How do we reconcile the fact that evil is created by Allah with the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “And evil is not from you”?

The questioner : A second question concerning divine decree.

The Shaykh : With what?

The questioner : Concerning divine decree.

The Shaykh : Divine decree.

The questioner : Divine decree and destiny.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : It is a long topic, and most of us do not understand it... Evil is not from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), knowing that everything is created by Allah. So this good is created; good is created by Allah, and evil is created by decree... or is it not?

The Shaykh : No one says that evil is not from Allah, and there is no text in the Book or the Sunnah that evil is not from Allah. Rather, in the Sunnah it is said: ; because evil has connections, some connected to the Creator and some connected to the created. So what is connected to the created, which is pure evil, is indeed evil, without doubt or dispute. As for what is connected to the Creator, the Most Merciful (Blessed and Exalted is He), evil is not attributed to Him, because what is evil from us is not evil from Him. This evil is not attributed to Him because He did not impose it on any person absolutely. Rather, He said: , and then He placed everything in its proper place, which is wisdom. And our Lord (Mighty and Majestic), when He decrees evil for one person and good for another, this decree is accompanied by the reality of justice and wisdom; because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is described with all attributes of perfection. Therefore, do not attribute evil to Allah, because it is not attributed to Him, as He said in the hadith: . But when it issues from a person, it is truly evil. Sometimes it is not evil. Sometimes, when evil issues from a person, it is not evil because he may be ignorant or he may be exerting effort (ijtihad). So although in the second case he fell into evil, he fell into reward, for he has reward when a person exerts effort and makes a mistake. So even the evil connected to a person is not always pure evil. Did I make this clear to you?

The questioner : ... meaning, in truth, it is more than four or five times...

The Shaykh : Okay, do you have something else, or are we finished?

The questioner : Since the person performed the act of evil, for example, let us suppose one person made a mistake related to the Shari'ah. This became evil for him. His evil is that he... So is this evil, which led him to sin, created? This evil is, of course, created by Allah.

The Shaykh : ... Yes.

The questioner: It is not like that.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Created by Allah.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : But he had the power of choice.

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.

The questioner : Is that not so? That he did not disobey? This is what led him to...? His choice, meaning? His choice that led him to sin.

The Shaykh : Without doubt. I will give you an example: A man married and was blessed with a son, and another committed zina and was blessed with a son. The act is the same, but what is the difference? Obedience and disobedience. This is decreed and this is decreed. This is intended by Allah and this is intended by Allah. But Allah (Mighty and Majestic) showed people the path of good and the path of evil, and gave them the freedom of action. This is called by some scholars the voluntary part. So from here comes the accountability, otherwise the act is the same. This one satisfied his desire and this one satisfied his desire. This one was blessed with a son and this one was blessed with a son. But the first obeyed and the second disobeyed, so the result differs in terms of reward and punishment. Yes.