Qadar

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


O Wael, u sure like to do this to me :nervous: , when I m enjoying watching, you like to get me involved.


Jazakum Allah khairan brother..


Ok, Insh aAllah will come to it later on. I know we have a lot of threads on it. :)

[wel_mel_2]

Bismillah:

Bismillah


O Wael, u sure like to do this to me :nervous: , when I m enjoying watching, you like to get me involved.


Jazakum Allah khairan brother..

You are the best in dealing with such questions, i better sit down for a while and learn more from you. May Allah reward you. :)


Salam


Wael.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


O dont say that, Astaghfarullah, :76: O Allah Dont blame me for what they say, and dont blame me for what they dont know, and Makes me better than what they think of me..

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


as salam alykom FHC


In regard to the issue of predestination, may Allah Support me to give the correct answer, forgive me if I err, and Allow u to understand well.


You said: <b>Thanks for believing me Is it Allah's will that I be a Christian? Muslims hold a very strong belief in predestination, right? Perhaps I'm the way I am because that's what Allah decrees. Yes or no??? I have no idea!!!
</b>


Now let us go hand in hand to dig into the point you raised. In fact , yes, Allah Has knowledge of what we do, say, think what we conceal and what we reveal. How come then Allah Judges us for our deeds?.


I will make an analogy, keep in mind that this is only to make things easier to understand. You feel that according to this situation, we don’t really have a free will and everything is recorded ahead. No we do have a free will and we make our choices, early enough even before our creation. Read what Allah Say:


“: And (remember) when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed (or from Adam's loin his offspring) and made them testify as to themselves (saying): "Am I not your Lord?" They said: "Yes! We testify," lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: "Verily, we have been unaware of this." (Quran 7:172). See Allah Brought us when we were still just clots long before our creation and made us testify that we accept Allah as our Lord.


I don’t want to stress this point now to minimize your confusion.


Now when a father enters the room of his son/daughter who is supposed to be studying to find the child playing on the Internet or watching TV, when exams are only 2 days to go. In case this has been the usual attitude of the child throughout the academic year, the father will likely make such a comment as O btw you are not going to make it. You will certainly fail the exams.


Same thing, look at a mother having her 3 or 4 year old child around. The child has been warned against touching certain things, the child is approaching those things and looking at the mother. The mother lets the child go ahead telling him/her, you are going to hurt yourself and I m going to spank you. The child hurts him/herself, mother certainly spanks the child.


Another example, a teacher who is monitoring the performance of a certain student, close to the exams, the teacher announces among all other students that this particular student is going to be an A student.


How did all this happen? Knowledge of each person on each given situation. The father thru monitoring the attitude of the child who is watching TV or playing on the Internet knows quite ahead that this will lead to failure. But did he make him fail? I mean did he force the child not to study and play instead? No it was the child’s choice.


The mother taught the child about those harmful things, she did mention it a number of times and explained it well, she is watching the child about to do it, thus, she knows the expected result. But did she force the child to do it, no thus, the child deserves the punishment.


The last example, the teacher can easily guess thru knowledge and experience that due to this performance, the student will be an A student. Again did he make him/her so? No but rather the student made a choice, a decision to excel, took the correct path to do so, make every possible effort to achieve this result. But it was never thru any force/ assistance/ influence from an exterior factor.


If Allah Granted those elements (the examples included above) such knowledge thru Allah’s Knowledge Who is the all Knowing. How about Allah? Through Allah’s Knowledge, Allah Knows ahead what we are bound to do/ say/ attempt and all that. Allah very carefully, specifically, and in a detailed manner taught us very well and equipped us with all necessary arms to fight our battle against either shaytan or self. Those two elements that are source of evil. Of course the self can be also a source of good depending on how you train it. Allah Taught us how to train ourselves in order to suppress the evil inspiration, how to fight shaytan, in order to maintain being on the correct path. Some of us does succeed others don’t. But Did Allah Force us to choose either path? No. does Allah Know quite ahead what we are going to do? Yes He Does. Because He is the All Knowing. Just like the mother, father or teacher in the three examples above.


Thus, we can conclude, that Allah Knows what we are going to do, say, think, feel, through Allah’s Name The All Knowing. However, Allah Does not Force us do this which makes us fully responsible for our actions and thus deserve either reward or punishment.


In your case, yes Allah Knows you are Nasarania (Christian), although this is not what Allah Commanded you to be or Wants you to be. Yet, you are allowed a place on earth, benefit of Allah's countless blessings, allowed a chance to interact with Muslims and understand..


You have the choice, it is your call. You yourself is a living example that man is blessed with the trust. The trust which is to believe or not, to obey or not.


