately (as opposed to proximately) meaningless, purposeless, and valueless. But people have the sense that it is none of these. This sense gives them reason to seek God.
Some say that life has no meaning except the meaning that we, individually, give it. Thus, meaning does not come from God but comes, if it comes at all, from the wellsprings of one's own selfhood.
But how can some creatures raise themselves by their bootstraps into a conscious life?
Just as man cannot bootstrap himself into existence, i.e., cause his own existence (since that would require him to exist before he exist), he cannot bootstrap his existence into meaningfulness, i.e., bring it about that his existence has meaning. Just as he cannot exist before he exist, he cannot have meaning before he has meaning. He cannot be the source of his own meaning.
If the only meaning my existence has is the meaning I give it, then that I exist at all is meaningless.
The need for water 'proves' the existence of water. Perhaps the desire/need for Meaning 'proves' the existence of Meaning. The felt lack of meaning and its phenomenological absence is grounded in the natural (not artificial) need for Meaning, and this need would not exist if it were not for the extra mental reality of a source of Meaning with which we were once in contact, or the traces of which are buried deep within us. And this all men call God.
So the purpose of man is to praise, reverence, and serve God, by using his FREE WILL. All other things on the face of the earth are created for man in order to help him pursue the end for which he is created. It follows from this that one must use other created things, in so far as they help towards one's end, and free oneself from them, in so far as they are obstacles to one's end. To do this, man needs to make himself indifferent to all created things, provided the matter is subject to his free choice and there is no other prohibition. Thus, as far as he is concerned, he should not want health more than illness, wealth more than poverty, fame more than disgrace, a long life more than a short one, and similarly for all the rest, but he should desire and choose only what helps him more towards the end for which he is created.
Say: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds:
Al An'am (6)
-Verse 162-
"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah. for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.
Ar Ra'd (13)
-Verse 28-
And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).
Adz-Dzaariya (51)
-Verse 56-
k. Who had chosen the purpose of human life, Creator or creature?
Plato gives several arguments for the natural immortality of the soul. They include the argument that humans know many things and have many concepts, which they have not learned or acquired on earth. Hence, Plato argues, humans must have learned them in a previous existence. (Phaedo 73a-78a; Meno 81b-86b)
What this argument in fact assumes that we are, the sort of incorporeal things, which could pre-exist our conception and growth.
The argument to show that life is incompatible with death starts from the notion of the soul as the principle of life, and this is equated, in terms of the theory of Ideas, with the Form of Life. Now, life in the abstract is as incompatible with death as equality is with inequality. Life can never be overcome by Death. Thus, the conclusion is that the soul as the very Idea of Life is essentially deathless and eternal and, hence, “the immortal part” of us is not destroyed by death, for “our souls will exist somewhere in another world” (Phaedo 106E and 107A).
Most interestingly, Quran does not rejects any of these logical suggestions.
“When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"- They said: "Yea! We do testify!" (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: "Of this we were never mindful":”
Al A'raf (7)
-Verse 172-
“We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it; - He was indeed unjust and foolish;-“
Al Ahzab (33)
-Verse 72-
“They will say: "Our Lord! twice hast Thou made us without life, and twice hast Thou given us Life! Now have we recognised our sins: Is there any way out (of this ‘fire’)?”
Al Mu'min (40)
-Verse 11-
These verses give vibrant indication that before the births of humans on earth, a Covenant was made between their Souls and Their Creator. After the promises had been made those souls put to a deep sleep. Those souls then send to Earth in human bodies. Upon the deaths of those human bodies, those Souls go into a place of rest - a repository, and the Bodies slowly disintegrate. On the Day of Judgment, those Souls will get new human bodies.
One may ask; what is the purpose of these Births and Deaths?
“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;”
Al Mulk (67)
-Verse 2-
Why man is under a trial?
The answers lie within the understanding of the Existence of human Soul in the first Primordial Creation and more importantly the acceptance of the Primordial Covenant, which took place between the Souls and The Creator.
