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Sometimes, it appears to us that people doing illegal and antisocial acts enjoy their life and they are not punished or controlled by God. Actually such persons receive their punishment without other people knowing it. Our knowledge is limited to the legal methods of punishment, being put in jail, or being fined by a judge. The methods of God for rewards and punishment are different. They are all automatic and built in nature and God's Divine System.

The statement that everything is in God's hands is not understood properly; this needs some detailed explanation.

In Sikhi, when looking at populations, we aren't looking at human population but population of souls.

Can anyone say with certainty that the population of souls is increasing?

If we look at just this earth, the number of plant species and animal species are decreasing. Perhaps they are being reborn as humans. Not just that, Sikhs don't consider just this Earth to be part of God's creation we are told by Guru Nanak Sahib Ji of countless planets and even universes. Who is to say that those lives aren't being reborn here?

Sach Khand ("Realm of Truth") is the Sikh concept of Liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth. It is achieved by the Guru's Grace and through meditation and Simran, remembering the Divine. There are two understandings of Sach Khand in accordance to Gurbani. The first is Sach Khand as a spiritual state of being liberated whilst alive through immersing oneself in the Divine Truth and becoming inseparable to the Truth (i.e. God's Light). The second is Sach Khand as a spiritual realm or spiritual place where the blessed souls go after death.

According to Sikhism this question is outside the domain of religion. To know it is not the religious goal of our life as stated earlier. Gurmat wants us to marvel by thinking of the Creator and the creation, and not bother about the process of creation.

The statement that everything is in God's hands is not understood properly; this needs some detailed explanation.

(i) The existence of evil is a Western thought. Sikhism does not agree with this thought. According to the Bible, God created Adam. Later, from Adam's rib, God created Eve to be Adam's companion. Satan (Evil) misguided them to eat the forbidden fruit. Adam thus became a sinner for disobeying God and was then thrown out of Heaven. We, all humans, being Adam's children, are born sinners and, therefore, we all will go to Hell.

It is a misconception that God "created Himself" and therefore suggesting that God was born. Gurbaani is the infallible word of God, within which there are no contradictions. Humans can make mistakes when interpreting, translating or understanding Gurbaani, however the Guru and God are Perfect.

ਭੁਲਣ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਅਭੁਲੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਕਰਤਾਰੁ ॥
“Everyone makes mistakes; only the Guru and the Creator are infallible.” (Ang 61)

Man is judged according to his actions. If he has done evil deeds, he goes into lower forms of life; if he has done noble deeds, he gets a human life again. The idea of hell and heaven is a mere hypothesis. The picture of hell as a place of varied and terrible tortures is symbolic:

ਆਗੈ ਬਿਮਲ ਨਦੀ ਅਗਨਿ ਬਿਖੁ ਝੇਲਾ ॥
ਤਿਥੈ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਕੋਈ ਜੀਉ ਇਕੇਲਾ ॥
ਭੜ ਭੜ ਅਗਨਿ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਦੇ ਲਹਰੀ ਪੜਿ ਦਝਹਿ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਤਾਈ ਹੇ ॥੯॥

Sikhism accepts the theory of Karma: That man is punished or rewarded according to his actions. Man's actions in this world will bear witness at the time of judgement. The messengers of the god of death, Yama, takes the individual to the god of justice, Dharam Raaj, who is very strict like a moneylender. The scribes of Chitr and Gupt who have written out the account are called forth to present the balance-sheet of his actions. What does the balance-sheet show? It contains a record of good and evil deeds.