What was Allahs reason to make us if he knows everything that is gonna happen
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa
Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
hi brother in islam
i was having a conversation with another
brothe in islam and we were discussing that it is written that once the pen has
been lifted nothing can be changed and if Allah knows everything that is goin
to happen and if Allah knows everything about us like what step we are gonna
take next and wat we are gonna do next since he has written everything about
us..... then why did he make us and whats our purpsoe in this world and life
what was Allahs reason to make us if he knows everything that is gonna happen
i am really confused about this please guide
me and is there any answer to this question?
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errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
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Answer:
Fate destiny
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is no one (no idol, no person, no
grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Dear and Beloved Brother in Islam, the all-important
question that you have asked have perplexed many amongst mankind and it is of
paramount importance to understand and comprehend the reality of the matter of
fate or destiny, and the test of the application of the faculty of intelligence
and the free will which Allah Subhanah has bestowed on mankind as a test, the
outcome or result of which will determine the state of the person in the
eternal life of the Hereafter.
Sahih Muslim Hadith 6392 Narrated by
Hudhayfah ibn Usayd
The Prophet (saws) said: “When the drop of
(semen) remains in the womb for forty (days) or forty nights, the angel comes
and says: “My Lord, will he be good or evil?” And both these things would be
written. Then the angel says: “My Lord, would he be male or female?” And both
these things are written. And his deeds and actions, his death, his livelihood;
these are also recorded. Then his document of destiny is rolled and there is no
addition to and subtraction from it.
In light of the above authentic narration of the Messenger
of Allah (saws) quoted, four things are
predetermined:
Whether the new born will be male or female.
What will be his ‘rizk’ or provision.
What day,
date, and place he will die.
Whether the person will be an evil or good person.
We would just like to clarify here what is the actual
reality of Fate or Destiny. To get a
fuller understanding of Fate, it can be divided into two parts:
Part-1: One part of Fate
is things over which the person has absolutely no control. For example,
the three points in the above hadith:
Whether one will be born male or female,
what will his provision be, and
what day, date and place he will die.
These are the Decisions and Decrees of Allah Subhanah Alone, and no matter what a person does, he cannot
change his Decreed sex from male to female,
or change his appointment with death,
etc. On all such Decrees of the
Creator where man has absolutely no control, he will neither be questioned
regarding these Decrees of Allah, nor will he be held accountable in the least
for the fulfillment of any of these Decisions of Allah Subhanah.
Part-2: The second part of
fate is not a Decision or Decree from Allah Subhanah, but is the Absolute and Perfect Knowledge of
the All-Knowing, All-Wise Lord. For example,
it is written down before one is born whether he will be a good or evil
person: but it is not as if Allah Subhanah (I seek refuge in Allah from saying
this) is unjust, and has already
condemned someone to be evil, so he has
to become evil!!! Because Allah
Subhanah is the All Knowing, He already
knows from His Absolute Knowledge and Wisdom,
what the person with the given free will and intelligence will do in the
future; and thus what is written is not
a Decision from Allah Subhanah, but
rather a documentation of the Absolute and Perfect Knowledge of Allah Subhanah.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.473 Narrated by Ali ibn Abi Taalib
While we were in a funeral procession in Baqi
Al-Gharqad, the Messenger of Allah (saws) came and sat down, and we sat around
him. He had a small stick in his hand and he bent his head and started scraping
the ground with it. He (saws) then said,
"There is none among you, and no created soul, but has his place written
for him either in
In whatever thing man has absolutely no control or choice
to choose, he will not be held accountable for them in the Just and Supreme
Court of Allah Subhanah; but in whatever things man has a choice or a free will
to choose amongst several options, he will be held accountable for choosing
that option.
To understand and comprehend the true concept of Fate and
Destiny, one must learn to appreciate the difference between the Lord
All-Mighty being All-Knowing and His being the All-Just!
Fate or Destiny is nothing more than the documentation of
the Absolute and Perfect Knowledge of our Lord All-Mighty of the conditions and
the choice each in creation will make, which He Commanded to be written and
preserved even before the creation of anything in the Heavens and the
earth! Allah Subhanah is not bound by
the dimension of time, as His Perfect and Absolute Knowledge comprehends and
envelopes everything of the past, the present, and the future!
