✿ Written by: Azeem-ur-Rehman Usmani
◈ Atheists’ Objections Regarding Evil
Atheists often raise the following questions:
➊ Does God want to stop evil but is unable to?
→ Then He is not All-Powerful.
➋ Is He able to stop it but does not want to?
→ Then He favors evil.
➌ Does He want to stop evil and is capable of doing so?
→ Then where does evil come from?
➍ If He neither wants to stop evil nor is capable of doing so,
→ Then why call Him God at all?
◈ Responses to These Questions
➊ Does God want to stop evil but is unable to?
Answer:
Allah ﷻ has granted humans the freedom of will and choice in this world. A person may choose good or evil based on this freedom. It is upon this very freedom that reward and punishment are assigned.
No question arises about Allah’s power, for it is part of His divine wisdom that humans are tested and judged based on their deeds.
➋ Is God able but does not wish to stop evil?
Answer:
This world has been created on the principle of trial. Allah does not intend to strip human beings of their free will. That is why He does not forcibly prevent evil but instead provides constant guidance and reminders through prophets and revelations.
If Allah had been a supporter of evil, there would have been no need for messengers and divine books to repeatedly warn and guide mankind. Taking away free will would negate human dignity, which goes against divine wisdom.
➌ Does God want to stop evil and has the power to do so?
Answer:
This question is based on a misunderstanding. Evil has no independent existence; it is simply the absence of good.
✔ Just as darkness is the absence of light and does not exist independently,
✔ And cold is merely a lack of heat and has no independent presence,
✔ Likewise, evil is not a creation of Allah—it is the result of the absence of good and the misuse of free will by humans.
Acts like murder, theft, and oppression are the consequences of human misuse of freedom, not divine creation. Allah has placed abundant resources and provisions on the earth, but hunger and poverty arise due to mankind's unjust distribution. The origin of evil lies in human behavior, not in divine will.
➍ If He neither wants to stop evil nor is capable of doing so, then why call Him God?
Answer:
Allah wishes to preserve the freedom of human choice in this world. Despite being all-powerful, He chooses not to forcibly eliminate evil. Instead, He adopts the path of instruction and guidance.
He has appointed the Day of Judgment, when every soul will be held accountable and rewarded or punished with complete justice. Denying such a just and powerful Being is a reflection of man's own shortsightedness.
◈ Summary
✔ Evil is the result of human free will, not the creation of God.
✔ Allah created this world as a test and gave humans the freedom to choose between good and evil.
✔ On the Day of Judgment, everyone will be recompensed according to their deeds with perfect justice.
