It is essential to dispel another doubt here. Why is there sin, injustice, and transgression in the world? It is argued that if God existed, people would never freely indulge in sin, injustice, and tyranny and the world would be free of evil. These critics have not understood the purpose and philosophy of the law of Shariah. Shariah provides people with a code of conduct and explains that they need to adhere to it, and their moral and spiritual progress cannot take place without this. After this explanation, people are given the choice to accept or reject this code of conduct. The one who accepts this code of conduct is rewarded with blessings and piety according to his level of commitment, and gains nearness to God. One who chooses to reject this code of conduct deprives himself from its blessings. This rejection of Divine code of conduct is also called sin and transgression. Therefore, sin is not created by God, but is [the result of ] the deeds of man. Therefore, to argue against God, because there is sin in this world or infer that sin happens because there is no God, is erroneous and absolutely absurd.
God has sown the seed of good in human nature, and to prosper and flourish this seed, He has revealed His Shariah. Then, through His signs and revelations, [He has] made it crystal clear that their prosperity and salvation lies in adhering to the code of conduct of the Shariah. Despite this, if someone chooses not to follow God’s Shariah, then it is the fault of that person and not of God. He is deprived as a result of his own doing and not an act of God. What is sin? It is an act of disobedience of God and to follow a path against the guidance of God. Thus, sin results from one’s own conduct. Should God have refrained from guiding us only because some people would not follow His guidance? Do you expect a father to stop advising his son for fear that the son may become guilty of disobeying him? These are arguments of ignorance and every wise person should avoid them.
To summarise, the sins and injustices are brought about by peoples’ own doings and God bears no responsibility for this. No sensible person can argue against the existence of God on account of sin. What God has ordained is sheer and absolute mercy. The one who fails to benefit from this mercy is accountable for his own deeds.
One may ask: why did God not frame the Shariah law such that it was not possible to break it and everyone would be compelled to adhere to this? In this case, they maintain, there would be no sin and everyone would be pious and virtuous. The answer to this question is that under such circumstances, the very purpose of man’s creation would have been lost. The purpose is that man should make progress through his own efforts and, through his righteous deeds, qualify to become a recipient of God’s favours and honours—ultimately, gaining His nearness. If everyone was forced to conform to the Divinely revealed Shariah, all the doors of progress would be closed on man. No one would merit favours and honours, and all effort and struggle would be in vain. It has to be understood that, to merit favours, man must be free to choose between good and evil of his own free will. If man was under compulsion to adopt a certain path, then there would be no distinction between those who love righteousness and those who do not; those who follow the right path and those who do not; those who exercise self-control and those who do not; those who hold steadfast and those who do not; those who work hard and those who do not. No difference would exist between a doer of good and an evil-doer. Likewise, the progress that can be achieved, through competition to excel one another in acts of goodness, would come to a standstill. There would be no motivation to make progress. Man would freeze in a static condition, or become like an angel who is compelled by his creation to stick to the right path and cannot, even slightly, deviate from God’s Will. The wise say that the righteous man has a rank above angels because man adopts virtue of his preference after due consideration, whereas an angel is confined in a state of virtue and therefore the good deeds of an angel are not counted as such. That is why the Quran says about man:
Surely, of all the creation, We have created man in the best make. No other creation compares with man.
In short, man’s free will is a mark of his excellence and sin results from misuse of this will. Sin is not created by God, but results from denial of God’s Mercy. Sin, therefore, cannot be presented as an argument against the existence of God.
1 Surah at-Tin, 95:5.