As parts of the universe, human beings are insignificant. And just as the universe functions in complete obedience to its Master, so human beings are required to emulate its example. The only right course for human beings is to recognize this fact and place themselves in complete coordination with the rest of the universe by offering total obedience to God. The way God manages the affairs of the universe is a pointer to the fact that human beings can also achieve perfection if they entrust themselves entirely to God. The universe owes its unfailing precision to the fact that it works in complete consonance with God’s plans. Human beings can likewise achieve moral exactitude in their affairs by becoming ethically attuned to the divine scheme of things, for, after all, what is monotheism but the fountainhead of all good: all evil in the world stems from hampering the prevalence of monotheism in the affairs of the world.
Of the many arguments put forward in modern times against the existence of God, one of the most important is what its advocates call ‘the problem of evil.’ They claim that there are such evils in the universe as make it impossible to believe that it was fashioned by a master designer. It has been argued, in this context, that the force of gravity is far in excess of actual need and that, as a consequence, one runs the risk, for example, of breaking one’s leg should one fall from a height of just a few metres. Had this force been less - so the argument goes – this would not have been the case. But all such argumentation is the result of inadequacy of reflection. The critic has obviously overlooked the fact that a fall is an accident and, therefore, exceptional. If the force of the earth’s gravity were less, life on earth would become disorganized and would disintegrate: human beings would not be able to stand firmly on the ground, but would find themselves tending to float upwards into space, trains would have difficulty in remaining on their rails, houses and factories would collapse, water would not remain on the earth, and so on. In actual fact, what some people may regard as a flaw in the natural system is actually evidence of its harmony and equilibrium. The following words of the Quran express an incontrovertible truth:
He is who created the seven heavens, one above another. No want of proportion will you see in the creation of (God) the most Gracious. So turn your vision again: do you see any flaw? Again turn your vision a second time: your vision will come back to you dull and weary (67:3-4).
The universe is without flaw or failure because it is under the direct control of God. It is in reality an outward manifestation of His attributes. The same cannot be said for the world of human beings. Chekov has rightly remarked: ‘The world is extremely beautiful; the only thing not beautiful is man.’ Indeed, the human being is the only creature in the entire universe who, to our knowledge, harbours ill-will towards his fellow-men.
How do we account for this difference between the two worlds? This difference exists because, while the rest of the universe is operating under the direct control of God and is, therefore, bound to function as God pleases, human beings have been vested with the freedom of choice. That is, they have the power to choose a right or a wrong path for themselves, hence the prevalence of evil in the world.
The universe external to human beings is bound by the will of God. Hence its order and harmony – as long as human beings are unable to interfere with it as they are doing with the systems of the earth! Human beings, on the other hand, are slaves to their own passions. Their affairs are, therefore, most often fraught with disharmony and disorder. All evil on earth springs from this misuse of freedom by human beings, who have thus proved how genuine were the apprehensions expressed by the Angels before God at the time of the creation of the first human being:
Are you going to place therein (earth) someone who will make mischief therein and shed blood? (2:30).
The freedom enjoyed by human beings is not absolute, but transitory, and exists solely for the purpose of putting man on trial (The Quran 67:2). The Lord of the universe is eternally vigilant, and sees who makes the right, and who makes the wrong use of the freedom given to him, so that in the next phase of our lives (the Hereafter), He knows on whom to shower His blessings, and on whom to wreak His divine vengeance. Our planetary system will last only as long as this trial proceeds, and when it has finally run its course, the Lord of the universe will bring the affairs of this planet under his direct control as He has done with the rest of the universe? (19:40). ‘Then the good will be separated from the evil.’ (3:179). The good will then enjoy eternal life in heaven, and the evil will be condemned to everlasting hell. In other words, this world is a domain where citizens of the next world of God are in the process of being selected. Only those who, notwithstanding the freedom granted to them, lead their lives in obedience to God and willingly allow His will to prevail in their lives, will be given the right by God to become the citizens of the next world. All manner of men inhabit the earth during this period of probation, but at the end of it, only the righteous will inherit God’s beautiful earth (21:105): the rest will be ejected from it as aliens.
