Lokacin da nake yaro, iyayena suna yawan hana ni shan wiskin kakana. Kuna iya tunanin yaro mai kuzari da son sani yana kallon kakansa yana shan wannan ruwa mai kauri, zinariya kuma mai santsi. Ina so in sha! Duk da haka, duk lokacin da na yi ƙoƙarin shan wannan abin sha mai jan hankali a ɓoye, sai in shiga babbar matsala. Ban taɓa fahimtar dalili ba, saboda haka tunani mara kyau game da iyayena yana yawo a zuciyata. Shekaru da yawa bayan haka, yanzu na fahimci dalilin da ya sa ba su bari in sha wiskin kakana ba; zai iya guba ni. Abin sha mai giya kashi 40 cikin ɗari ba zai yi wa cikina ko hantata ƙanana daɗi ba. Sai dai a lokacin da nake ƙarami, ban da hikimar da ta zama tushen shawarar iyayena ba, amma na ɗauka cewa ina da hujja a tunanina marar kyau game da su.

When I was a child, my parents would always chide me for trying to drink my grandfather’s whisky. You can imagine, an active and inquisitive young child observing his grandfather sip this thick, gold, smooth liquid. I wanted some! However, every time I attempted to secretly drink the enticing beverage, I would get into big trouble. I never understood why, thus negative thoughts about my parents would race through my mind. Fast-forward many years, I now realise why they didn’t allow me to drink my grandfather’s whisky; it could have poisoned me. A 40 percent volume alcoholic drink would not have been pleasant on my young stomach or liver. However, when I was younger, I did not have access to the wisdom that formed the basis of my parents’ decision, yet I thought I was justified in my negativity towards them.

Wannan ya taƙaita halin masu ƙin Allah (atheists) game da Allah idan suna ƙoƙarin fahimtar sharri da wahala a duniya. Labarin da ke sama ba an yi shi ne don rage girman wahalar da mutane ke sha ba. Mu a matsayinmu na ɗan Adam, dole ne mu ji tausayi kuma mu nemo hanyoyin rage wa mutane wahala. Sai dai misalin an yi shi ne don tayar da wata maƙala ta ra'ayi. Saboda damuwa ta gaskiya kuma ta halal game da mutane da sauran halittu masu jin daɗi da wahala, yawancin masu ƙin Allah suna cewa kasancewar Allah mai iko kuma mai jinƙai bai dace da kasancewar sharri da wahala a duniya ba. Idan Shi Mai Jinƙai ne, yana so sharri da wahala su ƙare, kuma idan Shi Mai Iko ne, zai iya kawo ƙarshensu. Amma tun da sharri da wahala suna nan, to ko dai Shi ba mai iko ba ne, ko kuma ba shi da jinƙai, ko kuma duka biyun. Hujjar sharri da wahala tana da sifofi biyu: ta hankali (na ma'ana, logical) da kuma ta shaida (evidential). Sigar ma'ana tana ƙoƙarin nuna cewa rashin kasancewar Allah ita ce matsaya tilas. Tana riƙe da cewa ba zai yiwu sharri da wahala su kasance a lokaci guda da kasancewar Allah mai sifofin iko, ilimi da kyautatawa ba. Sai dai sigar ma'ana ta kasa nuna dalilin da ya sa matsayar take biyo baya tilas. Sigar ma'ana da ke ƙasa ta bayyana kamar tana rasa wata hujja (premise):

This sums up the atheist attitude towards God when trying to understand evil and suffering in the world. The above story is not intended to belittle the suffering and pain that people experience. As human beings, we must feel empathy and find ways of alleviating people’s hardships. However, the example is meant to raise a conceptual point. Due to a valid and genuine concern for human and other sentient beings, many atheists argue that the existence of a powerful and merciful301 God is incompatible with the existence of evil and suffering in the world. If He is The-Merciful, He should want the evil and suffering to stop, and if He is All-Powerful, He should be able to stop it. However, since there is evil and suffering, it means that either He is not powerful, or He lacks mercy, or both. The evil and suffering argument has two forms. The logical and the evidential. The logical form attempts to argue that God not existing is a necessary conclusion. It maintains that it is impossible for evil and suffering to exist and at the same time God to exist with attributes of power, knowledge and goodness.302 However, the logical form fails to show why the conclusion necessarily follows. The logical form below seems to be missing a premise:303.

Idan Allah yana wanzuwa, to Allah Mai iko duka kuma Mai sani duka, kuma yana barin mugunta ta kasance a duniya.

1. If God exists, then God is all powerful, and all knowing and allows there to be evil in the world.

2. Idan Allah ne Mai kyau gaba ɗaya, to da zai kawar da mugunta. Note: I was asked to write the Hausa word for God rather than "Allah", so the correct rendering is: 2. Idan Allah ne Mai kyau gaba ɗaya, to da zai kawar da mugunta.

2. If God is all good, then he would eliminate evil.

3. Idan Allah yana da iko duka, to zai iya kawar da mugunta. Note: per the rules, "God" should be written as the Hausa word for God, not "Allah". Correcting that: 3. Idan Ubangiji yana da iko duka, to zai iya kawar da mugunta.

3. If God is all powerful, then he can eliminate evil.

4. Idan Allah Madaukakin Sarki ne Masani, to Ya san duk wani sharri da ke wanzuwa.

4. If God is all knowing, then he is aware of any evil that exists.

5. Saboda haka, Allah bai wanzu ba. Note: The rules say to write the Hausa word for God, never "Allah." The correct version is: 5. Saboda haka, Ubangiji bai wanzu ba.304.

5. Therefore, God does not exist.304.

Hadhin sharadi da ba a faɗa ba shi ne: "Idan akwai wani abu da ya san dukkan mugunta, yana son kawar da mugunta, kuma yana iya kawar da mugunta, to wannan abun ba zai bari a sami wata mugunta a duniya ba." 305 Wannan sharadin da ba a bayyana ba yana ƙoƙarin tabbatar da wata dangantaka ta dole ta hankali tsakanin sharuɗɗan da suka gabata da ƙarshen magana. Domin rushe wannan ikirari, abin da ake buƙata kawai shi ne a bayar da wani bayani mai yiwuwa game da kasancewar Allah da mugunta tare. Tunda akwai bayanai iri-iri masu yiwuwa, sharadin da ba a bayyana ba na tsarin hankali ya rushe. 306 Tsarin shaida yana riƙe da cewa, idan aka duba yanayin mugunta da yawanta, da wahalar da ba ta da bukata a duniya, abu ne mai matuƙar wuyar yiwuwa cewa akwai Allah mai siffofin alheri, jin ƙai da iko. Wannan sigar matsalar mugunta da wahala tana da rauni a fannin ilimi, domin tana dogara ne akan zato guda biyu manya marasa gaskiya. Na farko ya shafi yanayin Allah. Yana nuna cewa Allah Mai Jin ƙai ne kuma Mai iko kawai, don haka yana ware sifofi biyu yana watsi da wasu da Alƙur'ani ya bayyana game da Allah. Ko da yake wannan tsari na shaida ya haɗa da sanin Allah, yana ɗauka ba daidai ba cewa za mu iya fahimtar cikakken sanin Allah. Gaskiyar ita ce, muna da iyakokin ilimi, ba za mu taɓa fahimtar cikakken sanin Allah ba. Zato na biyu shi ne cewa Allah bai ba mu wani dalili ba game da dalilin da ya sa ya bar mugunta da wahala su kasance. 307 Wannan ba gaskiya ba ne. Wahayin Musulunci yana ba mu dalilai da yawa game da dalilin da ya sa Allah ya bar mugunta da wahala su wanzu. Za a yi bayani game da zatan biyu a ƙasa.

The missing premise is: “If there is a being that knows about all evil, wants to eliminate evil, and is able to eliminate evil, then that being would not allow there to be any evil in the world.”305 This hidden premise attempts to assert a necessary logical relation between the previous premises and the conclusion. To dismantle this assertion all that needs to be done is to provide a possible explanation for the existence of God and evil. Since there are a range of possible explanations the logical form’s hidden premise is undermined.306 The evidential form maintains that given the nature and abundance of evil, and the apparent unnecessary suffering in the world, it is highly unlikely that a God with attributes of goodness, mercy and power exists. This version of the problem of evil and suffering is intellectually weak because it is based on two major false assumptions. The first concerns the nature of God. It implies that God is only The-Merciful and All-Powerful, thereby isolating two attributes and ignoring others that the Qur’an has revealed about God. Even though a conception of the evidential form includes God’s knowledge, it falsely assumes that we will are able comprehend the totality of God’s knowledge. The fact is we have epistemic limitations, we can never grasp the totality of God’s knowledge. The second assumption is that God has provided us with no reasons for why He has allowed evil and suffering to exist. 307. This is not true. Islamic revelation provides us with many reasons for why God has allowed evil and suffering to exist. Both assumptions will be addressed below.

