Muslim Attitudes to good, evil and suffering

Question 1

halal

Answer 1

actions that are permitted - anything that is not haram

Question 2

fard

Answer 2

actions which must be performed for a person to be thought of as good
e.g. observing the Five Pillars, obeying Shari’ah law

Question 3

mandub

Answer 3

actions which a Muslim will be rewarded for if they do, but will not be punished if they do not
e.g. Du’a prayers (individual, optional prayer to God)

Question 4

mubah

Answer 4

actions which are permitted because nothing is said about them in the Qur’an/ hadith
e.g. watching television

Question 5

haram

Answer 5

actions which are forbidden - will be punished for in the final judgement
e.g. drugs, gambling

Question 6

non-religious attitudes to evil

Answer 6

evil exists because of the nature of the world. natural evil - just how the world is. moral evil - caused by humans being selfish and bigoted.
believe in the ‘inconsistent triad’

Question 7

reasons why evil/ suffering does not cause a problem for belief in God for Muslims

Answer 7

• transcendent- we are not able to understand why, must just accept
• tests belief in Islam- faithful will be rewarded- must not question God’s will

Question 8

how should Muslims respond to evil and suffering in the world?

Answer 8

try to remove evil and suffering by helping those who suffer or through prayer - will be rewarded for this on the Last Day

Question 9

SofA for good, evil and suffering

Answer 9

• Surah 76: ‘be patient with constancy to the command of the Lord’
• Surah 67 tells Muslims that God is omnipotent, he has power over all things
• every Surah apart from Surah 9 begin with the bismallah ‘In the name of Allah, the merciful, the compassionate’.