Contemporary Wisdom

The Theory of Awad (Compensation) in the Formulations of Allama al-Hilli and Shaykh al-Mufid: Impasses in Confronting Existential Crises and the Transition to the Mercy Paradigm

Articles in Press

Document Type : Biannual Journal

Authors

Somayeh Askari 1
Mahdi Azimi 2
babak abbaasi 1

1 Department of Philosophy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Professor, Department of Philosophy and Islamic Theosophy, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Corresponding Author

10.30465/cw.2026.53848.2158
Abstract
Adopting an analytical-critical approach within an interdisciplinary framework of Islamic Kalam, existential philosophy, and the psychology of religion, this article evaluates the efficacy of the theory of Awad (Divine compensation) in addressing the existential crisis of evil. By focusing on the justice-centered formulations of Allama al-Hilli and the grace-centered accounts of Shaykh al-Mufid, it is argued that at the moment of "lived suffering" (t1)—where the experience of pain destabilizes the foundations of faith and belief in Divine justice—this theory fails to function therapeutically or provide meaning. This failure is attributed to three structural barriers: the temporal gap, the reduction of the Divine-human relationship to a transaction, and a contradiction in presupposition.

In response, the "Paradigm of Mercy" is proposed as an alternative. Emphasizing an unconditional, empathetic, and active Divine presence within the heart of suffering, this paradigm offers a more humane and restorative model through three fundamental transitions: the temporal transition (from suspension to presence), the relational transition (from transaction to empathy), and the semantic transition (from the expectation of reward to the discovery of meaning in suffering). This model possesses the capacity to reconstruct the relationship of faith and the psychological well-being of the sufferer during life’s most critical moments.

Keywords

Existential Problem of Evil
Theory of Awad (Compensation)
Divine Mercy
Psychology of Religion
Islamic Kalam
Subjects
Contemporary Wisdom

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 10 October 2026

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