PHIL 1402- Introduction to Philosophy

Written Assignment Unit 3

February 13, 2023

Instructor: Luis Teixeira

Introduction
We have heard this question being asked many times why is God who is all good

and powerful, allows bad things to happen to good people and at the same time

allows good things to happen to evil people. I myself have wondered why there is

so much suffering in the world, why do these bad things happen to us. For this

paper I will try to analyze this question, “How does a purely good God allows evil

to happen to good people”?

I do not believe there is anyone who has the right answer or who can give a

reasonable answer as to why he allows evil to happen to good people. When we

ask the question of why good people go through hardship, we cannot get a full

answer on this because it is a complex topic which leads to more and more

question. We as humans cannot understand all things, most things actually from a

finite perspective but all we need is Allah in our lives and we shall go through the

right path. According to the Sincere Seeker (2019), The question of evil was asked

by the Angels themselves when God the almighty announce that he was creating
a new form of beings called humans. When humans beings do bad things to one

another, this is moral evil but so-called natural disasters are often considered evil

as well because of all the suffering they cause. Earthquakes, tidal waves, floods

and so forth are all example of natural evil.

And [mention, O Muhammad], when your lord said to the angels, Indeed, I will

make upon the Earth a successive authority” (Quran 2:30)

The angels responded with a question;

They said, will you place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds

blood, while we declare your praise and you? (Quran 2:30).

God answered:

“Indeed, I know that which you do not know” (Quran 2:30)

Although God did not explain nor rationalized the answer to their question, the

Angels were completely satisfied with this response. This is owing to their

complete humility before, trust in and faith in God’s wisdom and knowledge. The

angels did not assume God’s wisdom was incorrect simply because they could not

understand nor comprehend that wisdom. We as humans only can understand

the wisdom behind pain and suffering on a general level. So, we do not have the

right to question our creator since everything starts and end with Allah. According
to The Sincere Seeker (2019), some evil is good in at least some aspects. For

instance, while sickness may harm the body temporally from one angle, the same

sickness also strengthens the immune system and teaches patience with the

healing process. Similarly, whereas volcanos can harm, they rejuvenate the

ecosystem that facilitates life in the first place. Without volcanos, we would not

be able to grow food since the volcano spew out minerals resulting in rich fertile

soil. Whatever Allah will, the good will always eventually outweigh the bad.

Additionally, one person’s calamity can be another person’s blessing. For

example, when one person loses a job, another person finds a new occupation.

Good and evil need each other to exist. (Zeni 2019).

For some reason, suffering can raise doubts about God that makes us reluctant to

trust him, however, suffering cannot be an evidence that God is not pure or good.

The inevitable consequences of sin infects the world and that is why we see

innocent people suffering including young children and babies. When we put our

trust in Allah, he promised to aid in our suffering and walk with us through our

distress.

In conclusion, this type of question is still something modern students of

philosophy can study as it helps them to analyze and assess arguments critically
discerning hidden assumptions while expressing themselves clearly. This topic is

important as it help us understand that suffering does not conclude that God is

not pure. In religion precisely, it helps us to understand that God draws near to us

as we walk in harmony with him during our suffering. We learn that, God is who

he claims to be, our comforter, redeemer, healer, refuge and our close friend.

God is omnipresent.

Reference:

The Secret Seeker. (2009). Why Does God Allow Evil? Retrieved from

https://www.medium.com

Zeni, T (2019). Why Does god Allow Evil to Exist? Retrieved from

https:///yaqeeninstitute.org.