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 94 Narrated by Ubadah ibn as-Samit
Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘The
(absolute) first thing which Allah created was the Pen. He commanded it to write. It (the pen) asked: ‘What should I write?’ He
said: ‘Write the ‘Al-Qadr’ (Decree, Fate, Destiny).’ So it wrote what had happened and what was
going to happen up to eternity!’
Allow us to relate a very simple example to clarify our
point:
Just suppose a parent has a small son, and one evening the
parent decides to put his son to a test and write down on a piece of paper the
options he will give his son the next morning, and from his experience with his
son, he determines what options the child will take when they are presented to
him.
Example-1: Parent will give the option to his son to choose
to go to school the next morning or skip school; and the parent, with his
knowledge and experience, writes down the son would most probably choose the
option to skip school!
Example-2: Parent will give the option to his son to choose
to memorize the Quran or watch cartoons on TV; and the parent, with his
knowledge, determines and writes that the son would most probably choose to
watch TV!
Example-3: Parent would give the option to his son to choose
to eat a wholesome and healthy diet of whole wheat-grain and vegetables or eat
hamburgers and fries; and the parent,
with his knowledge, determines and writes that the son, of his own free will,
would most probably choose to eat hamburgers and fries!
Example-4: Parent would give the option to his son to choose
to go to the local mosque to offer the dhuhr prayers or spend that time in the
video-game arcade; and the parent, with his knowledge, determines and writes
that his son, of his own free will, would most probably choose to spend the
time in the arcade!
In all the above four examples, the probability is that
any normal child, given a free will to choose between the two given options by
his parent, would most probably choose the option which the parent had written
down before the event took place!
Because the child has been given a free will to choose, he is not bound
to follow the option his parent had determined his son will take; but in all
probability the child will take the option which his parent has pre-determined
because the parent knows the temperament and condition of his child and knows
exactly what his child will do in the given circumstances. The child has absolutely no control over the
conditions and options set for him by his parent, nor is he bound to follow
what his parent has documented the child would do, if given a free will to
choose in the given circumstances.
But if the same parent gives the same options to his
child, but promises a huge reward to his child (say, to buy him a brand new
bike or the latest computer of his choice!) if he chooses the better of the two
options; the smart and intelligent child would sacrifice the short-term gain in
choosing what he desires and would opt for the option which would earn him the
pleasure of his parents and the fulfillment of their promised rewards!
Similarly, Allah Subhanah has put mankind to a test by
putting him in a set of conditions, and bestowed upon man the faculty of
intelligence and a ‘free-will’ for a limited period of one life on this earth,
to choose whatever one wishes to do. If
man chooses to sacrifice his desire and of his own free choice, sacrifices his
will to the Will of His Lord, he will earn His Pleasure and His Promised Rewards!
Since the Knowledge of the All-Knowing, All-Wise Lord of
the Worlds is absolutely Perfect and totally Complete in all respects, He Knows
and has documented beforehand what each amongst His creation, if given a free
will to choose, would do in a given situation.
Allah Subhanah, in His Perfect and Absolute knowledge Knows beforehand
who amongst His slaves will sacrifice their will to earn His Pleasure and His
Rewards, and who amongst His slaves will choose to fulfill whatever their
hearts desire regardless of the Will and Pleasure of their Creator; and the
precise documentation of that Absolute and Perfect Knowledge of the Lord
All-Knowing is what is known as Fate or Decree.
Just as in the above related example of the child who is
not bound to do what his parent had pre-determined he would choose, but rather
the child chose of his own free will to do what he desired to do; man too, has
been given a ‘free will’ to choose whatever he wishes to do as a test from His
Creator for a test period of one life on this earth!
The major difference between the knowledge of the parent
and the Knowledge of Allah Subhanah is that the Knowledge of our All-Knowing
Lord is Absolutely and Totally Perfect.
It is possible that the child would choose something which his parent
thought he would not, simply because the knowledge of man is limited; but since
the Knowledge of our Lord All-Mighty is Absolutely and Totally Perfect, His
Knowledge of what one will do of his own free will, can never ever be wrong or
in error.
Neither the child in the above related examples, nor man
in his test of life are bound to do what was pre-determined by the document;
but rather, they were allowed to choose whatever they desired to do of their
own free will; and therein was their test!
