First published on: Reasons for Creating Scorpions


The Problem of Evil


    One may wonder; as God has subjugated the world and many creations to mankind – as He ordered angels to prostrate to man – why then such harmful creatures (scorpions) have been created? Some do not know why bad arthropods, such harmful creatures, were created? Here you will find out why.


Do We Live in Paradise?


Those who are wondering about this – reasons for the creation of bad arthropods, such harmful creatures – do not get the nature of our world.  They think this life should be a Paradise living of a life. BUT bad people do not deserve to reside in Paradise.


This worldly life is not Heaven living.  If this world is a Heaven, it would seem as if God gave all people the same treatment; that Allah has let the good and pious ones be rewarded the same as the wicked and sinful ones. That’s not fair.  Allah is The Just so, this is impossible.


The Logic of Evil


God says that Paradise is in the hereafter and only those who deserve it will enter it.  Paradise has been created for those who deserve it and in fact, not all people do deserve it.  One should ask himself whether he deserves Paradise or not.  If all people were good and worthy of living in a paradise, God would have let us live in it already.  


First, people must go through a process of sorting out, trials and testing, or in other words; “Scrutinizing,” so that the believing-good-doers be distinguished from the disbelieving-evil-doers.  The wicked and evil would not ever enjoy the bliss of Heavens.  God SWT has created this world for this propose; “A Trial”. Life is a test for people’s patience in facing afflictions and calamities.  So, no one has the right to object to any kind of harm or calamity or reject such things.  It’s a part of this worldly life.


No one is exempted from affliction and tribulations even Messengers and Prophets.  Actually, the last Messenger from God to humanity Muhammad PBUH told us that Messengers and Prophets are the most severely tested then those who are most pious and then the less pious and so on.  So, no one is exempted from these afflictions, as it is “The Scrutinizing” that all are subjected to.


Another Perspective for The Problem of Evil


In this life, we face very hot and cold weather, diseases, senility, microbes, evil, volcanoes, earthquakes and so much evil but God’s Mercy prevails and is evident.


God’s Mercy is evident as far as weather is concerned; extremes of weather are the exceptions so hurricanes, tornadoes, torrents and volcanoes are just accidental cases and God intervenes with His mercy but His decrees always take place.  


Health is the rule and illness is the exception. 


Allah SWT intervenes with His mercy and has made every evil limited and has something good in it.  In other words, infections may strengthen the immunity of people.  We see volcanoes discharge quantities of liquid metals, and earthquakes release the inner core pressure of the earth which maintains its balance.  Cold and hot weather act as a Sauna stimulating body circulation.  


So, every evil includes something good in it and this is evidence of Divine Mercy.


Nothing Happens without God’s Will And Permission


God’s mercy is evident when people face all sorts of evil such as plights, calamities and diseases etc.  This enhances endurance, knowledge, self-growth, betterment and wisdom.


Allah SWT equipped man with a mind, the ability to learn and develop, skills and knowledge to take control.  Man has truly benefited from Evil. He fights diseases with medicine, and learns to protect himself from weather-harm, wild animals, natural phenomena etc.


Evil Is Imperative


There is another side to show Allah’s mercy. He SWT shows us the importance of evil’s existence, as evil and freedom go hand in hand. God has granted man freedom of choice, which means that man has the right to err, and to err is to do Evil and to sin. So, this evil-doing is a side product of the freedom granted to mankind by God.


God could have created us as angels; who do as told, do not err, and would be obliged and compelled by their nature to do good. But that would have made our deeds “Unintentional” contradicting the purpose that mankind was created for.  Man should WILLINGLY resort to God, and CHOOSE to act righteously.  On the other hand, man may err and commit sins as a result of his freedom of choice. Such errors are Evildoings. Evildoing is the price of our freedom of choice.


It is God’s mercy prevailing in making this troublesome life a temporary abode for man and limited this toiling.   Allah SWT says in Qur’an:


We have certainly created man into hardship.” [Qur’an 90:4] (1)


This world is just a path to reach our destination; the Hereafter. It is not our final abode.


Scorpions Are Not Pure Evil


Pure evil is pointless and purposeless.  Scorpions are not pure evil because you may see a good in them as developing certain useful substances such as anti-venoms and medications for hypertension and other illnesses.


Well, many have a more harmful effect than Scorpions.  A Scorpion may sting one person and this person may not be killed at all but a drug dealer destroys millions of youth and ruin entire communities.  So, public execution is not an enough punishment for this kind of people.  They should be dealt with according to their bad deeds as they are more dangerous than scorpions, tornadoes, tuberculosis, cholera, snakes, earthquakes, volcanoes etc.


We Sometimes Can See Evil’s Good Outcome


On taking a closer look at man, you will find that everyone has thousands even millions of microbes inside his body. Microbes and parasites exist in and on human bodies, even on hair, some are useful and others are harmful. Scientists have been able to use E-Coli bacteria of the gut in synthesizing the best type of insulin, yet they are only microbes. Scientists also made a medicine for Rheumatism from Bee venom. An Antibiotic was prepared from a special ant-gland.  It is able to kill many microbes, bacteria and fungi.


Another example is wastewater. There is nothing as filthy as drainage water which is full of microbes. When such microbes are put inside huge containers along with wastes and other filthy materials, gas evolves by the virtue of the chemical and biological activities of such microbes.  This gas is called biogas that is used as a fuel and in generating electricity. Even wastewater and sludge are useful to man.


The microbes of smallpox, typhoid, tuberculosis, cholera, and poliomyelitis are used to prepare vaccines to protect man against these diseases.


Diphtheria vaccines, for instance, are prepared from the microbes of diphtheria, by attenuating them. So these vaccines protect man.


Man learned to save his own life utilizing deadly things with GOD’S Mercy and Grace by using the blessing of intellect that was bestowed upon him.


Conclusion


To conclude,  when you think thoroughly about the world that is full of evil, you find a kind of strange harmonious balanced existence.  This is the meaning of the old proverb that goes “What really exists cannot be bettered”.


Allah SWT who has created this world is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. If you see a blemish, try to reconsider the matter, for this seemingly evil thing may be a blessing in disguise. The curve in the bow allows the throwing of the arrow.


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References:


(1) Verse (90:4) of Qur’an (English Interpretation of Meaning).