God has offered the trust that refers to responsibility and the acceptance of commands and prohibitions with their attendant conditions, which is that the one who fulfils this responsibility on Earth, will be rewarded; while the one who neglects it, will be punished.
Man agreed to this promise regardless of the fact that he is weak, ignorant and unjust. Man has accepted the obligations by the use of his Free Will without having any compulsion over him. Man has agreed to accept this dangerous undertaking because of intense selfish desire for having immortal pleasures of immortal life.
Human cognition is oblivious regarding pre-temporal existence however, that is the necessity of human trial because if human reminisce the pre-temporal life then that will put an end to the purpose of human intellect and human Free WILL, which are the main tools of human cognition and human deeds.
Because people forget the Day of Promises in this worldly life, God has throughout human history reminded people of the pre-temporal covenant through various prophets and their followers, including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and, last of all, Prophet Muhammad.
“They will cry out in Hell and say: “Our Lord, let us out so that we may act righteously, different from what we did before.” (They will be told): “DID WE NOT GRANT YOU AN AGE LONG ENOUGH FOR ANYONE TO TAKE HEED IF HE HAD WANTED TO TAKE HEED? BESIDES, THERE CAME A WARNER TO YOU. So have a taste of the torment now. None may come to the help of the wrong-doers.”
Faathir (35)
-Verse 37-
This implies every such age of life in which a person may be able to distinguish between good and evil, truth and falsehood, if he likes to, and turn to right guidance instead of deviation, if he wishes. One who has attained this age will certainly be held answerable for his actions.
l. Conclusion
Human virtues are not mere behavioural dispositions, of the kind found in the inanimate world. There are, no doubt, natural dispositions of patience, courage, kindness and the like-behavioural propensities we are born with, and that vary in strength from one individual to another. But these are not what we have in mind when we speak of moral virtue in the proper sense. True virtue has to be tested and refined. Someone with the virtue of patience must have tasted affliction and disappointment, and seen things through; the courageous person has to have endured danger and risk; the compassionate must have struggled with temptation, sorrow and hardship. The point of such experiences is not merely to strengthen our tendency to act rightly. Virtue is much more than an abiding behavioural propensity. It is a matter of practical wisdom. It requires that we know TRIAL and SUFFERING, and human weakness in the face of them, in the only way they truly can be known: through experience. Suffering, like sin, cannot be understood in the abstract. Only first-hand awareness of the world's pain enables us to comprehend fully the options for good and ill in the situations we face, to judge correctly what action is called for, and to perform it with an attitude of humble submission to God, and loving concern for others.
In Islam, the human sufferings of this present life are termed ‘a trial’ – a test, an evaluation and a validation to measure the success and strength of each human soul, its capacity to do good deeds. So, according to the Quran, all the negative events that we may have to go through in this life are actually TESTS AND TRIALS FROM GOD. If we pass the test by holding on to our faith and remaining patient, showing complete trust in God during the period of suffering, and we continue to do good deeds and avoid evil thoughts and actions, then the end result is that God grants us boundless rewards in the next life.
Quran says:
“Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? they encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Messenger and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of Allah." Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is (always) near!”
Al Baqarah (2)
-Verse 214-
“Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere,”
Al Baqarah (2)
-Verse 155-
“O you who believe! Allah will certainly make a trial of you with something in (the matter of) the game that is well within reach of your hands and your lances, that Allah may test who fears Him unseen. Then whoever transgresses thereafter, for him there is a painful torment.”
Al Maidah (5)
-Verse 94-
“And know ye that your possessions and your progeny are but a trial; and that it is Allah with Whom lies your highest reward.”
Al Anfaal (8)
-Verse 28-
“That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the earth, in order that We may test them - as to which of them are best in conduct.”
Al Kahfi (18)
-Verse 7-
“Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. to Us must ye return.”
Al Anbiyaa' (21)
-Verse 35-
Now, when trouble touches man, he cries to Us: But when We bestow a favour upon him as from Ourselves, he says, "This has been given to me because of a certain knowledge (I have)!" Nay, but this is but a trial, but most of them understand not!
