Abstract:
The problem of evil is one of the significant problems being discussed in the realm of
philosophy of religion and this problem has importance in ethics as well. Recent studies
revealed that issues related to evil are still unanswerable to date and this condition was
created by Christianity and Zoroastrianism. The problem of evil in the Eastern
Philosophical traditions was not much influential as in the Western philosophical and
religious systems due to the former ones have assimilated the existence of God and evil as
non-contradictory elements into their systems. Even though the Islamic religion shares
many characteristics with Christianity as Semitic tradition. The problem of evil was not
seriously conceived in the Islamic religion even though Islam upholds monotheism. In this
background, this study compares and analyses the problem of evil in the two religions
(Hinduism and Islam) which originated in different social and cultural contexts. For
Hinduism, this study limits its scope to Saiva Siddhanta, the prominent philosophical
development of Hinduism, and the problem of Evil narrated in the Holy Quran of
Islam. For Saiva Siddhanta, Three malas (three impurities) are conceived as evils and
Aanava(ego, I-ness) makes primarily the souls impure. As per Saiva Siddhanta, three
Malas ( aanava, kanma and maya) cause for birth and death of souls. Kanma Malam is
the basis for the consequences of Birth and maya mala causes for actions of souls by giving
the body, organs, the world, and enjoyment. Kanma determines the actions of souls and
Saiva Siddhanta conceives that evil is caused by former and present births. It is
noteworthy that there are many similar ideas between the two religions on the concept of
evil.