Allah Say in Quran: "Truly, We did offer the trust and moral responsibility (which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it (i.e. afraid of Allah's Torment). But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust (to himself) and ignorant (of its results)." (Quran 32:73)


See the trust we accepted made us responsible for our choices, or else how Will Allah Subject us to judgement? logical.

[Faith Hope Charity]

Glory to God!


Salam Muslimah :peace:


Your reply was extremely informative & helpful. Thank you, Darling :)


Let me get this straight...


* Allah is Omniscient, however, He doesn't decree our lives - we do through the Allah-given gift of freewill.


* All that is good comes from Allah & all that is bad comes from al-Shaytan & human beings.


I hope I summed it up right :unsure:


One more question (I apologize for taking up so much of your time)... Do you have any idea why Allah created al-Shaytan?


May Allah grant you abundant blessings!!!

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Salam FHC


Sorry my reply was for the post before that when u asked me how come Allah Sends a Prophet after sending his only son. However, what i meant is that I addressed the point u asked for. If u want to discuss the son issue with me personally, i m ready.


I know what u mean.


Now pls stop saying that ur taking my time, my time is being invested and blessed, these are my favourit topics
Excellent question u posed here.


Having a free will, the ability to choose, is what distinguishes mankind from other creature. Angles for instance are created to only obey, mountains, skies as u read in the Ayah. We on the other hand choose.


What makes a test? is it to have things well arranged in order and easy and simply to walk thru? why do u sit for exams thru the educational system? why do u get difficult questions? to verify how far you acquired knowledge. Likewise, if there was no shaytan, we wouldnt have been having to be going thru a test, a judgement day would have been obsolete. Right? Mind u Shaytan is not the only negative force that we must fight, but rather ourselves as well.


For instance, if i tell u right now, Islam is the correct religion, Allah Is One, no sons, no incarnate, and Mohamed is His final Messenger. What would your reaction be?????

[Faith Hope Charity]

In the Name of God - Father Son Holy Spirit.


May the peace of Christ be with you all!

Sorry my reply was for the post before that when u asked me how come Allah Sends a Prophet after sending his only son. However, what i meant is that I addressed the point u asked for. If u want to discuss the son issue with me personally, i m ready.

Hehe! TC asked that question, not me!

Now pls stop saying that ur taking my time, my time is being invested and blessed, these are my favourit topics

I'm grateful for everything, Sister! I pray that Allah is pleased with you.

Having a free will, the ability to choose, is what distinguishes mankind from other creature. Angles for instance are created to only obey, mountains, skies as u read in the Ayah. We on the other hand choose.


What makes a test? is it to have things well arranged in order and easy and simply to walk thru? why do u sit for exams thru the educational system? why do u get difficult questions? to verify how far you acquired knowledge. Likewise, if there was no shaytan, we wouldnt have been having to be going thru a test, a judgement day would have been obsolete. Right? Mind u Shaytan is not the only negative force that we must fight, but rather ourselves as well.

Does Allah control the devil & his ways of temptation? Can Allah intercede for us during our trial?

For instance, if i tell u right now, Islam is the correct religion, Allah Is One, no sons, no incarnate, and Mohamed is His final Messenger. What would your reaction be?????

Hmmm... My reaction would probably be the same as yours if I were to tell you right now that Three Divine Persons subsist in the One True God, & humanity was redeemed through the Incarnation, & St John the Baptist is the last prophet.


Insh a Allah, we'll all pass our individual tests :)

[Faith Hope Charity]

In the Name of God - Father Son Holy Spirit.


May the peace of Jesus Christ be with you!

Allah created us for only one purpose and that is to worship him. He state in Quran: <b>"I have only created Jinns and men that they may worship Me; no support do I require from them nor do I require that they should feed Me." </b> (Chapter 51-56-57)


Our Prophet Mohammed pbuh says: <b>“Allah created this whole universe for the benefit of human beings. But He created the human beings for Himself”</b> We are created to adore Him as he adores us, to believe in Him. fear Him and obey His commands. He did not create us for any other purpose.

Thanks Wael!


I'm still confused but I think it'll all start to make sense once you've answered my other questions, Insh a Allah!


In case you're wondering, the main difficulty I'm facing is understanding the concept of evil in Islam. ESPECIALLY NOW!!! If God created us to worship Him, why does evil exist? It's preventing us from carrying out Allah's will.


Interestingly, I was speaking to an apostate yesterday (Alhamdulilah he's still alive) & he told me that the notion of freewill in Islam is absurd & there are numerous Ayats & Hadiths that don't support it. Apparently, it's been introduced very recently & only a tiny minority of Muslims accept it. Muslimah has provided a satisfactory definition of freewill in another thread but I'm curious to know why certain Muslims disregard the idea altogether ??? Does it contradict Islamic tradition in any way? Next time I see him, I'll ask for more info (which Ayats, Hadiths, etc). In the meantime, please feel free to have your say if you wish!


