Qadar: A Measured Destiny

 

 

 

The sixth and final article of Islamic belief, as detailed by a famous prophetic Tradition,1 is belief in destiny, its good and evil. The Arabic word for destiny, qadar, implies the measuring out of something or fixing a limit to it. Thus, in a technical sense, destiny is the divine decree in its fixing limits for existent things, or its measuring out the being of things.2 Early Muslims would simply define destiny as knowledge that what hits you was not going to miss you, and that what misses you was not going to hit you.3

 

In our discussion of qadar it should be noted that a true and full understanding of the subject is reserved for the select few who have sacrificed great amounts of time and energy for the sake of Islam, after which Allah expands their understanding of complex concepts like this that cannot be contained in logical formulas alone. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “Whenever Allah desires good for His bondsman, He gives him deep understanding of the religion and He inspires him with righteous guidance” (reported by Tabarani).

 

There are many degrees and depths in understanding the concept of qadar. Given that different people demand different approaches in explaining unfamiliar concepts, we shall attempt to explain a few dimensions, including both the requisite (wajib) tenets and some of the esoteric.

 

Sheikh Muhammad al-Jurdani 4 defines belief in destiny as the conviction “that Allah Most High has ordained both good and evil before creating creation, and that all that has been and all that will be only exists through Allah's decree, preordainment, and will.” 5

 

At the same time, our apparent choice and will in matters is not mere illusion. As such, a person may feel guilty when he performs a wrong or evil action, but he does not feel answerable to others when a medical affliction, for instance, strikes him. Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi6 explains, “The existence of man’s authority or option is a self-evident truth, but simultaneously it is also clear that this attribute of his authority is created (makhluq) and every chain of creation reaches back to its Creator. The authority of man will be nonexistent in some matters, thereby proving his ultimate powerlessness and helplessness. Thus, a man is neither completely helpless nor is he completely free in power and authority.”7

 

“Allah has willed that you act based on choice.”

 

Allah's knowledge eternally encompasses all things necessary, possible, and impossible. The crux of the purpose of existence is our full and experiential realization that Allah is eternally and absolutely knowing of everything and that His Power is singularly orchestrating every event and thing, for Allah says in the Qur’an:

 

[Allah is He Who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them; the decree continues to descend among them, that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah indeed encompasses all things in (His) knowledge.] (Talaq 65:12)

 

Because His Knowledge, Will, and Power are absolute and unbounded, Allah knows the results of all events and choices before their occurrence. A human being, however, does not have access to this knowledge, and thus he acts in accordance with a desire from within him. Even though his ultimate choice corresponds with Allah's eternal knowledge, he is still accountable for it.

 

As some Islamic theologians have explained it, “Allah has willed that you act based on choice.”8 We are held responsible for choosing an act but not for creating the act itself. In other words, Allah creates the act and by our choosing it, we “acquire” it and are thereby held responsible for it. Thus, human actions are created by Allah but performed by us.9

 

The proofs for this subtle relationship are many. For instance, an insane person, a child, and a sleeping person are not held accountable for their actions according to Sacred Law both in this world and the next. If a man sincerely forgets to pray or fast when it is obligatory upon him, he is not considered sinful. Similarly, the king Nimrod tried to burn the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be upon him), as is detailed in a famous Qur’anic account, though Allah willed that the fire not burn His beloved Prophet. Nevertheless, even though he failed to execute his evil designs, Nimrod sinned for choosing to harm Ibrahim and is therefore doomed in the next world.

 

A famous Islamic maxim states, “The foremost energies cannot pierce the walls of foreordained destinies.” Whether we are removed from worldly causes and effects or are deeply submerged in them, we must always maintain the firm conviction that Allah’s Will, Power, and Preordainment control all affairs. In reality, Allah is the Doer of everything, such that causes in themselves do not carry independent efficacy. To believe that medicine in itself cures disease, for instance, is essentially to posit that a created thing is acting independent of its Creator. In other words, the thing would then be beyond the control of Allah, a belief that is little better than attributing a partner to Him. Yes, Allah ties things together according to a recurrent way, such that He satisfies hunger when a person eats, yet controlling it all is His singular Will and Power.10

 

“The foremost energies cannot pierce the walls of foreordained destinies.”

 

We do not stop eating, however, because we believe that the food itself is not satisfying our hunger. For one thing, Allah orders us in the Qur’an to eat and drink of wholesome food. But even with things that are not explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an, we must maintain proper conduct with the reoccurring system of order that Allah has put at our disposal. While Allah may change His recurrent way of tying things together (in the form of miracles) for those who are close to Him, it would be little more than rebellion against Him and His system for a common person to completely disregard the world in front of him.

 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has explained some of the practical implications of this belief in his saying, “If something befalls you, don’t say: If only I would have done such and such, rather say: Allah foreordained this, and whatever He wishes, He does; for verily the phrase ‘if only I would have’ makes way for the work of Satan” (reported by Muslim).

