Why Does Allah Allow Evil? A Simple Answer

Assalamu Alaikum - Why does Allah allow evil in this world? Why do we see oppression, killings, famines, and wars that cause so much suffering? This question has pushed some people away from faith and left many Muslims puzzled. It’s often called the “problem of evil.” A basic way to understand it is this: things are known by their opposites. Think about it: without injustice, justice wouldn’t mean much. Without dirt, cleanliness wouldn’t be valued. Without weakness, strength wouldn’t be recognized. Without hunger, the joy of eating wouldn’t be the same. Without pain, pleasure loses its meaning. Look at charity - it’s an act of goodness that becomes meaningful because poverty exists. If nobody ever needed help, charity would have no real purpose. Forgiveness only shines when someone has been wronged. Mercy is shown because there are those in need of it. Many of life’s greatest comforts come after hardship: the taste of food after real hunger, the relief of water after thirst. Allah SWT also gave humans something special: free will. Because of that freedom, people can choose to do wrong. If Allah always stopped every evil action, human free will would be taken away. And if there were no real freedom, then accountability on the Day of Judgment would make no sense - the whole system of reward and punishment depends on choice. A knife can be used to cut bread or to harm someone. That possibility is part of the world Allah created, and it helps explain why trials and tests happen. Trials can be a form of mercy: through them a person’s patience, faith, and goodness are revealed, and their rank can be raised with Allah. Some people rejected faith because of the evils they saw and denied the afterlife. That’s why belief in the Hereafter is central: believing in Allah together with the Day of Judgment completes the picture. Even if oppressors seem to escape in this life, a believer knows ultimate justice awaits, and every wrong will be addressed. We won’t fully resolve the problem of evil until this world ends, but we can each reduce suffering by not being a cause of harm. Try to be a source of good, or at least avoid causing pain to others. To sum up: - Good is known through its opposite, evil. - Evil exists because Allah gave humans free will, which makes wrongdoing possible. - Every wrong will be answered with perfect justice on the Day of Judgment. May Allah give us patience, guide us to do good, and grant justice in this life and the next. Ameen.