Destiny and free will.
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:
Dear brother Burhan,
In your reply to a question I would like to
understand the purpose of we (muslims) being sent to this world???
Is there any specific thing Allah
Subhana expect us to do??? If `Yes`, then what is that?? and how to achieve
it???
you
have qouted Holy Quran;
Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright.
then
you state that man has;
Intelligence
or the Power of Reasoning
A
'free will' for a limited period of one life-time to choose whatever path one
wishes to live his life.
I am
confused. If Allah has already decided my destiny including my belief then how
do I have free will? In Auzu Billah if Allah has chosen me not to be among
guided then
I do
not have any choise?
This
issue bothers me sometimes and then I put these thoughts awy as i truly believe
in Allah and his messenger. But if you can help me to remove this cofusion then
I will have more peace.
Jazak
Allah khair,
(There may be some grammatical and spelling
errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
Destiny and free
will
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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear
witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
Your Statement: In your reply to a question I would like to understand the purpose of we (muslims) being sent to
this world??? Is there any specific thing Allah Subhana expect us
to do??? If `Yes`, then what is that?? and how to achieve it???
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 21 51 Surah
Dhariyaat verse 56:
56 I have not created jinns and men except that they may worship (serve
and obey) Me.
(We have attached the archive answer for this specific
question posed by one of our brethren earlier.)
Your
Question: …….you have qouted Holy Quran;
Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright.
then you
state that man has;
Intelligence
or the Power of Reasoning
A 'free
will' for a limited period of one life-time to choose whatever path one wishes
to live his life.
I am
confused. If Allah has already decided my destiny including my belief then how
do I have free will? In Auzu Billah if Allah has chosen me not to be among
guided then
I do not
have any choise?
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, absolutely
everything is predetermined; four of which are listed:
- 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 the 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, is Perfect and Absolutely 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 Destiny or The 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!
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!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah
Kahf verses 29-31:
29 Say "The Truth is from your Lord": let him who wills,
believe; and let him who wills, reject (it)! For the wrongdoers (who
chose to disbelieve) We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames) like the
wall and roof of a tent will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be
granted water like melted brass that will scald their faces. How dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a
couch to recline on!
30 As to those who (chose to) believe and work righteousness, verily We
shall not suffer to perish the reward of any who do a (single) righteous deed!
31 For them will be Gardens of Eternity; beneath them rivers will flow;
they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and they will wear green
garments of fine silk and heavy brocade; they will recline therein on raised
thrones. How good the recompense! How
beautiful a couch to recline on!
Whatever one chooses to do of his own free will 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.
Dear and Beloved brother in Islam, it is of 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
topic 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: ….you have qouted Holy Quran;
Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah
Nahl verse 37:
37 If thou art anxious for their guidance yet Allah guides not
such as He leaves to stray and
there is none to help them.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 42 Surah
Shuraa verse 44:
44 For any whom Allah leaves astray there is no protector thereafter and thou wilt see the wrongdoers when in sight of the Penalty Say:
"Is there any way (to effect) a return?
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 45 Surah
Jathiya verse 23:
23 Then seest thou such a one as takes as his god his own vain desire? Allah
has knowing (him as such), left him astray and sealed his hearing, and
his heart (and understanding), and put a cover on his sight! Who then will guide him after Allah (has
withdrawn Guidance)? Will ye not then receive admonition?
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 13 Surah
Raad verse 27:
27 The Unbelievers say: "Why is not a Sign sent down to him from
his Lord?" Say: "Truly Allah leaveth to stray whom He Wills;
but He guideth to Himself those who turn to Him in penitence
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 74 Surah
Mudhatthir verse 31:
31 And We have set none but Angels as guardians of the Fire; and We
have fixed their number only as a trial for Unbelievers in order that the
people of the Book may arrive at certainty and the Believers may increase in
Faith and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Book and the
Believers and that those in whose hearts is a disease, and the unbelievers may
say "What symbol doth Allah intend by this?" Thus doth Allah
leave to stray whom He pleaseth and guide whom He pleaseth; and none
can know the forces of the Lord except He and this is no other than a warning
to mankind.
Beloved Brother in Islam, it is indeed inherently true
that Allah Subhanah never ever ‘astrays’ or ‘misguides’ anyone; for the Lord
Guides only towards the Truth!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 90 Surah
Balad verses 4-9:
4 Verily We have created man into toil and
struggle.
5 Thinketh he that none hath power over
him?
6 He may say (boastfully): "Wealth
have I squandered in abundance!"
