The Qur'aan - Verse by Verse
Mohammad Shafi Aga
Mohammad Shafi Aga
Mohammad Shafi Aga
Mohammad Shafi Aga
Mohammad Shafi Aga
Salaam to all of you. Does Quran tell you about the cruel nature of Nature? This clip is a small example of my question that Why did God design a system where living beings have to kill each other in order to just survive? Please read my complete post and I shall appreciate a response based on logic and reasoning.Very interesting and important comments with the video – I have requested several times to the most educated group on this forum to screen Scientific Documentaries (National Geographic, Animal Kingdom, etc) instead of the run-of-the-mill Friday Sermons. One can observe Food Cycle and Survival of the Fittest mixed with great religious fairy tales. Why did God design a system where living beings have to kill each other in order to just survive? Yes, This is Nature, cruel, impassionate, injustice, senseless.
With respect to the theological view of the question; this is always painful to me. — I am bewildered. — I had no intention to write atheistically. But I admit that I cannot see, as plainly as others do, & as I should wish to do, evidence of design & beneficence on all sides of us. There seems to me too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent & omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice.
Our bodies will go back to make up the composition of the earth when we die, as do the bodies of every other living thing that has ever existed, plant, animal, insect and all organic and inorganic matter.
How does this answer relate to the reality of thousands dying of hunger in different countries, babies being born and living only one day, people being raped, or imprisoned for years, and millions of other horrific events are occurring? How do I reconcile the ideological concepts of why we have suffering and pain with this lived human reality?
Why did God design a system where living beings have to kill each other in order to just survive? Animals don't have free will in the way that humans do they have to eat other animals to survive. Isn't that kind of sadistic? Why would an all-loving God design a system where his own creations have to kill each other just to live? Why can't organisms be dependent on each other in a non-lethal way?
A God (or Allah Saheb) cannot be beneficent & omnipotent at the same time.Thank you,Misbah Haleem, Cell: 416-821-3990
msfarooqi
Wa Alaikum Assalam. Misbah Haleem.
Thank you for raising these questions thoughtfully. They are important and deserve a sincere, logical response.
You asked: “Why did God design a system where living beings have to kill each other to survive? Isn’t nature cruel?”
In Islam, animals are not moral beings like humans. They do not possess free will in the ethical sense, nor are they accountable for their actions. The Qur’an says that all creatures are communities like us, but each follows its own nature (Qur’an 6:38). A lion hunting a deer is not ظلم (injustice); it is fulfilling its role in a balanced ecosystem. If death did not exist in nature, life would collapse through overpopulation and resource exhaustion, leading to even greater suffering. What appears “cruel” at a surface level is actually part of a larger, stable system designed with balance (Qur’an 67:3–4).
You asked: “Why is there so much suffering—hunger, death, injustice, babies dying?”
Islam does not deny suffering—it explains it.
First, this life is explicitly described as a test, not a final destination:
“He who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deeds” (Qur’an 67:2)
Suffering exists in different forms:
Human ظلم (evil)—such as war, oppression, and crime—is a result of human free will. If God prevented every evil act, humans would lose real choice and become like programmed beings.
Natural hardships—like illness, poverty, or disasters—are tests for both the one affected and those around them: will they show patience, compassion, and justice?
The Qur’an says:
“We will surely test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives, and fruits—but give good news to the patient” (Qur’an 2:155)
You asked: “What about babies who die early or people who suffer their whole lives?”
From an Islamic perspective, this world is not the final measure of justice. A child who dies is not punished; rather, they are granted Paradise without accountability. The Prophet ﷺ said that such children will be in Paradise (Sahih Muslim).
So what seems like loss or injustice in this temporary life is not the end of the story. Islam shifts the perspective from temporary life (few years) to eternal life (forever).
You asked: “How can God be loving and powerful when there is so much misery?”
This question assumes that love means removing all hardship. But in reality, justice and wisdom are also essential attributes.
A system where no one is ever held accountable would not be loving—it would be unjust. Imagine a world where someone commits ظلم—harms your family, destroys lives—and faces no consequences. Would that be acceptable?
If there is no afterlife, then many oppressors escape justice completely. Islam answers this by affirming ultimate accountability:
“Whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it” (Qur’an 99:7–8)
This means perfect justice is guaranteed, even if it is delayed.
You also mentioned: “Why not create a system where beings survive without killing?”
Such a system would fundamentally change the nature of physical life. The current system is based on interdependence, energy transfer, and balance. Even plants “consume” resources, and biological life depends on cycles. The Qur’an repeatedly invites humans to reflect on this balance rather than assume randomness (Qur’an 45:3–5).
Finally, the core issue is perspective.
You are judging existence based only on what is visible in this world, while Islam teaches that this life is only a temporary phase. The Prophet ﷺ described that a person who suffered greatly in this world will be dipped once into Paradise and will say, “I never experienced any hardship” (Sahih Muslim).
In conclusion:
This life is a test, not the final outcome
Free will explains moral evil
Natural systems operate with balance, not cruelty
Apparent injustice is resolved through ultimate justice in the hereafter
Without the afterlife, suffering truly has no answer. With it, every ظلم is accounted for, and every hardship has meaning.
I hope I've answered your question.Muhammad Farooqi.
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