Qadar (predestination) and free will

[cOsMiCiNtUiTiOn]

I thought it would be wise to just start a new topic vs derailing another thread.

These are the posts concerning Qadar, discussion begins at post # 69 here http://www.islamicboard.com/general/134311815-urgent-please-help-6.html:

He has planned our lives thousands of years before we even came to be......including our young brother Ersin.

Do not want to derail the thread, but is there evidence of this? From what I know only time of birth, gender, rizq and time of death are pre-determined. Everything else is based on our actions.

Because if what you have said is true then what is the point of living as everything about our life was pre-planned by Allah swt, I find that hard to digest that God would pre-plan our life and then we have to live through the pre-planned life. If someone commits suicide, was that pre-planned too? :S

Or did you mean everything has been written? That is true, everything has been written based on God's foreknowledge, does not mean God engineered it.

^ Your queries concern the concept of qadr from an Islamic view-point.

The basic principles being:

1. Allah KNOWS what you will do (thousands of years before your birth).

2. Allah wrote it down.

3. Allah ALLOWS it to happen.

4. The actual happening of the event.

So, yes - you do have free will in life - e.g to take your own life.....and Allah already knows this......and it all occurs within the time that He (subhanawata ála) has appointed.


Having said this, there are some/ many elements of our life that are not within our control.

A similitude regarding this (heard from the late Ml Yunus Patel (ra) ):


'Your Life' can be compared to a 'Computer game'

--> The creator of the game - Allah (SWT), has already laid down the entire programme for this game - i.e. to a large extent, the course of your life has already been pre-determined - e.g. you do not have control over the family that you are born into, your health conditions, etc.
These have already been 'programmed' for your particular life/ 'game'. The way the game ends, and when it will end, has also been set by its creator (Allah SWT).

Imagine that you are 'playing' this computer game, i.e. you are living your life.

During the course of the game, you have the ability to make many choices - e.g should you turn into the left corridor or right corridor, should you enter the castle or turn back, for example. Although the choices are yours, they occur within the confines of the programme of this game.

In the same way, we have the ability to make choices at every turn in life, but at the same time confined, to a certain extent, to a pre-determined plan for our life, set by Allah (SWT).


Hope this brings more clarity, insha Allah.

Sorry for this small diversion everyone.

:wa:

So does this mean that everyone will suffer different trials in dunya and their extent varies? Can we then say that ppl who do not suffer much trials in dunya are usually going to Hellfire since they didnt suffer much anyways?

You can pm me the answer, iA.

wsalam

^ Your queries concern the concept of qadr from an Islamic view-point.

The basic principles being:

1. Allah KNOWS what you will do (thousands of years before your birth).

2. Allah wrote it down.

3. Allah ALLOWS it to happen.

4. The actual happening of the event.

So, yes - you do have free will in life - e.g to take your own life.....and Allah already knows this......and it all occurs within the time that He (subhanawata ála) has appointed.

this makes no sense to me at all sis. This is a contradiction. If you have free will and God knows that there is only one possible avenue for you to take in life - then where is three choice? NOOOOOOO.

Let me explain. You come to X-roads in life, where you have to choose which of the two paths you will walk, This happens many times in a day. This is where YOU make the choice... Not God. No. God knows all the possibilities and HE can calculate all outcomes, and prepare for them. As HE says, HE is the best of planners...

So let's recap real quick.

1) you have free will
2) Allah has given your life so many choices, that no matter which one you take - HE still knows what the various outcomes will be. You still have a choice, still have free will... but only Allah knows how it all ends.
3) Only three things you cannot change, these are:

a) who and when you marry
b) your income proviso
c) the time and place of your death...

anyone who says BIRTH is part of that - think again, because your soul was alive before your body was.

Also, I have not slept. I am worried about Ersin. just can't keep my eyes shut. And now, it's daylight, (facepalm)

Scimi

^ Akhee, you are actually in agreement with what has been said.
Please read my post again.

except for:

Only three things you cannot change, these are:

a) who and when you marry
b) your income proviso
c) the time and place of your death...

Theres many other things that we cannot change in out lives - e.g. brother Ersin had no choice with regards to his genetic condition.

As mentioned:

1. Allah KNOWS what you will do (thousands of years before your birth).

2. Allah wrote it down.

3. Allah ALLOWS it to happen.

4. The actual happening of the event.


--> The past/ present and future exists as defined time periods for us, mortals.
But Allah transcends all time.

So, Allah (subhanawataála) KNOWS what YOUR CHOICE will be, before YOU even make it (thousands of years before you even existed).
And He lets you make this choice, out of His mercy - because we are given free-will (within a pre-defined plan set for your life).
^ Hope thats clearer insha Allah.

So does this mean that everyone will suffer different trials in dunya and their extent varies?

Yes.

Can we then say that ppl who do not suffer much trials in dunya are usually going to Hellfire since they didnt suffer much anyways?

Not at all.

We should remember:

There are 2 routes to Allah Taala….either the road of sabr (patience), or the road of shukr (gratitude).

In actual fact, the test of bounties (shukr) is more difficult than the test of sabr.

In sabr - the person is going through difficulties/ hardships, e.g. illness, death, loss of business, etc. It is these times that will automatically bring him to the door of Allah Taala, even those with weak imaan.

The person strapped to his hospital bed, with tubes and drips, etc….at that time will he be thinking of committing sins?
He’s going to be crying out to Allah….i.e that sickness is a mercy from Allah as well.
Allah Taala is with that person who is sick, i.e it is a bounty as well.

But we are weak, so we ask of Allah not to test us with such.

When it is the road of shukr, Allah is giving that person everything: good health, wealth, children, etc.
Because he is not going through any pain and suffering, he thinks, "Allah is pleased with me".

But this is a bigger test than the test of sabr.
It takes a greater effort to remember to praise and thank Allah (subhanawataála) when things are going really well for us.

Also, we will oneday be accountable for all that we have been blessed with in this dunya:

How did we use our health? -> Was a means for doing good and strengthening this ummah....or did we spend countless hours in front of the TV or abuse this trust with drugs and alcohol?
How did we use our wealth? - Did we support the poor and orphans?.......or did we carelessly waste it on things that attach us to this dunya?
How did we use our intellect?
How did we use every single bounty that has been bestowed upon us?

Can we see how great the test of shukr is?
Theres much more that diverts our remembrance away from Allah......and much more to account for.


:wa:

 

[جوري]

[h=2]Qadar and Free Will and Reconciliation[/h] Date: Mar 26, 2011 Type: Views: 244 Share:
Filed Under: Islamic Answers

Why does Allah seems to be Unjust (in least terms)? Assalam walekum, We all know that Allah knows everything. He even knows the Result of the judgment Day. Then why are we still giving the Test. i mean why didn’t Allah made the people who really deserve to go to jannah only and should have not made the people who go astray and deserve to go to Hell. I know even we have faith in Allah & his messenger equivalent to a grain of rice we deserve to go to jannah . I am not doubting God’s judgment. But i am asking to you about the need to make the people who deserve to go to Hell. Allah even knew that the satan will also disobey Him one day. than why do God make such things knowingly which disobey him & later Allah send them to Hell fire forever.
All praise be to Allah, and may His Blessings and Peace be on His Last Messenger,
I have to start by saying that the way you phrased your questions made my heart tremble. I fear for you, and I wish that you continue to ask about matters of the religion you don’t understand, but I strongly exhort you to use a different language. Here, for instance, you could have said, “can you explain to me the right answer to the question of free will and how to reconcile between…and …in the light of Allah’s justice.”
Let us first agree on a few things before we embark on explaining the concept of divine decree.

