Why would a Merciful God Punish the Disbelievers?
If God is infinitely compassionate and merciful, why would He condemn anyone, especially disbelievers, to punishment? This profound question lies at the heart of many religions, particularly those that believe in the Day of Final Judgment. In this write-up, I shall offer an answer based on reflection, an interaction of Divine Attributes, human responsibility, and Divine Wisdom.
An Interaction of Divine Mercy and Justice
In general, religious teachings present God as fundamentally Merciful and Compassionate. For instance, the very first chapter of the Qur’ān, al-Fātiha, opens by invoking Allah as al-Raḥmān and al-Raḥīm – the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Yet, immediately following this, it declares Him Māliki Yawm al-Din – Master of the Day of Judgment. This sequence profoundly emphasises that while Allah’s compassion governs our present existence, offering sustenance, opportunities, and forgiveness, His justice not only manifests in the full, perfect balance of this universe but also awaits the ultimate judgment.
A ḥadīth states this: Allah wrote a writing before He created the creation: “My mercy precedes my wrath.” It is written with Him above the Throne. Bukhārī and Muslim. This highlights that mercy is God’s default posture – He inclines to forgive broadly. But this does not erase the reality of justice.
Knowledge and Fair Opportunity
Islamic theology places truth, justice, and knowledge at its core. Allah does not punish ignorance, but only conscious defiance. As the Qur’ān declares, “We do not punish until We have sent a Messenger” (17:15). Those who never encountered the true message of Allah —whether due to isolation, age, or distortion — are not held accountable. Imam al-Ghazzālī argues that anyone denied access to the undistorted truth is excused until given the chance to understand it. Punishment only becomes meaningful when a person, fully aware of the divine call to righteousness, knowingly and arrogantly rejects it. Such a choice is not forced upon them; it is, in essence, self-inflicted.
Yet the reality of the world reminds us of another moral urgency: what of those who slaughter the innocent, commit atrocities, and die unpunished, rich, respected, and untouched by justice? If there is no Day of Judgment, then morality is a myth, law is hollow, and the prophetic mission loses meaning. But divine justice promises otherwise. It assures the oppressed that their suffering will not be forgotten and warns the tyrant that silence now is not safety. Hell is not cruelty — it is justice. In a world where the scales often tilt toward the powerful, the final judgment restores balance, reaffirms righteousness, and completes the moral order that earthly systems so often fail to uphold.
If human wisdom sees the necessity of courts, laws, prisons, and even capital punishment to maintain justice and social order, how can we question divine justice for holding humanity accountable? No civilized society exists without a system to punish the guilty and protect the innocent. When a murderer is sentenced, we do not call it cruelty—we call it justice. When laws uphold the rights of the oppressed and restrain the corrupt, we celebrate the triumph of morality. Then how can we deny the Almighty—whose dominion encompasses the heavens and the earth—the right to administer justice over those who violate His order?
Those who commit crimes not only harm individuals; they disturb the balance of creation itself. They spread corruption, degrade the environment, dismantle communities, and cause immense human suffering. If God were to overlook these transgressions, it would undermine the very foundation of justice upon which His creation rests.
Divine justice is not random wrath—it is the restoration of harmony, the upholding of truth, and the defense of what is right. Just as we do not abolish courts because a sentence is harsh, we cannot strip God of justice because Hell is real. It is the necessary counterpart to divine mercy, ensuring that evil does not go unchecked and that righteousness retains its meaning.
Eternal Punishment or Ultimate Mercy?
While the mainstream Islamic position affirms that Hell and Paradise are eternal, it clarifies that eternal punishment is not for limited sins, but for a permanent state — disbelief. Disbelief is not merely an action but a conscious, enduring stance of rejection against the truth, maintained until death. Thus, the eternity of Hell corresponds to the permanence of that denial. In contrast, those who err but believe—however flawed—remain under God’s mercy, for belief, however weak, connects them to redemption.
Yet some other towering voices, such as Ibn Arabi, Mulla Sadra, and Ibn al-Qayyim, envision Hell not as eternal vengeance but as a purifying process. They emphasise Allah’s mercy as ultimately triumphant — Hell may cleanse, not condemn forever. Even within orthodoxy, scholars like al-Ghazzālī caution against presuming anyone’s eternal fate, insisting that judgment belongs to Allah alone, who sees what human eyes cannot.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, justice operates through Karma — actions bear consequences across lifetimes, but suffering is never final. Even the deepest hells are temporary, with liberation always within reach.
Across traditions, the shared conviction remains: mercy must never cancel justice, and justice must never overpower mercy — both are needed for moral order, divine or human, to make sense.
Free Will and Responsibility
Behind all these theological discussions on mercy and punishment is a shared emphasis on human free will and moral responsibility. Remove free will and responsibility, and the concepts of moral praise, blame, justice, and even meaningful mercy collapse. Islamic theology firmly grounds divine justice in this understanding of human agency. Accountability presupposes choice. A universe without ultimate consequences would render free will meaningless and moral striving futile.
Islam further tempers justice with mercy by insisting that God “does not burden any soul beyond what it can bear” (Qur’ān 2:286) and only demands accountability after clear guidance. Faith, in this view, is not merely fire insurance; it is about fulfilling humanity’s purpose in relation to the Creator. Mercy provides a fair chance and the path to forgiveness; justice validates the significance of the choices made in response.
Reconciling the Seemingly Irreconcilable
Ibn al-Qayyim explains by quoting the example of a surgeon, performing a painful but life-saving amputation, which illustrates that apparent harshness can be the deepest expression of care, removing a greater evil. He asserted that Allah’s actions stem from “perfect knowledge, impeccable wisdom, and mercy.”
Humility and Hope
The question “Why would a merciful God punish disbelievers?” may not have a simplistic answer. Yet, the great religious traditions converge on a profound balance. In Islam, God’s mercy explains the gift of life, the constant opportunities for repentance, and the exoneration of the ignorant and the sincere seeker who falters. His justice explains why conscious, defiant rejection of truth carries weight, why human freedom is honoured even in its most tragic misuse. Even the daunting concept of Hell can be understood within the framework of divine mercy, as a last, severe resort for purification, or as the ultimate validation of a soul’s chosen separation from God.
The experiences of mercy in our daily lives – the blessings we receive, the protections from disaster, the simple gift of existence – are tangible signs of God’s compassionate nature. The consequences we sometimes face for wrongdoing are reminders of a moral universe governed by justice.
Viewed through this lens, divine punishment is not the antithesis of mercy, but its necessary counterpart within a framework of perfect justice and profound respect for human choice. The final fate of every soul rests in Hands infinitely wiser and more merciful than our own, offering a hope that, in the end, His mercy may indeed prevail in ways beyond our current comprehension.
Next: A new series titled: “Belief and Reason: A Rational Justification for Trust in Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Dr. Nazir Ahmad Zargar is a scholar of Islamic theology and comparative religion. He serves as Assistant Professor and Coordinator in the Department of Religious Studies at the Central University of Kashmir. His writings explore the intersection of faith, reason, and contemporary life.
