Saturday 9 May 2015

99 Names & Problem of Evil


The Qur'an says God has no likeness, yet it also describes God using adjectives called; "The Beautiful Names of God." (الأسماء الحسنى) They are there to help us conceive the inconceivable. So on the one hand describing God is futile since "He has no likeness," yet despite this the Qur'an spends a great deal of time describing God. In this way we learn that it is unavoidable to talk about God using human language and logic, yet whatever we say is inevitably flawed and so we must not be dogmatic about any views we arrive at.

With this caveat in mind, looking at the "Beautiful Names" of God can serve a purpose in bringing the transcendental within the grasp of the human mind.

Islam applies many different adjectives (صفات - attributes) to God - some of which according to human understanding are not particularly good nor positive. However the world around us is not always good and positive and God in his wisdom wishes that to be so. This has led many thinkers down the ages to ask why has God allowed evil & suffering to exist?

The problem of evil is an ancient one that was most famously articulated by the Greek philosopher Epicurus around 300 BC when he said:

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"

Throughout the centuries there have of course been many responses, here are 4 popular ones:

1. God allows evil & suffering in order to grant us free-will, but he is not responsible for it. It is the result of man's own actions and choices.

2. God creates evil & suffering as a test for mankind.

3. God made a world with evil and suffering because it is good for us, for example, it is good for our soul, builds character and allows man to display good virtues such as charity, compassion, noble deeds, problem-solving and so on.

4. God created/allows evil & suffering for a reason & wisdom only he knows.

The truth is that all responses fall short of a satisfactory answer to the problem of evil. The last response is simply evading a response by just saying: "I don't know!" Yet this is arguably the most honest response. As the Quran itself says; God has no likeness and so defies human logic. He is outside our experience and ability to comprehend. So to ask a question like; 'Why does God allow evil?' Would really only apply to a human God who has human motives, intentions and objectives that can be understood according to human logic. If God is outside this, then any answer would lay outside our understanding.

This answer may be unsatisfying, but it is the reality of life. For life is full of contradictions and often appears absurd and meaningless. Yet we have no choice but to embrace this absurdity. To quote the Algerian-French philosopher Albert Camus:

"Man stands face to face with the irrational. He feels within him his longing for happiness and for reason. The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world."

This is one of the striking qualities of the so-called "beautiful names". They seem almost intentionally dualistic and contradictory as if to say - this is God - he doesn't fit into your logic and reasoning.

Hadith relates: "There are 99 names of God; he who commits them to memory would get into Paradise." (Muslim) However there are in fact many more names or attributes applied to God in the Qur'an which are not found in the usual list of 99, such as The Lord (الرب) The Protector (المولى), The Near (القريب) and The Mighty Creator, (الخلاق) . While there are some names that are on the list but are not actually mentioned in the Qur'an for example; The Sublime (الجليل) The Finder (الواجد) and The Noble (الماجد).

Here are a few of the 99 names:

Al-Rahman  The All-Merciful
Al-Salam  The Source of Peace
Al-Ghaffar  The Forgiving
Al-Wahhab The Giver of All
Al-Razzaq The Sustainer
Al-Rafi’ The Exalter
Al-Mu’izz The Bestower of Honours
Al-Latif The Gentle
Al-Halim The Forbearing
Al-Shakur The Grateful
Al-Karim The Generous
Al-Mujib The Responder to Prayer
Al-Wadud The Loving One
Al-Muhyi The Giver of Life
Al-Walí The Protecting Friend
Al-Barr The Doer of Good
Al-Afu The Forgiver
Al-Ra’uf The Clement
Al-Nafi The Bestower of Benefit
Al-Sabur The Patient One

As you can see these are positive attributes. But the problem is that they do not suffice, on their own, to explain everything that happens in this world. For if it is true that God is omnipotent and nothing happens but that he wills it and enables it, then God must have other attributes and Islam has not shied away from giving God attributes that are not so positive by any means. So God is also:

