Abstract:
Before Khāja – when theology had not become philosophical in its true sense – theologians attained the solution to the problem of evil from the qur’ānic verses and narrations of Ahl al-Bayt (a). As a result, their solutions were different from the theological theories on evils. The Twelver Shī‘a theologians deemed the evil to emanate from God but did not take this as contradictory to the absolute benevolence of God – which was taken from the Christian theology. In the Twelver Shī‘a theology, God is Wise, and the existence of evils is not unnecessary and is because of the divine wisdom. Therefore, the evils and afflictions of the material world are good, because God compensates evil with the two principles of “Intiṣāf” and “‘Iwaḍ.”
Machine summary:
Associate Professor, Department of Theological Denominations, Faculty of Denominations, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran Received: September 3, 2020 ; Revised: September 30, 2020 ; Accepted: November 5, 2020 © University of Tehran Abstract Before Khāja – when theology had not become philosophical in its true sense – theologians attained the solution to the problem of evil from the qur’ānic verses and narrations of Ahl al-Bayt (a).
The main foundation of these and suchlike question is the question, “Why do evils and afflictions exist?” The theologians, who have always tried to remove doubts and explain religious beliefs correctly, have addressed the discussion of agonies and evils within their discussion of the divine acts and their goodness.
In the West, some have taken the issue to a higher level and have taken evils as a reason or indication for the non-existence of God. Consequently, some philosophers of religion have taken the problem of evil as the refuge of atheism (Peterson, 2000: 176).
Unlike philosophers, the Twelver Shī‘a theologians do not take evils as non-existential, and contrary to Ashā‘ira, they do not believe that agonies exist without any reason, and have disagreements with the Mu‘tazila on the quality of the discussion of evils.
Another reason that the majority of philosophers have put forward for the non-existence of evils is that God is the absolute good, and nothing but goodness can be emanated from the absolute good; therefore, evil cannot be existential (Muḥammadriḍā’ī, 2011: 316-317; Mullā Ṣadrā, 2000, vol.