Shin Allah ne kaɗai Mai Jin ƙai da Mai Iko? Note on the translation: the original says "God", so the rules require the Hausa word for God, not "Allah". The correct rendering is "Ubangiji" (God). Here is the translation with that word: Shin Ubangiji ne kaɗai Mai Jin ƙai da Mai Iko?

Is God only The-Merciful and All-Powerful?.

Según Al-Qur'an, Allah (SWT) është Al-Qadeer, që do të thotë Plotfuqishmi, dhe Ar-Rahmaan, që do të thotë Më Mëshirues, gjë që nënkupton gjithashtu dhembshuri. Islami kërkon që njerëzimi ta njohë dhe ta besojë një Zot të fuqisë, mëshirës dhe mirësisë. Megjithatë, ateisti e keqpërfaqëson gjerësisht konceptin islam gjithëpërfshirës për Zotin. Zoti nuk është vetëm Më Mëshirues dhe Plotfuqishëm; përkundrazi, Ai ka shumë emra dhe atribute. Këto kuptohen në tërësi përmes njëshmërisë së Tij (shih Kapitullin 15). Për shembull, një nga emrat e Tij është Al-Hakeem, që do të thotë I Urti. Meqenëse vetë natyra e Zotit është urtësia, del si pasojë se çfarëdo që Ai dëshiron është në përputhje me urtësinë hyjnore. Kur diçka shpjegohet nga një urtësi e fshehur, kjo nënkupton një arsye për ndodhjen e saj. Në këtë dritë, ateisti e zvogëlon Zotin në dy atribute dhe, duke e bërë këtë, ndërton një njeri prej kashte, duke keqpërfaqësuar konceptin islam për Zotin, dhe kështu merret me një monolog të parëndësishëm. Shkrimtari Alom Shaha, autori i The Young Atheist’s Handbook, i përgjigjet pohimit se urtësia hyjnore është shpjegim për të keqen dhe vuajtjen duke e përshkruar si një shmangie intelektuale.

According to the Qur’an, God is Al-Qadeer, meaning the All-Powerful, and Ar-Rahmaan, meaning The-Merciful, which also implies compassion. Islam requires that mankind know and believe in a God of power, mercy and goodness. However, the atheist grossly misrepresents the comprehensive Islamic conception of God. God is not only The-Merciful and All-Powerful; rather, He has many names and attributes. These are understood holistically via God’s oneness (see Chapter 15). For instance, one of His names is Al-Hakeem, meaning The-Wise. Since the very nature of God is wisdom, it follows that whatever He wills is in line with Divine wisdom. When something is explained by an underlying wisdom, it implies a reason for its occurrence. In this light, the atheist reduces God to two attributes and by doing so builds a straw man, misrepresenting the Islamic conception of God, thereby engaging in an irrelevant monologue. The writer Alom Shaha, who wrote The Young Atheist’s Handbook, responds to the assertion that Divine wisdom is an explanation for evil and suffering by describing it as an intellectual cop-out:

"Matsalar mugunta gaskiya tana ba masu bi na yau da kullum mamaki. A gogewata, yawanci suna amsawa da wani abu irin wannan: 'Allah yana motsawa ta hanyoyi masu ban mamaki.' Wani lokacin kuma suna cewa, 'Wahala jarrabawa ce daga Allah a gare mu,' sai kuma amsar da ta bayyana ita ce, 'Me ya sa zai jarrabe mu ta wannan hanya mugunta?' Sai amsar ta koma: 'Allah yana motsawa ta hanyoyi masu ban mamaki.' Kun gane ma'anar." 308.

“The problem of evil genuinely stumps most ordinary believers. In my experience, they usually respond with an answer along the lines of, ‘God moves in mysterious ways.’ Sometimes they’ll say, ‘Suffering is God’s way of testing us,’ to which the obvious response is, ‘Why does he have to test us in such evil ways’ To which the response is, ‘God moves in mysterious ways.’ You get the idea.”308.

Alom, kamar sauran masu kafirci da yawa, yana aikata kuskuren argumentum ad ignoratium, wato hujjar daga jahilci. Kawai saboda bai iya samun hikimar Allah ba, hakan ba ya nufin ita ba ta wanzu. Irin wannan tunani ya zama ruwan dare ga yara ƙanana. Iyaye sukan hana yaro wani abu da yake so, kamar cin alewa fiye da kima. Yaron kan yi kuka ko ya yi fushi, saboda yana ganin iyayensa mugaye ne, amma bai fahimci hikimar da ke bayan hanawar ba (a wannan misali, yawan alewa yana cutar da haƙora). Haka kuma, wannan zargi bai fahimci ma'anar Allah da yanayinsa ba. Tun da Allah Mai tsarki ne daga kamanceceniya da halittu, Masani ne, kuma Mai hikima, to a dalilance ya biyo baya cewa mutane masu iyaka ba za su iya fahimtar nufin Allah gaba ɗaya ba. Har ma a ce za mu iya fahimtar cikakkiyar hikimar Allah zai nuna cewa mu kamar Allah muke, wanda hakan ya saɓa da gaskiyar tsarkinsa, ko kuma ya nuna cewa Allah yana da iyaka kamar mutum. Wannan hujja ba ta da tasiri ga kowane mumini, domin babu wani Musulmi da ya yi imani da Allah wanda halitta ce mai iyaka. Ba gujewa ce ta hankali ba a ambaci hikimar Allah, domin ba yana nufin wani abu ɓoyayye ba ne. Akasin haka, yana fahimtar yanayin Allah da gaske, kuma yana kai ga ƙarshe mai ma'ana da ya dace. Kamar yadda na faɗa a baya, Allah yana ganin hoton gaba ɗaya, mu kuwa muna ganin pixel guda ɗaya kawai.

Alom, like many other atheists, commits the fallacy of argumentum ad ignoratium, arguing from ignorance. Just because he cannot access Divine wisdom does not mean it does not exist. This reasoning is typical of toddlers. Many children are scolded by their parents for something they want to do, such as eating too many sweets. The toddlers usually cry or have a tantrum because they think how bad mummy and daddy are, but the child does not realise the wisdom underlying their objection (in this case, too many sweets are bad for their teeth). Furthermore, this contention misunderstands the definition and nature of God. Since God is transcendent, knowing and wise, then it logically follows that limited human beings cannot fully comprehend the Divine will. To even suggest that we can appreciate the totality of God’s wisdom would imply that we are like God, which denies the fact of His transcendence, or suggests that God is limited like a human. This argument has no traction with any believer, because no Muslim believes in a created, limited God. It is not an intellectual cop-out to refer to Divine wisdom, because it is not referring to some mysterious unknown. Rather, it truly understands the nature of God and makes the necessary logical conclusions. As I have pointed out before, God has the picture, and we have just a pixel.

Kamar yadda aka bayyana a Babi na 1, matsalar hujjar mugunta da wahala tana fallasa wani son zuciya na tunani da ake kira ‘egocentrism’. Irin wannan mutum ba ya iya ganin wani ra’ayi game da wani batu sai nasa. Wasu masu musun Allah suna fama da wannan son zuciya. Suna zaton cewa tun da ba za su iya tunanin wani dalili mai kyau da zai tabbatar da mugunta da wahala a duniya ba, to kowa—har da Allah—dole ne ya kasance yana da wannan matsala. Saboda haka sai su musunta Allah, domin suna zaton cewa Allah ba zai iya a barshi ba bisa ga yadda Ya bari mugunta da wahala a duniya. Idan Allah ba shi da wani dalili, to rahama da ikon Allah ba su da hakikanin asali. Ta haka ne ra’ayin gargajiya game da Allah zai ruguje. Amma abin da masu musun Allah suka yi kawai shi ne sun sanya ra’ayinsu a kan Allah. Wannan kamar cewa Allah dole ne Ya yi tunani kamar yadda mutane suke tunani. Hakan ba zai yiwu ba, domin ba za a iya kwatanta mutum da Allah ba, don Allah ya fi duk abin da ake iya tunani, kuma Yana da cikakkiyar hikima da ilimi.

