Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on Divine Wisdom and the Problem of Evil

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya on Divine Wisdom and the Problem of Evil is a translation of selections from two of Ibn Qayyim''s books, Key to the Blissful Abode (Miftah dar al-sa''ada) and Remedy for Those who Question on Matters Concerning Divine Decree, Predestination, Wisdom and Causality (Shifa'' al-''alil fi masa''il al-qada'' wa''l-qadar wa''l-hikma wa''l-ta''lil). As with all his other writings, Ibn al-Qayyim''s foremost goal is to establish the wisdom of God, the primacy of the Qur''an and Sunna, and the congruity between reason and revelation. In the present selections, Ibn al-Qayyim focuses on the application of the wisdom of God to the existence of evil.

Ibn al-Qayyim first discusses twenty-six wise purposes behind God creating humanity and settling them on Earth. His perspective is that whatever exists in this world is either purely or preponderantly good, or indirectly leads to a greater good. Ibn Qayyim then explores how the presence of