Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
The meaning of Allah’s saying, “Who perfected everything He created,” is that Allah perfected and made precise the creation of everything, and gave every creature the form and attributes appropriate to the wisdom for which He created it. It does not necessarily mean that every creature is the most beautiful form that could possibly be imagined from an aesthetic perspective.
Allah says:
“That is the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Almighty, the Most Merciful. Who perfected everything He created and began the creation of man from clay.” [As-Sajdah: 6–7]
A number of scholars explained Allah’s saying, “Who perfected everything He created,” as meaning: He made everything precise and perfect.
This is consistent with His saying:
“The work of Allah, Who perfected all things.” [An-Naml: 88]
Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, stated that the meaning of “perfected” is that Allah made everything precise and sound; that is, every creature was given the form and attributes appropriate to the purpose for which Allah created it.
Allah also says:
“Our Lord is He who gave everything its form, then guided it.” [Ta-Ha: 50]
Allah did not make humans in the form of animals, nor animals in the form of humans. Rather, He gave every creature what is appropriate for it, perfected its creation, and guided it to what benefits it.
Some exegetes mentioned that the word “perfected” may also carry the meaning of beauty of form and appearance. However, this does not mean that all creatures are equal in beauty or that every individual is the most beautiful form that could possibly exist.
Beauty has degrees, and something may be good in itself even though something else is more beautiful.
Likewise, perfection of creation does not mean that a person will be free from every deficiency or trial. Some people may be afflicted with illness, disability, or deformity, and this does not contradict the perfection of Allah’s creation, because the matter is considered in terms of wisdom, function, and purpose, rather than merely comparing the physical forms of different people.
Allah Almighty is capable of all things, but wisdom does not require Him to make all creatures have one form or the highest form that a human being can imagine.
Allah created angels, human beings, animals, and all other creatures, giving each type its own characteristics and function appropriate to it.
A creature may have a particular form such that changing it would cause the wisdom for which it was created to be lost.
For this reason, As-Sa‘di, may Allah have mercy on him, explained Allah’s saying:
“Our Lord is He who gave everything its form, then guided it,”
as meaning that Allah gave every creature the form appropriate to it, demonstrating the perfection of His creation, and then guided it to what it was created for.
Thus, the perfection here is connected to the precision of creation and its suitability to its wisdom and intended purpose.
The existence of illness, disability, or calamities does not mean that Allah’s act is not good or not perfectly ordered.
Illness, for example, may be a means by which the sick person is tested through patience, while the healthy person is tested through gratitude. It may also lead to benefits and wisdom that human beings do not perceive.
Allah says:
“And We have made some of you a trial for others: will you have patience? And your Lord is ever Seeing.” [Al-Furqan: 20]
Something may therefore be painful or disliked from one perspective while still having wisdom and benefits behind its existence that place it within Allah’s wisdom and perfect ordering.
For this reason, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, explained that a created thing may contain evil from one perspective, but that evil is not absolute evil in every respect. Rather, greater goodness and wisdom may result from it.
Allah is the Creator of everything, including the actions of His servants in terms of creation and divine decree. This does not mean that Allah loves evil, commands it, or approves of it according to His religious law.
Murder, oppression, and disobedience, for example, are evil in terms of the servant’s action and choice, and the servant is held accountable for what he does. Yet the existence of these things in the universe is within Allah’s decree and wisdom.
For this reason, evil is not attributed to Allah independently, as stated in the supplication of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:
“And evil is not attributed to You.” [Muslim: 771]
Thus, evil may exist among Allah’s creations or in the actions of His servants, but Allah does nothing in vain. Rather, there are great wisdoms in His creation and decree; we know some of them and remain unaware of many others.
The meaning of Allah’s saying, “Who perfected everything He created,” is that Allah perfected and precisely fashioned everything, and gave every creature the form and attributes appropriate to the wisdom for which He created it.
This does not require that all creatures be equal in beauty, nor that people be free from illness, deformity, or deficiency. Such matters do not contradict the perfection of creation, because there are wisdoms, benefits, and trials behind them.
Likewise, the existence of evil does not contradict Allah’s perfection in His creation and decree. Evil is not absolute evil in every respect, and there may be wisdoms and benefits connected to its existence that human beings do not know.
And Allah knows best.