As mentioned in Chapter 1, the problem of the evil and suffering argument exposes a cognitive bias known as ‘egocentrism’. Such a person cannot see any perspective on a particular issue apart from their own. Some atheists suffer from this cognitive bias. They assume that since they cannot possibly fathom any good reasons to justify the evil and suffering in the world, everyone else—including God—must also have the same problem. Thus they deny God, because they assume that God cannot be justified for permitting the evil and suffering in the world. If God has no justification, then the mercy and power of God are illusions. Thus, the traditional concept of God is nullified. However, all atheists have done is superimposed their perspective on God. This is like arguing that God must think how humans think. This is impossible because human beings and God cannot be compared, as God is transcendent and has the totality of wisdom and knowledge.

Wannan shi ne atheist zai iya amsawa da cewa abin da aka faɗa a sama hanya ce mai wayo ta gujewa matsalar: idan mai bin addini zai iya nuna cewa hikimar Allah tana da girma har ba za a iya fahimtarta ba, to za mu iya bayyana duk wani abu "mai ban mamaki" ta hanyar komawa ga wata hikima ta Ubangiji. Ni ɗan jin tausayin wannan amsa, amma a cikin mahallin matsalar mugunta da wahala, hujja ce ta ƙarya. Shi ne atheist da kansa yake komawa ga siffofin Allah tun farko: ikonsa da jinƙansa. Ya kamata atheist ya ambaci Allah kamar yadda yake, ba a matsayin wakili mai siffofi biyu kaɗai ba. Idan za su haɗa da sauran siffofi kamar hikima, hujjarsu ba za ta tsaya ba. Idan za su haɗa da siffar hikima, dole ne su nuna cewa hikimar Allah ba ta dace da duniya cike da wahala da mugunta ba. Wannan kuma ba zai yiwu a tabbatar ba, domin akwai misalai da yawa a rayuwarmu ta ilimi da ta aiki inda muke yarda da ƙarancin fahimtarmu, wato akwai lokuta da muke miƙa wuya ga hikimar da ba mu iya fahimta ba. Muna karɓar abubuwan da ba mu fahimta ba a kullum bisa dalili. Misali, idan muka je wurin likita, muna ɗaukar likita a matsayin mai iko. Muna amincewa da binciken likita bisa wannan dalili. Har ma muna shan magungunan da ya rubuta ba tare da tunani na biyu ba. Wannan da sauran misalai irinsa suna nuna sarai cewa ambaton hikimar Allah ba gujewa matsalar ba ce. Maimakon haka, hakan yana bayyana Allah kamar yadda yake, ba tare da nuna cewa yana da siffofi biyu kaɗai ba. Tun da Shi ne Mai hikima, kuma sunayensa da siffofinsa cikakku ne matuƙar kamala, to yana biyo baya cewa akwai hikima a bayan duk abin da yake yi, ko da ba mu san hikimar ba ko ba mu fahimce ta ba. Da yawa daga cikinmu ba sa fahimtar yadda cututtuka suke aiki, amma kawai saboda ba mu fahimci wani abu ba, hakan ba ya kawar da wanzuwarsa.

At this point, the atheist might respond by describing the above as an intelligent way of evading the problem: If the theist can refer to God’s wisdom as so great that it cannot be understood, then we can explain anything ‘mysterious’ in reference to a Divine wisdom. I somewhat empathise with this reply; however, in the context of the problem of evil and suffering, it is a false argument. It is the atheist that refers to God’s attributes to begin with; His power and mercy. Atheists should refer to God as who He is, not as an agent with only two attributes. If they were to include other attributes such as wisdom, their argument would not be valid. If they were to include the attribute of wisdom, they would have to show how Divine wisdom is incompatible with a world full of suffering or evil. This would be impossible to prove, because there are so many examples in our intellectual and practical lives where we admit our intellectual inferiority—in other words, there are cases where we submit to a wisdom we cannot understand. We rationally submit to realities that we cannot understand on a regular basis. For example, when we visit the doctor, we assume that the doctor is an authority. We trust the doctor’s diagnosis on this basis. We even take the medicine the doctor prescribes without any second thought. This and many other similar examples clearly show that referring to God’s wisdom is not evading the problem. Rather, it is accurately presenting who God is and not making out that God has only two attributes. Since He is The-Wise, and His names and attributes are maximally perfect, it follows that there is wisdom behind everything that He does—even if we do not know or understand that wisdom. Many of us do not understand how diseases work, but just because we do not understand something does not negate its existence.

Al-Qur'ani yana amfani da labarai masu zurfi don isar da wannan fahimta. Misali, labarin Musa da wani mutum da ya haɗu da shi a tafiyarsa, wanda aka sani da Khidr. Musa ya ga yana aikata abubuwan da suka yi kama da rashin adalci da mugunta, amma a ƙarshen tafiyarsu, hikimar da Musa bai samu damar sani ba ta bayyana.

The Qur’an uses profound stories and narratives to instil this understanding. Take, for instance, the story of Moses and a man he encountered on his travels, known as Khidr. Moses observed him do things that seemed unjust and evil, but at the end of their journey, the wisdom that Moses did not have access to was brought to light:

Saboda haka sai su biyun suka koma, suka bi hanyarsu ta baya, suka iske ɗaya daga cikin bayinmu—wani mutum wanda Muka yi masa rahama, kuma Muka koya masa ilimi daga wajenMu. Musa ya ce masa, “Shin zan iya bin ka don ka koya mini wani ɓangare na shiriyar da aka koya maka?” Mutumin ya ce, “Ba za ka iya haƙuri da ni ba. Ta yaya za ka yi haƙuri a kan abubuwan da ba ka sani ba?” Musa ya ce, “In Allah ya so, za ka same ni mai haƙuri, kuma ba zan saɓa maka a kome ba.” Mutumin ya ce, “To idan kana bina, kada ka tambaye ni kome har sai na ambace maka shi da kaina.” Suka ci gaba da tafiya. Daga baya, lokacin da suka shiga jirgin ruwa, sai mutumin ya huda shi, Musa ya ce, “Ta yaya za ka huda shi? Kana so ka nutsar da fasinjojinsa? Lallai wannan abu ne mai ban mamaki!” Ya amsa, “Ban gaya maka ba cewa ba za ka iya haƙuri da ni ba?” Musa ya ce, “Ka gafarta mini saboda mantuwa. Kada ka sa mini wahala wajen bin ka.” Haka suka ci gaba da tafiya. Sa’an nan, lokacin da suka haɗu da wani yaro, mutumin ya kashe shi, Musa ya ce, “Ta yaya za ka kashe mutum marar laifi? Bai kashe kowa ba! Lallai wannan abu ne mummuna!” Ya amsa, “Ban gaya maka ba cewa ba za ka iya haƙuri da ni ba?” Musa ya ce, “Daga yanzu, idan na tambaye ka kome, to ka kore ni daga tare da kai—ka riga ka jure mini isa.” Haka suka ci gaba da tafiya. Sa’an nan, lokacin da suka isa wani gari, suka nemi abinci daga mazaunansa amma aka ƙi karɓar su, sai suka ga wata katanga a wurin da ta kusa faɗuwa, mutumin kuwa ya gyara ta. Musa ya ce, “Da ka so, da ka iya karɓar lada saboda aikin nan.” Ya ce, “Wannan ne rabuwarmu. Zan faɗa maka ma’anar abubuwan da ba za ka iya haƙuri da su ba: jirgin ruwan na wasu mabuƙata ne da suke samun abincinsu daga teku, kuma na lalata shi saboda na san cewa a bayansu akwai wani sarki yana ƙwace kowane jirgi mai amfani da ƙarfi.” Yaron yana da iyaye masu imani, don haka, saboda tsoron cewa zai jefa su cikin wahala ta hanyar mugunta da kafirci, mun so Ubangijinsu ya ba su wani yaro madadinsa, mai tsarki da tausayi.309 Bango kuwa na wasu marayu biyu ne a cikin gari, kuma akwai dukiyar da aka binne a karkashinsa mallakarsu ce. Mahaifinsu mutum ne nagari, saboda haka Ubangijinka ya nufa su kai ga girma, sannan su tono dukiyarsu a matsayin rahama daga Ubangijinka. Ba da son raina na aikata [wadannan abubuwa] ba: wadannan su ne bayanan abubuwan da ba ka iya hakuri da su ba.’”310

