and the doer of evil, and that anyone who considers it possible for Him to treat them equally has made a reprehensible and false claim that must be rejected.

His creating something that harms some living creatures does not mean that it contains no wisdom. Rather, it contains wisdom and mercy hidden from some of them, whose full measure is known only to Allah. Nor does the occurrence within creation of something evil in a limited, relative sense make it an all-encompassing, universal evil. Rather, things that are universal and all-encompassing bring only good and benefit to His servants, such as widespread rain or the sending of a messenger to all.

This entails that Allah cannot support someone who lies about Him with the miracles by which He supported His truthful prophets. That would be an evil affecting everyone, misleading them and corrupting their religion, their worldly life, and their Hereafter. This is not like an unjust king or an enemy. For through an unjust king, Allah necessarily wards off evil greater than the injustice he inflicts.

It has been said: “Sixty years under an unjust ruler are better than a single night without a ruler.” And if