 

In a similar vein, contemporary psychology has discovered innumerable psychological ailments connected with one’s dwelling on past events and past mistakes or lost opportunities. We must constantly remind ourselves that yesterday has passed and will never come back, and tomorrow is merely a possibility. The only real currency we have to work with is “now.” For this reason, one of Satan’s most effective traps is procrastination. Many people have vowed to return to Allah and reform their ways at some future juncture, but they left this world before they were given the opportunity.

 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) asked one of his Companions, “Shall I not guide you to words that are a treasure from the treasures of Paradise?” He said, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah!” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There is no ability or power except through Allah” (reported by Bukhari and Muslim). The reality of these words is the crux of a full and proper understanding of qadar.

 

 

Divine Decree

 

 

 

 

A Muslim must believe in Divine Decree or destiny — qadar in Arabic. The concept of qadar used in the Qur’an means a measure or the latent possibilities with which Allah (God) created human beings and all things of nature. When Allah created each thing, He determined when it would come into existence and when it would cease to exist. He also determined its qualities and nature. And everything in the universe, the seen and the unseen, is completely subject to the overriding power of Allah. Nothing can happen outside His Will.

 

As for human beings, they are not completely masters of their fates, nor are they puppets subject to the hazards of destiny. Allah gave humans limited power and great freedom, including the freedom of choice. That autonomy makes each individual accountable for his or her deeds.

 

We cannot know our future and, to a large extent, we cannot control it. But we can make decisions within the limits of what we can control, based on our understanding of the way the world works. If someone chooses to punch his fist into a brick wall, he cannot claim any injustice when it hurts. He knows that the wall exists and that it is hard. That is the reality — the “laws of nature” — he has to deal with. Yet the ultimate reality is that Allah could make the wall disappear just before one’s fist reaches it.

 

Just as Allah created nature and its laws, He made moral laws, and we cannot claim any injustice if we get punished for disobeying or ignoring those moral laws.

 

Only sincere prayers can change the way events unfold

 

The concept of qadar, therefore, indicates that we must seek harmony with Allah’s rules of human nature and nature at large, and consciously submit to His will. Destiny as conceived by Islam, therefore, does not take away our freedom of choice and action. It is our willful choice of those actions from our inherent possibilities that are in harmony with Allah’s will that earns us our reward from Allah.

 

Yet, when Allah set certain rules in His decree as to how things evolve, even these things can be changed through prayers. The Prophet stressed that only sincere prayers can change the way events unfold, and that true worship and sincere submission to Allah can raise the believer above the normal ways of nature. Prayers can and do result in “personal miracles” — events or experiences that we consider almost impossible and certainly highly improbable.

 

From an Islamic point of view, human beings are free for all practical purposes. A person has no excuse for making the wrong choice and then blaming qadar or destiny, any more than a man punching his fist into a wall can blame the laws of nature. He knew the consequences of his actions for all practical purposes and he shouldn’t expect a miracle!

 

We should not worry about what Allah has written for us, since we can never know it. But our duty is to strive for the best in this world and the next. Then, good results will follow, if Allah wills.

 

As for the question of whether humans are predestined to enter Paradise or Hell, we must remember that Allah transcends the limits of time. He is All-Knowing of the past, present and future. Thus He knows in advance which path — good or evil — each individual will choose and what will be his or her final destination — Paradise or Hell. But such knowledge does not mean that He makes each person choose a certain path.

 

 

Are We Predestined?

 

The Qur’an mentions twice that Allah seals the hearts of those who do not believe. You can read this meaning in Surah 2, verses 6 - 7:

*{As to those who reject faith, it is the same to them whether you warn them or not ; they will not believe. God has set a seal on their hearts and on their ears, and on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they [incur].}*

 

Also, Surah 45, verse 23 reads:

*{Then see the one who took as his god his own vain desire? God has, [knowing him as such], left him astray as he did not follow the guidance of his own knowledge, and God sealed his ears and his heart [and understanding], and put a cover on his sight. Who, then, will guide him after God [has withdrawn guidance]? Will you not then receive admonition?}*

 

Or perhaps you are asking about verse 142, in Surah 2, which means:

*{The Fools among the people will say: “What has turned them from the direction to which they were praying [From Jerusalem to Makkah]?” Say: “To God belong both East and West: He guides whom He will to a straight path.”}*

 

This phrase, here translated to mean that God guides whom ‘He’ wills, is repeated many times in the Qur’an. Some scholars who interpret the Qur’an [the exegesis of the Qur’an] grasp the meaning of this phrase as: “God guides ‘he’ who wants to be guided.” This then directly relates to the many verses that describe who will not be guided as the unjust, rebellious, agnostic, etc.

 

However, if the Arabic is understood with the meaning that God guides whom He wills, we may well ask whether God has created believers and non-believers? This raises the question: is everything predestined or ordained in advance, or do we have a free will? The answer does not conflict with the first interpretation.