“So the two turned back, retraced their footsteps, and found one of Our servants— a man to whom We had granted Our mercy and whom We had given knowledge of Our own. Moses said to him, ‘May I follow you so that you can teach me some of the right guidance you have been taught?’ The man said, ‘You will not be able to bear with me patiently. How could you be patient in matters beyond your knowledge?’ Moses said, ‘God willing, you will find me patient. I will not disobey you in any way.’ The man said, ‘If you follow me then, do not query anything I do before I mention it to you myself.’ They travelled on. Later, when they got into a boat, and the man made a hole in it, Moses said, ‘How could you make a hole in it? Do you want to drown its passengers? What a strange thing to do!’ He replied, ‘Did I not tell you that you would never be able to bear with me patiently?’ Moses said, ‘Forgive me for forgetting. Do not make it too hard for me to follow you.’ And so they travelled on. Then, when they met a young boy and the man killed him, Moses said, ‘How could you kill an innocent person? He has not killed anyone! What a terrible thing to do!’ He replied, ‘Did I not tell you that you would never be able to bear with me patiently?’ Moses said, ‘From now on, if I query anything you do, banish me from your company— you have put up with enough from me.’ And so they travelled on. Then, when they came to a town and asked the inhabitants for food but were refused hospitality, they saw a wall there that was on the point of falling down and the man repaired it. Moses said, ‘But if you had wished you could have taken payment for doing that.’ He said, ‘This is where you and I part company. I will tell you the meaning of the things you could not bear with patiently: the boat belonged to some needy people who made their living from the sea and I damaged it because I knew that coming after them was a king who was seizing every [serviceable] boat by force. The young boy had parents who were people of faith, and so, fearing he would trouble them through wickedness and disbelief, we wished that their Lord should give them another child—purer and more compassionate—in his place. 309 The wall belonged to two young orphans in the town and there was buried treasure beneath it belonging to them. Their father had been a righteous man, so your Lord intended them to reach maturity and then dig up their treasure as a mercy from your Lord. I did not do [these things] of my own accord: these are the explanations for those things you could not bear with patience.’”310.

Baya ga abin da ya bambanta hikimarmu mai iyaka da ta Allah, wannan labari kuma yana ba da darussa masu muhimmanci da fahimta ta ruhaniya. Darasi na farko shi ne cewa domin mutum ya fahimci nufin Allah, sai ya zama mai tawali'u. Musa ya zo wajen Khidr, kuma ya san cewa yana da wani ilimi da aka yi masa wahayi daga Allah, wanda Allah bai ba Musa ba. Musa ya roƙe shi da tawali'u ya koyi daga gare shi, amma Khidr ya mayar da martani ta hanyar tambayar iyawar Musa na haƙuri; duk da haka, Musa ya nace yana son koyo. (Matsayin ruhaniya na Musa yana da girma sosai a cikin koyarwar Musulunci. Shi annabi ne kuma manzo, duk da haka ya zo wajen mutumin da tawali'u.) Darasi na biyu shi ne cewa haƙuri yana da muhimmanci wajen jure wahala da mugunta a duniya ta fuskar motsin zuciya da tunani. Khidr ya san cewa Musa ba zai iya yin haƙuri da shi ba, domin zai aikata abubuwan da Musa ya ɗauka mugunta ne. Musa ya yi ƙoƙarin yin haƙuri, amma koyaushe yana tambayar ayyukan mutumin kuma yana nuna fushinsa game da abin da ya gani a matsayin mugunta. Duk da haka, a ƙarshen labarin, Khidr ya bayyana hikimar Allah da ke bayan ayyukansa bayan ya bayyana cewa Musa bai iya yin haƙuri ba. Abin da za mu koya daga wannan labari shi ne cewa domin mu iya jure mugunta da wahala a duniya, ciki har da rashin iya fahimtar su, dole ne mu zama masu tawali'u da haƙuri.

In addition to contrasting our limited wisdom with God’s, this story also provides key lessons and spiritual insights. The first lesson is that in order to understand God’s will, one has to be humble. Moses approached Khidr, and knew that he had some Divinely inspired knowledge that God had not given to Moses. Moses humbly asked to learn from him, yet Khidr responded by questioning his ability to be patient; nevertheless, Moses insisted and wanted to learn. (The spiritual status of Moses is very high according to the Islamic tradition. He was a prophet and messenger, yet he approached the man with humility.) The second lesson is that patience is required to emotionally and psychologically deal with the suffering and evil in the world. Khidr knew that Moses would not be able to be patient with him, as he was going to do things that Moses thought were evil. Moses tried to be patient but always questioned the man’s actions and expressed his anger at the perceived evil. However, at the end of the story, Khidr explained the Divine wisdom behind his actions after exclaiming that Moses was not able to be patient. What we learn from this story is that to be able to deal with evil and suffering in the world, including our inability to understand it, we must be humble and patient.

Yayin da yake tsokaci kan ayoyin da ke sama, malamin zamani Ibn Kathir ya bayyana cewa Khidr shi ne wanda Allah ya ba shi ilimin hakikanin abin da ke bayan sharrin da wahalar da ake gani, kuma bai ba Musa wannan ilimin ba. Dangane da ma'anar maganar "Ba za ka iya hakuri da ni ba", Ibn Kathir ya rubuta: "Ba za ka iya tare da ni ba idan ka ga ina aikata abubuwan da ke saba wa shari'arka, domin ina da ilimi daga wurin Allah wanda bai koyar da kai ba, kai kuma kana da ilimi daga wurin Allah wanda bai koyar da ni ba."311.

Commenting on the above verses, the classical scholar Ibn Kathir explained that Khidr was the one to whom God had given knowledge of the reality behind the perceived evil and suffering, and He had not given it to Moses. With reference to the meaning of the statement, “You will not be able to bear with me patiently”, Ibn Kathir wrote: “You will not be able to accompany with me when you see me doing things that go against your law, because I have knowledge from God that He has not taught you, and you have knowledge from God that He has not taught me.”311.

A asali, hikimar Allah tana da iyaka kuma cikakkiya, yayin da mu muna da hikima da ilimi iyakantattu. Wata hanyar fadin haka ita ce, Allah yana da cikakkiyar hikima da ilimi; mu kuwa muna da ɓangarorinsu kawai. Muna ganin abubuwa ne daga mahangar kallonmu mai ɓarna. Faɗawa tarkon son-kai kamar yin imani cewa kana da cikakken sanin wasan wuyar warwarewa bayan ka ga guntu ɗaya kawai ne. Saboda haka Ibn Kathir ya bayyana cewa ayar, "Ta yaya za ka yi haƙuri a kan abin da ba ka sani ba?" tana nufin akwai hikimar Allah da ba za mu iya kaiwa gare ta ba: "Domin na sani za ka soke ni bisa dacewa, amma ina da ilimin hikimar Allah da muradun ɓoye waɗanda ni nake iya gani amma kai ba ka iya gani ba."312.

In essence, God’s wisdom is unbounded and complete, whereas we have limited wisdom and knowledge. Another way of putting it is that God has the totality of wisdom and knowledge; we just have its particulars. We see things from the perspective of our fragmentary viewpoint. To fall for the trap of egocentrism is like believing you know the entire puzzle after seeing only one piece. Hence Ibn Kathir explains that the verse, “How could you be patient in matters beyond your knowledge?” means that there is a Divine wisdom that we cannot access: “For I know that you will denounce me justifiably, but I have knowledge of God’s wisdom and the hidden interests which I can see but you cannot.”312.

Ra'ayin cewa duk abin da ke faruwa yana cikin hikimar Allah ta Ubangiji yana da ƙarfafawa kuma yana da kyau. Wannan saboda hikimar Allah ba ta saɓa wa sauran sifofinSa ba, kamar cikakkiyar kammalarSa da alherinSa. Saboda haka, mugunta da wahala a ƙarshe suna cikin manufar Allah. Daga cikin malamai na gargajiya da yawa, malamin ƙarni na 14 Ibn Taymiyya ya taƙaita wannan ma'ana da kyau: "Allah ba ya halitta mugunta tsantsa. Maimakon haka, cikin duk abin da Ya halitta akwai manufa mai hikima ta hanyar abin da yake nagarta. Duk da haka, a cikinsa akwai wata mugunta ga wasu mutane, kuma wannan mugunta ta sashe ce, mai alaƙa. Amma mugunta gaba ɗaya ko mugunta cikakkiya, Ubangiji ya tsarkaka daga hakan."313

The view that everything that happens is in line with a Divine wisdom is empowering and positive. This is because God’s wisdom does not contradict other aspects of His nature, such as His perfection and goodness. Therefore, evil and suffering are ultimately part of a Divine purpose. Among many other classical scholars, the 14th century scholar Ibn Taymiyya summarises this point well: “God does not create pure evil. Rather, in everything that He creates is a wise purpose by virtue of what is good. However, there may be some evil in it for some people, and this is partial, relative evil. As for total evil or absolute evil, the Lord is exonerated of that.”313

Wannan ba ya karyata ra'ayin gaskiyar ɗabi'a ta zahiri da aka ambata a babin da ya gabata ba. Ko da komai yana cikin tafarkin alheri na ƙarshe, kuma mugunta ta zama "ta ɓangare", hakan ba ya raunana ra'ayin mugunta ta zahiri. Kamar yadda aka tattauna, mugunta ta zahiri ba ta cikakke ba ce, sai dai mugunta ce bisa wani yanayi ko wasu sharuɗɗa. Don haka wani abu na iya zama mugu a zahiri saboda wasu sharuɗɗa ko yanayi, kuma a lokaci guda ya kasance cikin manufar Allah ta ƙarshe wacce take mai kyau kuma mai hikima.

