Lesson video

Hello, welcome to today's lesson on Muslim teachings about good, evil, and suffering.

My name's Mrs. Rawbone and I'm going to be your RE teacher today.

Thank you so much for joining me.

In today's lesson, you will be able to explain different views, including Muslim ones, on good, evil, and suffering.

Key words that we'll be using are evil, good, and suffering.

Evil is that which is considered extremely immoral, wicked, and wrong.

Good is that which is considered right according to moral standards.

And suffering is an effect of evil, undergoing pain and hardship.

Today's lesson will form two parts.

We'll be looking at good and evil, and we'll be looking at suffering.

So, let's get started looking at good and evil.

Andeep, Sofia, Lucas, and Aisha are asking some questions about human nature.

Andeep says, "What do sacred text say about human nature?" Sofia asks, "Does our capacity for goodness come from God?" Lucas says, "Do humans have an essential nature?" Aisha says, "Are we born with a particular nature or is it shaped by our environment?" So, who is using theology as a tool to approach this question about human nature? Take a moment, pause if you need to, and then come back when you're ready to move on.

Well done if you spotted that it's Andeep.

He said, "sacred text," which indicates that he's talking about a theological approach to the question.

Zoe is an atheist and she's also a psychologist.

She's explaining whether she thinks human nature is good or evil.

Zoe says, "Human nature is shaped by biology and environment.

People have natural tendencies, but behaviour depends on upbringing, culture, and experience.

I do not think humans are born good or evil.

Our behaviour is influenced by rewards, punishments, and social expectations.

What we call evil often has complex causes like trauma or unmet needs." According to Zoe's view as a psychologist, what best explained why people do bad things? So pause the video, have a look at what she said again.

You can turn and talk to someone nearby if you like, or you can talk to me, and then come back when you're ready to move on.

So, well done if you spotted that she talked about our behaviour being influenced by rewards, punishments, and social expectations.

First of all, Muslims believe that all human beings are born with natural goodness and awareness of Allah, which is called fitrah.

People are free to choose their actions and so they're responsible for their choices.

Humans can therefore do good or evil, but they are guided by the Qur'an, the Hadith, and the Sharia.

And each person is judged by their actions and intentions, not by other people's sins.

So to sum up, Islam teach us we're all born good.

We're all born aware of Allah.

Islam is a guide.

We can choose our actions and we are judged by what we do and why we do it as well, and that's really important in Islam.

The Qur'an and Hadith are sources of authority for Muslims when they're thinking about these issues surrounding what human nature is actually like.

Surah 30:30 says, "So set your face firmly towards the religion as a pure natural believer.

Allah's natural way, fitrah, on which he created mankind." So, this links in with the idea that all humans are born with a natural goodness and awareness of Allah.

Surah 41:46 says, "Whoever does righteousness, it is for his own soul; and whoever does evil, it is against it." Supporting this idea that people are free to choose their actions.

They are responsible for their choices.

Surah 16:89, "We have certainly sent down to you a clear Book, containing a reminder for those who are mindful of Allah." So, the Qur'an is teaching that although humans can do good or evil.

They do have guidance particularly found in the Qur'an.

And in Hadith, Muhammad says, "Actions are judged by intentions, and everyone will be rewarded according to what they intended." So, we can see support for the idea that people's actions are judged, not just by what happens, what they do, but also by what they intended.

Let's check your understanding.

Is this statement true or false? Islam teaches that all people are born with a natural goodness.

Take a moment.

Pause the video if you need to.

I'd like you to also think about why the answer is true or false.

So well, I dunno if you put true, but why is this true? Well, it's true because Surah 30:30 teaches that humans are created on the natural way, meaning they're born pure and aware of Allah.

So for some people, actions would matter more than your intentions when you're deciding whether something is wrong and others would disagree and they'd say, actually, your intention is just as important or maybe even more important when we're judging whether something is right or wrong.

Let's think about an example.

Is lying wrong? Well, if you focus on the action, you could say yes or you could say no.

It really depends.

You might say, "Yes, it is wrong," if you have in mind a moral rule that you think makes lying wrong or perhaps you think the result of the action, which might be harmful, therefore makes it wrong.

If instead you focus on the intention, you could perhaps come to the same conclusion that lying is wrong, but that might be because it was done to cause harm rather than protect.

And therefore, it could mean that if you lied with the intention of saving someone from harm that perhaps then lying in that situation wouldn't be wrong.

Now, Muslim would say that both action and intention matter when deciding if something is wrong.

So, the action of lying would be wrong, but the intention does impact on how Allah judges it.

So Mohammad said, "Actions are judged by intentions, and everyone will be rewarded according to what they intended." So both matter in Islam, but actions in themselves can be wrong.

We've seen how valuing action more than intention can make a difference to why someone decides that an action is right or wrong.

