(Original article: Mystic Living Today, September 2023)
Nassir H. Sabah
Suffering and evil are an integral part of the trial of life for humans. With their limited knowledge and perspective, humans should not project their values and judgment on God but should have full trust in His wisdom and justice both in this life and the afterlife.
The following question is often asked: “If God has the power to do anything, and since He is the most-compassionate and the ever-merciful, then why does He allow suffering and evil in the world?” At face value, this seems to be a legitimate question, but in fact, it is based on false premises. Such a question will never cross the mind of a true believer, because for such a believer God is also all-knowing, all-wise, and all-just. Since the true believer has fully submitted to the will of God, then the true believer will never question His wisdom and justice. The question, therefore, is one that is posed by other than true believers.
It should be recognized at the outset that any judgement passed by humans on any issue is inevitably subject to the constraints of: (i) limited knowledge and perspective, and (ii) human values on which the judgement is based. Both constraints do not apply to God, for He is all-knowing and has the ultimate overall picture. He knows everything pertaining to any matter; we don’t. Moreover, the considerations that God bases His decisions on do not have to be the same as those of humans, for He is all-wise, all-just and ever-merciful to all, whereas humans base their decisions and judgement on a limited set of considerations and subject to their own biases, prejudices, value systems, and the vagaries of human nature. The eminent Islamic scholar, al-Ghazzali, who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries CE, provides a beautiful allegory, which although he applied in a somewhat different context, is nevertheless very befitting for your purposes. Paraphrasing al-Ghazali, we are like ants on a piece of writing; we can see the lines, curves, and dots of what is written, but we do not understand their meaning, nor can we see the writer. Ultimately, therefore, whatever occurs in this world is part of His wisdom and justice, which may not be comprehensible to humans.
The question, therefore, as to why God allows suffering and evil in the world is completely misplaced to begin with. Nevertheless, several issues concerning suffering and evil will be addressed in what follows.
- Life is a trial for humans. God has created humans for a purpose, which, out of His infinite mercy and love, is for them to have eternal bliss in Heaven. In His omniscience and wisdom, He created them with a wondrous conscious self having some free will that allows them to choose between the right path that leads to eternal bliss in Heaven and the wrong path that leads to suffering in Hell. The right path is that of submitting to His will and serving Him. Humans must earn the reward of eternal bliss through their conduct in this life, which has therefore been made a trial for them as to who will be most righteous in conduct (Quran 67:2).
The trial is in both good fortune and misfortune (Quran 21:35). Good fortune may be in good health, wealth, and stature. The test is whether one will be grateful to God for what He has provided, will do good unto others, and becomes a true believer. The misfortune could be in sickness, poverty, fear of what may come, loss of lives of family and friends, or other sufferings (Quran 2:155-156). The test at the individual level is for being patient and having full trust in the wisdom, justice, and mercy of God. The patience of Job is exemplary and legendary. At the societal level, the test is in conduct towards others, in doing good to them, and in doing one’s best to alleviate the suffering and misfortune of others.
That life is a trial for humans also answers the somewhat simple-minded question that is sometimes posed in various contexts and in a form such as: “If this is what God meant, then why didn’t He say so plainly and simply and thereby avoid any misunderstanding or misinterpretation?” The answer may well be that in His will, design, and wisdom He created humans to be “the most contentious of beings” (Quran18:54). But contentiousness over an issue sets apart the sincere and well-meaning from the devious and malevolent. And that is part and parcel of the tests that humans are subjected to and for which they will be accountable and will face the consequences of their conduct, if not in this life, then in the afterlife.
2. Evil doers have chosen the wrong path in exercising their free will. Their actions are again part and parcel of the overall trial of life for humans. They are bound to suffer the consequences, if not in this life, then in the afterlife.
- Because of limited human knowledge and perspective, it may well be that what we might think is bad for us, might in fact be good for us in the long run, and conversely (Quran 2:216). The rejection of a job application, for example, might seem calamitous at the time, causing much distress, but might in fact be quite fortunate in that it led to a much better turn of events. Or one might be happy to win an expensive, high-performance sports car in a lottery, which one considers as a sign of good fortune, only to suffer a serious injury in an accident involving this car.
4. Another important point is that, for true believers, suffering also serves as a form of spiritual purification and advancement. Some suffering might be an inducement for a higher degree of spirituality and a closer connectedness to God. In case of preoccupation with worldly concerns, or a weakness in one’s resolve to do good and avoid unworthy conduct, suffering may be a wake-up call to remind one of life’s priorities and what is truly important and what is vain and superfluous.
5. It is also important to keep in mind that suffering in this world is temporary, for worldly life is but a fleeting moment on an eternal scale. Any suffering, no matter how severe, distressing and painful to the sufferer, can in no way even remotely compare to what transpires in the afterlife, whether in punishment or reward. By His will, believers who suffer are rewarded, if not in this life, then in the afterlife, which is what matters. The reward in the afterlife is everlasting and most gratifying, beyond human understanding and comprehension.
To illustrate how limited knowledge can lead to misjudgment, the Quran narrates the tale of Prophet Moses and a holy man to whom God has given special knowledge and whose company Prophet Moses sought to learn from him (Quran18:66-82). As they journeyed together, the holy man preformed three actions that were, on the face of it, gratuitous, malicious, or evil. Yet, these actions served a higher purpose of goodness which even Prophet Moses could not comprehend because of his lack of full knowledge.
What all the forgoing boils down to is that in the face of suffering and evil we must refrain from passing judgement based on our own perceived values and limited knowledge and perspective. We should have full trust in the wisdom, justice, and mercy of God. After all, we have to trust others at one time or another. In our upbringing we implicitly trust our parents in knowing what is best for us, and we submit to their will. We trust doctors with our health because of their knowledge and experience. We trust surgeons with life-threatening operations because of their skill and expertise. As law-abiding citizens, we trust the authorities with our security and general welfare. So why not trust the Creator of the universe in His infinite wisdom, justice, and mercy and submit to His Will? Indeed, humans are the most contentious of beings and oftentimes irrational to boot!
Nassir Sabah is a neuroscientist/biophysicist and Emeritus Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. He has over 100 technical publications, mainly in neurophysiology, biophysics, and biomedical instrumentation and has authored four books on electric circuits, electronics, and neuroscience. This article is adapted from his most recent book Spirituality Rekindled: The Quest for Serenity and Self-Fulfillment (2023). He could be reached at his website https://nassirsabah.com.
