Why Does Allah Allow Injustice? An Answer to Atheists

Category :
Islam
why-allah-allows-injustice-islamic-answer
Jul 27, 2025
visibility 46 Read
Allah is All-powerful—if He wished, every evil person could instantly turn righteous. In the Qur’an, Allah says: when He wills something into being, He simply says "Be" and it is (Surah Al-Baqarah: 117). Just one divine command could have established peace on Earth.
 
Yet, under His watch, humankind has fought two world wars, killing millions of innocent people. Allah could’ve stopped Hitler before he even began—so why didn’t He? Why does He allow suffering and refrain from intervening?
This article seeks to answer such questions, Insha’Allah.
 
According to the Qur’an and Hadith, Allah sent over a hundred thousand prophets throughout time to establish peace. These prophets invited people to His way—sometimes accepted, often rejected, and in some cases even killed (Surah Al-Baqarah: 87). Yet Allah, despite having the power, never miraculously changed the hearts of disbelievers and idolaters.
 
Critics of Islam ask, “Why doesn’t Allah make everyone believe in Him instantly?” Or “If He’s Almighty, why doesn’t He stop the oppression of the weak, injustice by rulers, and exploitation by the rich?”
 
To understand this, we must grasp two key points:
1. Human Beings Are Not Ordinary Creations
Unlike animals or inanimate forces, humans were created as khalifah (vicegerents or representatives) of Allah (Surah Al-Baqarah: 30). A prime minister, for example, cannot manage every village
personally and hence appoints representatives to carry out his will.
 
Similarly, Allah wanted a unique creation—humans—who could
think and choose freely. This uniqueness comes from the divine spirit (ruh) He breathed into Adam (Surah Al-Hijr: 29), instilling divine qualities like reason, creativity, and crucially—free will.
 
Unlike the sun or moon, which follow fixed laws, humans can obey or disobey. Allah wants humans to establish a just, peaceful society on Earth by their own choice—not through compulsion.
 
If Allah intervened constantly and ruled directly, human free will and their role as khalifah would be meaningless. Unfortunately, mankind does rule the Earth now—but not by Allah’s guidance. Instead, they’ve created their own systems: democracy, communism, fascism—ignoring divine laws.
 
For instance, Allah forbade interest (riba) because it leads to economic injustice, making the rich richer and the poor poorer. Yet today, we’ve built entire economies on interest-based systems. As a result, the world’s wealth is hoarded by a few while billions starve. So should we blame Allah for not sending food from the sky, or condemn those who rejected His system and imposed a flawed one instead?
 
2. The Challenge Between Allah and Iblis (Satan)
This situation is also tied to an ancient challenge. When Allah created Adam and commanded the angels to prostrate, Iblis refused (Surah Al-Baqarah: 34), was cast out (Surah Al-A’raf: 13; Al-Hijr: 34–35), and challenged Allah: “If You allow me access to humans, I’ll prove that they won’t obey You. I’ll mislead them from all directions” (Surah Al-A’raf: 16–18).
 
Allah responded: “You will have no power over My sincere servants.”
 
Thus, a divine test was set into motion. Allah didn’t destroy Iblis or force humans to follow the right path—because then there would be no real test. Humans are free to choose. Allah hopes His beloved creation—humans, crafted with care—will use their reason and conscience to willingly choose His path, proving Iblis wrong and Allah right.
 
The purpose of this world is to test humans: will they succumb to Iblis, or uphold divine justice and peace as Allah’s representatives?
 
When humans do finally establish peace on Earth through obedience to Allah, that will mark Iblis’s ultimate defeat—and Allah’s triumph in this challenge.
 
Allah says in the Qur’an:
 
“O you who believe, if you help Allah, He will help you and make your footing firm.” (Surah Muhammad: 7)
 
Does Almighty Allah need help? Of course not. But He desires victory over Iblis through human struggle. That victory depends on the efforts of the believers, the establishment of Allah’s way of life, and fulfilling the role of khalifah.
 
Conclusion:
So, why doesn’t Allah intervene to stop every injustice? Because He has given humans everything—qualities, intelligence, revelation, and guidance through messengers. Now it’s their test. Will they establish a just system as His khalifah, or follow Iblis into chaos? The outcome determines who wins the ancient challenge: Allah or Iblis. And that choice lies with us.

Images Related to this Post

Leave a Comment