Why have the Satan and the evil things been created?

Actually nobody can call Allah Almighty into account for what He does (Al-Anbiyah Surah, 21:23). But we, as human beings, do like “to reassure “our” heart(s)” about it as in any other issues like Abraham (PBUH) once did (Al-Baqarah Surah, 2:260). Hence, the following question somehow comes to our mind:



So why has Allah Almighty created the Satan and let him bother us? Isn’t creating the evil also an act of evil?



First, creating the evil is not evil, but doing it is evil because Allah does not create anything for them to be evil. Rather He creates them for them to be good. We turn things into evil, which Allah has created to be good. For instance, the Satan was created from fire, which is also the most striking example for us. The creation of fire is not evil, but touching it is. If man becomes careful, s/he can make use of it. Otherwise, s/he is sure to be harmed by it.



Another example for that is the rain. The rain brings about thousands of fine results, all of which are good. If some people are harmed by the rain because of their imprudence, they cannot say, “The creation of the rain is not good, it is evil.”



Allah Almighty has created the angels who have no capability of sinning and the animals who bear no responsibility for anything. Other than these two creatures, Allah has created human beings who can go further than the angels in doing good, and also be in lower degree than animals in doing evil. At this point, the Satan has been granted a chance to make man progress on the right path, and man has been given an evil-self that leads him into evil.



The world is a field of the Hereafter. Heaven and hell, which are the two destinations of the Hereafter, will be the results of man’s actions in the world. For this reason, man is being tested. People who spend their lives on true faith and with beautiful deeds become worthy of heaven. People who are doing otherwise will go to hell.



If man does not obey his evil-self and the Satan, he progresses spiritually and gets a place higher than an angel’s gets. If not, he finds himself in total misery in the end.



As known, the origin of a diamond and coal is carbon. However, due to the differences of carbons in arrangement we call them separately. Likewise, the origin of man is the same too. All men have been equipped with the same material and spiritual devices. However, because of their being used well or wrong, there has been difference among people. There have emerged diamond-souled and coal-souled people.



Another aspect of the point is that just as man takes the wrong path by obeying the Satan, the Satan also bears responsibility for that thus increases his punishment in hell. In Islam, there is a rule saying, “The one who causes is like the one who does.”



If Allah Almighty had wished, he might not have given the Satan this chance. Then the duty of the Satan would have been overtaken by the evil-commanding souls of men. The outcome would have been the same again. With the opportunity granted to the Satan to lead human beings astray, the Satan will suffer a heavy pain.