Brunei HAVE NO FEAR! HAVE YOUR SAY!

FREE WILL AND BELIEF IN GOD

A few points on Islamic point of view on free will and good and evil acts

1. God created man with certain powers which he could exercise under certain limitations. It is the exercise of these powers in one way or another that produce good or evil. For example power of speech, man can use this power to do good or bad to humanity using this power, to utter a truth or slander.

2. According to the holy Quran, God is the first and ultimate cause of all things. But this does not mean that He is the creator of the deeds of man. God is the creator of man. God has endowed man with discretion to choose how to act, which he can exercise under certain limitations and only in accordance with certain laws.

Thus the holy Quran says, “The truth is from your Lord: So let him who pleases accept (it) and let him who pleases reject (it) Chapter 18: Verse 29. This means man can exercise his discretion or his will in doing a thing or not doing it. But he is responsible for his own deeds and is made to suffer the consequences.

3. Another verse of the Quran says “Surely We (God) have shown him (man) the way, he may accept or reject” Chapter 76: Verse 3 and again “The truth is from your Lord. So let him who pleases believe and let him who pleases disbelieve.” Chapter 18: Verse 29”

“A man asked Imam Al-Shafi’I ( Baghdad 819 AC) three questions before he considered believing in the existence Of God.

1. If I am to believe in the existence of God, I must see HIM. Can I see your God?

2. You say God is the cause of all and that not an atom moves without his knowledge. Is it proper for God to punish me for my wrongs?

3. According to you, God would throw Satan into hell fire. Can the hell fire pain Satan who was created of fire?

Words were inadequate to convince this fool; hence Imam Al-Shafi’i used more convincing methods. He picked up a stone and threw it at the man, causing him to bleed. The man complained to the Judge who summoned al-Shafi’i.

Al-Shafi’i explained to the judge that his act of throwing the stone and injuring him gave the answers to the man’s questions.

ANSWERS:

QN: 1 If the man could not believe in God without seeing Him, he could not have suffered PAIN WITHOUT SEEING PAIN. Ask him whether he saw PAIN.

QN: 2 If God is the cause of ALL ACTS, my act of throwing the stone was also the act of God. So why should I be charged for hurting the man?

QN: 3 Man was originally made of clay. The stone that hit him was also made of clay. How is it possible for the clay to hurt the one made of clay?”

This post was submitted by pa.amin.