Now, Warren is an atheist and he takes a utilitarian approach to moral decision-making.

In Warren's case, he values the action itself more than the intention.

And the reason he values the action is because for him, the outcome of that action is really important.

So he says, "What matters is the outcome of an action; even if someone meant well, the action is only good if it leads to the greatest happiness or least harm for the greatest number." So, this is how utilitarianism works.

It focuses on the results of an action and not the intention behind the action.

Some people, on the other hand, value intention more than action.

Brandon is an example of a non-religious person who does this.

He's a humanist and he uses Kantian ethics to inform his moral decision-making.

So Brandon says, "What truly matters is why a person acted as they did; if their intentions were guided by duty and respect for moral law, then the action should be judged as good." So, very much the approach that Kant would've taken.

The idea that there are clear morals, but that you have to choose them based on having the best intention.

So, Brandon's a very good example of someone who thinks that doing the right thing is really important, but also doing it for the right reason.

Jamila is explaining why, when thinking about good and evil, Muslims usually agree that the intention and the action both matter.

She says, "What truly matters is both intention and the action.

If someone meant well but made a mistake, Allah is just to may still reward them for their sincerity.

But a good action done for the wrong reason is not accepted by Allah." Now, Zara is an atheist and she's explaining why she actually agrees with what Jamila said.

So, Jamila, as a Muslim, is finding here that someone who's not believing in God is still able to agree with her conclusion that action and intention matter.

Zara says, "A good action with selfish motives is not truly good because the person is not acting for others' benefit.

Good intentions can still cause harm." So, both the motive and the outcome matter when judging an action.

The Qur'an is the key source of authority for Muslims when considering issues surrounding good and evil actions.

Surah 2:225 says, "Allah will not call you to account for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He will call you to account for what your hearts have earned." This shows that Allah is judging the inner intention and not just the outward words.

Surah 76:89, "They give food, in spite of love it, to the needy, the orphan, and the captive saying, 'We feed you only for the sake of Allah.

We desire neither reward nor thanks from you.

'" So in this example, good deeds are truly good because they're done sincerely for Allah, not for praise or reward.

And it says in spite of their love for food, they're giving it away.

So they're doing this for the right reasons, because they believe it's their duty to Allah.

The Hadith and Sunnah are also important sources of authority for Muslims when thinking about good and evil actions.

Muhammad said, "Actions are judged by intentions and everyone will be rewarded according to what they intended." And this is foundational in Islamic ethics.

It's a really important Hadith.

It teaches that a deeds value or an actions value really also depends on the reason behind it.

Muhammad was known as Al-Amin, meaning the trustworthy, because he was personally known for honesty and reliability.

And this was before he even received his call to prophethood.

He always acted with good intentions.

He refused to use dishonest methods even if they could help him, or his believers, or his family, or whoever it might be.

Muhammad's life itself, so his Sunnah, shows that in Islam both the intention and the action must be good.

Tareeq is a Muslim imam.

He's explaining Muslim beliefs about good and evil actions and how they are rewarded.

Tareeq says, "Niyyah means intention, what you truly mean in your heart when you act.

The Prophet Muhammad said, 'Actions are judged by intentions, and everyone will be rewarded according to what they intended.

' So in Islam, a good action must be done with sincere intention to be accepted by Allah.

Niyyah is a key part of how Muslims understand right and wrong." Is this statement true or false? Islamic teaching says that Allah judges people only by whether their actions are good.

Pause the video.

Think back over what we've been learning.

Decide whether it's true or false, but also have a think about why and come back when you're ready to check.

Did you spot that that was false? I hope so.

Well done.

But let's have a think about why.

Well, it's false because we've just learned that in Islam, Allah judges both actions and intentions.

So, good action has to be done with the right intention to be accepted.

And Muhammad himself said, "Actions are judged by intentions." Alex and Sam are debating whether honesty is always good.

Sam says, "Honesty works for all of us.

If we lie, we're not just misleading ourselves but also breaking the trust of those who believe in us." So, Sam's expressing the view that good is absolute, which means that it's unchanging.

It's the same for everyone.

Alex says, "I disagree, honesty is not always good.

If lying would protect someone's feelings or avoid causing them harm, then honesty might be bad." Here we can see Alex is expressing a different view from Sam.

Alex is arguing that good is relative.

So, that means it very much depends maybe on the situation or the context.

So, let's think more closely about what Sam said.

Honesty works for all of us if we lie.

We're not just misleading ourselves, but we're also breaking the trust of those who believe in us.

Most Muslims would agree with Sam, goodness is absolute, coming from Allah, and applying equally to everyone everywhere at all times.

So, the thought of things they might say in response to the statement would be goodness is revealed in Allah's commands, such as those found in the Qur'an and the teachings of Muhammad.