 

If God did create or ordain our actions, then we would not have free will, and it would not be just to hold us accountable on the Day of Judgment. Likewise, it would not be just if it were ordained at our creation that we would end up in Paradise or Hell, no matter what our choices turned to be.

 

But one of the names or attributes of God is al-`Adl, The Just. He cannot and does not do anything unjust. Therefore we must reject the doctrine of pre-destination.

 

So do we have a total free will? If we give this question careful thought and investigation, we might reach the conclusion that there are a few aspects of our life about which we have no say. We cannot choose when we are born, to which parents, nor when we are going to die, whether we are born into a rich or poor family, or what sex we are born into. But after that we can choose how to act, what moral code we abide by, what social and political responsibilities we fulfill or ignore .

 

There is a hadith (tradition of Prophet Muhammad) on this subject that describes this. It was narrated by his companion `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) as follows:

 

Allah’s messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), the truthful and truly-inspired, said:

 

“Each one of you was collected within the womb of his mother for forty days, and then turns into a clot [or something that clings] for an equal period [of forty days] and turns into a piece of flesh for a similar period [of forty days] and then Allah sends an angel and orders him to write four things, i.e., his provision, his age [at death], and whether he will be of the wretched or the blessed [in the Hereafter].

 

Then the soul is breathed into him. And by Allah, a person among you [or a man] may do deeds of the people of the Hellfire till there is only a cubit or an arm-breadth distance between him and the Hellfire, but then that writing [which Allah has ordered the angel to write] precedes, and then he does the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it; and a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise till there is only a cubit or two between him and Paradise, and then that writing precedes and he does the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it.” (Reported by Bukhari.)

 

Most people, when they read this, think that it means that when the angel writes these four things, God is commanding these things to happen. However, scholars explain that while this is true for one’s age and provision - at least at birth - the angel is recording something that will happen, but that record does not ‘make’ it happen.

 

It simply reflects a conception of time and knowledge of Allah beyond time and space. We have to always remember that God is never limited by the boundaries of time and space. He gives us free will, but He knows beforehand — even before we were created — what our choices and their consequences will be.

 

Let’s examine the translation of a few more verses in the Qur’an related to the question of guidance. For example, in Surah 2, verse 26:

*{God disdains not to use the similitude of things, lowest as well as highest. Those who believe know that it is truth from their Lord; but those who reject faith say: ‘What means God by this similitude?’ By it He causes many to stray, and many He leads into the right path; But He causes not to stray, except those who forsake [the path].}*

 

Then in Surah 4, verses 66 – 68:

*{If We had ordered them [the hypocrites] to sacrifice their lives or to leave their homes, very few of them would have done it; but if they had done what they were [actually] told, it would have been best for them, and would have gone farthest to strengthen their [faith]; and We should then have given them from Our Presence a great reward; and We should have shown them the Straight Way.}*

 

Then in Surah 7, verse 30:

*{Some He has guided; others have [by their choice] deserved the loss of their way, in that they took the evil ones, in preference to God, for their friends and protectors, and think that they receive guidance.}*

 

Also in Surah 10, verse 44 – 45:

*{Verily God will not deal unjustly with man in aught; it is man that wrongs his own soul. One day He will gather them together; [it will be] as if they had tarried but an hour of a day; they will recognize each other; assuredly those will be lost who denied the meeting with God and refused to receive true guidance.}*

 

Then in Surah 13, verse 27:

*{… Say: “Truly God leaves to stray whom He will; but He guides to Himself those who turn to Him in penitence.”}*

 

These are but a few of the many verses in the Qur’an that speak of guidance.

 

In addition, in many verses the Qur’an says:

*{Allah guides not the people who are unjust…}*

 

*{Allah guides not those who reject faith…}*

 

*{Allah guides not the people who declare themselves enemies of His might…}*

 

So, allow me to put it in a nutshell: God does not make us believers or non-believers. Belief is based on free choice and accountability.

 

Finally, I’d like to quote another hadith. This one is a hadith qudsi, which means the prophet (pbuh) reported in his own words what God had revealed to him:

 

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated, Allah’s messenger (may peace be upon him) said:

 

“Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, stated: ‘I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his [remembrance], and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by a cubit, and if he draws near Me by a cubit I draw near him by the space [covered by] two arms. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.’” (Reported by Muslim.)

 

So, search for God and you will find Him. Keep an open mind, keep reading and asking questions, and keep praying while you are struggling with your religious beliefs and identity.

 

Muslims believe that the life of this world is a trial and a human being is responsible for his actions good or bad. However, The Holy Qur’an also says that whatever happens, happens because of the will of Allah. In such a case, how can a person be responsible and rewarded, or punished, for any action that would be the will of the Almighty.

 

 

The Holy Qur’an says that Allah gives to whom He wills, but it also says that a person earns what he/she strives for. How are both things possible at the same time?

 

 

Also I would like to know how can it be that sometimes we get things for which we do

not put any effort and sometimes we do not achieve the things for which we put our heart

and soul.