7 Thinketh he that none beholdeth him?
8 Have We not made for him a pair of eyes?
9 And a tongue and a pair of lips?
10 And shown him the two ways?
And the Truth is that Allah has shown mankind the
two ways: one is of guidance to Allah’s
Way, and every other way is the way of
Shaitaan! He has clearly shown us the
two ways, and guided mankind by
appointing Messengers and sending the Book of Guidance. And Allah has given human beings the
intelligence and the free will to choose between the Right and the Wrong,
without any force or pressure! That is
precisely the test Allah has involved mankind in for a period of one short
transitory life on this earth.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran in Chapter 67 Surah Al Mulk verse 2:
He (Allah) created
death and life that He may test you, to
see which of you is the best in deeds.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 29:
Proclaim, “This
(Quran) is the Truth from your Lord: now
whosoever wills may accept it, and
whosoever wills may reject it.”
Thus, it is not as if Allah Subhanah pulls out
5,000 names a day and declares that these 5,000 must be guided, whether they like it or not!; or pulls out 5,000 names and declares that
they must not be guided!
Allah has given this power of reasoning,
intelligence and free will only to human beings and involved them in a test in
this transitory life, to see who amongst
them control their ‘nafs’ (soul) and submits his will, out of his own choice and free will, to the
Will of Allah Subhanah. Whoever chooses,
with his own free will, reasoning
and intelligence the Right Path of Allah,
he is guided aright. Whoever
chooses, with his own free will, any other way, then he has chosen the path of Shaitaan, and
has thus gone astray!
Thus whoever accepts the
guidance sent by Allah, and chooses with his own free will to follow the path
shown by the appointed Messenger of Allah(saws), Allah is pleased with this person and allows
him to follow that Path.
And whoever rejects the guidance
sent by Allah, and independently makes
or follows any other path than that shown by the Messenger of Allah
(saws), Allah is dis-pleased with this
person, but still allows
him to follow his chosen path! And
that is because Allah has put mankind through a test in this worldly life!
Whatever path man chooses of his
own free will, Allah will allow
him to take that path and complete his test;
and only in the Hereafter the results of success or failure will be
declared.
Thus it is not that Allah
Subhanah misguides or strays anyone, but it is the condition and principle of
the test Decreed by the Lord All-Just that He allows those who
wish to be guided to be guided aright, and He allows or leaves
those who wish to stray to be left astray for the period of the test.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 14 Surah
Ibraheem verse 27:
27 Allah will establish in strength those who believe with the Word
that stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter; but Allah will leave
to stray those who do wrong: Allah doeth what He willeth.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah
Baqarah verse 26:
26 Allah 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
Allah 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).
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 40 Surah
Mumin verses 32-35:
32 "And O my People! I fear for you a Day when there will be
mutual calling (and wailing)
33 A day when ye shall turn your backs and flee: no defender shall ye
have from Allah: any whom Allah leaves to stray there is none to guide...
34 And to you there came Joseph in times gone by with Clear Signs but
ye ceased not to doubt of the (mission) for which he had come: at length when
he died ye said: `No Messenger will Allah send after him.' Thus doth
Allah leave to stray such as transgress, and live in doubt.
35 "(Such) as dispute about the Signs of Allah without any
authority that hath reached them.
Grievous and odious (is such conduct) in the sight of Allah and of the
Believers. Thus doth Allah seal up every
heart of arrogant and obstinate transgressors."
Thus what is truly meant by the
above verses is that because man is involved in a test for the period of one
short and transitory life, Allah Subhanah allows
man to choose the path he wishes to live his life. If one wishes of his own free will to chose
Islam as his ‘way of life’, Allah Subhanah allows
the person and is pleased with him. And
if one wishes to choose a path other than Islam as his way of life, Allah
Subhanah allows him to live
his life in misguidance, but He is displeased with him!
Please allow us to relate a
simple example which would clarify your very important question, Insha
Allah. Just as when one gives an
examination in a school or university, during the time the exam is actually in
progress, the teacher may come behind and see the answers being written by his
student; but it is the very nature and sanctity of tests and exams, that the
teacher neither encourages (although he could!)
the student who is writing the correct answers, nor stops (although he
could!) the student who is writing the
wrong ones; but rather the teacher allows
each student to fulfill the test according to the stipulated time. It is only after the exam papers are
submitted at the end of the stipulated time, will the teacher mark the papers
and let the students know who has passed and who has failed the exam.
Similarly, whoever accepts the
guidance sent by Allah, and chooses with his own free will to follow the path
shown by the appointed Messenger of Allah(saws), Allah is pleased with this person and allows him to follow that Path.
And whoever rejects the guidance
sent by Allah, and independently makes or follows any other path than that
shown by the Messenger of Allah (saws), Allah is dis-pleased with this person,
but still allows him to
follow his chosen path! And that is
because Allah has put mankind through a test in this worldly life! He has guided mankind aright by sending His
Messengers and revealing His Books, and given man the free will to choose
whether he wants to take: the Path of Guidance, or the path that leads him
astray. Whatever path man chooses of
his own free will, Allah will allow
him to take that path and complete his test; and only in the Hereafter the
results of success or failure will be declared.
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 and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister