Answering question on Fate

In the Name of Allah,

"Assalam Alaikum Adnan,


I did not comprehend the explanation to the first question at all. Please elaborate in simple words especially the second paragraph, it is very confusing?
Thanks from another struggling muslim!"

I received the above question in response to an earlier post below.

http://islamexplains.blogspot.com/2010/06/concept-of-time-fate-and-free-will.html

First of all, I am very glad that atleast one person read my email, and tried to understand it.

So, let me try to clarify my earlier explaination about Fate.

I would like to setup the background for the answer. So, Allah is the creator, which means nothing created him, and he doesn't depend upon anything. Everything else that exist is created by him. True nature of Allah cannot be understood by the creation, but he has revealed alot of information about himslef through his Messengers.

مُتَّكِـِٔينَ عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ۬ مَّصۡفُوفَةٍ۬‌ۖ وَزَوَّجۡنَـٰهُم بِحُورٍ عِينٍ۬٠


"Reclining on ranged couches. And we wed them unto fair ones with wide, lovely eyes." (Quran 52:20)


"Praise be to Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who appointeth the angels messengers having wings two, three and four. He multiplieth in creation what He will. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things." (35:1)


Abu Tha’labah al-Khushani said: “The Messenger of Allaah said: ‘The jinn are of three types: a types that has wings, and they fly through the air; a type that looks like snakes and dogs; and a type that stops for a rest then resumes its journey.” [Shaykh al-Albaani said in al-Mishkaat (2/1206, no. 4148): al-Tahhaawi and Abu’l-Shaykh reported it with a saheeh isnaad]

Allah created several types of creations. Some are intelligent among them. Out of the intelligent ones, there are two categories, one is created with free will, other without. Malaikaa (Angels) and Hoorin A'yn (perfectly obedient servants in Paradise) are the ones mentioned who don't have free will.  By the way, there is a misconception that Hoorayn are females. I have not seen any evidence for that. They are companions which some people translate to females. Jinnat (Deamons), and Insaan (Humans) are the ones with free will. There is also another category of creation that can only think with the permission of Allah like earth, will, on the day of judgement.

In fact, everything Allah created is Muslim, including stones, trees, sun, moon, stars, and they are created in the state of submission to Allah (Islam), and they cannot change their state. For example, stone will not walk and move to a shade. Humans and Jinn are born Muslims, because they have to disobey to become non-muslim, and they are allowed to change their state, and to disobey.

"And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the earth, they said: Wilt thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which ye know not." (Quran 2:30)

Now, Angels and Hoorayn are created in the state of obedience, where they are free to think, but cannot break Allah's commands, as they are created in that fashion. For example, when Adam was created, Angels asked a question, which proves that they can think and are free to make a statement to Allah.

Jinn were created first, and dwelled the earth for a long period of time, and then Humans were created to replace Jinn on earth as leaders. Jinn are restricted to their reality, and are forbidden to intitate control over Humans in normal circumstances. That is why Iblis was mad, and our only sworn enemy, only if we understand.

So, Fate of all creations except Jinn and Humans is easy to understand, as they don't chose. Fate for Jinn and Human is the bigger question. In fact only confusion is how can we have a choice, when what we will chose is already known. No Muslim denies that Allah has knowledge of events before they occur. Question remains whether Humans and Jinns are going to be judged on something that Allah decided for us.

First of all, Allah is the most perfect Judge, and he will never punish us, if we did not chose to commit dis-obedience, freely. On the contrary, his Mercy superceeds his Anger, and he will forgive our sins, IF AND ONLY IF we repent (this is another discussion). Ah! I pitty ones that are proud on their sins, and yet expect forgiveness.

Fate is the information Allah preserved in the "Loh-e-Mahfooz", but knowing the outcome by third party doesn't remove free will. Now, if we all can read our fate, then there will be no free will. Guess what! Not knowing the future is the favour from Allah to give us a choice.

For example, if you see a man jumping from a very tall building, you can turn around and tell your friend "Man! He will die". Now, you are most likely correct, but you are not God, so your calculation could be wrong, and the person may live. Does that mean you pushed this man? NO. It just means that, with your experience, you can tell with a certainity that this person's actions are taking him to death.

So, Allah's experience is infinitely perfect, and he can predict accurately what will be the outcome of all the choices we make, but we are free to make that choice. Alternative would be that our free will depends upon him not knowing, which is not even true for humans in the above example. Knowing doesn't equate to deciding.

However, If he wanted, Allah can certainly chose for us and punish yes for something he decided, and no creation can stop him, right? But, he is kind in nature, and has created us to chose to worship him. If we chose not to worship him, and Go to club and dance with Music at the Salat against his orders, he will punish us.

Last but not least, look around you, and see how much sins humans are comitting, and even Shirk (ask help from someone other than Allah) is being allowed. This proves certainly that either Allah doesn't exist, or Allah has provided us free will. And, we know that he does exist, so we do have the free will.

Being a Muslim means to have faith in Allah, and our faith should be in Allah's Mercy that he will not punish us for something that we were not allowed to chose.

Now, stop all sinning you doing intentionally thinking you don't have free will, and become a practicing Muslim. Just Kidding!!! Do try to change though.

A struggling Muslim
Adnan