 

 

How much is it feasible in the present world scenario, to spread the word of Islam,

when people of other religions have a very negative attitude and sometimes violent a

pproach to the education of the religion.

 

 

 

As for your question regarding the will of Allah, each human being has been given the ability to choose his/her own path in this life and to follow either what is right or to follow what is wrong. If a person chooses to do something good and is able to follow through and perform that deed, then it is only because Allah has allowed it. The same is true if a person has chosen to perform a bad deed. He/she is only able to perform that deed if Allah allows it to happen.

 

If Allah allows an event to occur, whether it is an evil action or a good one, it does not mean that He has forced us to do it. We have chosen it and Allah has allowed it to come to pass for reasons, which He Alone fully understands. As Muslims, we expect only goodness and justice from Allah and it would be wrong for us to judge, with our limited understanding.

 

The One who possesses unlimited knowledge and understanding of all things is only Allah Almighty. I suggest you read the part of Surah 18 (al-Kahf; The Cave) of the Holy Qur’an that relates the story of Prophet Moses (pbuh). It is narrating his story when he accompanied one of God’s wise servants, in the hopes of learning from him. This servant performed many deeds that seemed wrong and unjust to Moses but, as Moses learned later, there was great wisdom behind each action.

 

As Muslims, we do not challenge God’s infinite wisdom with our own limited perceptions of events. By God’s mercy and justice, we are only punished for deeds that we knew were wrong beforehand, but insisted on committing them anyway. Allah will not hold someone to account for something they did out of ignorance or unintentionally. If, however, we know an act to be forbidden, yet insist on performing it, then we will be held accountable for it. Allah will either punish us for that or forgive us.

 

As for your question regarding striving and achieving, because Allah gives whom He wills, we only achieve what is allowed by Allah. He has the power to enforce His will whenever or however He wants. We, on the other hand, have very little power to enforce our will or to ensure our plans come to fruition. We cannot control everything that happens around us.

 

So, sometimes what we struggle to achieve does not come to pass. At other times, good things come to us with little or no effort on our part. This should teach us that, ultimately, we are in control of very little and depend heavily on God’s mercy for everything we have. We need to give constant thanks to Allah for the many bounties He provides us. The world around us is not the result of our handiwork, nor did we create our own selves. It is only through His infinite mercy that we exist and are able to do so many things.

 

It is important to remember that just because we wish something to be and struggle long and hard to make it happen, doesn’t mean that it is a good thing. Also, there are many things which we dislike, yet they are very beneficial to us. As Muslims, we need to expect only good from Allah, so if something we strive hard for does not come to pass, we should be patient and try again until it does. If, in the end, it still does not happen, it might be that it is not good for us and Allah, out of His mercy, has prevented us from achieving it.

 

As for your question regarding spreading the word of Islam, we can look at it simply as a doctor, trying to treat an uncooperative child. The child does not understand that the doctor has good intentions and is trying his best to ease the child’s suffering. The child puts up a fight and sometimes hits the doctor, who is only trying to help.

 

The doctor, however, has sworn to ease the suffering of people, no matter what difficulties he or she may face in dealing with hostile patients. The doctor knows the problem and is working hard to solve it and because of his dedication to his work, must continue to do his best to help.

 

A Muslim is very often in the same position; trying to help, but finding it very difficult to do so. Hardships will always be a part of spreading the word of God, but if we persevere and are patient, it will benefit humanity and there will be a great reward for us in this life and the hereafter, insh’Allah.

 

There are many international laws aimed at protecting human rights, but Muslims need to be their own defenders with the help of Allah. We should not expect non-Muslims to rush to our aid or to be more concerned about our rights than we are. The unity of Muslims is the best way to defend our rights and freedoms. So, we should work hard to promote unity among Muslims, in order to protect them.

 

We do not use the word “fate” in Islam. The word “fate” means “the power that determines the outcome of events before they occur”. Some people believe in fate as an independent and invisible power that controls their destinies. Such people are called “fatalists”. A Muslim is not a fatalist person. Muslims believe in Allah and only Allah has the power to predetermine anything. Allah is “al-Qadir” (the All Powerful or Omnipotent) and “al-`Alim” (the All Knower, Omniscient). Since Allah has power over every thing, He must know everything. He must know things before they happen, because if He knew things only after they happened, He would not have full power over them. Allah not only knows everything, but He also decides and determines everything in His universe. Whatever happens in this world happens according to Allah’s decision and plan. In Islamic terminology this principle is known as “al-qada’ wa al-qadar”(the decision and determination of Allah). It is a very important principle of iman (faith).

