I haven’t forgotten about this, I do intend on responding. I did a lot of thinking about this and I have some verses that will actually prove your point and will respond soon, I am wrong in completely dismissing god’s participation in the evil that happens (objectively evil acts, not just blessings hidden as calamity)
Quran 2:49 ˹Remember˺ how We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh, who afflicted you with dreadful torment, slaughtering your sons and keeping your women. That was a severe test from your Lord.
This verse has no mention of the fact that it’s the Pharoah committing the crimes, god calls it a test from himself directly, confirming your point that god allows evil to exist while being capable of stopping it, which he does through the splitting of the red sea
The following verse: And ˹remember˺ when We parted the sea, rescued you, and drowned Pharaoh’s people before your very eyes.
Divine intervention ending the evil acts being committed, not only by giving the Israelites access through the parting of the red sea but also by collapsing the sea on the Pharoah and his soldiers right in front of them
Intervention to end the enslavement and slaughter could have happened long before but it was allowed to continue as a severe test, so it confirms your point about being all powerful and capable of ending the evil (and he does) yet allowing genocides and sexual assaults to happen
Regarding being all loving, this may be a principle in Christianity but not Islam. God is all merciful but not all loving, outlining what he does love and what he doesn’t, some examples in the spoiler below
I’ve thankfully never experienced sexual assault but I can say with full conviction that the evils that I’ve experienced ultimately ended up being serendipitous, either practically or emotionally. It would be monumentally foolish, ignorant and cruel for me to imply that the hardships you’ve faced were also blessings in some way and I can only speak for myself, but this is the claim being made by the Quran, that our hardships are in fact blessings in disguise. These verses are very famously used to teach this point as the statement is repeated for emphasis
94:5-6 So, surely with hardship comes ease.
Surely with ˹that˺ hardship comes ˹more˺ ease.
TL;DR you’re right, an all powerful god can choose to end evil whenever he wants yet he chooses to let it happen. Whether or not that evil needed to happen is indeed a separate conversation but I agree, this point is definitely not debunked. There’s a lot of verses in the Quran about why evil is allowed to happen (the angels themselves protested against the creation of humanity foreseeing bloodshed and corruption of the earth) but again, that’s a separate conversation
spoiler
2:276 Allah has made interest fruitless and charity fruitful. And Allah does not like any ungrateful evildoer.
3:32 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Obey Allah and His Messenger.” If they still turn away, then truly Allah does not like the disbelievers.
8:58 And if you ˹O Prophet˺ see signs of betrayal by a people, respond by openly terminating your treaty with them. Surely Allah does not like those who betray.
3:146 ˹Imagine˺ how many devotees fought along with their prophets and never faltered despite whatever ˹losses˺ they suffered in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or give in! Allah loves those who persevere.
3:76 Absolutely! Those who honour their trusts and shun evil—surely Allah loves those who are mindful ˹of Him˺.
3:31 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “If you ˹sincerely˺ love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Just as an aside these are some of the verses that established my thinking that evil does not come from god but from humanity
4:79 Whatever good befalls you is from Allah and whatever evil befalls you is from yourself. We have sent you ˹O Prophet˺ as a messenger to ˹all˺ people. And Allah is sufficient as a Witness.
42:30 Whatever affliction befalls you is because of what your own hands have committed. And He pardons much.
I haven’t forgotten about this, I do intend on responding. I did a lot of thinking about this and I have some verses that will actually prove your point and will respond soon, I am wrong in completely dismissing god’s participation in the evil that happens (objectively evil acts, not just blessings hidden as calamity)
Thanks for getting back to me, I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
This verse has no mention of the fact that it’s the Pharoah committing the crimes, god calls it a test from himself directly, confirming your point that god allows evil to exist while being capable of stopping it, which he does through the splitting of the red sea
Divine intervention ending the evil acts being committed, not only by giving the Israelites access through the parting of the red sea but also by collapsing the sea on the Pharoah and his soldiers right in front of them
Intervention to end the enslavement and slaughter could have happened long before but it was allowed to continue as a severe test, so it confirms your point about being all powerful and capable of ending the evil (and he does) yet allowing genocides and sexual assaults to happen
Regarding being all loving, this may be a principle in Christianity but not Islam. God is all merciful but not all loving, outlining what he does love and what he doesn’t, some examples in the spoiler below
I’ve thankfully never experienced sexual assault but I can say with full conviction that the evils that I’ve experienced ultimately ended up being serendipitous, either practically or emotionally. It would be monumentally foolish, ignorant and cruel for me to imply that the hardships you’ve faced were also blessings in some way and I can only speak for myself, but this is the claim being made by the Quran, that our hardships are in fact blessings in disguise. These verses are very famously used to teach this point as the statement is repeated for emphasis
TL;DR you’re right, an all powerful god can choose to end evil whenever he wants yet he chooses to let it happen. Whether or not that evil needed to happen is indeed a separate conversation but I agree, this point is definitely not debunked. There’s a lot of verses in the Quran about why evil is allowed to happen (the angels themselves protested against the creation of humanity foreseeing bloodshed and corruption of the earth) but again, that’s a separate conversation
spoiler
2:276 Allah has made interest fruitless and charity fruitful. And Allah does not like any ungrateful evildoer.
3:32 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Obey Allah and His Messenger.” If they still turn away, then truly Allah does not like the disbelievers.
8:58 And if you ˹O Prophet˺ see signs of betrayal by a people, respond by openly terminating your treaty with them. Surely Allah does not like those who betray.
3:146 ˹Imagine˺ how many devotees fought along with their prophets and never faltered despite whatever ˹losses˺ they suffered in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or give in! Allah loves those who persevere.
3:76 Absolutely! Those who honour their trusts and shun evil—surely Allah loves those who are mindful ˹of Him˺.
3:31 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “If you ˹sincerely˺ love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Just as an aside these are some of the verses that established my thinking that evil does not come from god but from humanity
4:79 Whatever good befalls you is from Allah and whatever evil befalls you is from yourself. We have sent you ˹O Prophet˺ as a messenger to ˹all˺ people. And Allah is sufficient as a Witness.
42:30 Whatever affliction befalls you is because of what your own hands have committed. And He pardons much.