Az-Zumar (39)
-Verse 49-
“Your riches and your children may be but a trial: but in the Presence of Allah, is the highest, Reward.”
At Taghaabun (64)
-Verse 15-
“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;-“
Al Mulk (67)
-Verse 2-
a. “The Problem of Evil” in the venue of atheism
“The Problem of EVIL” is the question that most atheists jubilantly expose to disprove the existence of God. In fact, some of them claim, it is the strongest argument that help keeping their disbelief in the existence of God. They somewhat feel proud in exposing “The Problem of EVIL” because apparently this argument has the power to utterly devastate the logic of some poorly educated people who are emotionally inclined to God whereas it can create a profound misperception in many impassive believers. In many low level debates, atheists sometime get unprecedented victory over their theist counterparts with the help of this argument.
So why is this? Why “The Problem of EVIL” has a potential to place human cognition in a bewildering state? Let us analyse this problem in the environment of atheism.
Although there are few versions of “The Problem of EVIL,” I have chosen the argument, which Dr Bruce Russell of Wayne University has developed. There is no certain criteria behind this choice because all versions give similar conclusions “there is no God.” The premises of this argument go like this:
1. If God exist He would not allow excessive unnecessary suffering
2. But there is excessive unnecessary suffering
3. So God does not exist
The word “Unnecessary” counter argue the justification that ratification of EVIL is the necessity to bring greater good or prevent from greater EVIL for the reason that life is full of “Unnecessary” EVIL the purpose of which is to harm people for the sake of harm only whereas “Excessive” shows that there exists way more EVIL than what is the necessity.
Although Dr Russell failed to provide flawless benchmarks for these two terms but I will not argue against “Unnecessary” and “Excessive” as discussion over Kinds of Evil is not the purpose of this article.
Most religions have misconceptions that Sufferings and Deaths are the pure consequences of human sins and God has nothing to do with that. In fact, I will talk otherwise and prove that behind every suffering and Death there is a Will of God. No suffering and Death occur without the permission of God. Check out the following verse from Quran to have a little taste of this fact.
“With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knoweth but He. He knoweth whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. NOT A LEAF DOTH FALL BUT WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is (inscribed) in a record clear (to those who can read).”
Al An'am (6)
-Verse 59-
“The Problem of EVIL” is intuitively obvious on its face and the premises of Dr Russell make the conclusion uncompromising. However, in reality, “The Problem of EVIL” is a self-contradicting argument due to the lack of rational essence in the context of atheism.
While developing his premises, Dr Russell totally undermined “The Theory of Evolution.”
Atheists use “The Theory of Evolution” to show that there is no need of any god to exist.
As a side note, simply keep in mind that “The Theory of Evolution” is not open to examination, experiment, or experience. It simply cannot, as it is not an observable and testable phenomenon in the world of science.
From atheistic perspective, humans are the product of random genetic mutations. Secular humanism preaches that the human species came to be by reproducing successive generations in a progression of unguided evolution as an integral expression of nature, which is self-existing. Thus, random evolution is the deriving agent of the human behaviour.
So here my question is:
If the evolved genes are the sole controlling agents that control all aspects of human behavioural-propensities then how “The Problem of EVIL” fits in “The Theory of Evolution” since, in reality, “The Problem of EVIL” is not a rational argument rather it is an emotional argument.
“The Problem of EVIL” under the hood of “The Theory of Evolution” is a duplicitous argument. It is no more than a hypocrisy because “Natural Selection” works like a machine that does not care about GOOD or EVIL. It only cares for the fittest and terminates everything else. It is not an honest assessment of things. Morality is an artificial construct in this realm.
However, atheists use “The Problem of EVIL” quiet successfully because the feeling of EVIL is the innate feature that is common in all human beings.
b. “The Problem of Evil” from the Sceptic Standpoint
For the sake of argument if I agree that “The Theory of Evolution” is true and natural selection, picks the fittest as well as God cannot exist because of the existence of EVIL then all these assumptions eradicate any chance to establish a point of reference for the EVIL. EVIL utterly loses its meaning. Without having counter values, it is impossible to find right principles. To find and judge EVIL, ABSOLUTE GOOD is the necessity.
