“If there’s a God, why is there evil?” If you haven’t read Article 21: Evil in the World, please do so first. To summarize, we have concluded that because this question has been asked since the beginning of time, many have given responses, and thus, regardless of whether you’re an atheist or theist, chances are you have not thought about it in a way someone else hasn’t. As well, it is a fact that the presence of evil does not disprove God. Why? Because there’s no correlation.

Theodicy is the vindication of divine goodness and providence in view of the existence of evil. [Oxford Languages]

In other words, trying to understand the existence of evil with an All-Good and All-Powerful God existing. 

However, there are many reasons that can be given as to why there is evil in the world:

1. God allows free will.
2. Helps us recognize good, evil, morality, and justice. C. S. Lewis is known to have said, “A man does not call something crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.”
3. Brings good in the world. Ex: charity.
4. Reminds us of the Afterlife, which is eternal.
5. Proves to us that with God’s judgment in the Afterlife, true justice will be accomplished.
6. Reconnect with God.
7. Teaches you patience, gratitude, and bravery.
8. Makes you smarter by learning from people’s difficulties and mistakes.
9. Shows one’s true colors. Ex: a difficult test convincing you God doesn’t exist or makes you go down a path of crime.
10. Every situation, no matter how evil, has some good in it.
11. A lot of suffering is because of our own selves and our own decisions.
12. We don’t see the full picture. God is much wiser than us and we can’t comprehend every factor.

Some additional reasons that Islam gives:

1. No injustice is done by God.
2. “Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear…” [Quran 2:286]
3. This world is a test.
4. Difficulties result in our sins being forgiven.
5. The tests will benefit us. Ex: rewards in Paradise.