Dear and Beloved brother in Islam, it is absolutely
paramount importance that we understand the true concept of Fate and the
bestowed ‘free-will’ to enable each of us to fulfill this test of life. If our humble and weak efforts have not
satisfied your query, we request you in all humility to give us another chance
to explain this concept or alternatively you may consult in person a good
righteous God-fearing scholar who will be able to address this all-important question
to your satisfaction.
There are many amongst mankind who have absolutely
misunderstood (or have chosen to misunderstand) this concept of fate and ‘free
will’; and live their lives in ignorance and disobedience of the Divine Law in
their false hope that they will become righteous if their Lord has Decreed in
their Fate to become righteous! Allah is
our witness, their this false hope and belief will bring nothing but misery and
perdition upon themselves on that Eventful and Tumultuous Day of Judgment in
the Majestic and Supreme Presence of the All-Just Lord of the Worlds!
Your Question: then why did he make us and
whats our purpsoe in this world and life what was Allahs reason to make us if
he knows everything that is gonna happen
When one sees, studies, and ponders over the perfect
creation and the perfect balance created by the Creator in nature; and when one
recognizes the Perfect and Absolute Attributes of his Perfect Creator through
His Message and through His Messengers, one who is intelligent and wise comes
to the inevitable conclusion that it is beyond comprehension for such a Perfect
Creator to do anything in vain or without reason or created the heavens and
earth for idle sport or play!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 21 Surah
Anbiya verses 16-17:
16 Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between!
17 If it had been Our wish to take (just) a
pastime We should surely have taken it from the things nearest to Us if We
would (ever) do (such a thing)!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 44 Surah
Dukhan verses 38-42:
38 We created not the heavens the earth and
all between them merely in (idle) sport:
39 We created them not except for Just Ends:
but most of them do not understand.
40 Verily the Day of Sorting Out is the time
appointed for all of them
41 The Day when no protector can avail his
client in aught and no help can they receive.
42 Except such as receive Allah's Mercy: for
He is exalted in Might Most Merciful.
Your Question: why did He make us and whats
our purpsoe in this world and life
The Lord Who Created gave men (and jinn) two things which
He did not bestow in any amongst His supreme creation, and thus involved each
in a test:
Intelligence or the Power of Reasoning
A free will to choose whichever way of life one wishes to
live.
If one uses his bestowed intelligence and recognizes his
Creator, and of his own free will submits his will to the Will of his Creator;
he will earn His Mercy, Grace and Forgiveness.
And if one denies his Creator, and refuses and rejects to submit his
will to the Will of his Supreme and Majestic Creator, he will deserve His Wrath
and His Anger!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 51 Surah
Dhariyat verse 56:I have created jinns and men only that
they may serve Me.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 67 Surah
Mulk verses 1-4:
1 Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion:
and He over all things Hath Power
2 He Who created Death and Life that He may
try which of you is best in deed: and He is the
Exalted in Might Oft-Forgiving
3 He Who created the seven heavens one
above another; no want of proportion wilt thou see in the Creation of (Allah)
Most Gracious so turn thy vision again: Seest thou any flaw?
4 Again turn thy vision a second time;
(thy) vision will come back to thee dull and discomfited in a state worn out.
Thus the purpose of Allah’s Supreme Creation of the
heavens and the earth and everything in between is only so that He may put
mankind (and the Jinns) to a test to determine who amongst them submit to Him
and who amongst them reject Him. For those who choose to accept, submit,
follow, and obey Him there is an Eternal Reward for them in the life of the
Hereafter; and those who choose to deny, reject, and disobey Him, they will be
held severely accountable for their deeds on an Inevitable Day in His Majestic
and Supreme Presence!
Your Question: what was Allahs reason to make
us if he knows everything that is gonna happen
Just as a teacher does not declare a student ‘failed’
before giving him an opportunity to give his examination; the Lord Most
Merciful does not ‘fail’ anyone before He gives them an opportunity to give
their test of life!
He is indeed the All-Knowing, and because His Knowledge is
Absolutely Perfect and Absolute, He knows everything that has happened, is
happening, and will happen in the future; but He is also the All-Just, and He
has given each human being an opportunity of one life time as a test to either
choose of their own free will to accept His Guidance and submit to Him, or deny
His Guidance and reject Him!
Whatever one does in his test of this short and transient
period of one life time will determine his outcome in the Eternal and
Everlasting life of the Hereafter.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your Brother in Islam,
Burhan
Wister