Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salamu Alaykum

Dear brother, I am a little confused about something. In the Quran, in various parts, it says something along the lines of "Whatever good is from Allah alone, whatever bad is from mankind" or something similar to that.

But how can this be if Allah created everything?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Good and bad from Allah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 51:

Say: "Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has Decreed for us: He is our Protector"; and on Allah let the believers put their trust.

Allah Says in His Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verse 2:

2 What Allah out of His Mercy doth bestow on mankind there is none can withhold: what He doth withhold there is none can grant apart from Him: and He is the Exalted in Power Full of Wisdom.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 17:

17 If Allah touch thee with affliction none can remove it but He; if He touch thee with happiness He hath power over all things.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, indeed, unto Allah Subhanah Alone belongs the Dominion of everything that exists in the heavens and the earth….and nothing, absolutely nothing can happen in this universe without the precise Will and Permission of the Lord Most Majestic, Most Supreme. Allah is our witness brother, not even a mere leaf falls or can fall from a tree, but without the Permission and Will of the Lord …..such is the Authority and Control over all things of the Lord All-Mighty.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 59:

59 With Him (Allah) are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knoweth but He. He knoweth whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf doth fall but with His Knowledge (and Permission): there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered) but is (inscribed) in a Record Clear (Decreed).

Everything, absolutely everything….every good or every evil that happens in this universe, happens with the Will and Permission of Allah Subhanah.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 78:

78 Wherever ye are death will find you out, even if ye are in towers built up strong and high! If some good befalls them they say "This is from Allah"; but if evil, they say "this is from thee". (O Prophet) Say: "All things are from Allah.”

Your Question: In the Quran, in various parts, it says something along the lines of "Whatever good is from Allah alone, whatever bad is from mankind" or something similar to that.But how can this be if Allah created everything? 

There are two kinds of evil which can befall man: one type of evil is an affliction which is thrust upon an individual as a trial from their Lord, to see what does that individual do….this evil or affliction can be an accident, natural loss of health, or wealth, or life, etc. If the person accepts the affliction as a trial from their Lord, remains patient and steadfast in belief and in deeds…the person passes the trial. But if the person becomes ungrateful and impatient, wails and blames everyone and everything in existence for the misfortune that has befallen him, etc….such a person fails the trial.

The second type of evil which can befall oneself is an affliction which man brings upon himself through his own words and deeds. For example, a man intentionally jumps from a 10-storey building and hurts himself, or one consumes intoxicants and abuses or hurts the property or life of another, or one looses a substantial portion of his wealth in gambling, etc…..this type of evil man brings upon himself through his words and deeds and man alone is responsible to answer for these deeds.

For both the types of evil or afflictions to take place, it needs the Permission of Allah Subhanah….for nothing, absolutely nothing in the universe can happen without the Precise Will and Permission of Allah Subhanah!

The affliction like accidents, loss of health, wealth, or life, etc. which Allah Subhanah sends as a trial….man will not be held responsible nor will be asked why these trials befell him; but he will be asked and be responsible only for what he did and said when afflicted with these trials from Allah Subhanah.

But the afflictions which man brings upon himself, like intentionally hurting himself or others, or getting in trouble with the Law for stealing, or dishonesty, or consuming intoxicants, or gambling, or murder, etc….man will indeed be held responsible and will be taken to account for these deeds in the Court of Allah Subhanah.

Because Allah Subhanah has involved man to a test for the period of one short transitory life on this earth, and bestowed him with intelligence and a free will for this period to do as he wills…..Allah Subhanah permits man to give his test the way man wills.

Had Allah not permitted the man to jump off the 10-storey building or not permitted the man to get hurt….the person would never be able to jump nor hurt himself! The jump and the hurt both happened with Allah’s Will and Permission; but Allah would not be pleased with the act of that person. But because Allah has created man for a test and given him a free-will, Allah Subhanah allows and permits man to do as he wills for a period of one life.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verse 164-165:

164 Allah did confer a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while before that they had been in manifest error.

165 What! when a single disaster smites you although ye smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, do ye say? "Whence is this?" Say (to them): "It (this disaster) is from yourselves: for Allah hath power over all things."

It is this affliction, or disaster, or trial which man brings upon himself with his own hands, words, or deeds which Allah Subhanah states is from themselves, and they alone will be held responsible for their deeds.

Because Allah Subhanah has involved man to a test in the life of this world, He Allows and Permits the one who wills to do good to do good….and the one who wills to do evil to continue doing the evil for the period of one life. The one who intends to do good does good not only with the Permission of Allah, but the Lord is also Pleaseed with him; and the one who intends to do some evil can only do that evil with the Permission of Allah, but the Lord is displeased with him.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan