Is it not evil to create evil?

Dear Brother / Sister,

9.1.4- Is it not evil to create evil?

Question:“It is Allah who creates both the evil and good things. Is it not evil to create evil since there is no other creator?”

Answer: It is stated in the Quran that the Creator of everything is Allah. However, creating evil is not evil, doing evil is evil. For example, fire can be both good and bad for people.¹

Fire led to many universal good deeds in the advance of civilization. When a person acts carelessly and causes a fire in his house, he has no right to say, “Fire is evil; therefore, it is evil to create fire”.²

Fire became evil for that person due to his own free will. That is, he caused a fire in his house and did something bad. However, fire was good for him up to that time. He cooked his food with it for many years; he used it in the stove to get warm; fire served him in transportation by starting his car. 

The sun was like a stove too; its heat warmed and enlightened the world; it caused photosynthesis to take place; it served all people including those harmed by fire by treating them fruits. However, if a person dies due to sunstroke, the sun becomes evil for him. Nevertheless, the culprit here is not the sun and the creator of the sun, but the person who does not take measures against the sun.

In fact, evil, bad and harmful things are like a kind of fire. We can take advantage of them without making them evil and without being harmed by them. In this respect, we cannot say, “The creation of fire and the sun is evil and bad.“ We cannot say, “The creation of Satan is evil” either.³

1.Taftazani, Sharhul-Aqaid, p. 203, 221, 227, 234-235, 239; Bilmen, Mülahhas, p. 84, 86, 88; Mehmed Vehbi, Akâid-iHayriye, p. 29-32; Gelenbevi, p. 234; Koçar, p. 226-242.
2.Taftazani, Sharhul-Aqaid, p. 227, 235-236, 239.
3.Mutlu, p. 43-45, 50-51, 63-64; Taftazani, Sharhul-Maqasid, IV, 239-240, 255, 276, 279.

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