A Qur’anic Critique of J. L. Mackie’s Theory on the Contradiction Between God’s Omniscience and Omnipotence and the Existence of Evil in the World

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Member of the faculty and assistant professor of Al-Mustafa University and director of the Qur'anic Tafsir and Sciences Department of Al-Zahra University

2 4th level student of Al-Zahra University, Tafsir field with a focus on Quranic sciences and studies and a researcher in the field of interpretation at Al-Zahra University Research Center

Abstract

The basis of the school of monotheism is the belief in the One, Prudent, and Omnipotent Lord, and many opponents of this school, by raising widespread skepticism, seek to flaw this key intellectual foundation so that they could wreck the infrastructure of the monotheistic thought. One of these skepticisms concerns the existence of evil in the World of Creation and its conflict with the existence of an omnipotent, almighty and prudent creator. “J. L. Mackie” (Australian Orientalist and philosopher) is among those who raised this query. Using the descriptive-analytical method, the present research aims to instill the teaching of Poetic thinking (eloquence) and the Best-System view of the World of Creation, and to establish that the existing world is designed in the best possible way, while answering the question as to “what is the Qur’anic critique of J. L. Mackie’s theory regarding the conflict between the existence of God and the existence of evil in the world”. The result of this research is that the aforementioned challenge and skepticism arise from the lack of insight and sound knowledge, on the part of the designers of the query, of the existence of God and human and even of the nature of evil. Once the necessary insight is obtained, it becomes clear that the claim of a conflict between the existence of God and the issue of evil in the System of Creation, in the writings of this Western scientist who is active in the field of "philosophy of religion", deserves scrutiny and the reasons he states in order to prove his claim are capable of Qur'anic and rational critique.

Keywords

Bi-Quarterly Journal of Quranic Interpretive and Semantic Studies
Volume 5, Issue 8
September 2022
Pages 51-78

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History

  • Receive Date: 05 November 2022
  • Accept Date: 05 November 2022
  • First Publish Date: 05 November 2022

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