Furthermore, if human existence occurred out of a random chance then anything that exists by chance has no intended purpose. In this sense, life or human existence has no real meaning or purpose. Nevertheless, futility is a depressing feeling because man has an Ego. He reasons and speaks, he objectifies, he says 'I' and he means it. Thus, he does not parrot the word 'I'; uttering 'I' he expresses self-awareness. Man has a world, not merely an environment. Man envisages a Higher Life, a higher destiny, whether within history or beyond it. And then he puzzles himself over whether this is a mere fancy, a delusion, or whether it presages the genuine possibility of a higher life. This ego forces man to associate a meaning or purpose to his life so to justify his existence.
However, in the absence of God, the supra-sensory ground and goal, of all reality, is dead; if the supra-sensory world of the Ideas has suffered the loss of its obligatory, and above it, its vitalizing and up-building power, then nothing more remains to which man can cling, and by which he can orient himself.
Achievement of ultimate happiness in the infinitesimal human life is impossible for the reason that people lack meaning of life because they are invariably dissatisfied; either they have not yet obtained what they seek, or they have obtained it and are bored.
If there were no God and no afterlife in which to receive reward or punishment, then life would be (to quote Shakespeare) “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Just as belief in the intelligibility of the world is presupposed by our quest for understanding, the meaningfulness of life is presupposed in living a life. We have to believe that life is not absurd, that it is not a tale told by an idiot, that it makes sense, in order to keep on with the struggles of life.
“The Problem of EVIL” and Islam:
c. Short human life:
“Everything that has a beginning has an end.” It is a famous phrase from the movie Matrix. Some people think that this phrase is the saying of Buddha.
Not to worry about who said that but the main idea behind it is that nature generate things, sustain them for a period, and then destroy them. There is nothing in the universe that can be considered as eternal.
Man lives a minuscule life in the unknown expanse of time. When he is 10 or below he is known as child. Over 65 he is known as senior or old. Therefore, in general and without exceptions, the brightest and most vivid part of human life is around 50 years long. However, almost half of this time people spend in their sound sleep.
“Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and leads it through springs in the earth? Then He causes to grow, therewith, produce of various colours: then it withers; thou wilt see it grow yellow; then He makes it dry up and crumble away. Truly, in this, is a Message of remembrance to men of understanding.”
Az-Zumar (39)
-Verse 21-
In this insignificant period of their lives, most people are ambitious and full of dreams. Most people, in fact, are so immersed in the pleasures of their infinitesimal lives that when someone comes to tell them “hey you need to know what’s behind the door” they usually say, “We are very busy in having some good time and we do not even CARE what is behind the door. Please do not bother us.”
“Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children, as the likeness of vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers, evil-doers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers, good-doers), WHEREAS THE LIFE OF THIS WORLD IS ONLY A DECEIVING ENJOYMENT.”
Al Hadiid (57)
-Verse 20-
d. Death in Islam:
Suppose we cannot formulate a satisfactory analysis of the concept of death: in this respect, death would be mysterious, but no more so than any other concept that defies analysis. Some have said that what makes death especially mysterious and frightening is the fact that we cannot know what it will be like. However, Quran is specific about Death.
“And verily, it is We Who give life, and Who give death: it is We Who remain inheritors (after all else passes away).”
Al Hijr (15)
-Verse 23-
“And it is He Who gives life and causes death, and His is the alternation of night and day. Will you not then understand?”
Al Mu'minuun (23)
-Verse 80-
“Everyone shall taste the death. Then unto Us you shall be returned.”
Al 'Ankabuut (29)
-Verse 57-
“Verily, We it is Who give life and cause death; and to Us is the final return,”
Qaaf (50)
-Verse 43-
“And that it is He (Allah) Who causes death and gives life;”
An-Najm (53)
-Verse 44-
“We have decreed Death to be your common lot, and We are not to be frustrated”
Al Waaqi'ah (56)
-Verse 60-
“To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: It is He Who gives Life and Death; and He has Power over all things.”
Al Hadiid (57)
-Verse 2-
All above verses testify only one truth that the creation of Life and Death of Life are the acts of God alone.
e. Is Death an EVIL?
Many philosophers accept a materialist conception of people. They think that human bodies are merely material objects. People have souls and people never die, is clearly unacceptable to materialists of this sort.
The questions about the evil of death are more puzzling for materialists and others who accept the notion that the dead cannot experience pains or other misfortunes. How then can death harm us? If death cannot harm us, how can it be reasonable for us to fear death and to say Death is an EVIL? In materialist scenario, EVIL of pain and suffering exists only with the existence of life.
Despite the fact that materialist has no reason to be afraid of death, fear of death is a universal feeling in everyone. Why then there is a fear of death in everyone? How can materialist explain that fear?
The Dualist, who believe that our souls continue to live after our bodies die, has an easy reply to these questions. He can say that we do not cease to have experiences at death. If we go to hell, we will suffer eternal torment. Thus, death can harm us and (if we have been bad) it is quite reasonable for us to fear death. Our deaths will mark the beginning of the worst and longest period of misery we will ever experience.
“And the stupor of death will bring Truth (before his eyes): "This was the thing which thou wast trying to escape!"”
Qaaf (50)
-Verse 19-
“But never will they express their desire (for Death), because of the (deeds) their hands have sent on before them! and Allah knows well those that do wrong!”
Al Jumuah (62)
-Verse 7-
“Say: "The Death from which ye flee will truly overtake you: then will ye be sent back to the Knower of things secret and open: and He will tell you (the truth of) the things that ye did!"”
Al Jumuah (62)
-Verse 8-
f. Soul:
For the Greeks, the soul is what gives life to the body. Plato thought of it as a thing separate from the body. A human living on earth consists of two parts, soul and body. The soul is the essential part of the human - what makes me me. It is the part to, which the mental life of humans pertains - it is the soul, which THINKS and FEELS and CHOOSES. Soul and body interact. Bodily states often cause soul states, and soul states often cause bodily states. This view is known as substance dualism. It normally includes the view that the soul is simple, that it does not have parts. For any experience that I have, an auditory or visual sensation or thought, it happens to the whole me.
Descartes, in his Meditations, gave a famous argument, which must be the basis of any justification of substance dualism. He argues that I know infallibly that I exist as a thinking thing, but I do not know infallibly that I have a body; maybe that is all a dream. Hence the body is a separate thing from what is essential to me, namely my soul.
Descartes concluded, “Our soul is in its nature entirely independent of the body, and in consequence that it is not liable to die with it. And then, inasmuch as we observe no other causes capable of destroying it, we are naturally inclined to judge that it is immortal.”
g. Soul in Islamic philosophy:
The discussion of the human soul, its existence, nature, ultimate objective and eternity, occupies a highly important position in Islamic philosophy and forms its main focus.
Muslim philosophers recognized that the first issue that confronts the human mind with regard to the soul is its existence. That is why, at the very beginning of his inquiry about the soul in al-Shifa’ (Healing), Ibn Sina asserts that we infer the existence of the soul from the fact that we observe bodies that perform certain acts with some degree of WILL. These acts are exemplified in taking nourishment, growing, reproducing, moving and perceiving. Since these acts do not belong to the nature of bodies, for this nature is devoid of WILL, they must belong to a principle they have other than bodies. This principle is what is called ‘soul’.
Inasmuch as it has a certain relation to a body, the soul is a form for that body, that is, the perfection of that body. It is a form because a natural body is composed of matter and form, which in the case of animals are body and soul. Since it has been shown that the soul is the source of WILL and therefore is not matter, it remains a form.
“But He (God) fashioned him (Adam) in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His soul. And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding): little thanks do ye give!”
As Sajdah (32)
-Verse 9-
h. The Will:
As traditionally conceived, the WILL is the faculty of choice or decision, by which we determine which actions we shall perform. As a faculty of decision, the WILL is naturally seen as the point at which we exercise our freedom of action - our control of how we act. It is within our control or up to us which actions we perform only because we have a capacity to decide which actions we shall perform, and it is up to us, which such decisions, we take. We exercise our freedom of action through freely taken decisions about how we shall act.
Our ordinary intuition about freedom of action suggests it is up to us which actions we perform only because we are capable of taking decisions about how we shall act, and it is up to us which actions we decide to perform.
“It is We Who have placed you with authority on earth, and provided you therein with means for the fulfilment of your life: small are the thanks that ye give!”
Al A'raf (7)
-Verse 10-
“It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when ye knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections: that ye may give thanks (to Allah..”
An Nahl (16)
-Verse 78-
“As to those who hold fast by the Book and establish regular prayer (by their own WILL), - never shall We suffer the reward of the righteous to perish.”
Al A'raf (7)
-Verse 170-
i. Resurrection:
The theories about the origin of life are not within the limits of knowledge but rather in the limits of logic and metaphysics since life is evident in plants and animals but we have not managed to locate it physically in them.
Our only grounds for supposing something to be logically possible are that we can make sense of it; we can spell out what it would be like for it to be true. Our only grounds for supposing something to be logically impossible are that we can derive a contradiction from it. It does look as if each of us can tell a coherent story of losing our body and yet continuing to think, and it does not look as if there is an obvious contradiction involved.
Logically, nothingness cannot be expressed in any logical form because there is no way in which nothingness can be defined in terms of being. The universe can only function because it is not nothingness. Since pure nothingness is an impossibility, there never was a time when Being did not exist. In short, Being is eternal. Thus, Being possesses the divine attributes of necessity, eternity, omnipresence, and infinity. Consequently, Being is God Himself.
Philosophical speculation on the afterlife contains a great deal of debate on the coherence of competing thought experiments. It may appear that materialist accounts of person, according to which a person is his or her body, are ill-suited to lending any credibility to an afterlife scenario, but late twentieth century philosophers have challenged this conclusion. Some have argued that a physical object (such as a human body) can cease to exist and then be re-created. This process entails what has been called a “gap inclusive” or “intermittent” identity, for it posits an interval when a person temporarily ceases to exist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality
O mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We may manifest (our power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known (much), and (further), thou seest the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down rain on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs).
Al Hajj (22)
-Verse 5-
And He it is Who makes the Night as a Robe for you, and Sleep as Repose, and makes the Day (as it were) a Resurrection.
Al Furqaan (25)
-Verse 47-
And it is Allah Who sends the winds, so that they raise up the clouds, and We drive them to a dead land, and revive therewith the earth after its death. As such (will be) the Resurrection!
Faathir (35)
-Verse 9-
j. Purpose and meaning of human life:
Now someone may raise a question, what is the purpose and meaning of life, death, and resurrection?
Every single blood cell and every organ of human body has a purpose of its existence. All corporeal organs are the mean for human experiences of pains and pleasures. But what is the purpose of human being as a whole. Is the purpose of his intelligence and logic is to intensify his personal pleasures, comfort, and satisfaction? Is pleasure, comfort, and satisfaction the ultimate goal of minuscule human life or perhaps people are simply abusing their freedom by misusing their intelligence and logic for the fulfilment of their selfish desires?
Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between!
Al Anbiyaa' (21)
-Verse 16-
"Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?"
Al Mu'minuun (23)
-Verse 115-
“Not without purpose did We create heaven and earth and all between! That were the thought of Unbelievers! But woe to the Unbelievers because of the Fire (of Hell)!”
Shaad (38)
-Verse 27-
And We created not the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, for mere play,
Ad Dukhaan (44)
-Verse 38-
So what is the purpose of man?
Suppose there is no God then this conception makes human existence ultimately (as opposed to proximately) meaningless, purposeless, and valueless. But people have the sense that it is none of these. This sense gives them reason to seek God.
Some say that life has no meaning except the meaning that we, individually, give it. Thus, meaning does not come from God but comes, if it comes at all, from the wellsprings of one's own selfhood.
But how can some creatures raise themselves by their bootstraps into a conscious life?
Just as man cannot bootstrap himself into existence, i.e., cause his own existence (since that would require him to exist before he exist), he cannot bootstrap his existence into meaningfulness, i.e., bring it about that his existence has meaning. Just as he cannot exist before he exist, he cannot have meaning before he has meaning. He cannot be the source of his own meaning.
If the only meaning my existence has is the meaning I give it, then that I exist at all is meaningless.
The need for water 'proves' the existence of water. Perhaps the desire/need for Meaning 'proves' the existence of Meaning. The felt lack of meaning and its phenomenological absence is grounded in the natural (not artificial) need for Meaning, and this need would not exist if it were not for the extra mental reality of a source of Meaning with which we were once in contact, or the traces of which are buried deep within us. And this all men call God.
So the purpose of man is to praise, reverence, and serve God, by using his FREE WILL. All other things on the face of the earth are created for man in order to help him pursue the end for which he is created. It follows from this that one must use other created things, in so far as they help towards one's end, and free oneself from them, in so far as they are obstacles to one's end. To do this, man needs to make himself indifferent to all created things, provided the matter is subject to his free choice and there is no other prohibition. Thus, as far as he is concerned, he should not want health more than illness, wealth more than poverty, fame more than disgrace, a long life more than a short one, and similarly for all the rest, but he should desire and choose only what helps him more towards the end for which he is created.
Say: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds:
Al An'am (6)
-Verse 162-
"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah. for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.
Ar Ra'd (13)
-Verse 28-
And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).
Adz-Dzaariya (51)
-Verse 56-
k. Who had chosen the purpose of human life, Creator or creature?
Plato gives several arguments for the natural immortality of the soul. They include the argument that humans know many things and have many concepts, which they have not learned or acquired on earth. Hence, Plato argues, humans must have learned them in a previous existence. (Phaedo 73a-78a; Meno 81b-86b)
What this argument in fact assumes that we are, the sort of incorporeal things, which could pre-exist our conception and growth.
The argument to show that life is incompatible with death starts from the notion of the soul as the principle of life, and this is equated, in terms of the theory of Ideas, with the Form of Life. Now, life in the abstract is as incompatible with death as equality is with inequality. Life can never be overcome by Death. Thus, the conclusion is that the soul as the very Idea of Life is essentially deathless and eternal and, hence, “the immortal part” of us is not destroyed by death, for “our souls will exist somewhere in another world” (Phaedo 106E and 107A).
Most interestingly, Quran does not rejects any of these logical suggestions.
“When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"- They said: "Yea! We do testify!" (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: "Of this we were never mindful":”
Al A'raf (7)
-Verse 172-
“We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it; - He was indeed unjust and foolish;-“
Al Ahzab (33)
-Verse 72-
“They will say: "Our Lord! twice hast Thou made us without life, and twice hast Thou given us Life! Now have we recognised our sins: Is there any way out (of this ‘fire’)?”
Al Mu'min (40)
-Verse 11-
These verses give vibrant indication that before the births of humans on earth, a Covenant was made between their Souls and Their Creator. After the promises had been made those souls put to a deep sleep. Those souls then send to Earth in human bodies. Upon the deaths of those human bodies, those Souls go into a place of rest - a repository, and the Bodies slowly disintegrate. On the Day of Judgment, those Souls will get new human bodies.
One may ask; what is the purpose of these Births and Deaths?
“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;”
Al Mulk (67)
-Verse 2-
Why man is under a trial?
The answers lie within the understanding of the Existence of human Soul in the first Primordial Creation and more importantly the acceptance of the Primordial Covenant, which took place between the Souls and The Creator.
God has offered the trust that refers to responsibility and the acceptance of commands and prohibitions with their attendant conditions, which is that the one who fulfils this responsibility on Earth, will be rewarded; while the one who neglects it, will be punished.
Man agreed to this promise regardless of the fact that he is weak, ignorant and unjust. Man has accepted the obligations by the use of his Free Will without having any compulsion over him. Man has agreed to accept this dangerous undertaking because of intense selfish desire for having immortal pleasures of immortal life.
Human cognition is oblivious regarding pre-temporal existence however, that is the necessity of human trial because if human reminisce the pre-temporal life then that will put an end to the purpose of human intellect and human Free WILL, which are the main tools of human cognition and human deeds.
Because people forget the Day of Promises in this worldly life, God has throughout human history reminded people of the pre-temporal covenant through various prophets and their followers, including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and, last of all, Prophet Muhammad.
“They will cry out in Hell and say: “Our Lord, let us out so that we may act righteously, different from what we did before.” (They will be told): “DID WE NOT GRANT YOU AN AGE LONG ENOUGH FOR ANYONE TO TAKE HEED IF HE HAD WANTED TO TAKE HEED? BESIDES, THERE CAME A WARNER TO YOU. So have a taste of the torment now. None may come to the help of the wrong-doers.”
Faathir (35)
-Verse 37-
This implies every such age of life in which a person may be able to distinguish between good and evil, truth and falsehood, if he likes to, and turn to right guidance instead of deviation, if he wishes. One who has attained this age will certainly be held answerable for his actions.
l. Conclusion
Human virtues are not mere behavioural dispositions, of the kind found in the inanimate world. There are, no doubt, natural dispositions of patience, courage, kindness and the like-behavioural propensities we are born with, and that vary in strength from one individual to another. But these are not what we have in mind when we speak of moral virtue in the proper sense. True virtue has to be tested and refined. Someone with the virtue of patience must have tasted affliction and disappointment, and seen things through; the courageous person has to have endured danger and risk; the compassionate must have struggled with temptation, sorrow and hardship. The point of such experiences is not merely to strengthen our tendency to act rightly. Virtue is much more than an abiding behavioural propensity. It is a matter of practical wisdom. It requires that we know TRIAL and SUFFERING, and human weakness in the face of them, in the only way they truly can be known: through experience. Suffering, like sin, cannot be understood in the abstract. Only first-hand awareness of the world's pain enables us to comprehend fully the options for good and ill in the situations we face, to judge correctly what action is called for, and to perform it with an attitude of humble submission to God, and loving concern for others.
In Islam, the human sufferings of this present life are termed ‘a trial’ – a test, an evaluation and a validation to measure the success and strength of each human soul, its capacity to do good deeds. So, according to the Quran, all the negative events that we may have to go through in this life are actually TESTS AND TRIALS FROM GOD. If we pass the test by holding on to our faith and remaining patient, showing complete trust in God during the period of suffering, and we continue to do good deeds and avoid evil thoughts and actions, then the end result is that God grants us boundless rewards in the next life.
Quran says:
“Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? they encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Messenger and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of Allah." Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is (always) near!”
Al Baqarah (2)
-Verse 214-
“Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere,”
Al Baqarah (2)
-Verse 155-
“O you who believe! Allah will certainly make a trial of you with something in (the matter of) the game that is well within reach of your hands and your lances, that Allah may test who fears Him unseen. Then whoever transgresses thereafter, for him there is a painful torment.”
Al Maidah (5)
-Verse 94-
“And know ye that your possessions and your progeny are but a trial; and that it is Allah with Whom lies your highest reward.”
Al Anfaal (8)
-Verse 28-
“That which is on earth we have made but as a glittering show for the earth, in order that We may test them - as to which of them are best in conduct.”
Al Kahfi (18)
-Verse 7-
“Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. to Us must ye return.”
Al Anbiyaa' (21)
-Verse 35-
Now, when trouble touches man, he cries to Us: But when We bestow a favour upon him as from Ourselves, he says, "This has been given to me because of a certain knowledge (I have)!" Nay, but this is but a trial, but most of them understand not!
Az-Zumar (39)
-Verse 49-
“Your riches and your children may be but a trial: but in the Presence of Allah, is the highest, Reward.”
At Taghaabun (64)
-Verse 15-
“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;-“
Al Mulk (67)
-Verse 2-
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