 

Does this mean that we human beings have no freedom? It seems that way apparently to some people. One Western scholar put the problem very interestingly in the following words: “If God knows everything He must know the future, and if He knows the future, He must know the future acts of His creatures. But then His creatures must act, as He knows they will act. How then can they be free?” There are many people who became confused by looking at the problem in this way. There were also some Muslim thinkers who believed that human beings had no freedom. They were called “Jabriyyah”. The majority of Muslim scholars did not accept this position, they strongly criticized and condemned this position and considered it against the teachings of the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah. The mainstream Muslim position is that Allah has the knowledge of all things and He has the power over all things. Allah, however, has also granted freedom to human beings. Allah’s power and foreknowledge do not mean that human beings have no freedom, nor does Human freedom negate Allah’s power and foreknowledge. Human beings are free only as much as Allah has granted them the freedom. However, in spite of our human freedom we are still under the control of Allah and within His knowledge. Allah will judge us according to the freedom and responsibility that He gave us. He knows very well how much freedom we have and to what extent we are able to exercise our freedom, each one of us in our own circumstances. It is for this reason that we say that only Allah is the True and Final Judge. In the Qur’an He is called “Ahkam al-hakimin” (the best of all the judges, Hud, 11:45; at-Tin, 95:8).

 

When we carefully examine our own selves and the world around us, we see two things very clearly. On the one hand we find ourselves overwhelmed by forces that are apparently beyond our decision and control, but on the other hand we do experience real freedom and we make our choices between various options.

 

In modern terminology people use the terms “nature” and “nurture”. The truth is that neither everything that we do is by nature, i.e. we are born with it; nor every thing is by nurture.

 

The truth is that we are free and we are determined both at the same time. Nature and nurture both work in our lives. Our freedom is limited, nevertheless it does exist and it is the deciding factor for our responsibility and consequently for the eternal reward or punishment.

 

In the Qur’an Allah has spoken about His control and power as well as human freedom and responsibility. Both aspects are very clearly mentioned in the Qur’an. The best way to understand and interpret the Qur’an is to keep both of these aspects in mind. We should not emphasize our freedom at the expense of Allah’s power and knowledge, nor should we speak about Allah’s power and knowledge by negating and denying our own freedom and responsibility. Mawlana Mawdudi – may Allah bless his soul – in his book Qada and Qadar (in Urdu) collected both types of verses from the Qur’an. Following a selection of these Qur’anic statements.

 

On Allah’s power and control, see the following verses:

 

“All power belongs to Allah” (al-Baqarah: 165) “Say, Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One the Mighty.” (ar-Ra`d: 16) “Allah has created you and all that you do.” (as-Saffat: 96) “No female conceives, nor does she bring forth a child save with His knowledge. And no one is granted long life, not is anything diminished of its life, but it is all recorded in a book...” (Fatir: 11) “No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence. That is truly easy for Allah. In order that you may not despair over matters that pass you by, not exult over favors bestowed upon you. For Allah loves not any vainglorious boaster…” (al-Hadid: 22-23). “To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He enlarges the provisions for whomsoever He pleases and straitens it for whomsoever He pleases. Surely He knows all things full well…” (ash-Shura: 12) “And say not of anything, ‘I shall do it tomorrow’, unless Allah wills...” (al-Kahf: 23-24) “If Allah touches you with affliction there is none to remove it but He; and if He touches you with happiness, then He has power to do all that He wills.” (al-An`am:17) “Whom Allah will, He lets go astray, and whom He wills, He places on the right path.” (al-An`am: 39) “Do you desire to guide him whom Allah has caused to perish? And for him whom Allah causes to perish you shall not find a way.” (an-Nisa’: 88) “If your Lord has enforced His will, surely, all those who are on the earth would have believed together. Will you then force people to become believers? And none can believe except by the permission of Allah…” (Yunus: 99-100)

 

But on the human freedom and responsibility read the following verses:

 

“Neither according to your desires, nor according to the desires of the People of the Book, whosoever will do evil will be requited accordingly and shall not find beside Allah any protector or helper. If any do deeds of righteousness, be they male or female, and have faith, they will enter heaven and not the least injustice will be done to them.” (an-Nisa’: 123-124) “This because Allah does never change a favor that He has conferred upon a people until they change their own condition...” (al-Anfal: 53) “Every person stands pledged for what he has earned.” (at-Tur: 21) “It is the truth from your Lord; wherefore let his who will, believe, and let him who will, disbelieve.” (al-Kahf: 29) “This is a reminder. So let him, who will, take a way unto his Lord.” (al-Muzzammil: 19) “And hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord...” (Al `Imran: 133) “O our people, respond to God’s summoner and believe in him…” (al-Ahqaf: 31) “Turn to your Lord and submit yourselves to Him...” (az-Zumar: 54) “Corruption has spread on land and sea because of what people’s hands have wrought.” (ar-Rum: 41) “Whatever misfortune befalls you is the consequence of what your own hands have wrought. And Allah forgives many of your sins.” (ash-Shura: 30) “Indeed Allah does not wrong the people at all; it is they wrong their own selves.” (Yunus: 44) “As for Thamud, We guided them, but they preferred blindness to guidance.” (Fussilat 41:17) “There is no compulsion in religion. Surely the right way has become distinct from error.” (al-Baqarah: 256)

 

The Qur’an has no contradictions. Allah’s power and knowledge and human freedom are not mutually exclusive. Whatever freedom we have is granted to us by Allah and we should use it to submit to Him freely and willingly. This is the honor that Allah has given us and for this honor angels were asked by Allah to bow in respect and honor of the progenitor of the human race Adam (may the peace of Allah be upon him).”

