Allah and evil

[zaf123]

I havent posted on here for a long time but i was just thinking

Did God create evil as God is the creator of everything??

[Jamroll]

Salam zaf,

Yes, Allah did indeed create evil, just like he created Shaitan. Allah created everything.

[Musashi]

Asallamu 'alaikum wa rahmatulLahi wa barakatuh

Exactly. After all, if there was no evil, there wouldn't be good, would there? It'd all be the same. For good things to be good, there needs to be bad things to be, well, bad.

[zaf123]

Thanks for the replies

If God created evil then how can God still be an all good God. For example when the devil was jelous of the human race, The devil could only be jelous if God created the concept of jelousy (an evil concept) so how can the devil be blamed for his actions when God is the maker of everything including evil (jelousy)??

[Khairan]

zaf123 said

Thanks for the replies

If God created evil then how can God still be an all good God. For example when the devil was jelous of the human race, The devil could only be jelous if God created the concept of jelousy (an evil concept) so how can the devil be blamed for his actions when God is the maker of everything including evil (jelousy)??

Because God gave some of His creation the Will to choose. Responsibility comes from making that choice and bearing the consequences of it.

[Musashi]

Asallamu 'alaikum wa rahmatulLahi wa barakatuh

Creating something does not mean one agrees with it. And Allah gave some creatures free will to test them fairly. So it is their own fault if they went against his orders.

Though I am not a god (istaghfirulLah) here's a way to put it. I wrote a story about some characters, some are good, and some are evil. It would be wrong to claim that I was evil for making an evil characters. But to write one, I would have to understand one. It would also be wrong to claim Allah does not understand the way his creation to thinks.
So while Allah understands evil and knows everything, he is not evil himself.

Is that easier to understand?

Also, we are not to ascribe to Allah the attributes of the living. We are only supposed to describe him with what fits him and what was proved to be one of his attributes, in the sayings of the Prophet or in the Quran. He is like no other. For example, Allah is The Merciful (Ar-Raheem) and some of his creations are merciful, but none reach his level of mercy.

[Jamroll]

zaf123 said

Thanks for the replies

If God created evil then how can God still be an all good God. For example when the devil was jelous of the human race, The devil could only be jelous if God created the concept of jelousy (an evil concept) so how can the devil be blamed for his actions when God is the maker of everything including evil (jelousy)??

Well, I think it helps to look at why evil was created? What is its purpose? In the Qur'an, Allah says:

"Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between!
If it had been Our wish to take (just) a pastime, We should surely have taken it from the things nearest to Us, if We would do (such a thing)!"
21:16-17

So, in this Allah is telling us that everything that he has created has been for a purpose. It is not just randomly created. There is a reason behind it.

The ability to choose between good and evil is one of the gift's Allah has given us humans. It helps us to grow and learn throughout our lives.

The jinn, of which Shaitan the devil is a member, have also been given the same gift to choose. In the Qur'an, the story of how Shaitan was told to bow down in the presence of Adam, to which he refused, shows us, that Shaitan had a choice, and was able to exercise that choice. That's why he can be held accountable for his choice.

[zaf123]

That makes sense, Thanks for the answers.

[tinkerbell]

i think he got it

[Anderson]

God created Hitler, Pol pot, Aids, Ebola, Paris Hilton, Super Aids, Sylar, Bangladesh and alot of bad things but if we didn't have all the bad things then we'd also have no good people fighting evil, no doctors and scientists trying to cure aids. The presence of evil brings out the best in some.

Feel free to quote me, that was pretty good.

[ChotooMotoo]

Anderson said

God created Hitler, Pol pot, Aids, Ebola, Paris Hilton, Super Aids, Sylar, Bangladesh and alot of bad things but if we didn't have all the bad things then we'd also have no good people fighting evil, no doctors and scientists trying to cure aids. The presence of evil brings out the best in some.

Feel free to quote me, that was pretty good.

Paris Hilton??????

First time I read that, I read it as "then we'd also have no good people fighting evil, no Evil doctors...." and then I thought of Dr. Evil.

[Tangerine]

Anderson said

Paris Hilton, Bangladesh and alot of bad things

omg!! i laughed out so loud at that!! at the beginning of the sentence, i wasnt expecting it to end like this. that was hilarious. or maybe i have kept myself from humor for some time??