Al-Jabbar  The Compeller/Forcer/Tyrant The Opressor (الجبار)
Al-Mutakabbir  The Arrogant (المتكبر)
Al-Qahhar   The Subduer The Abaser (القهار)
Al-Qabid  The Constrictor The Straightener (القابض)
Al-Mumit  The Bringer of Death (المميت)
Al-Muntaqim  Vengeful/takes revenge (المنتقم)
Al-Daarr  "The Harmer" (الضار)
Al-Fattah  The Mighty Conqueror (الفتاح)
Al-Khafid The Debaser Brings-down (الخافض)
Al-Muthill  The Humiliator (المذل)
Al-Maani'  The Withholder (المانع)

And these are just the ones that made it to the list of 99 - but the Qur'an applies many other adjectives to God such as; "The Misguider" (المضل) "The Torturer" (المعذب) (Mu'athib).  These names sit rather awkwardly - to say the least - under the title of "The Most Beautiful Names" Asma' Al-Husna.

But they are the reality of the world as we see it. So if we are to speak of a God and try to understand his nature according human logic and language, we must at the same time concede that whatever logic or language we use, it will be inevitably flawed contradictory and misleading.

In other words we have no choice but to accept there are paradoxes and contradictions when trying to describe and understand the transcendental that cannot be solved by human reasoning. Human reasoning cannot marry the Most Merciful to the eternal torturer. This is a contradiction according to the meanings we attach to the words; mercy & torture. These things cannot exist - according to human logic - within one being. Just as free will and predestination is a paradox that the human mind cannot connect.

It may be unsatisfying to say God only knows the wisdom behind these things, but we have no choice.

That of course doesn't mean we can't continue to ask questions or attempt solutions - It is simply stating the plain fact of the matter that with some issues we hit a brick wall. Metaphysical and transcendental questions by their very nature lie outside our sphere of human experience & knowledge.

So while one should be encouraged to ask questions, to enquire, investigate and discuss such matters as the nature of God, it is very wrong to be dogmatic about it. Sadly this is the trap all religions fall into and Islam is no exception. When it comes to God & religion there is no absolute right way because all ways fall short. Every attempt to define the divine will be deeply flawed.

Muslims at the moment are in arguably the greatest crisis they have ever been in throughout history and although we like to blame others - The West, Israel, The Zionists etc… the truth is it is a crisis we created ourselves. We turned Islam into a collection of dogmas, rituals, hudood punishments, articles of Aqeeda, actions to make, say, eat and wear. Holy Arabic words to repeat and venerate, a book to kiss and place above our head. We have even given the Qur'an magic properties and one can find a Muslim 'healers' who place verses of Qur'an in water and give it to the sick to drink, no doubt making the poor souls more sick.

Right now Muslims all over the world are arguing, fighting and even slaughtering each other to prove they are closer to God than the next man. Each so certain that God is pleased with what they do, for they alone have understood the truth. Although the only truth is there is no absolute truth nor absolute certainty when it comes to an invisible God who is beyond rational senses.

And this is the lesson we learn by looking at the 99+ names of God. We can quite clearly see that they conflict with one another and it amazes me that many translations of the more negative names try to soften the blow and do their best to squeeze an 'acceptable' meaning out of them. They should be honest and not interfere for these names serve to highlight the fact that God is beyond logic and beyond our comprehension.

Yes evil, exists in this world. So does Good. Pain & joy, laughter & tears, health & disease, plenty & famine, perfect conditions & terrible disasters. Yes the world can be beautiful, good, merciful & loving. But it is also severe, harsh & cruel. Life can raises up and honour us, but it also also debases and humiliates us. It gives and it takes. It makes rich and it makes poor. It provides refuge and it makes us homeless. It guides and misguides. It brings benefit and brings harm. It gives life and brings death. God's hand is in all of this and yet in none, for He is "The Hidden" and "The Apparent" - "The Present" & "The Absent."

If you find this contradictory and confusing - that's because it is.

If we understood this we would not argue, fight and sadly even kill each other over who is right and has the right Aqeedah. We would not be imposing our view on others and acting as God's policemen. We would accept all people and their differences. We would embrace all religions and none. For we should know that all fall short of the mark and that God is indeed greater - greater than everything that is attributed to him:

"Glory be to your Lord, Lord of Majesty, (He is free) from what they ascribe (to Him)!"

 سبحان ربك رب العزة عما يصفون  وسلام على المرسلين  والحمد لله رب العالمين

6 comments:

  1. I think something that's missing from this piece is the issue of hierarchy. According to many Muslim theologians God's wrath and God's mercy are not equivalent categories. For Ibn Taymiyya for example, they are not different sides of the same coin, as God’s mercy and forgiveness reflect his essence, whereas his wrath is a creation. Mercy is his nature, punishment is just an act, that comes into existence as a result of the creation of the cosmos. This is why Ibn Taymiyya and his student Ibn Qayyim ultimately reject the eternity of hell.

    "Right now Muslims all over the world are slaughtering each other to prove they are closer to God than the next man."

    I don't think this is really accurate. It's mostly the Wahhabi and Qutbist Sunnis who are causing the violence. Despite being very conservative and traditional, you don't really hear about Ibadi muslims in Oman for example attacking non-Ibadis. Likewise, you don't hear of Hezbollah killing people just because they're not Twelver Shi'ites, despite their being "Islamists".

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    1. Good points - thanks! You are right in what you say. I have edited the sentence you quote to read: "Right now Muslims all over the world are arguing, fighting and even slaughtering each other to prove they are closer to God than the next man." Thank you for your feedback :)

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  3. This is a reflective and interesting post. I have to say though, dropping things into the it's-a-mystery box has great danger. It always strikes me as odd when people use a process of critical thought and reasoning to then dismiss reasoning. If stretched to its fullest conceptual extent, the mystery reasoning can actually lead to exactly the opposite of "ask questions, to enquire, investigate and discuss" and means that anything can be justified as long as God is perceived to deem it so, and therefore--what's the point in criticizing anything at all in religion? What's the point in being upset over the verse that allows hitting women, or the verses that rage of how cursed and damned disbelievers are, or with the implementation of hudood punishments, or with the mistreatment of LGBT rights, or with the gifting of Maria al Qubtia--the Prophet took a slave-wife as a gift, or with whatever else? The idea that God's irrationalities are a mystery that we should just succumb to implies that blind submission is correct, because reason can't solve the real problems that we have in religion. In fact, what's the point at all about engaging in any sort of reasoning, philosophical or theological or scientific or anything if at the end of the day, we never really know enough to criticize the "nature of God" or the world and everything is a mystery? Also, this entire post assumes that the so-called 99 names actually do accurately represent God. What is they don't? And why God at all, really?

    To the above comment's piece: "God’s mercy and forgiveness reflect his essence, whereas his wrath is a creation. Mercy is his nature, punishment is just an act, that comes into existence as a result of the creation of the cosmos."
    I don't know what this even means and wonder what a contemporary philosophical exercise would do with Ibn Taymiyyah's theology. If God is punishing people left, right, and center and if he makes it his job to do so, then being a punisher and terrorizer is necessarily part of his essence. What does it even mean to "create" his actions? And if his actions are created, then that means his merciful ones are also created. It appears then, that the createdness of his actions has nothing to do with his essence, and therefore his essence can very well also be angry and hurtful and punishing and even evil.

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    1. What's the point in being upset over the verse that allows hitting women, or the verses that rage of how cursed and damned disbelievers are, or with the implementation of hudood punishments, or with the mistreatment of LGBT rights

      Historically, Muslim theology is not discussed in the same terms as jurisprudence is, specifically when it comes to Muamalat or social transactions. Muamalat was generally viewed as existing for the benefit of the muslim community rather than for the "benefit" of God. Basically, muslim thinkers who had irrationalist theological opinions didn't necessarily have irrationalist legal opinions. Muslim legal codes have been altered numerous times in history based on non-scriptural urgencies. I think the idea is actually much more controversial now than it was in pre-modern times. On the issue of "wife beating" for example, jurists and judges have questioned the morality of this in terms of practical application. They didn't accept a simple "command and obey" epistemology when it came to law.

      If God is punishing people left, right, and center and if he makes it his job to do so, then being a punisher and terrorizer is necessarily part of his essence.

      Ibn Taymiyya's answer to this is that everyone will eventually go to heaven and hell will stop existing. The basic idea is that "Mercy" manifests the unitary essence of God, whereas "Wrath" manifests the multiplicity of creation after it reaches a certain level of development.

      And if his actions are created, then that means his merciful ones are also created.

      Yes they're all created but the claim is that only the merciful acts are reflective of his "character".

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  4. Excellent points and ones I will think about. Thanks :)

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