 

Excerpted, with slight modifications, from:

http://pakistanlink.com/religion/2000/05-05.html

 

 

You can also read:

 

 

Divine Predestination & Man's Free Will

 

 

Between Destiny, Working and Free Will

 

 

The original meaning of the Arabic word qadar is a specified measure or amount whether of quantities or qualities. It has many other usages, which branch out from this core. Almighty Allah says, “We have created every thing by measure (bi-qadar).” (Al-Qamar: 49)

 

Allah (Mighty and Exalted bre He) knows before creating anything, that He is going to create it and that it shall be of such and such magnitude, quality or nature, etc. He also specifies the time of its coming into being and its passing away, and the place of its occurrence. If so, then one who believes in the true God should believe that there are no accidents in nature. If something disagreeable happens to him, he should say “Allah qaddara (ordained), and He did what He willed” and not grieve himself by wishing that it had not occurred, or worrying why it should occur. If, in contrast, something agreeable happens to him he should not boast of it, but thank Allah for it. In this context, Allah says, “Naught of disaster befalleth in the earth or in yourselves but it is in a Book before We bring it into being. Lo! That is easy for Allah. That ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which hath been given. Allah loveth not all prideful boasters.” (Al-Hadid: 22-23)

 

If Allah Almighty predetermines everything, that includes our so-called free actions, in what way can they be said to be free, and how are we responsible for them? This question occasioned the appearance, at a very early history of Islam, of two extreme theological sects. One of them, called the Qadariyyah, asserted man’s free will and responsibility to the extent of denying Allah’s foreknowledge, and claiming that Allah knows our free made actions only after we have performed them. The other, called the Jabriyyah, held the opposite view and claimed that there was no difference between the motions of inanimate things and our movements in performing so-called free actions, and that when we use intentional language we speak only metaphorically.

 

But there is no need to go to such extremes, since it is not difficult to reconcile Divine qadar (predestination) and human responsibility. Allah decided to create man as a free agent, but He knows (and how can He not know!) before creating every man how he is going to use his free will; what, for instance, his reaction would be when a Prophet clarifies Allah’s message to him. This foreknowledge and its registering in a ‘Book’ is called qadar.

 

“But if we are free to use our will” a Qadari might say, “we may use it in ways that contradict Allah’s will, and in that case we would not be right in claiming that everything is willed or decreed by Allah.”

 

The Qur’an answers this question by reminding us that it was Allah who willed that we shall be of free will, and it is He who allows us to use our will. Allah, Most High, says, “Lo! This is an Admonishment, that whosoever will may choose a way unto his Lord. Yet ye will not, unless Allah willeth. Lo! Allah is Knower, Wise.” (Al-Insan: 29-30)

 

“If so,” a Qadari might say, “He could have prevented us from doing evil."

 

Yes indeed He could. Allah says, “Had Allah willed, He would have brought them all together to the guidance; if thy Lord had willed whoever is in the earth would have believed, all of them, all together.” (Yunus: 99) “Had Allah willed, they were not idolaters; and We have not appointed thee a watcher over them neither art thou their guardian.” (Al-An`am: 107)

 

But Allah has willed that men shall be free especially in regard to matters of belief and disbelief. Allah Almighty says, “Say: The truth is from your Lord; so let whosoever will believe, and let whosoever will disbelieve.” (Al-Kahf: 29)

 

But men would not be so free if whenever any of them wills to do evil Allah prevents him from doing it and compels him to do good.

 

“If our actions are willed by Allah,” someone might say, “then they are in fact His actions.”

 

This objection is based on a confusion that Allah wills what we will in the sense of granting us the will to choose and enabling us to execute that will, i.e., He creates all that makes it possible for us to do it. He does not will it in the sense of doing it, otherwise it would be quite in order to say, when we drink or eat or sleep for instance that Allah performed these actions. Allah creates them, He does not do or perform them.

 

Another objection, based on another confusion, is that if Allah allows us to do evil, then He approves of it and likes it.

 

However, to will something in the sense of allowing a person to do it is one thing; and to approve of his action and commend it, is quite another, NOT everything that Allah wills He likes. He has, as we have just read in the Qur’an, granted man the choice between belief and disbelief, but He does not, of course, like men to disbelieve (to be thankless). Allah Almighty says, “If you art ungrateful, Allah is independent of you. Yet He approves not ungratefulness in His servants; but if you are grateful, He will approve it in you.” (Az-Zumar: 7)”

 

Based on Dr. Ja`far Sheikh Idris’s article “Belief in Qadar”. (Source: http://isgkc.org/pillars_qadar.htm).

 

 

You can also read:

 

 

Between Destiny, Working and Free Will

 

 

Fate or Free Will, Nature or Nurture

 

 

Are We “Born to Be Free”?

 

 

Free will is the most difficult of God's gifts to understand or appreciate.

 

How much control do we really have over ourselves?

 

Freedom is one of the most valuable things there is, although many of us have no idea how precious it is until we suffer the loss of it. It is considered to be one of the basic human rights, and to attempt to withhold that right without very just cause is a most serious sin. We all like to think that we are free and that we have free will when making our choices in life — but let us think for a moment about the realities of the situation. Are we really born to be free? And if so, in what ways? What does this mean for us?

 

For a start, the amount of freedom we actually have is much more limited than we perhaps realize. Let’s start with simple examples that we can all understand — things that concern our physical bodies. How much freedom do we have over yawning, or sneezing, or sweating, or bleeding, or breathing, or digesting, or excreting? How much freedom do we have over whether we can see, or hear, or feel, or get our muscles and limbs to work? I used to be able to run for a bus and climb mountains — but no matter how much I insist I am free to do that now, I cannot do it. I cannot even choose to stand up; if I have been typing for a long time my legs get so stiff I just can’t do it. I have absolutely no control over what is going on inside my body -- I have no idea how my kidneys extract waste matter, or how they can know what is needed and what is to be got rid of. I have no idea what makes my heart beat, or when it will stop. I cannot choose whether I salivate, urinate, coagulate, replicate, deteriorate or disintegrate!

 

Free will is something God granted to human beings which He did not grant to angels

 

And consider the people I am related to. I had no freedom to choose my parents or grandparents, or brothers and sisters. I could not choose my genetic make-up. I tried to choose when my own children would be born, but this did not work out as I expected. And I had no idea of what sex my children would be, or what they would be like. Some people believe that it is only a matter of time before we will be able to fiddle about with genetics to produce children to order, but then — of course — the little person produced will have had no freedom whatsoever about what he or she will be physically. So, when you consider all this — it doesn’t really seem as if human beings have very much freedom at all, does it?

 

Freedom of the Human Spirit

 

And yet, belief in the freedom of the human spirit is one of the key things God has revealed down the ages. In Islam, we are taught that it was something God granted to human beings which He did not grant to angels. We may not be able to choose what we are physically, but we have to choose what we will do as regards our soul-activity. We are requested by God to take control of our selves, and make particular choices and act in particular ways — but He never forces us. We do not even have to believe in Him, and we may choose to ignore Him or disobey Him. Millions of people do.

 

The point of free will is to make sense of human morality - without it there is no such thing as good or evil conduct

 

As it happens, we are not programmed robots. We do not react in the same way to given situations; some of us are much more unselfish, generous, forgiving, helpful and able to cope than others. But we don’t have to be. If we see an old lady struggling up the road carrying heavy parcels, we can choose whether to go to help her, knock her down and steal her parcels, ignore her, or shout rude names at her and run away. This leads on to an interesting thought. We can entertain ourselves by guessing what any particular individual might do to the old lady with the parcels. But we all have a feeling of ‘ought’; we think we know what course of action the good person, the religious person, the person of conscience, ought to take.

 

Whenever we say that a person ought to do something, we assume that the person is actually free and able to do it. It is quite pointless to say that someone ought to help her, for example, if that person is locked up in jail, or unconscious, or living in a distant country. ‘Ought’ implies ‘can’. Now, if God can do anything He wants, then it would obviously be perfectly possible for Him to control our minds and our choices. This is a matter that is within the capabilities of human beings themselves, and it would be only too easy for God. However, the very fact that He allows people to choose not to believe in Him and not to do what He wants, demonstrates conclusively that God does not robotize peoples’ minds.

 

Each of the prophets, including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, (peace be upon them) taught that what people choose to do with respect to belief in God and obedience to His will makes a very great difference to the final outcome of their affairs. Humans have a tremendous ability to love and be kind, or to hate and be destructive. This means that although they may have all been born with souls of equal worth, they do not remain equal. Free will is actually the most difficult of God's gifts to understand or appreciate. The point of free will is to make sense of human morality — without it there is no such thing as good or evil conduct, for we should simply be automatons.

 

If we cannot make real free choices then judgment cannot apply to us — it would be totally against justice. Whenever people are not free to make choices, then they cannot be held responsible. `A’ishah recorded that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made it clear that those whose freedom or intellect was limited — for example, those too young or too ignorant, or whose balance of mind was disturbed — could not be held morally responsible for their actions, either in a Shari`ah court of law, (or a UK court, for that matter), or in the judgment to come.

