The reason for allowing suffering is that He created you as a test, not for you to rest. He created you here to tire you out, not to sleep. Otherwise, there would be no difference between an animal and a human being.
I think we need to address the origins of evil
I hold that there is nothing inherently evil only those good things which have become corrupted and from which corruption come things we would call evil
Well He definitely did make us to have sleep, for that is natural and all natural things, being in an uncorrupted form are good, and so sleep is meant to happen and is not bad or unnatural
I mean an animal that sleeps, eats and drinks, but a human being's goal is not to eat and sleep.
But there must be evil for there to be a parallel world.
A hungry man’s goal is to be fed
A tired man desires few things more then rest. These things we seek to and therefore they are our goals though we may have others too which animals do not have
A mouse does not have the goal of discovering a new equation but that does not mean a human won’t have the goal of food that the mouse does
Now God may make a man be hungry and in great want of food and in that we might say God is testing us but that does not mean we don’t then have a goal to eat
But when he gets hungry, it makes him work.
Thats true for animals to and it’s not always a matter of suffering
So again the question is regarding why God allows suffering, you say it’s to have man work? To what end is that work? And then what work counts as suffering?
since suffering is to be afflicted by that which is evil
First, in Islam, life is seen as a test. God says in the Qur’an: "He who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deed. So suffering isn’t necessarily a punishment — it can be a means of spiritual growth, purification, and returning to God
Second, not all suffering is caused directly by God. A lot of it is the result of human choices injustice, oppression, war and God gave humans free will, which comes with responsibility and consequences
As for work, it means how a person responds to hardship. Do they stay patient? Do they help others? Do they choose what’s right even when it’s hard? That’s the kind of work that matters in the bigger picture
I’m a Calvinist so I do not believe in free will exactly haha
So God does not know which a person is destined for at their birth?
Ah I see, so from a Calvinist perspective, everything ncluding suffering is part of God's sovereign will and predetermined plan, right?
>>> So God does not know which a person is des...
He knows
Then why the need to test?
That’s a great question and yes, in Islam, God knows everything: past, present, and future. He knows what choices each person will make. But the test isn’t for Him it’s for us.
Think of it like a teacher who already knows which students will pass or fail, but still gives the exam. Why? So that the students themselves earn their results, and so that there’s justice no one can say they weren’t given a chance.
In Islam, even though God has complete knowledge, He doesn’t judge people based on what He knows they would do He judges based on what they actually do. That’s where free will and accountability come in. The test gives meaning to our choices and makes the reward or punishment deserved.
Imagine that he did as you say and went to hell. What would you say to him? Why did you bring me here when I didn’t do anything? So he put you here for this reason?
It's just an example, so you decide and it's proof of actions without injustice.
If you have any questions I am here
So your destiny is based on your actions not faith?
Great question. In Islam, destiny meaning your final outcome in the afterlife is based on both faith and actions. They're deeply connected.
iman is the foundation. Without it, no amount of good deeds alone can save a person. But at the same time, faith isn’t just something you claim it has to be lived out through actions.
The Qur’an constantly pairs the two: those who believe and do righteous deeds. So it’s not eitheror it’s both together. Actions are the proof of genuine faith, and faith gives meaning and purpose to actio.
Think of it like a tree faith is the root, and actions are the fruit. If there's no root, the fruit won’t last. But if a tree has no fruit at all then was the root really alive?
This is just an example so you can understand what I mean.
Makes sense in a way, I disagree with it as a Christian but I can appreciate that view and there are parallels there to some Christian denominations
Your destiny is based on your actions, by your actions are based in your faith
If your faith is lacking, you will not perform the correct actions
Another word for faith is trust or commitment, the way we have legally binding documents to allow the buying and selling of trust, "in good-faith"
To be faithless is to be alone and trust no one
But when you say I am a believer but you commit adultery and do forbidden things, this is not faith. It is words without actions.
Brother, I am going to sleep. We will talk tomorrow.