This does not negate the concept of objective moral truths mentioned in the previous chapter. Even if everything is in line with ultimate goodness, and evil is ‘partial’, it does not undermine the concept of objective evil. As discussed, objective evil is not absolute, but rather it is evil based on a particular context or set of variables. So something can be objectively evil due to certain variables or context, and at the same time it can be included within an ultimate Divine purpose that is good and wise.

Wannan yana sa muminai su ji halaye masu kyau a zuciyarsu, domin duk sharri da duk wahalar da ke faruwa suna da manufar Allah ta gaskiya. Ibn Taymiyya ya taƙaita wannan ma'ana kamar haka: "Idan God — Ɗaukaka ta tabbata gare Shi — shi ne Mahaliccin kome, to Yana halittar alheri da sharri saboda manufa mai hikima da Yake da ita, wadda ta sa aikinsa ya zama nagari kuma cikakke."314

This evokes positive psychological responses from believers, because all the evil and all the suffering that occur are for a Divine purpose. Ibn Taymiyya summarises this point as well: “If God— exalted is He—is Creator of everything, He creates good and evil on account of the wise purpose that He has in that by virtue of which His action is good and perfect.”314

Henri Laoust, a cikin littafinsa Essay sur les doctrines sociales et politiques de Taki-d-Din Ahmad b. Taimiya, shi ma ya bayyana wannan matsayi: "Allah Madaukaki shi ne Mai tanadi (providence) a zahiri. Mugunta ba ta da wani ainihin wanzuwa a duniya. Duk abin da Allah ya so yana iya daidaita ne kawai da adalci mai cikakken iko da alheri marar iyaka, sai dai idan an duba shi daga mahangar jimla gaba ɗaya, ba daga mahangar sanin da halittunsa suke da shi na hakikanin abubuwa ba, wanda ya gutsure kuma bai cika ba…."315.

Henri Laoust, in his Essay sur les doctrines sociales et politiques de Taki-d-Din Ahmad b. Taimiya, also explains this position: “God is essentially providence. Evil is without real existence in the world. All that God has willed can only conform to a sovereign justice and an infinite goodness, provided, however, that it is envisaged from the point of view of the totality and not from that of the fragmentary and imperfect knowledge that His creatures have of reality….”315.

Shin Allah yana ba mu dalilai game da dalilin da ya sa ya ba da damar mugunta da wahala su wanzu?

Does God give us reasons for why He has allowed evil and suffering to exist?.

Amsa mai gamsarwa ga zato na biyu shi ne gabatar da hujja mai ƙarfi cewa Allah ya sanar da mu wasu dalilai game da dalilin da ya sa Ya bar mugunta da wahala su kasance a duniya. Wadatar tunanin Musulunci ta ba mu dalilai da yawa.

A sufficient response to the second assumption is to provide a strong argument that God has communicated some reasons to us about why He has allowed evil and suffering in the world. The intellectual richness of Islamic thought provides us with many reasons.

Manufarmu ita ce ibada.

Our purpose is worship.

Babban manufar ɗan Adam ba shi ne ya ji daɗin farin ciki na ɗan lokaci ba; a maimakon haka, shi ne ya sami natsuwa mai zurfi a cikin zuciya ta hanyar sanin Allah da bauta masa (duba Babi na 15). Cika wannan manufar Allah zai kai ga ni'ima ta har abada da gaskiyar farin ciki. Don haka, idan wannan ita ce babbar manufarmu, sauran al'amuran rayuwar ɗan Adam suna zama na biyu. Alƙur'ani ya ce: "Ban halicci aljani ko mutum ba sai dan su bauta mini."316

The primary purpose of the human being is not to enjoy a transitory sense of happiness; rather, it is to achieve a deep internal peace through knowing and worshipping God (see Chapter 15). This fulfilment of the Divine purpose will result in everlasting bliss and true happiness. So, if this is our primary purpose, other aspects of human experience are secondary. The Qur’an states, “I did not create either jinn [spirit world] or man except to worship Me.”316

Ka yi la'akari da wani mutum wanda bai taba fuskantar wahala ko zafi ba, kullum yana jin daɗi. Wannan mutum, saboda yanayin sauƙin da yake ciki, ya manta da Allah, don haka ya kasa yin abin da aka halicce shi domin yi. Ka kwatanta wannan mutum da wanda abubuwan wahala da zafi da ya fuskanta suka kai shi ga Allah, suka kuma cika manufar rayuwarsa. Daga mahangar ruhaniyar addinin Musulunci, wanda wahalarsa ta kai shi ga Allah ya fi wanda bai taba wahala ba, wanda jin daɗinsa ya kai shi nesa da Allah.

Consider someone who has never experienced any suffering or pain, but experiences pleasure all the time. This person, by virtue of his state of ease, has forgotten God and therefore failed to do what he was created to do. Compare this person with someone whose experiences of hardship and pain have led him to God, and fulfilled his purpose in life. From the perspective of the Islamic spiritual tradition, the one whose suffering has led him to God is better than the one who has never suffered and whose pleasures have led him away from God.

Rayuwa jarrabawa ce.

Life is a test.

Allah ya halicce mu ma don jarrabawa, kuma wani ɓangare na wannan jarrabawa shi ne fuskantar gwaji da wahala da mugunta. Nasarar wannan jarrabawa ita ce ke sa mu samun madawwamin wurin zama a aljanna, cikin ni'ima ta har abada. Alkur'ani ya bayyana cewa Ubangiji ne ya halicci mutuwa da rayuwa, "domin ya jarrabe ku, ya san wane ne daga cikinku mafi kyau a aiki. Shi ne Mabuwayi, Mai yawan gafara." Note: The rules require writing "God" rather than "Allah" in the translation, so the correct rendering is below. Allah ya halicce mu ma don jarrabawa, kuma wani ɓangare na wannan jarrabawa shi ne fuskantar gwaji da wahala da mugunta. Nasarar wannan jarrabawa ita ce ke sa mu samun madawwamin wurin zama a aljanna, cikin ni'ima ta har abada. Alkur'ani ya bayyana cewa Ubangiji ne ya halicci mutuwa da rayuwa, "domin ya jarrabe ku, ya san wane ne daga cikinku mafi kyau a aiki. Shi ne Mabuwayi, Mai yawan gafara."317

God also created us for a test, and part of this test is to experience trials with suffering and evil. Passing the test facilitates our permanent abode of eternal bliss in paradise. The Qur’an explains that God created death and life, “so that He may put you to test, to find out which of you is best in deeds: He is the The-Almighty, The-Forgiving.”317

A ma’ana, mai shan wahala ba ya fahimtar manufar rayuwarmu a duniya. Duniya an yi ta ne a matsayin fage na jarrabawa da wahalhalu domin a gwada halayenmu da kuma domin mu noma kyawawan dabi’u. Misali, ta yaya za mu noma haƙuri idan ba mu fuskantar abubuwan da ke gwada haƙurinmu ba? Ta yaya za mu zama jarumai idan babu hatsarorin da za mu fuskanta? Ta yaya za mu zama masu tausayi idan babu wanda ke bukatar tausayi? Kasancewar rayuwa jarrabawa ce ke amsa wadannan tambayoyi. Muna bukatar kalubale domin tabbatar da ci gabanmu na dabi’a da na ruhaniya. Ba don mu yi shagali a nan ba aka halicce mu; wannan shi ne manufar Aljannah. To me ya sa rayuwa jarrabawa ce? Tun da Allah, wato God, cikakke ne a alherinSa, Yana so kowannenmu ya yi imani, sakamakon haka kuma ya samu farin ciki madawwami tare da Shi a Aljannah. God ya bayyana a fili cewa Yana yarda da imani ga dukanmu: “Kuma ba Ya yarda wa bayinSa kafirci ba.”318

