Evil is not the only reason for suffering according to Christianity. Suffering is part of life because it is needed to find inner strength and goodness. It is believed that through suffering, human beings learn to lead better, sin free lives. This same belief can be illustrated by Jesus’ torture on the cross and his resurrection, or life after death. Christians may think that Jesus showed out of darkness and death came light and happiness.
In some cases, evil is the result of suffering according to Christian teachings. Job began to question God for why he was suffering because Job had led a good life up to the point of his misfortune. The questioning alone relates to sin because no-one is allowed to question God in a way of anger. But overall this was a good lesson learnt which resulted in Job getting back what he lost because he understood his wrong in questioning God when God gave him with a series of rhetorical questions which helped him to realise that all suffering is part of the test set by God to test the faith of his creation.
The Islamic teaching on the reason for suffering is not so different to the teachings of Christianity. Allah is believed to be all good and so we must also again look to seeing what causes this suffering in Islam. In Islam, the reason for humans to be on earth is because they are being tested by Allah to prove whether they are worthy of eternal happiness in jannat, heaven. Being tested includes going through the process of suffering and pain, and what causes this suffering is Shaytan, the Christian equivalent to Satan although the story of Shaytan is different to the Christian story. Shaytan was the chief Jinn and when Allah had given all living organisms in existence (including angels and jinns) the specific order to bow down to Adam when he was created, Shaytan refused to and was banished from heaven. Shaytan gave one statement, "I will mislead them and I will create in them false desires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle and to deface the (fair) nature created by Allah”. From this Allah gave him permission but the reason for this was so that Allah could test mankind of their faith in Allah and Islam. It was at this time that evil was started and therefore according to Islamic teaching, Shaytan is the force that drives human to do evil, yet he does not actually perform the evil himself.
One clear explanation in the Qur’an that Allah has given for suffering is ‘ Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, or lives or the fruits (of your toil) but give glad tidings to those who patiently preserve. Who say when afflicted with calamity “To Allah we belong and to Him is our return”’(Surah 19:155). So another reason of suffering is for the test of all humans and one great example of a prophet that kept faith when suffering was Ayub, or Job in the Bible but the difference in the Qur’anic version is that Ayub did not question Allah but remained faithful to Allah. This story helps remind Muslims that faith in Allah is the only way to help suffering. Ayub is the pattern of humility, patience, and faith in Allah. It was with these weapons that he fought and conquered evil.
Although suffering is part of Allah’s test, there is another reason for suffering. As the same in Christianity, Muslims believe that humans have free will to do what they please, although this will is bound to Allah’s will, ‘To whomsoever among you who wills to walk straight. And you cannot will unless (it be) that Allah wills – the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)’ (Surah 81: 28-29) and so it is not complete free will as described in the Bible, Muslims have a responsibility to follow good. If they choose to follow their evil nafs or evil instinct then it is them who will be punished. Although Shaytan may have helped to make the person do that wrong action, ultimately, the person is responsible for his own actions ‘Whatever good (O man!) happens to thee is from Allah; but whatever evil happens to thee is from thy (own) soul. And We have sent thee as an Apostle to (instruct) mankind: and enough is Allah for a witness’ (Surah 11:79). This quote sums up the other Islamic teaching on suffering. But if we go deeper into the intention of this suffering, we can see that even the punishment suffering is done so that the wrong doers will humble and follow the sirat-al-mustakeem (straight path) and so really the reason for all suffering according to Islam is to help become a better Muslim.
So to summarise, according to Islam, the reason for suffering is due to the test from Allah, the reason why all humans are on earth. Shaytan may be the evil one who tempts people to perform sins but he has been given the right to lead astray humans by Allah for the same reason of the test. So let us get back to our question posed at the beginning of this coursework. If God is all kind then why is there suffering? Well according to Islam, Allah does not need to be evil to cause suffering because it is all done for a good reason.