FreeWill?!

[Sadiq]

FreeWill?!

I found this interesting statement below...

I hope this does not cause confusion to any members, yet it makes our faith stronger. It is regarding free will, it is one topic that has caused many to go astray and others to get lost (muslims.) i want members to get similar questions from christians or atheists and others, who question free will, and post it here, and by the help of allah, we will answer it (all of us), with the help of articles, scholars..

This is one example.


"..QUESTION

God is Omnipotent and He is Omniscient. On the other hand, we are responsible for our actions, and our intentions. So, the question is: If God makes us make what we make and will what we will, how can we be responsible? Why do we have to bear the outcome of our actions? While God knows what we shall do and realizes it, how we can do anything that God does not want, so is not God himself responsible for what we do? ..."

Now the answer, i hope someone gives it...

>It can be found at bro yahyas site= http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/7568/feedback.html...

Take a look.

I hope members who have studied this topic answer the question above and those similar questions raised by muslims/non-muslims.

A task that will help us...all!

Sadiq

[servant_of_Allah]

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullah dear brother !

Brother, i had recently asked some Muslim scholars to prepare articles for me on the 6 pillars of faith. Alhamdulilah, they were kind enough to do so.

Here is an article on Belief in Divine Will.

Question : Assalamu Alaykum ! Could you plz explain, in detail, what is meant by belief in Divine Will and Decree. Plz tell me what all we must know, and believe in, in detail, plz.

Answer : Wa `Alaykum As-Salam Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All thanks and praise are due to Allah and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, we would like to express our happiness to you for the question you posed and we hope these humble efforts of ours meet your expectations.

“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.

"We have created every thing by measure." (Al-Qamar: 49)

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-Hadeed: 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-lnsan: 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`aam: 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 on "Belief in Qadar".”

Almighty Allah knows best.

Fatwa editor: Ahmad M. Sa`d

I hope this helps you and others.

Wassalamu Alaykum,
servant of Allah.

[Nzingha]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 10-05-02 AT 09:50 PM (GMT)]as salaam alaikum

the issue of 'free will' vs preditermination is an interesting one in Islamic discourse. Mainly it came up for debate and division due to politics. It appears during the Ummayyad dynasty the teaching was total predertimination, thus legitamizing the Ummayyad authority as well as their misconduct. From this rose several camps, Servant of Allah mentioned two in his post. These divisions gave rise to more questions and is really some interesting stuff :)

I'll have to dig in my notes and leaf through some books to get the proper terms of who is who in this debate and post some info. on it.. of coruse assuming your interested in that aspect of history. :)

ma salaam
nzingha

[Lulua]

Assalaamu alaikum.

The concepts of free-will and predistination are two varrying yet intertwined concepts that serve to confuse and delude many people. In taking a back step, I would like to point out to the first several verses of surat-al-Baqarah, which tell us exactly who this Book (the Quran) is for, and who is guided by it.

'A.L.M. This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah; Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them; And who believe in the Revelation sent to thee, and sent before thy time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter. They are on (true) guidance, from their Lord, and it is these who will prosper.' s. 2, v. 1-5.

One of the basic requirements and elements of faith is the faith in the unseen. The 'unseen' itself could and very well does take into it a great category. Not only including those images and beings which may be present along with us, but as well it is indicative of things and happenings which we are told of in the Quran, yet which we ourselves are not witness to. This could and does encompass things of the past, as well as things of the future, as well as things of the present yet in far-away lands which we are not present to witness. Including even things of planets far away, and even things of the seeming-present (such as the sunlight itself, which by the time we witness it is ages old).

Included in part of this unseen world is the writing of the records, both that of the predestination, as well as the recording of our daily activities, sayings, and habits. Of all of this we are informed from both the Quran, as well as sources of recordings of the Hadith of our prophet(SAAW).

The main point to remember in belief in the predestination is that there is a tender and balanced measure of reason between the knowledge and acceptance of predestination along with self-responsibility. If one lies totally on the count of predestination, then enters into it a sense of laziness and lack of care for responsibility, therefore counting out all knowledge that we are also told from the Quran and hadith of accountability of each soul for it's own doings or non-doings.

It is this balance which is truly so tender and important, and one must attempt to understand and comprehend both aspects equally, and remember to live their lives accordingly.

As well, it behooves one to not forget the power of prayer. This is an important aspect of Islam and faith as well. We have been reminded by Allah to call upon Him, that He is indeed near, and listens to our call, requiring only of us that we also listen to His call. (meaning that we are to take heed of His directives and warnings, in order that we should expect that He listen and answer our calls upon Him.)

It has been said that the only true cause of defeating or changing the written destiny upon any soul is the power of dua, or supplication. This means that with the constant and faithful prayers of the believers in the ONE God- it is possible to change the written destiny that has been written for one's self or one's loved ones. InshaAllah. With true faith and true piety and sincerity for Allah and His will. Allah knows best.

Following is an excellent version of a Q-A exchange on this very topic. I hope that the readers may find it enlightening and helpful.

Lulua.

-------------------------


Predestination and people’s actions
By Adil Salahi, Arab News Staff


Q. I have read in a Hadith that when a person is still a fetus in his mother’s womb, an angel is sent to write down his deeds, livelihood, date of death and whether he will be happy or wretched. This is confirmed in practice when a person may do good deeds throughout his life, but what was written for him may change his actions to bad ones just before his death, so that he will be among those to suffer in Hell. The reverse may also be true. Yet we appeal to God all the time to grant us what is good for our lives in this world and the next. How can we reconcile that?

A.S. Abdul-Rashid, Madinah

A. The Hadith to which the reader has referred may be given in translation as follows: The creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s belly for 40 days in the form of seed, then he is a clot of blood for a like period, then a morsel of flesh for a like period, then there is sent to him the angel who blows the breath of life into him and who is commanded about four matters: to write down his means of livelihood, his life span, his actions and whether happy or unhappy. By God, other than whom there is no deity, anyone of you may behave like the people of Paradise until there is but an arm’s length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him and so he behaves like the people of Hell-fire and thus he enters it. Likewise, any one of you may behave like the people of Hell-fire until there is but an arm’s length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him and so he behaves like the people of Paradise and thus enters it. (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

It is very important to understand this Hadith according to the well-established Islamic principles about life and death, deeds and reward, predestination and man’s freedom.

But what we have to understand first of all is the concept of God’s will and His knowledge of every thing that takes place in the universe.

We know that God’s will is absolute, unrestricted and cannot be frustrated by any power. When He wills something to take place, He only says to it, “Be,” and it exists. In fact He does not need to say anything, but creation is described in this way in order to make it clearer to our minds. The moment God’s will is directed to the creation of something, it comes into existence. Nothing stops it. He has willed to grant man freedom of choice over much of what is related to his life and how man conducts his affairs.

Thus, this freedom of choice exists beyond any shred of doubt. It takes effect whenever man makes a decision concerning any matter.

We actually feel it when we decide on our actions regarding major and minor things, as well as when we are confused, unable to decide over the best solution to a problem we face.

Accountability goes hand in hand with this freedom. This life is made a test for human beings so that they can prove what they deserve of reward or punishment, which determines whether they will be happy in the hereafter or not. God states in the Qur’an, addressing the believers: “This is Paradise; you have inherited it by virtue of your past deeds.” (43: 72) This is a clear statement showing that there is no pre-judgment as to the final destination of any human being. That destination is determined by every person’s actions in this life, made on the basis of his or her free choice. Hence, God orders us to do what we can in order to secure a happy ending in the hereafter.

At the same time, God knows everything before it takes place. We have often said that, like His will, God’s knowledge is absolute and unrestricted. Nothing comes into God’s knowledge as a result of any event. He knows it before the event takes place.

What happened a million years ago and what will happen a million years from now are the same with regard to God’s knowledge of them. Some people confuse this knowledge with predestination. They argue: since God knows beforehand what every person will do before that person does it, then He must have willed it so. This is a false argument. God has willed that each person shall have the freedom of choice and that freedom takes place according to man’s decisions. It is true that God knows what every person chooses before the choice is made, but there is no coercion in the matter.

It is this knowledge that the angel records when he, by God’s command, breathes the spirit into the fetus. He writes what God knows, not what God wills that person to do.

The areas in which man has no choice, such as his being affected by natural forces, being subject to burn in fire, drown in water, be killed with a bullet that hits his heart or brain, etc. — these areas are not recorded by the angel, because man has no control over them. What is recorded is what is subject to his free choice. One of these is his deeds. In this man is the one who makes the choice. Another is his means of livelihood, which is again subject to his choice and his effort.

If one sits at home doing nothing for a livelihood, he will get nothing. If he goes out to work and exerts his best efforts in improving his situation, he will get the immediate results of his reward. The same applies to his life duration. If he exposes himself to great risks, he is likely to die quickly. If he does the type of deed which the Prophet describes as prolonging life, such as kindness to relatives and dutifulness to parents, then God will give him extra years.

The end of this Hadith is often misunderstood, because some people may take it as referring to what God had already written down as the fate of a person in the hereafter. God has not determined that fate for anyone. It is everyone’s total sum of the working of their free choice and free will that determines their fate. Thus, it is the person himself who may change his or her course of action shortly before their death. He would have done good deeds throughout his life, but then one day he sinks into disbelief and takes actions that place him among those who will go to Hell. This is again his free choice. It is true that it was recorded by the angel before his birth, but that recording is based on his free choice.

This ending of the Hadith stresses the importance of being always on the watch for what may enhance our position in the hereafter. We must never feel too secure as a result of having done well in our past life. We must continue to do so until we die. At the same time, we must never despair if we have done badly. Repentance and mending our ways, with sincerity and trust in God, will ensure our safety.

courtesy of: http://www.arabnews.com/SArticle.asp?sct=Predestination&ID=9510