On a basic level, the atheist misunderstands the purpose of our existence on Earth. The world is supposed to be an arena of trials and tribulations in order to test our conduct and for us to cultivate virtue. For example, how can we cultivate patience if we do not experience things that test our patience? How can we become courageous if there are no dangers to be confronted? How can we be compassionate if no one is in need of it? Life being a test answers these questions. We need challenges to ensure our moral and spiritual growth. We are not here to party; that is the purpose of paradise. So why is life a test? Since God is perfectly good, He wants every single one of us to believe and, as a result, experience eternal bliss with Him in paradise. God makes it clear that He prefers belief for us all: “And He does not approve for His servants’ disbelief.”318

Wannan a bayyane yake yana nuna cewa Allah ba ya son kowa ya shiga wuta. Amma idan Ya aika kowa zuwa aljanna, to za a yi babban cin zarafin adalci; Allah zai dauki Musa da Fir'auna da Hitler da Isa a matsayin daya. Ana bukatar wata hanya da za ta tabbatar da cewa mutanen da suka shiga aljanna sun shiga ne bisa cancanta. Wannan shi ne dalilin da ya sa rayuwa jarrabawa ce. Rayuwa kawai hanya ce ta ganin wanda daga cikinmu ya cancanci farin ciki na har abada. Saboda haka, rayuwa cike take da cikas, wadanda ke aiki a matsayin jarrabawar halayenmu.

This clearly shows that God does not want anyone to go to hell. However, if He were to send everyone to paradise, then a gross violation of justice would take place; God would be treating Moses and the Pharaoh and Hitler and Jesus as the same. A mechanism is needed to ensure that people who enter paradise do so based on merit. This explains why life is a test. Life is just a mechanism to see who among us are truly deserving of eternal happiness. As such, life is filled with obstacles, which act as tests of our conduct.

A wannan fanni, Musulunci yana ba mutum ƙarfi ƙwarai, domin yana ganin wahala, mugunta, cutarwa, zafi da matsaloli a matsayin jarabawa. Za mu iya jin daɗi, amma an halicce mu da wata manufa, kuma wannan manufa ita ce bauta wa Allah. Ra'ayin Musulunci mai ba da ƙarfi shi ne cewa ana ganin jarabawa a matsayin alamar ƙaunar Allah. Annabi Muhammadu ﷺ ya ce: "Idan Allah ya so bawansa, sai ya jarabce shi."319

In this regard, Islam is extremely empowering because it sees suffering, evil, harm, pain and problems as a test. We can have fun, but we have been created with a purpose and that purpose is to worship God. The empowering Islamic view is that tests are seen as sign of God’s love. The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “When God loves a servant, He tests him.”319

Dalilin da yasa Allah yake jarrabawa ga waɗanda Yake ƙauna shi ne cewa hanya ce ta samun jin daɗin har abada na Aljanna—kuma shiga Aljanna sakamako ne na ƙaunar Allah da jinƙansa. Allah ya nuna wannan a fili a cikin Alƙur'ani: {Shin kuna zaton za ku shiga Aljanna alhali ba ku riga kun sha wahala ba kamar waɗanda suka gabace ku? Sun fuskanci masifa da wahala, kuma sun girgiza har ma manzon da waɗanda suka yi imani tare da shi suka ce, "Yaushe ne taimakon Allah zai zo?" Lallai, taimakon Allah yana kusa.}320

The reason God tests those whom He loves is because it is an avenue to achieve the eternal bliss of paradise—and entering paradise is a result of Divine love and mercy. God points this out clearly in the Qur’an: “Do you suppose that you will enter the Garden without first having suffered like those before you? They were afflicted by misfortune and hardship, and they were so shaken that even [their] messenger and the believers with him cried, ‘When will God’s help arrive?’ Truly, God’s help is near.”320

Kyawun addinin Musulunci shi ne cewa Allah, wanda ya fi sanin mu fiye da yadda mu kanmu muke sanin kanmu, ya riga ya ba mu ƙarfi, kuma ya gaya mana cewa muna da abin da ake buƙata don mu shawo kan waɗannan jarabawoli. "Allah ba ya ɗora wa wata rai fiye da abin da za ta iya ɗauka."321

The beauty of the Islamic tradition is that God, who knows us better than we know ourselves, has already empowered us and tells us that we have what it takes to overcome these trials. “God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear.”321

Duk da haka, idan ba mu iya shawo kan waɗannan jarabawoyi ba bayan mun yi iyakar ƙoƙarinmu, rahamar Allah da adalcinsa za su tabbatar da cewa an biya mu wani sakamako, ko dai a cikin wannan rayuwa ko kuma a rayuwar lahira madawwamiyar da ke jiranmu.

However, if we cannot overcome these trials after having tried our best, God’s mercy and justice will ensure that we are recompensed in some way, either in this life or the eternal life that awaits us.

Sanin Allah. Wait, the rules say never write "Allah", so the Hausa word for God is needed: "Sanin Ubangiji." But that's a direct translation of "Knowing God." Final: Sanin Ubangiji.

Knowing God.

Wahala da shan wahala suna taimaka mana mu fahimci da kuma sanin sifofin Allah, kamar Mai-Tsarewa da Mai-Warkarwa. Misali, idan ba don zafin rashin lafiya ba, da ba za mu iya godiya ga sifofin Allah kamar Mai-Warkarwa, ko wanda ke ba mu lafiya ba. A cikin tafarkin ruhaniya na Musulunci, sanin Allah babban alheri ne, kuma ya cancanci shan wahala ko ciwo, domin hakan zai tabbatar da cika manufarmu ta farko, wacce a ƙarshe take kaiwa ga aljanna.

Hardship and suffering enables us to realise and know God’s attributes, such as The-Protector and The-Healer. For example, without the pain of illness we would not appreciate God’s attributes as The-Healer, or the one who gives us health. Knowing God in the Islamic spiritual tradition is a greater good, and worth the experience of suffering or pain, as it will ensure the fulfilment of our primary purpose, which ultimately leads to paradise.

Alheri mafi girma.

Greater good.

Ta hanyar wahala da mugunta ne ake samun wani alheri mafi girma, wanda ake kira alheri na mataki na biyu. Alheri na mataki na farko shi ne jin daɗin jiki da farin ciki, mugunta ta mataki na farko kuma ita ce azabar jiki da baƙin ciki. Misalan alheri na mataki na biyu sun haɗa da jarumta, tawali'u da haƙuri. Duk da haka, domin samun alheri na mataki na biyu (kamar jarumta) dole ne a sami mugunta ta mataki na farko (kamar rashin jarumta). A cewar Alƙur'ani, alheri mai girma kamar jarumta da tawali'u ba su da daraja iri ɗaya da mugunta: "Ka ce, ya Annabi, mugun ba ya kama da nagari, ko da yake kana iya yin mamakin yawan mugun. Ku ji tsoron Allah, ku masu hankali, don ku sami rabon rabauta."322.

Suffering and evil allow a greater good, also known as second-order good. First-order good is physical pleasure and happiness, and first-order evil is physical pain and sadness. Some examples of second-order goodness include courage, humility and patience. However, in order to have a second-order good (like courage) there must be a first-order evil (like cowardice). According to the Qur’an, elevated good such as courage and humility do not have the same value as evil: “Say Prophet, bad cannot be likened to good, though you may be dazzled by how abundant the bad is. Be mindful of God, people of understanding, so that you may prosper.”322.

Zaɓin kai (Free will).

Free will.

Allah ya ba mu 'yancin zaɓi, kuma 'yancin zaɓi ya haɗa da ikon zaɓar aikata mugun aiki. Wannan shi ne ya bayyana mugunta ta mutum, wato mugunta ko wahala da mutum ya aikata. Mutum zai iya tambaya: Me ya sa God ya ba mu 'yancin zaɓi kwata-kwata? Domin jarrabawar rayuwa ta zama tana da ma'ana, dole ne a sami 'yancin zaɓi. Jarrabawa ba ta da amfani idan ɗalibi yana da wajibi ko an tilasta masa ya amsa daidai a kowace tambaya. Haka nan, a jarrabawar rayuwa, dole ne a ba mutane isasshen 'yanci su yi abin da suke so. Nagarta da mugunta za su rasa ma'anarsu idan God zai tabbatar koyaushe cewa mun zaɓi nagarta. Ka yi la'akari da misali haka: wani ya kafa maka bindiga mai harsashi a kai ya ce ka bayar da sadaka. Ka bayar da kuɗin, amma shin yana da darajar ɗabi'a? Ba shi da ita, domin tana da daraja ne kawai idan wakili mai 'yanci ya zaɓi yin hakan.

God has given us free will, and free will includes the ability to choose to commit evil acts. This explains personal evil, which is evil or suffering committed by a human being. One can ask: Why has God given us free will at all? In order for the tests in life to be meaningful, there must be free will. An exam is pointless if the student is obligated or forced to answer correctly on each question. Similarly, in the exam of life, human beings must be given adequate freedom to do as they please. Good and evil lose their meaning if God were to always ensure we chose good. Take the following example into consideration: someone points a loaded gun to your head and asks you to give to charity. You give the money, but does it have any moral value? It does not, for it only has value if a free agent chooses to do so.

Ƙauracewa duniya.

Detachment from the world.

Dangane da koyarwar Musulunci, Allah (Madaukakin Sarki) ne ya halicce mu domin mu bauta masa mu kuma kusanci gare shi. Wata ka'ida ta asali game da wannan ita ce dole ne mu nisanta kanmu daga yanayin duniya mai gushewa. Duniya, wadda ake kira dunya, ma'ana ƙasa ko maras daraja, ita ce wurin iyakoki, wahala, asara, sha'awoyi, son kai, wuce gona da iri da mugunta. Wahala tana nuna mana yadda duniya take ƙasa da gaske, kuma hakan yana taimaka mana mu nisanci ta. Ta haka ne za mu iya kusanci Allah.

According to the Islamic tradition, God has created us so that we may worship and draw near to Him. A fundamental principle concerning this is that we must detach ourselves from the ephemeral nature of the world. Known as dunya, meaning low or lowly, the ephemeral world is the place of limitations, suffering, loss, desires, ego, excessiveness and evil. Suffering shows us how truly low the dunya is, thereby facilitating our detachment from it. Thus, we are able to draw closer to God.

Annabi Muhammad ﷺ ya tabbata cewa ya ce: "Son duniya shi ne tushen dukkan sharri." Saboda haka, nisantar duniya wajibi ne domin isa ga manufar ruhaniya ta ƙarshe, wato kusanci zuwa ga Allah, sannan kuma Aljannah.

The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was reported to have said, “Love of the dunya is the root of all evil.”323 Therefore, detachment from the dunya is necessary to reach the ultimate spiritual goal of nearness to God, and subsequently paradise.

Alƙur'ani ya bayyana a sarari cewa duniya ta wucewa ce, kuma jin daɗinta yaudara ne: "Ku sani cewa rayuwar duniya wasa ce da shagala da ado da fahariya a tsakaninku da gasa wajen yawaitar dukiya da 'ya'ya, kamar misalin ruwan sama wanda tsirransa ya burge manoma; sa'an nan sai ya bushe, ka gan shi ya zama rawaya; sa'an nan ya zama ɓaraguzai."324

The Qur’an makes it very clear that the dunya is ephemeral and a deceiving enjoyment: “Know that the life of this dunya is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children—like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris.”324

Bai kamata a rude ra'ayin dunya da abubuwan kirki na halitta, wanda a harshen Larabci ake kira 'alam da khalq. Waɗannan ra'ayoyi suna nuna kyau da al'ajabin abin da Allah ya halitta. An yi su ne domin su ƙarfafa mutane su yi tunani da fahimta, kuma suna zama hanyar kammalawa cewa akwai ikon Allah, rahamarsa da hikimarsa a bayansu.

The concept of the dunya should not be confused with the positive aspects of creation, known in Arabic as ‘alam and khalq. These concepts relate to the beauty and wonder of what God has created. They are intended to encourage people to reflect and understand, which serve as a means to conclude that there is a Divine power, mercy and wisdom behind them.

Wahalar mutane marasa laifi takaitacciya ce.

Suffering of innocent people is temporary.

Ko da yake akwai alheri mai girma da za a iya samu, mutum na iya lura cewa wasu mutane na ci gaba da shan wahala ba tare da samun sauƙi ba. Shi ya sa a Musulunci, Allah ba wai kawai yana ba da dalilai na mugunta da wahala a duniya ba, har ma yana ba da lada a kansu. A ƙarshe, duk muminai waɗanda suka sha wahala kuma ba su da laifi za a ba su ni'imar har abada, kuma duk wahalar da suka yi – ko da sun sha wahala tsawon rayuwarsu – za a manta da ita har abada. Annabi Muhammad ﷺ ya ce:

Even if there is a lot of greater good to be actualised, one may observe that some people still suffer without experiencing any relief. This is why in Islam, God not only provides justifications for evil and suffering in this world, but also recompenses them. At the end, all believers who suffered and were innocent will be granted eternal bliss, and all the suffering they had—even if they suffered all of their lives— will be forgotten forever. The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

"…wanda ya sha wahala mafi tsanani a duniya daga cikin waɗanda aka ƙaddara za su shiga Aljanna za a kawo shi, a tsoma shi a cikin Aljanna na ɗan lokaci kaɗan kawai. Sannan a ce masa: 'Ya ɗan Adam, ka taɓa ganin wahala? Ka taɓa fuskantar tsanani a rayuwarka?' Zai amsa: 'A'a, ya Ubangijina, na rantse da Allah. Ban taɓa shan wahala ba. Ban taɓa ganin tsanani ba.'"325.

“…the person who had suffered the most affliction in the world of those destined for Paradise will be brought forth and merely dipped into Paradise for a moment. Then he will be asked ‘O son of Adam, have you ever seen suffering? Have you ever experienced hardship in your life?’ He will reply ‘No my Lord, by God. I have never undergone suffering. I have never seen hardship.’”325.

Ra'ayoyin na ruhaniya.

Spiritual perspectives.

A cikin tunanin rashin imani da Allah (atheism), mugunta ba ta da manufa. Ita wani karfi ne makaho daga cikin karfuffukan duniya wanda ke zabar wadanda zai afka wa ba tare da bambanci ba. Wadanda suke fama da wahala da mugunta ba su da wata fahimta ta zuciya ko ta hankali da za ta taimaka wajen rage radadin wahalarsu ko sanya abubuwan da suka fuskanta cikin wani yanayi mai ma'ana. Mutum zai iya shan wahala tsawon rayuwarsa, sannan ya kare a kabari kawai. Dukkan wahalarsa, sadaukarwarsa da radadinsa ba za su da wata ma'ana ko kadan. Ana ganin mugunta tana faruwa ne sakamakon wasu tsarin zahiri da suka gabata, kuma wadanda suke fuskantar ta ba su da wata mafita. Ba za su iya danganta mata wani nufi ba, na mutum ko na Allah, saboda komai an mayar da shi ga abubuwan zahiri makafi, marasa tsari da marasa hankali. Don haka, abubuwan da rashin imani da Allah ke haifarwa a zahiri suna da matukar bakin ciki.

Under atheism, evil has no purpose. It is one of the blind forces in the world that indiscriminately chooses its prey. Those who are victims of suffering and evil have no emotional and rational perspectives to help alleviate their suffering or put their experiences into context. Someone could have suffered all their life and just ended up in the grave. All of their suffering, sacrifice and pain would have absolutely no meaning whatsoever. Evil is viewed to occur due to prior physical processes, and those who experience evil have no recourse. They cannot attribute any type of will to it, whether human or Divine, because everything is just reduced to blind, random and non-rational physical occurrences. Thus, the logical implications of atheism are quite depressing.

Addinin Musulunci yana da maɓuɓɓugar ra'ayoyi, ka'idoji da tunani waɗanda ke sauƙaƙa tafiyar mumini a rayuwa. Annabi Muhammad ﷺ ya ba masu bi ƙarfin gwiwa da haƙuri. Duk wahalar da muke fuskanta hanya ce ta tsarkake ruhi, kuma hakan yana sauƙaƙa samun Aljanna, inda za mu manta da kowace wahala da muka taɓa fuskanta.

The Islamic tradition has a fountain of concepts, principles and ideas that facilitate the believer’s journey in life. The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم empowered the believers with hope and patience. All of the suffering that we face is a means of spiritual purification, thereby facilitating paradise in which we will forget every suffering that we ever experienced:

"Babu wata masifa da ta sami Musulmi face Allah ya kankare wani ɓangare na zunubansa saboda ita, koda kuwa dai sokin ƙaya ne da yake samu."326. Note: the rules say the Hausa word for God, not "Allah", so the correct rendering is: "Babu wata masifa da ta sami Musulmi face Allah ya kankare wani ɓangare na zunubansa saboda ita, koda kuwa dai sokin ƙaya ne da yake samu."326.

