Why Doesn’t God Punish Sinners in This World?
One of the questions that arise about the Resurrection is why doesn’t God punish the sinners in this world. Would it have been better if the good and bad deeds of people were addressed in this world?
One of the answers to this question has been mentioned in verse 61 of Surah An-Nahl: “If Allah punished people for their sins, He would not leave one creature that crawls on the earth. He reprieves them to an appointed term; when their term comes, they shall neither delay it by a single hour nor can they hasten it.”
A similar concept has been mentioned in another verse: “If Allah should take people to task for what they have earned, He would not leave one creature that crawls upon the face (of the earth)!” (Surah Fatir, verse 45)
Therefore, as divine wisdom and will is that humans who have free will live in this world so He should provide sinners with opportunities so that they may repent.
There are many examples of sinners or criminals who repented from their acts at the end of their lives and chose the path of God. Although some sinners may continue their wrong acts till the end of their life, all in all, this opportunity is in the interest of humans.
