From: RBNXHS@ROHVM1.BITNET
Subject: [free will and predestination]
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Originator: Mughal@Romeo.Caltech.Edu (Asim Mughal -Moderator)
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 08:58:00 GMT


[Postmarked: 22 Jul 92 ]

In response to Dave's question on free will and predestination
(that he posed to me directly and to the SRI in a separate note lately):
" There is a point which is a problem in many religions:
If Allah is omniscient, not only across space but also across time,
as you have said, then at the moment of creation he already knew my
ultimate fate: Heaven or Hell.  If this is the case, then even though
it appears to me that I have free will, I do not really have free
will, because Allah already knows what will happen.  Further, since I
do not really have free will, how can I be held responsible for any
sin I commit?
On a slightly different note, if Allah is omniscient, then before I
was born he already knew whether I would be going to Heaven or Hell.
Assuming some souls go to Hell, how can Allah be described as all-
merciful if he allows some souls to be born when he knows in advance
that their destiny is Hell.  This doesn't seem to agree with the
definition of mercy that I learnt at school.
Puzzled, still searching,
 ----- Dave "

You have mentioned that human beings in reality do not have free will.
I contest that theory. Think for a moment, when you received my note
what did you feel? Did you feel like replying or not? You definitely
had the choice not to write to me. But you chose to write. Well, you
may argue that it was decreed that you should have replied to me.
That is a valid point also. But, I try to look at it, as a choice.
Similarly, when a person does either good or bad to someone else, it
is his choice, too. Then it raises the question as to why some
people do harm or bad things. To answer that question, some scholars
of Islam say that human beings are composed of three
essential elements - flesh (human body), soul (nafs) and spirit
(rooh). The rooh comes from Allah (when a person is born) and returns
to Him (when he dies). When the person dies, his flesh decays. His
nafs is the most delicate part among these three elements. By birth,
a person is sinless irrespective of where he is born. His nafs is
in the purest form. As such, when a child (born in either a Muslim
or non-Muslim family) dies, doesn't end up in hell merely because
the child was not baptised before his untimely death. (This is
against the so-called "original sin" - concept shared by Pauline
Christians.) The nafs has the cravings for earthly pleasures and
as such it can make a person too materialistic (in which process
he can become greedy) and unconcerned about his duty or relation-
ship to his fellow men and nature. It can lower his spiritual state
to that of a wild beast. On the other hand, if he controls his
nafs, he can lead a balanced life, in harmony with his fellow
human beings and nature. Just as food is essential for the body,
but too much of it can ruin one's health, not eating at all, on the
other hand, can kill a person.  Islam similarly recognises 3 stages
of nafs. When a person does harm to others, he becomes a prisoner
to the lower instincts or nafs. This process of doing bad continu-
ously over a long period can eventually make him devoid of humanity.

When Allah created human beings, He created them with pure mind and
thought. It is, however, one's surroundings, one's own desires or
choices, that can either elevate him or degrade him. Allah definitely
likes to see, everyone live in harmony or peace, and use their
intellects, reasonings, hearings, seeings, etc., to choose or make
the right decision. But it is sometimes, one's arrogance, stupidity,
cultist mentality, that closes his mind. He becomes unreceptive of
the truth. Therefore, it is necessary for each one to try to seek the
truth, for it is truth alone which will set one free, nothing else.
You may ask, how come then Allah created some people who have no
senses (mad persons) or that some  are made blind or deaf; if Allah
is All-Merciful, why did not He create all equal (with wealth and
physical shapes)? This is a valid question. I do not have full
explanation for this, just as why Allah created human beings with
five fingers which are unequal. I know, however, that this inequality
has made it easy for me to utilize my hand effectively, otherwise
it would have been difficult. Similarly, the inequality in wealth
has made the society to prosper (if used properly). In Islam, we
say that with all the bounties (wealth, children, health, etc.)
Allah has put a task on us which is proportional to these earthly
possessions. As such, we are accountable for all these bounties.
We believe in the Day of Judgement when we would be questioned
as to how we utilized all these bounties. It is, therefore, necessary
for those having much in this life to fear Allah more than some
one who had very little. Because, he had to testify how he obtained
his possessions and how he spent those. On the other hand, a person
who did not have any earthly possessions, would not face such problems
in Akhira. Even a person has to testify how his different organs of
the body were utilized, in halal way or haram (forbidden) way.
To us, Muslims, this earthly life is only a short stop-over. The
larger part awaits us in the Hereafter. As such, every good action
that we do is a charity to our souls only, and every sin we do is
going to be against our souls, too. Islam, however, teaches us that
Allah is the Most Merciful, His Mercy outweighs His anger. As such,
He will forgive every sin, except Association with Him (e.g., the
idea that Jesus is God, or His son, or someone shares in His
Divinity, etc. are not going to be forgiven). The door of repentance,
according to Islam, is always open for anyone. When a person whole-
heartedly asks forgiveness from Allah, he will be forgiven, and he
becomes sinless (provided he does not commit the same vices again).

