Like Judaism and Christianity, the Islamic religion centers around an omnipotent God. This God is just and good, which is why he cannot commit evil and his acts always have a purpose. Furthermore, God is considered omniscient. When examining religious explanations of suffering, God’s attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, and goodness contradict themselves. If he is these characteristics, then why does he allow his creations to suffer? Ultimately, belief in God’s omnipotence and omniscience lays the foundation in how Muslims understand why they suffer.
There are two forms of evil that can result in pain and suffering: moral and physical. Moral evil stems from intentional wrongdoing committed by someone and causes harm to either the individual, another individual, or both. Whereas, physical (natural) evils are considered by most religious traditions a result of physical, biological, or social factors like natural disasters. Illness can be considered a form of natural evil; although, illnesses due to an individual’s own negligence, such as lung cancer from smoking, can be considered both moral and physical evil. Typically, those who believe suffering derives from moral evil place the blame on free-will while, supporters of a physical
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The afflictions people suffer are set eternally, meaning they are already determined and unavoidable. Because God cannot commit evil, the suffering is positive. God either places suffering in individuals’ lives to test them or to punish and cleanse them of their sins. Through it they grow in their spirituality and are driven to continue to follow their faith. This theodicy emphasizes God’s power, not just over humanity, but even over what is considered good or bad. Everything of God is good, while evil, is considered only to be the lack of goodness; therefore, evil is a relative description of