Good night from Australia :) & God bless.

[wel_mel_2]

Bismillah:

In case you're wondering, the main difficulty I'm facing is understanding the concept of evil in Islam. ESPECIALLY NOW!!! If God created us to worship Him, why does evil exist? It's preventing us from carrying out Allah's will.

Ok the answer is taken from <b>Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi</b>, Director of the Islamic Society of Orange County and President of the Islamic Society of North America, he states:

Besides all these negative things that caused by Evil, we also see beauty, health, prosperity, life, birth, wisdom, intelligence, growth and progress. We also see goodness among people, faith, sincerity, charity, love and the spirit of sacrifice. We also see a lot of virtue and piety. So it is wrong to see one side of the coin (Evil) and not to see the other side (goodness). Please also note that it is a fact that the element of good is more in the creation than the element of evil. We all see that there are more people who are healthy than those who are sick. There are more that eat well than those who starve. There are more that lead decent life than those who commit crimes. Goodness is the rule and evil is the exception. Virtue is the norm and sin is the aberration. Generally trees bear fruits, the flowers bloom, the winds move smoothly.
But then the question is why does Allah allow these exceptions to the rules?


Let us ask this question to understand Allah’s ways in His creation. The Qur’an tells us that good, evil and whatever happens in this world happens by Allah’s Will (mashi’at Allah). Only Allah knows fully His Will. We finite beings cannot grasp fully His infinite Will and Wisdom. He runs His universe the way He deems fit. The Qur’an tells us that Allah is Wise and everything that Allah does is right, just, good and fair. We must submit and surrender to His Will. The Qur’an has not given us all the details about Allah’s Will, but it has enlightened us with the guidance that is useful and sufficient for us. There are several points that we should keep in our mind to understand this issue:


1. First of all, Allah did not make this world a permanent world. This is a temporary world and everything here has a time limit. When its times comes it will die, come to an end and finish. Neither the good things of this world are forever, nor the bad things eternal. We are here for a short time and we are being tested. Those who will pass this test will find an eternal world that is perfect and permanent. Those who will fail this test shall see the evil consequences of their sins and corruption.


2. Allah has placed a physical law and a moral law in this universe. Allah allows suffering to occur when one or more of these laws are broken. The physical law is based on cause and effect. Sickness comes if one does not take care of one’s health or is exposed to infections. A car accident occurs when one is not alert, or drives in a careless manner, or if the cars are not checked, roads and freeways are not made and kept in right shape, or the traffic laws are not right or not properly enforced. Study of causes and effects is very important to facilitate safeguards. Even here we should keep in mind that Allah often saves us and He does not let us suffer from every negligence. How many times it happens that we are not careful and still we reach safely to our destinations. The way people drive in some cities, it is a miracle that more accidents do not happen and more people do not suffer. Allah says:


“(Allah) Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur’an. He has created man: He has taught him speech (and Intelligence). The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed; and the herbs and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration. And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice), in order that you may not transgress (due) balance. So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures." (Ar-Rahman:1-10)


The way we exceed the measures set by Allah and violate His laws of cause and effect is incredible. It is really the mercy of Allah that we are saved. Strictly speaking, the question should not be why does Allah allow suffering, but how much Allah protects us and saves us all the time in spite of our violations and negligence. The Qur’an says:


“If Allah were to punish people according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His sight all His servants." (Fatir:45)


But sometimes Allah does punish people because of their violations of His laws whether they are physical or moral. The Qur’an tells us that many nations and communities were destroyed because of their sinful lifestyles:


“If they treat thy (mission) as false, so did the Peoples before them (with their Prophets), the People of Noah, and Ad and Thamud. Those of Abraham and Lut; and the Companions of the Madyan people; and Moses was rejected (in the same way). But I granted respite to the Unbelievers, and (only) after that did I punish them: but how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! How many populations have We destroyed, which were given to wrong-doing! They tumbled down on their roofs. And how many wells are lying idle and neglected, and castles lofty and well-built?" (Al-Hajj: 42-45)


3. Suffering can also be a test and trial for some people. Allah allows some people to suffer in order to test their patience and steadfastness. Even Allah’s Prophets and Messengers were made to suffer. Prophet Ayyub is mentioned in the Qur’an as a Prophet who was very patient. Good people sometimes suffer but their sufferings heal others and bring goodness to their communities. People learn lessons from their good examples. Martyrs die for their faith, soldiers give their lives for their nations and this brings liberation and freedom for their people.


4. Allah sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others, how they react to them. When you see a person who is sick, poor and needy, then you are tested by Allah. Allah is there with that suffering person to test your charity and your faith. In a very moving Hadith Qudsi (Divine Hadith) the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:


“Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, ‘O son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will say, ‘O my Lord, how could I visit You, when you are the Lord of the Worlds.’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was sick and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me there?’ Allah will say, ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not.’ He shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I feed you and you are the Lord of the Worlds?’ And Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was in need of food and you did not feed him? Did you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that to have been for Me?’ ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me to drink.’ The man shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I give You water, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ Allah will say, ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for water and you did not give him to drink water. Did you not know that if you had given him to drink, you would have found that to have been for Me.’ (Muslim, Hadith no. 4661)


Prophet `Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, is also reported to have said something similar. (See Matthew 25: 35-45)


So to summarize, we can say that sufferings occur to teach us that we must adhere to Allah’s natural and moral laws. It is sometimes to punish those who violate Allah’s natural or moral laws. It is to test our faith in Allah and to test our commitment to human values and charity. Whenever we encounter suffering we should ask ourselves, “Have we broken any law of Allah?” Let us study the cause of the problem and use the corrective methods. “Could it be a punishment?” Let us repent and ask forgiveness and reform our ways. “Could it be a test and trial for us?” Let us work hard to pass this test.


Believers face the sufferings with prayers, repentance and good deeds. The non-believers face the sufferings with doubts and confusions. They blame Allah or make arguments against Him.

Hop this answer your question insh a Allah.

Interestingly, I was speaking to an apostate yesterday (Alhamdulilah he's still alive) & he told me that the notion of freewill in Islam is absurd & there are numerous Ayats & Hadiths that don't support it. Apparently, it's been introduced very recently & only a tiny minority of Muslims accept it.

Ask him to show the references of those ‘numerous Ayats and Hadiths’ and we may explain them to you if you wish, ask him to provide further proofs regarding this "tiny minority of Muslims accept the notion of free will” and that the majority reject it… !!!

Muslimah has provided a satisfactory definition of freewill in another thread but I'm curious to know why certain Muslims disregard the idea altogether ???

I never knew of any Muslim who disregard this idea… in fact this idea is totally against the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Does it contradict Islamic tradition in any way? Next time I see him, I'll ask for more info (which Ayats, Hadiths, etc). In the meantime, please feel free to have your say if you wish!

If the idea of free will is against the teaching of Islam, then why God Almighty said in the Qur’an:


<b>“Neither according to your desires, nor according to the desires of the People of the Book, whosoever will do evil will be requited accordingly and shall not find beside Allah any protector or helper. If any do deeds of righteousness, be they male or female, and have faith, they will enter heaven and not the least injustice will be done to them.”</b> (chapter 4: 123-124)


<b>“This because Allah does never change a favor that He has conferred upon a people until they change their own condition...”</b> (al-Anfal: 53)


<b>“Every person stands pledged for what he has earned.”</b> (at-Tur: 21)


<b>“It is the truth from your Lord; wherefore let his who will, believe, and let him who will, disbelieve.” </b> (al-Kahf: 29)


<b>“This is a reminder. So let him, who will, take a way unto his Lord.” </b> (al-Muzzammil: 19)


<b>“And hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord...” </b> (Al `Imran: 133)


<b>“O our people, respond to God’s summoner and believe in him…”</b> (al-Ahqaf: 31)


<b>“Turn to your Lord and submit yourselves to Him...”</b> (az-Zumar: 54)


<b>“Corruption has spread on land and sea because of what people’s hands have wrought.” </b> (ar-Rum: 41)


<b>“Whatever misfortune befalls you is the consequence of what your own hands have wrought. And Allah forgives many of your sins.”</b> (ash-Shura: 30)


<b>“Indeed Allah does not wrong the people at all; it is they wrong their own selves.” </b> (Yunus: 44)


<b> “As for Thamud, We guided them, but they preferred blindness to guidance.” </b> (Fussilat 41:17)


<b>“There is no compulsion in religion. Surely the right way has become distinct from error.” </b> (al-Baqarah: 256)


Please bear in mind that in other places of the Qur’an we can also see that Allah "have power over all things", and that He knows everything and decides everything before even it happens; that doesn’t mean that the Qur’an contradicting each other, it means that Allah’s power and knowledge and human freedom are not mutually exclusive. Whatever freedom we have is granted to us by Allah and we should use it to submit to Him freely and willingly. This is the honor that Allah has given us and for this honor angels were asked by Allah to bow in respect and honor of the progenitor of the human race Adam pbuh…


Salam and good morning from China.


Wael.

[wel_mel_2]

Bismillah:


"And if your Lord had pleased, surely all those who are in the earth would have believed, all of them; <b>will you then force men till they become believers?" </b> (Yunus: 99)


Salam


Wael.