Allah's knowledge of the future, does not make Him any less Merciful
when a certain person goes astray. As the Creator, He knows every-
thing about all His creation. But He gave us (the human beings and
jinn) the choice to either accept or reject, to either do good or
bad. In Islamic liturgy there is a small story about how Allah
preserved  the Qur'an before even the creation of Adam,
the first man created. In His knowledge, He knew exactly what the
children of Adam, including Adam (forgetting His commandment) would
do before their very existence. But in His infinite Mercy, He
provided us with immense bounties, to open up our mind and accept
His guidance. Can one deny the bounties of our Lord?

FABI AY-YI 'ALA YEE RABBI KUMA 'TUKAZZIBAN.
FABI AY-YI 'ALA YEE RABBI KUMA 'TUKAZZIBAN.
FABI AY-YI 'ALA YEE RABBI KUMA 'TUKAZZIBAN.

----------------------
I shall end my response with a quotation from the Gospel of Barnabas
where 'Isa alaihe was-salam (Jesus) is reported to have said:

"So secret is predestination, O brethren, that I say unto you, verily,
only to one man shall it be clearly known. He it is whom the
nations look for, to whom the secrets of God are clear that, when he
cometh into the world, blessed shall they be that shall listen to his
words, because God shall overshadow them with His mercy even as this
palm-shadow overshadoweth us. ..He is Mohammed, messenger of God.." (ch.
163) Isa AWS then said, "I will accordingly tell you now that little,
which God hath granted me to know concerning this same predestination...
What can predestination mean but an absolute will to give an end
to a thing whereof one hath means in hand? For without the means one
cannot destine an end. ..No more, then, I tell you, is predestination,
taking away the free will that God hath given to man of His pure
bounty, the law of God." (ch. 164) He then went on to say that those
Pharisees who say that he who is elect cannot be reprobate and vice
versa are 'faithful servants of satan.' In ch. 165, he is reported to
have quoted a verse from Hosea (Old T.), "I (God) will call a people
not elect, I will call them elect." (referring probably to the transfer
of authority from bani-Israel to bani-Ismail). In ch. 166, Jesus is
reported to have said, "Accordingly, I say unto you verily that pre-
destination hath for its foundation the law of God and human free will.
. Our God willeth, I say, to pursue with His mercy man's free will,
and willeth not to forsake the creature with his omnipotence. And so
on the Day of judgement none will be able to make any excuse for their
sins, seeing that it will then be manifest to them how much God hath
done for their conversion, and how often He hath called them to repen-
tance." In conclusion, Jesus is reported to have said, "Therefore, I
say unto you, the manner of predestination is not manifest to men,
albeit the fact is true, as I have told you." (ch. 167)

Was-salam, with peace. May you find the truth you are seeking and
be guided to the truth. Amen.

- Habib Siddiqui.

Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam