How do the Mercy and Grace of God permits ugliness and terrible calamity?

 

Second indication

 

QUESTION: It seems to be extremely ugly and revolting that satans, who are pure evil, are created and allowed to attack believers, and that many people fall into unbelief and are condemned to Hellfire because of them. How do the Mercy and Grace of the Absolutely All-Beautiful, All-Gracious One, the truly All-Merciful and All-Compassionate One, permit this unlimited ugliness and terrible calamity. Many people have asked about this matter, and it is a question that arises in many minds.

THE ANSWER: There are certainly some minor evils in the existence of Satan, but his existence causes numerous universal good results and allows for human attainment and perfection. However many degrees and ranks there are from a seed to a huge tree, the grades of human innate capacity are more numerous. Indeed, there are as many degrees as the reflections of the sun— from its reflection in a tiny shining object or a bubble on the sea to the sun itself. The development of these capacities or potentials requires action and work. What triggers the mechanism of the development is effort and struggle. This struggle is against satans and other harmful agents and things. Otherwise humans would have had a constant (spiritual) station or rank like those of angels, and there would have been no gradations or differences in spirituality among humankind. It is contrary to wisdom and justice to forsake thousands of instances of good in order to avoid some minor evil.

It is true that the majority of people fall into misguidance because of Satan, but in general something is important and valuable due to its quality, not due to its amount. Consider that if someone who has a thousand and ten seeds lets his seeds germinate under the earth, and ten become trees and a thousand rot, surely, the benefit the ten trees give to that man will reduce to nothing the loss that a thousand rotten seeds cause him. Similarly, through the struggle against the carnal, evil-commanding soul and the satans, the benefit, honor, and value humanity gains thanks to ten perfect people who, like stars, enlighten humanity, certainly reduce to nothing the harm caused by the people of unbelief who are so bad as to be considered rotten. This is why the Divine Mercy, Wisdom, and Justice have permitted the existence of Satan, and allow him to attack humans.

O people of belief! Your armor against those awful enemies is the utmost reverence for God and righteousness woven on the workbench of the Qur’an. Your shield is the elevated Sunna of the noblest Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. Your weapon is to seek refuge in God’s protection and ask Him for forgiveness for your sins.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi