A Perspective on the Problem of Evil in the Context of Hadiths Attributed to the Prophet Muhammad

Abstract

In this study, the problem of evil is addressed within the framework of hadiths narrated from the Prophet Muhammad, and the ways in which evil is interpreted in these hadiths are examined. Following an assessment of the nature and source of evil, the study focuses on fundamental elements such as faith, intention, free will, and predestination, which play a role in determining evil in the hadiths. Quranic verses are also partially utilized in the examination of these issues. The study reveals that, in the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad, evil is not evaluated solely in terms of physical harm, pain, or negative consequences; rather, a person’s faith, intention, will, circumstances, and the ultimate consequences of an act are also taken into account. Within this framework, it is concluded that an act that appears to be good may lose its value in the sight of Allah due to bad intentions, whereas illnesses, misfortunes, and obstacles that a person encounters beyond their control cannot be characterized as absolute evil. In the context of predestination, it is demonstrated through Quranic verses and hadiths that it is not appropriate to directly attribute evils arising from a person’s own voluntary actions to predestination; that a person is responsible for the actions they perform through their free will; and that factors such as the self and Satan are not the absolute causes of evil, but rather factors that lead a person toward evil. Furthermore, it is demonstrated through Quranic verses and hadiths that, due to the limitations of human knowledge, certain events perceived as evil in this world may carry a different meaning from the perspective of divine wisdom and the Hereafter. In conclusion, this article presents a comprehensive approach demonstrating that, in the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad, the problem of evil is addressed in conjunction with divine justice, human responsibility, life as a test, patience, trust in God, and belief in the Hereafter, and that it is incorrect to attribute evil, as an absolute and independent entity, to Allah.