toxic
08-05-05, 01:45 PM
Accountability: Predestination & Our Actions
Question
I have read in a Hadith that when person is still a fetus in mother's womb, an angel is sent to write down his deeds, livelihood, date of death and whether 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?
Answer
The Hadith to which the reader has referred may be given in translation as follows:
"Indeed, the creation of each one of you is brought together in the mother's belly for 40 days in the form of a drop of sperm, then he is a germ-cell for a like period, then an embryonic lump for a like period, then there is sent to him the angel who blows the breath of life into him & who is commanded about four matters: to write down his means of livelihood, his life span, his actions and whether happy or unhappy"
"By Allah, other than whom there is no God, one 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; and one of you behaves 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 he enters it." (Related by Al Bukhari & Muslim.)
It is very important to understand Hadith according to the well-established Islamic principles about life and death, deeds and reward, predetermination 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, the freedom of choice exists beyond any shred of doubt. It takes effect whenever man takes 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 solutions 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 very person's actions in his 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.
Whatever took place a million years ago and what will happen a million years from now, is the same with regard to God's knowledge of them. Some people confuse this knowledge with pre-destination. 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 decision. It is true that God knows what every person chooses even before he makes the choice, but there is no coercion in that matter.
It is the 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.
There are 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. The angel does not record these areas because man has no control over them. What is recorded is what is subject to his free choice. One of these is his deed. In this matter, man is the one who makes the choice. Another in his means is 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 good acts, which the Prophet, peace be upon him, 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 a reference to what God had already written down to be 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 his or her 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 the angel recorded this before his birth, but that recording is based on his [exercise of] 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.
"They pray to Allah, 'Our Lord, let not our hearts become perverse after You have once guided us aright; bestow upon us mercy from Yourself for You are the real Benefactor'!" [The Family Of Imran - "Al-Imran" 3: 8]
Islam in Perspective
http://www.ourdialogue.com (javascript:ol('http://www.ourdialogue.com/');)
AB
"For to us will be their return; then it will be for us to call them to account." (Holy Quran 88:25-26)
Question
I have read in a Hadith that when person is still a fetus in mother's womb, an angel is sent to write down his deeds, livelihood, date of death and whether 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?
Answer
The Hadith to which the reader has referred may be given in translation as follows:
"Indeed, the creation of each one of you is brought together in the mother's belly for 40 days in the form of a drop of sperm, then he is a germ-cell for a like period, then an embryonic lump for a like period, then there is sent to him the angel who blows the breath of life into him & who is commanded about four matters: to write down his means of livelihood, his life span, his actions and whether happy or unhappy"
"By Allah, other than whom there is no God, one 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; and one of you behaves 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 he enters it." (Related by Al Bukhari & Muslim.)
It is very important to understand Hadith according to the well-established Islamic principles about life and death, deeds and reward, predetermination 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, the freedom of choice exists beyond any shred of doubt. It takes effect whenever man takes 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 solutions 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 very person's actions in his 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.
Whatever took place a million years ago and what will happen a million years from now, is the same with regard to God's knowledge of them. Some people confuse this knowledge with pre-destination. 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 decision. It is true that God knows what every person chooses even before he makes the choice, but there is no coercion in that matter.
It is the 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.
There are 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. The angel does not record these areas because man has no control over them. What is recorded is what is subject to his free choice. One of these is his deed. In this matter, man is the one who makes the choice. Another in his means is 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 good acts, which the Prophet, peace be upon him, 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 a reference to what God had already written down to be 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 his or her 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 the angel recorded this before his birth, but that recording is based on his [exercise of] 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.
"They pray to Allah, 'Our Lord, let not our hearts become perverse after You have once guided us aright; bestow upon us mercy from Yourself for You are the real Benefactor'!" [The Family Of Imran - "Al-Imran" 3: 8]
Islam in Perspective
http://www.ourdialogue.com (javascript:ol('http://www.ourdialogue.com/');)
AB
"For to us will be their return; then it will be for us to call them to account." (Holy Quran 88:25-26)