“No calamity befalls a Muslim but that God expiates some of his sins because of it, even though it were the prick he receives from a thorn.”326.

"Abin mamaki ne al'amarin mumini, lalle dukkan al'amarinsa alheri ne, kuma wannan ba ga kowa yake ba sai ga mumini. Idan wani alheri ko farin ciki ya samme shi, sai ya yi godiya, kuma hakan alheri ne a gare shi. Idan kuma wata cuta ta samme shi, sai ya yi haƙuri, kuma hakan alheri ne a gare shi."327.

“Amazing is the affair of the believer, verily all of his affair is good, and this is for no one except the believer. If something of good/happiness befalls him he is grateful and that is good for him. If something of harm befalls him he is patient and that is good for him.”327.

Ko da bala'o'in halitta da cututtuka masu kisa, ana kallon su ne da idon bege, rahama da gafara. Hangen Musulunci game da rashin lafiya shi ne cewa tsarki ne, wanda ke kai mara lafiya ga jin daɗi na har abada a Aljanna. Annabi Muhammad ﷺ ya ƙarfafa ziyartar marasa lafiya: "Ku ciyar da mayunwaci, ku ziyarci marasa lafiya, kuma ku 'yantar da fursunoni."328

Even natural disasters and fatal illnesses are seen through the eyes of hope, mercy and forgiveness. The Islamic perspective on illness is that it is a form of purification, which facilitates eternal bliss in paradise for the sick. The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلمencouraged visiting the sick: “Feed the hungry, visit the sick, and free the captives.”328

Waɗanda suke kula da marasa lafiya ana saka musu da rahama da gafara, kuma daga ƙarshe da Aljannah. Akwai hadisai masu yawa na Annabi ﷺ da suke yin bayani kan waɗannan batutuwa. Misali, Annabi Muhammad ﷺ ya ce idan mumini ya mutu sakamakon annoba ko cutar ciki, ana ɗaukarsa a matsayin shahīd, kuma dukkan shahidai suna zuwa Aljannah.330 Akwai hadisai masu ƙarfafawa game da rahama, lada da albarka ga waɗanda suke ziyartar marasa lafiya da kula da su. Annabi Muhammad ﷺ ya ce duk wanda ya ziyarci marar lafiya "yana nutsewa cikin rahama har sai ya zauna, kuma idan ya zauna sai a rufe shi da ita."331 Wani labari mai taɓa zuciya kuma mai ƙarfi daga Annabi Muhammad ﷺ yana koya mana cewa waɗanda suke ziyartar marasa lafiya za su sami Allah tare da su.

Those who take care of the sick are rewarded with mercy and forgiveness, and ultimately paradise. There are many Prophetic traditions that elaborate on these points. For example, the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلمsaid that if a believer dies of the plague or a stomach illness, they are considered a martyr, and all martyrs329 go to paradise.330 There are inspiring traditions of mercy, reward and blessings for those who visit and care for the sick; the Prophet Muhammad taht dias صلى الله عليه وسلمwhoever visits a sick person “is plunging into mercy until he sits down, and when he sits down he is submerged in it.”331 A moving and powerful narration from the Prophet Muhammad t صلى الله عليه وسلمeaches us that those who visit the sick will find God with them:

"Lallai, Allah, Mai girma da daukaka, zai ce a Ranar Alkiyama: 'Ya kai dan Adam! Na yi rashin lafiya, amma ba ka ziyarce Ni ba.' Mutum zai ce, 'Ya Ubangijina! Ta yaya zan ziyarce Ka alhali Kai ne Ubangijin talikai? Kuma ta yaya Za Ka yi rashin lafiya?' Shi, Mai iko, zai ce, 'Ba ka sani ba cewa wani bawa na Ba, filanin, ya yi rashin lafiya? Amma ba ka ziyarce shi ba. Ba ka sani ba cewa, da ka ziyarce shi, da ka same Ni a wajensa?'"332

“Verily, God, the Exalted and Glorious, will say on the Day of Judgement: ‘O Son of Adam! I fell ill, but you did not visit Me.’ The human will ask, ‘O my Sustainer! How could I visit You when You are the Sustainer of the Worlds? And how can You fall sick?’ He, the Almighty, will say, ‘Did you not know that such and such a servant of Mine was sick. But you did not visit him. Did you not know that, had you visited him, you would have found Me by his side?’”332

Ko da a cikin bala'o'i na halitta kamar tsunami, muminai da suka rasu a cikin su za a ɗauke su a matsayin mutanen Aljannah, domin mutuwa ta hanyar nutsewa a cikin ruwa ana ɗaukar ta a matsayin shahada a cikin koyarwar Musulunci. Annabi Muhammad ﷺ ya ce game da wannan, "Duk wanda ya nutse, shahidi ne."333 Malaman Musulunci sun yanke hukunci cewa idan mumini ya mutu sakamakon rushewar gini a kansa a lokacin girgizar ƙasa (wasu har suna faɗaɗa wannan zuwa haɗarin jirgin sama ko mota), to ana ɗaukar sa a matsayin mutanen Aljannah. Annabi Muhammad ﷺ ya ce ɗaya daga cikin shahidai shi ne "wanda ya mutu a cikin ginin da ya rushe."334

Even in the case of natural disasters like tsunamis, the believing victims would be considered people of paradise because death by drowning is considered martyrdom in the Islamic tradition. The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلمsaid in this regard, “Anyone who drowns is a martyr.”333 Islamic scholars conclude that if a believer died as a result of being crushed by a building during an earthquake (some even extend this to a plane or a car crash), then they are considered people of paradise. The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلمsaid that one of the martyrs includes “the one who died in a collapsed (building)”.334

Amma Allah zai iya halicci duniya ba tare da wahala ba. Duk da tattaunawar da aka yi zuwa yanzu, wata muhimmiyar hujja da ake yawan biyo baya ita ce "amma Allah zai iya halicci duniya ba tare da wahala ba". Wannan da'awa ba wani abu ba ne face sake fasalin tambayar asali; wato: Me yasa Allah ya bar mugunta da wahala su wanzu? Saboda haka, amsar guda ɗaya ta shafi wannan: hikimar Allah. Mai yin wannan hujja yana yin hakan ne saboda ba zai iya fahimtar dalilin da ya sa mugunta da wahala suke a farko ba, kuma yana ganin cewa Allah mai jin ƙai kuma mai iko ya kamata ya hana kowane irin mugunta da wahala. Duk da haka, an riga an yi bayani a kan wannan a cikin wannan babi.

But God could create a world without suffering Notwithstanding the discussion so far, a key objection that usually follows is “but God could create a world without suffering”. This contention is just a repackaging of the original argument; in other words: Why has God allowed evil and suffering to exist? Therefore, the same answer applies; Divine wisdom. The one who makes this objection does so because they cannot understand why there is evil and suffering in the first place, and they believe that a merciful and powerful God should prevent every evil and suffering. Nevertheless, this has already been addressed in this chapter.

Matsalar mugunta da wahala ba matsala ba ce ga mumini, domin ana fahimtar mugunta da wahala a matsayin wani ɓangare na hikima mai zurfi, cikakkiyar kamala da alheri na Allah. Koyarwar ruhaniya ta Musulunci tana haifar da fata, haƙuri da natsuwa. Abin da ke biyo bayan akida ta rashin imani shi ne mutum ya fada cikin halin rashin bege, kuma ba shi da amsoshin dalilin da ya sa mugunta da wahala suke wanzuwa. Wannan jahilci galibi yana faruwa ne saboda son kai, wanda ke sa masu rashin imani su kasa iya duba al'amura daga wani mahangar daban, kamar yadda ni ma nake a lokacin da na yi tunanin iyayena suna da mugun nufi a lokacin da suka hana ni shan giyar kakana.

The ‘problem’ of evil and suffering is not a problem for the believer, as evil and suffering are understood as functions of God’s profound wisdom, perfection and goodness. The spiritual teachings of Islam create a sense of hope, patience and tranquillity. The logical implication of atheism is that one is plunged into a hopeless state and does not have any answers to why evil and suffering exist. This ignorance is mostly due to an egocentrism that causes atheists to fail in their ability to see things from another perspective, just as I was when I thought my parents were malicious when they prevented me from drinking my grandfather’s whisky.