Goodness comes from Allah's nature, which is perfectly just, merciful, and wise.

And goodness can be seen in the world around us, the created order, as everything in creation reflects Allah's will and guidance for how people should live.

Let's look a bit more deeply what Alex said.

"I disagree, honesty is not always good.

If lying would protect someone's feelings or avoid causing them harm, then honesty might be bad." Now, most Muslims would disagree with Alex, although they would say that intentions and outcomes are important when judging whether an action is good.

So, the sort of things they might say would be goodness does involve intention, niyyah, and is judged by the heart.

Goodness may look different in different situations, and there are scholars who use ideas like maslahah and darurah to guide decisions.

However, this is all within limits because ultimately Allah does decide what is good and that is an absolute.

Which two are examples of goodness as an absolute.

A, it's always good to help the poor.

B, it's forbidden to eat pork in Judaism and Islam, but not in Christianity.

C, is good to bow to show respect in Japan, but not in the UK.

And d, honesty is right in every situation.

Take a moment, think about what that idea of absolute means in the context of goodness.

Pause if you need to.

Come back when you're ready to check your answer.

Well, I dunno if you spotted that it was a and d, both saying that the good thing applies to everyone in every situation at all times.

For Task A, I'd like you to answer the question, explain twos and beliefs about good actions.

Now to answer it, you might want to use as suggestions, points and develop.

So one Muslim belief about good actions is, and another Muslim belief about good actions is.

So, think back over what we've been learning about what good actions are in Islam.

Pause the video, take your time, and then come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

Let's have a look at what you could have said.

So for the first point, one Muslim belief about good actions is you could say that they must be done with a right intention, niyyah.

In Islam, actions are judged by what is in the heart.

A good deed must be done sincerely to please Allah, not to impress others.

And another Muslim belief about good actions is every person is responsible for their own actions.

Muslims believe they're free to choose how they behave and will be judged based on their own choices.

Good actions are part of that personal responsibility.

So well done if you've had looked back at your answer and you can see that you've managed to develop two different points about Muslim beliefs about good actions.

Let's move on to the second part of our lesson where we'll be looking at suffering.

Laura and Andeep are discussing the problem of evil and suffering.

Laura says, "If Allah is omnipotent, all-powerful, and beneficent, then why does he allow suffering? If Allah loves us and is omnipotent, Allah would want to and be able to stop it." Andeep says, "Yes, and if Allah is merciful and just, surely he would not allow undeserved suffering or injustice without reason." The Islamic philosopher Al-Ghazali, who lived from 1058 to 1111, points out how difficult the question raised by Laura and Andeep is.

He said, "This is among the most obscure of questions and one of the most intricate problems in religious science." His use of the word obscure tells us how difficult he thinks it is to get to the bottom of this question.

On the one hand, we have Allah is omnipotent, beneficent, masterful, and just, but this is in tension with the fact that evil and suffering exists in the world.

So, Muslim philosophers and scholars over the centuries have attempted to answer this question in different ways.

Let's start by checking your understanding here.

Which two of the following characteristics of Allah are in tension with existence of evil and suffering? We have a, omnipotence, b, transcendence, c, imminence, and d, beneficence.

Pause the video, take a moment if you need to, and then come back when you're ready to check.

Excellent work if you spotted omnipotence and beneficence are the ones that are particularly in tension with the existence of evil and suffering.

Laura is talking to Layla, who's a Sunni Muslim and studied Islamic philosophy at university.

She says, "What do Muslims think about the statement, 'Suffering is caused by free will'?" Layla says, "The Qur'an teaches, 'Whatever misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned.

' The philosopher Ibn Rushd, who live from 1126 to 1198, believe much of the evil in the world comes from the wrong choices people make." So, where would you put Layla's view on the scale.

We have suffering is caused by free will as the statement that we're thinking about, and we have 0, disagree, and 10, agree.

Pause the video.

Take a moment to think about where you place it.

And then, come back when you're ready to move on.

Laura's also talking to Faye, and Faye is an atheist.

She says, "What do you think about the statement, 'Suffering is caused by free will'?" Faye says, "I believe humans are born with the capacity for both good and evil, and suffering is mainly caused by how people use their free will.

We have the freedom to choose and these choices can lead to good or evil." So, think about that scale again.

Where would you put Faye's view on the same scale? Pause if you need to.

You can always turn and talk to someone nearby or talk to me, and then come back when you're ready to move on.

Laura is talking to Layla again.

She says, "What do Muslims think about the statement 'Suffering leads to good'?" Layla says, "The Qur'an says that suffering exists, 'to test you as to which of you is best in deed.

' Surah Al-Mulk 67:2.

The Islamic philosopher Al-Ghazali, who lived from 1058 to 1111, argued that suffering helps us to grow.

It leads to a greater good.