1. We may not be able to comprehend everything, which is only natural and expected of human beings; after all, we are not perfect. We even vary between each other; some may be able to understand certain concepts in math, chemistry or physics while others can’t. So, what do you think about comparing our knowledge and wisdom to that of God? It is so arrogant of us to think that we can understand everything when we know that we can’t even see or hear all things. Doesn’t our mind depend on our senses to provide it with data, which the mind will later process? What do you think of this data? We all know it is as defective as our hearing and sight and other faculties.
2. The way to God, however, must be simple and comprehendible by all, since we are all required to recognize him and accept the truth sent from him. That is why Islam, unlike other religions, is simple to understand and accept. The one God, who is omnipotent and perfect in all attributes; who created the universe, sent the messengers, and will resurrect humans to a day of reckoning. All that is perfectly simple, and proven by compelling evidence. Now, compare that to the concept of the trinity, which is hard for the clergy in the various Christian doctrines to understand, agree about or persuade the public of.
3. Once you have recognized God and accepted the true message sent from him, you should submit to him and never doubt his knowledge or wisdom. That is to say, you should respect your limitations and acknowledge His perfection. That, however, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be looking for his wisdom in the various aspects of the religion to further confirm your belief and reach higher levels of certainty, but it means that if you couldn’t completely comprehend one thing, it shouldn’t cause you to doubt that which you are certain of, which is the greatness of God and the truth of Islam.
4. The divine will is one of the hardest aspects of religion to fully comprehend, and that is been the case with humans since their beginning.
5. We must have faith in Allah’s justice and fairness.

Now, let us try to understand the divine will – as much as we can -.
Allah is the creator, owner, controller and disposer of all affairs of this universe. He is omnipotent and compeller, and no one or thing is beyond his power and control. That means that nothing in this universe takes place outside of his control and domination.
He said about us and our will:
“But you cannot will, unless Allah wills. Verily, Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.” 76:30
Yet, the verse does indicate that we still have a will. Allah gave us a will; that is why we will be held accountable. Yet, this will of us is still superseded by His, as clear from the verse.
Let me give you an example: if you want to have a child, what do you do?
You propose to a suitable lady, get married and thereafter, you will both have a child inshallah (If Allah so wills). And the last word (inshallah) says it all. If Allah so wills! Because if he didn’t, you will not have the child, no matter how much you try. That child, then, was willed to exist by Allah, who also created him. But, can you say I am not responsible for him? He came with the will of God and God created him, so I have nothing to do with him. If you say that, all people will consider you insane. The same applies to your deeds. They are like the child in many aspects. You make provisions for them and attempt to do them without being forced into them. They are still under the control of Allah, who brought them to existence and you are certainly responsible for them.
Let us go back to the beginning:
Allah created us all with his will and he wrote all that is to take place in his universe in the preserved tablet 50,000 years before he created the heavens and earth, as reported by Muslim from Abdullah ibn ‘Amr who was quoting the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and give him peace).
Allah also said about the creation:
Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation, as written in the Book of Decrees Al-Lauh Al-Mahfooz) [or due measure]. (54:49)
Allah then created man, and showed him the two ways, good and evil, He said:
“Verily, We showed him the two ways” (90:10)
Some accepted the guidance, and others rejected it, thus Allah diverted their hearts away from it. Given, they don’t return to him in repentance.
He said:
And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time, and We shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly. ( 6:110)
He also said:
“Nay! But on their hearts is the Raan (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn” (83:14)
Notice the underlined statements in the previous verses.
Some accepted the guidance by Allah’s grace, and He further helped them confirm their faith, He said:
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 does what He wills.” (14:27)
Allah is all knowing and he knew those who are deserving of guidance and those who are not. He, out of fairness, will never hold the people accountable based on his previous knowledge until their actions come to existence.
Many times, ignorant people argue that everything is written and what is the use, then, in striving? Those people, however, never say to themselves when they are hungry, it is written whether I will eat or not, but they go and fix food for themselves.
It also remains to be said that no one knows what is written, and thus may not say it was imposed on him to go t the bar Vs the masjid. Before he left home, he didn’t know what was written, thus he may not claim the writing was the cause of his misguidance and wrong decisions.
I want you also to practice this exercise of free will, say to your self I will raise my right hand inshallah. And then do it. If you did that, you probably were able to do what you attempted. So, why did you say inshallah? Again, because if he didn’t so will for you, you could have died before you raised your hand, or the building may have collapsed, or something else could have happened.
Finally, the test is here and we are in the examination room and the answer sheets are on the desks; those who waste time questioning the very validity of the test are only working against their own interest and chances of passing, in other words: salvation.
Put your trust in Allah and believe in his wisdom, as well as in his fairness.
Allah knows best.

http://www.drhatemalhaj.com/qa/index.php/2011/03/26/qadar-and-free-will-and-reconciliation/