Why does God allow evil to happen?
Of fables and science
Have you heard the story of David and Goliath
or Sodom and Gomorrah or any of the Good and the Bad characters in any movie
for instance? Opposites are the paradoxes of life. Without light there is no
day, without darkness there is no night. While most of us would identify with
the definition of darkness is when there is the absence of light. Even in
biology opposites are a form of nature, with the male and female and the young
and old, sweet and sour or bitter and sweet. In life, opposites attract, just
like the opposite poles of the magnets. On a magnanimous scale, even the Earth
is a giant magnet being pulled into orbit around the Sun of the Milky Way
galaxy. Hence, when posed with the question why does God allow evil to happen?
As humans' we naturally push the uncomfortable to the third party and
eventually, the third party is God, because God cannot argue with us right now
as how other humans would if put to blame without sufficient proof. We tend to
look for scapegoats to our perception of negative occurrence, in order to avoid
blame, or perhaps not wanting or not ready to accept the truth. It is easy to
push the blame when an immediate reason cannot be fathomed. Even as humans we
continually query the existence of God because of insufficient evidential proof
as scientists puts it. It does eventually bore down to perception. What is perceived
as good and what is perceived as bad may be different from person to person,
varying perspectives, community, practices, cultures and geographies. That
said, as a human race we all agree that natural tragedies where lives are lost
are evil occurrences and that is probably again attributed to God.
A paradox
The world renown scientist and astrophysicist,
the late Steven Hawkings who won the Nobel prize for discovering the black hole,
just before he passed in 2018, concluded that there can be no God. He
postulated that our understanding of God is a definition of a power at play not
God as most of us believe in. This naturally caused the Pope of the Roman
Catholic Church to refute him and all evidence-based studies into the creation
of the universe[1].
Now why would you say there is no God when the human mind believes of such a
higher power which governs all of life. Absurd. Let us get back to this
relative term of evil and good. As with light and darkness, good happens when
there is the absence of evil. While evil prevails when there is the absence of
good. Even more recently scientists have discovered that our universe is
expanding at great speed by something called the ‘dark energy’ which is causing
this accelerated expansion of the universe, unfathomable by science just yet.
This ‘dark energy’ has the opposite nature of gravity[2].
The gravity which enables life on Earth, enables the Earth to orbit the Sun, enables
the Moon to orbit the Earth, enables the nurturing atmosphere to surround the
Earth, causing life on Earth. Again, the paradoxes of opposites.
Evil too is destined
As with any of us we ask, why must evil things
happen? How can God allow for it to happen? Isn't God all good, therefore God
is the source of all goodness and how can God allow evil to happen? All things
come from God, both good or evil. Yet some do dispute and say that good comes
from God and evil comes from others.[3] If
evil happens, it is a means to test and in order to distinguish between evil
from good and in time, as time passes unbeknown to us mortals, those who are
evil by choice will be gathered together and their eternal place shall be hell.[4] It
is not for us to judge, in fact is it for us to be messengers and callers to
goodness and truth. As with the story of prophets Moses and Khidhir, Moses had
a high regard for his intelligence and wisdom and God sent Khidhir to challenge
this, to humble him. Moses requested to join Khidhir on his travels and was
given permission with one condition, to not question his actions. Moses agreed
and accompanied Khidhir. Was Khidhir a good person or evil person? His actions
did not readily justify his being a good person. We shall continue this a
little later.
Diversity matters
During my recent visit to England, I was privileged
to live with a kind good natured lady who invited me for morning walks with her
10 year old dog called Hendrix. The vicinity was a rather posh and mature area
and the people living there are not accustomed to having Asians living among
them, more so one who is wearing the headscarf. Because of this I was warry
about my surroundings and careful on who are around me when I went on walks
alone. This was because I had had some bad experiences during my studies in the
UK a decade ago. On one occasion while I was walking home from university just
before sunset, there was a group of young men in a van who slowed down and did
catcalls and one even spat on the curb in front of me. I was glad they did not
stop to do anything else! Now during this visit, was I in for a surprise.
During the walks, others taking the same paths through the woods were very
friendly, in fact they were the ones who offered a smile and a greeting first.
So it seems that good is the default of the community there. It was only in my
mind. Good and evil then could only be a mindset, something inculcated in our
experiences and learned from history. Sometimes even ingrown in society that it
becomes a believe that something is evil while other things are good. The
geography matters.
Life happens
During one of those walks, my friend told me
that the son of one of her friends had passed away and the funeral service will
be in a couple of days’ time. I asked how it happened as he was only 18 years
old and it seemed strange since he was such an active and healthy boy. Apparently,
he was having a go on his BMX bike in the woods with his friends and his front
tyre got caught on a stone causing him to fall and his head hit a rock. He died
on the spot. The family was sad. This must have been such an evil act of divine
intervention, so it seemed. Why did God allow such evil to happen to this young
soul and his family? It was so unfair that such a young and thriving teen could
lose his life doing the thing that he loved. Was it evil or was it fate? On the
other hand, a family of Chinese ancestry was organising a wake for their
grandmother who has passed in her late 90s. It was rather a celebration of life
rather than a sombre event. Drums and food were made plenty giving thanks to
the fulfilled life of an old relative who has lived and died in peace. It was
expected. This is not an evil event. People accepted it. Life happens. There
lies the distinction of good and evil. A matter of perception, perspectives,
understanding and point of views. Life is a phase all of us pass through to get
to the other side.
Let’s explore marriage. Take for instance the
Indian community thinks that it is very good to have many sons because they
will be able to marry them with a lot of dowries from the women’s side of the
family. This is different from the Malay community who is very happy to have
many daughters because they bring in gifts and wealth from the men's side of
the family. Again, the paradox. More boys or more girls are good? Eventually,
it really is the same, it has been integrated into the culture of society and
by time it really becomes backward thinking to practice this. Essentially
culture matters.
Now in Selangor it is well known that its
divorce rate is one of the highest in the country. Is divorcing an evil deed?
Evil for who? The wife or the husband? Did God permit divorce? Again, looking
at this from different perspectives, the Catholics would say it is not allowed
because the sacrament of matrimony is a covenant made by both the husband and the
wife in the presence of God on earth and in heaven and shall not be broken. While
the Muslims say divorce is permissible but is one of those things which is much
disliked and should not be practised until no other option is available. Which
would you choose if the wife is being bullied, tortured, or cheated upon by the
husband or vice versa? Clearly the lesser evil! Divorce then seems most appropriate
rather than being stuck in such vicious cycle for his or her entire life.
Ambition
Have you read the biblical story about the
tower of Babel? It tells the story of man who wishes to build a tower which can
reach the heavens so that man can meet his Lord. During this time in Babylon
they begin building the tower until to a point when it was about to reach
completion then suddenly by divine power, those who were building the tower
found that they were speaking to one another without comprehension because they
were speaking in different tongues. This event caused such havoc that they were
unable to complete building the tower. Perhaps this is defined as a bad thing or
evil omen for the person who ordered its building in the first place. On the
other hand, this gave a beautiful testimony that man can be so diverse even in
tongue and yet live in one place. Such events provide unsurpassed wonder of the
power of the Creator who made this diversity possible.[5] Communication
and diversity matters. Evil then is a matter of perspective rather than cross
sectional events, an eventuality in time leading to something else, perhaps
better. Better in another person’s perspective. This leads us back to the Quranic
story of the prophets Musa and Khidhir.[6]
Apparent not evil
Herein the seemingly evil acts which were carried
out by Khidhir on their journey together turned out to be acts of mercy.[7]
They seemed evil to one who is observing it from a bystander point of view,
however, when the circumstances were explained it appeared all the acts were merciful
for the benefit of the vulnerable. Supposedly this is how we should understand
when we ask, ‘why does God allow evil to happen?’, it is eventually an act of
mercy in this seemingly fleeting world of diversion and play. We are all urged
to be patient and steadfast in our intentions, words, and actions towards
pursuing this temporal life for the eternal life of the hereafter for many things
may come to pass without us understanding it because only the Creator we call
God is the knower of all things, the greatest of all planners. As one of God’s creations
we know and trust that all good things come from God and whatever happens which
may seem evil at a glance may have other function and significance in this life,
perhaps not immediately but sooner or later. So, when we ask, ‘why does God
allow evil to happen?’, know that there are other reasons which we know not of now,
but we are urged to be patient and have faith, as with everything here on earth
will come to pass, even us.
Mariam-Aisha F.
04.07.2023
- Mariam
Aisha Fatima is a mother of two beautiful children, a wife of a supportive
husband, a friend and student of the religion of The Creator. A revert to Islam
in 2006, she has always been a supporter of interreligious dialogue. She did
her Ph.D. in biotechnology from the University of Manchester under the Malaysia
Government King’s Scholarship and has worked as an academic for more than a
decade. She took a career break in 2022 to write her book, raise her children
and manage her startup before joining the higher education industry again now as
a research manager.
[1] https://www.livescience.com/28805-stephen-hawking-god-big-bang.html
[2] https://www.space.com/dark-energy-what-is-it
[3] Al-Quran, An-Nisa 4:78, Wherever you
may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty
construction. But if good comes to them, they say. “This is from Allah”; and if
evil befalls them, they say, “This is from you.” Say, “All things are from
Allah.” So what is the matter with those people that they can hardly understand
any statement?
[4] Al-Quran, Al-Anfal 8:37, This is so
that Allah may distinguish the wicked from the good and place the wicked some
of them upon others and heap them all together and put them in Hell. It is
those who are the losers.
[5] Al-Quran, Al Maidah 5:48, And we
have revealed to you, the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of
the Scripture and as a criterion over it. So judge between them by what Allah
has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to
you of the truth. To each of you We prescribed a law and a method. Had Allah
willed, He would have made you one nation, but to test you in what He has given
you; so race to good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will inform
you concerning that over which you used to differ.
[6] Al-Quran, Al Kahf 18:65, And they
found a servant from among Our servants to whom we had given mercy from us and
had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge.
[7] Al-Quran, Al Kahf 18:71-82, So they
set out, until when they had embarked on the ship, al-Khidhir tore it open.
[Moses] said, “Have you torn it open to drown its people? You have certainly
done a grave thing.” [Al-Khidhir] said, “Did I not say that with me you would
never be able to have patience?” [Moses] said, “Do not blame me for what I
forgot and do not cover me in my matter with difficulty.” So they set out,
until when they met a boy, al-Khidhir killed him. [Moses] said, “Have you
killed a pure soul for other than [having killed] a soul? You have certainly
done a deplorable thing.” [Al-Khidhir] said, “Did I not tell you that with me
you would never be able to have patience?” [Moses] said, “If I should ask you
about anything after this, then do not keep me as a companion. You have
obtained from me an excuse.” So they set out, until when they came to the
people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to offer
them hospitality. And they found therein a wall about to collapse, so
al-Khidhir restored it. [Moses] said, “If you wished, you could have taken for
it a payment.” [Al-Khidhir] said, “This is parting between me and you. I will
inform you of the interpretation of that about which you could not have
patience. As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I
intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a kind who seized every
[good] ship by force. And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we
feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief. So we
intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in
purity and nearer to mercy. And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys
in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had
been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract
their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That
is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience.
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