We just cannot see." So, have a think about that statement, "Suffering leads to good." Where would you put Layla's view on the scale? How far is what she's saying in agreement with the idea that suffering leads to good? Pause the video.

Turn and talk to someone nearby if you can or you can talk to me.

And then, come back when you're ready to move on.

Laura's also talking to Diane, who's a humanist.

She asks, "What do you think about the statement, 'suffering leads to good'?" Diane replies, "Suffering isn't needed for people to grow.

While some people become stronger through hardship, that doesn't just justify the pain they went through.

And for others suffering has no good outcomes at all.

We should focus on reducing suffering." So thinking about that scale again, where would you put Diane's view on this scale from 0, disagree, to 10, completely agree.

Pause the video.

Turn and talk to someone nearby if you can or, of course, you can talk to me, and then come back when you're ready to move on.

Warren's an atheist.

He's discussing suffering with his friend Sarah, who is a Muslim revert.

Warren says, "One reason I'm an atheist is because I can't understand why a loving and powerful God would allow so much suffering.

Religion often adds to the problem, people have used it to justify violence, control others, and hold back progress." Sarah says, "I used to think that too, but after learning more, I saw that Islam teaches mercy, justice, and fairness.

The Qur'an says there's no compulsion in religion and that we must treat others with compassion.

Since reverting, I've found peace and purpose.

Islam helps make sense of suffering and encourages doing good." Which statement expresses the view that good can come out of suffering? Is it a, suffering has no value and should not be justified, b, suffering can help people to grow, c, suffering always causes harm and must be avoided, or d, suffering is a punishment for wrongdoing? Take a moment if you need to, pause if you need to, and then come back when you are ready to check.

Well done if you spotted that it was b, suffering can help people to grow.

For part one of our task on suffering, I'd like you to think about the statement, "Suffering can lead to good." First of all, you're going to decide whether each point is an argument for or against the statement and develop it.

So, we have enduring suffering can help someone to grow.

Suffering can cause lasting harm.

Suffering can inspire compassion in others and using suffering to justify good can excuse evil.

So think carefully about the statement and whether they're for or against, and then develop an explanation of why.

Pause the video.

Come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said enduring suffering can help someone to grow.

This is an argument for.

And to develop the point, you might have said something like suffering can build resilience.

It can deepen someone's faith.

It can lead them to grow spiritually or maybe emotionally.

Suffering can cause lasting harm.

This is a point against the statement.

And here, you could have said something like suffering actually leads to trauma or damages a person.

It really affects their life.

Suffering can inspire compassion in others.

This is an argument for.

Seeing others suffer can motivate other people to be kinder and to act with justice.

And finally, using suffering to justify good can excuse evil.

This is a point against.

It's saying that claiming that suffering has value could actually be used to defend cruelty or injustice.

Excellent work if you managed to work out which way those points were arguing and if you managed to explain them too.

For part two of our task, I'd like you to continue thinking about that statement, "Suffering leads to good." Looking back at your table of arguments, I'd like you to choose either the strongest point to agree or the strongest point to disagree.

So maybe think about your opinion and pick a point that you are in agreement with.

You're going to explain why it's a strong argument.

So some suggested sentence starters you could use would first of all be a strong argument which agrees or disagrees that suffering leads to good is.

And then, you can follow it up with one of the following, the argument is compelling because, the argument is powerful as it, or this argument is convincing because.

Pause the video.

Take your time to think really carefully about your own point of view and to choose something that you think really supports it and is very convincing to you.

And then, develop your explanation of why.

Come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

In my example, I chose an argument to disagree.

A strong argument which disagrees that "Suffering leads to good," is that using suffering to justify good can excuse evil.

And I've said this argument is compelling, because it warns against justifying harm and allowing injustice to continue by pretending it has a positive purpose.

An example I came up with was that in wartime, leaders may justify civilian deaths as part of achieving peace, ignoring the fact that innocent lives have been lost and that suffering has been caused.

Now, you might have chosen a different argument from me.

Perhaps you agreed with the statement, so you chose one from the other point of view.

But well done if you've managed to explain why that argument convinces you.

That's a really important skill to develop for GCSE RS exam evaluation questions.

In today's lesson, we have learned that Muslims believe humans are born with natural goodness, fitrah, and are guided by the Qur'an, Hadith, and Sharia, and they are responsible for their own actions and intentions.

The good actions must have the right intention, niyyah, to be accepted by Allah and not done for praise or personal gain.

That Muslims may argue suffering, can lead to growth and has a purpose, though some suffering is caused by human free will.

That non-religious views often see suffering as something to reduce, not as something with a divine purpose.

That views on suffering vary with some seeing it as strengthening and others as harmful or wrongly justified.

We've learned a lot today on Muslim teachings about good, evil, and suffering.

Thank you so much for working with me and for all of your efforts.