 

Humans have the power to change through their own free will, and these decisions alter their fates

 

Reconciling Destiny and Free will

 

So, what about the Muslim concept of qadar, the key doctrine of God’s complete and final control over the fulfillment of events, or destiny? How does one balance the idea of God knowing absolutely everything with the idea of free will? If God knows in advance everything that will happen, then surely a person’s life must be entirely predestined? Furthermore, if God does not intervene to stop particular things happening, then one can say that He alone is responsible for them. This is linked to the problem of evil. Who is responsible for evil, if God is ultimately responsible for everything? A thief or a terrorist might plead innocence, because he was surely predestined to steal, or to hijack and bomb, and therefore how can it be his fault?

 

Many people think that all Muslims are fatalists, who believe that since ‘everything is written’ and that God knows everything in advance, therefore it must all be predetermined. No human brain has actually been able to untangle this problem satisfactorily — certainly not mine — but the whole business of God sending Messengers with revelations surely indicates that humans are expected to listen, and then make choices, and then adjust their lives accordingly (Surat Al-An`am 6:91 & Surat Al-Mu’minun 23:73). God in fact revealed:

 

[Truly, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves] (Surat Ar-Ra`d 13:11)

 

This certainly seems to indicate that humans have the power to change through their own free will, and these decisions alter their fates. It must be true that God does know everything and every possibility, but humans do not. Therefore, if a human chooses a particular thing, there will be a particular outcome leading to a particular conclusion. If the human chooses a different course of action, then the outcome and conclusion will be different. If you choose to swallow a whole bottle of painkilling tablets, you will die this afternoon; but if you choose to swallow only two, it may cure your migraine and you may live to be a hundred. God, like a ‘master-computer’ knows all the possible outcomes but He leaves the choice to you. We can’t understand it, but God can — His ‘intelligence’ is millions of times greater and totally different from ours.

 

The real truth lies in the realm of Al-Ghayb (matters which lie beyond human perception). All that we believers can do is to ask for guidance along our path of life. We may not be able to see the road way into the distance, but we can pray that God will show us the next step, one step at a time. If it were impossible for people to choose because their futures and destinies were already fixed, not only would God be unfair instead of just, but there would also seem to be very little point in us even trying to live good lives. Fatalism leads to despair and helplessness, defeatism, and hindering people from making any effort to improve either their own lot or the lot of those around them.

 

What Does God Want?

 

What does God want for us? He wants us to achieve happiness and success. He wants us to find true freedom. If true freedom brings happiness, then it seems things are not quite as many folks think. I might be very happy to be free to have a relationship with a different partner every week, or to stuff myself with tasty but unhealthy food, or to spend a fortune on clothing or jewelry or pop CDs, or to smoke, or stay out late worrying my parents, or avoid chores or homework, or have a laugh at my enemies, or earn lots of money perhaps dishonestly, or be famous and admired by lots of people. Surely these are the things that make people happy?

 

The truly free will never be slaves to their own selves, or to any other person or thing

 

How simple it would be if that were so. It’s so easy for Shaytan to fool people — the way that leads to destruction is so tempting and enjoyable. But stop and think. Many of the richest and most powerful people in the world are the loneliest. People who stuff themselves get all the problems and misery of being overweight. Those who are lazy and avoid learning and training in their youth wake up to the realities of failed lives later on. Smokers puffing away contentedly behind the bike-sheds will die young of cancer or heart failure — to the great grief of those who love them. People who are promiscuous usually end up with heartbreak for themselves and the children they later neglect, abandon (usually the young fathers), or kill in abortion (the young mothers).

 

True happiness is to look after that which God has loaned to us and entrusted to our safe-keeping for such a brief time — our bodies, our families, our talents, and our sensitivity towards others. This means not being free to give in to our lusts and desires, the things we know very well will hurt us and others in due course. But here’s the odd thing — the person who gives up that kind of selfish freedom and agrees to be God’s servant will always be truly free. They will know that they have done their best; their consciences will be clear, their inner persons confident and full of hope, and they will never be slaves to their own selves, or to any other person or thing.

 

 

 

 

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1- The relevant section of the referenced Tradition, which is reported by Muslim, appears as follows:

He (the angel Gabriel, peace be upon him) said, “Inform me about Iman (faith).” The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “That you affirm your faith in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Apostles, the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in destiny (qadar), its good and its evil.” He (the angel Gabriel) said, “You have told the truth.”  

 

2- L. Gardet, Encyclopedia of Islam (Brill 1980), p. 366.

 

3- Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Reliance of the Traveler (Amana 1994), p. 813.

 

4- A traditionalist Egyptian scholar from Damiette who lived in the last century.

 

5- Ibid.

 

6- A celebrated scholar from the Indian subcontinent who passed away in 1946.

 

7- Ashraf Ali Thanwi, Furuu` al-Imaan (Adam 1998), p. 16.

 

8- Faraz Rabbani, "Moral Responsibility and Divine Will," SunniPath.com.

 

9- Abdelwahab El-Affendi, "Islamic Theology," (Routledge 1998), MuslimPhilosophy.com.

 

10- G.F. Haddad, "Al-Buti: Commentary on the Hikam: Part I, Part II," Sunnah.org.