Qadar (Divine Determining)

First Topic

The answer: Because unbelief, rebellion, and evil are destructive and imply the destruction of something. A single conceptual matter, amr-i itibārī, or a single omission, may lead to vast destruction and endless forms of non-existence. For example, if the captain of a ship fails to perform his duty, a great ship may sink, and all the work and effort of the crew may be lost. This entire destruction can be traced back to one single omission.

Likewise, man’s free will, which belongs only to relative matters, may cause unbelief and sins, because these are by nature destructive and do not possess real existence. Although unbelief appears to be only one evil act, it has far-reaching consequences. For an unbeliever insults the entire universe by regarding it as worthless and meaningless. He denies the functions of creation, which display the unity of Allah, and belittles the manifestations of the divine names.

Therefore, it is absolute wisdom that Allah, in the name of the entire universe, creation, and His divine names, severely reproaches the unbelievers and directs terrible threats toward them. Likewise, it is absolute justice that He punishes them with eternal punishment.

Since man, through unbelief and sins, stands on the side of destruction, he can cause enormous harm with a small act. Therefore, the believers need the great support and help of Allah against such people.

Suppose ten strong men are responsible for protecting and repairing a house. If a mischievous child tries to set it on fire, those men would be compelled to seek support and help from the guardian of that child, or even from the sultan. Likewise, the believers need much support and help in order to stand firm against such shameless and rebellious people.

In short, if the one who speaks about Qadar and free will is a perfect believer who realizes that he is always under the gaze of Allah, then he entrusts both himself and the universe to Allah, knowing that everything is under His governance. In that case, he has the right to speak about Qadar and free will.

Since he attributes everything, including himself, to Allah, he accepts responsibility by acknowledging his actions through his free will. He recognizes that sins come from himself and glorifies Allah. In this way, he remains within the bounds of servanthood and takes on his responsibility. Moreover, he keeps Qadar in mind so that he does not become proud of his perfections and good deeds, and he turns his arrogance into gratitude. When he is struck by a calamity, he sees Qadar in it and practices patience.

But if the one who speaks about Qadar and free will is a heedless person, then he has no right to speak about them. For his nafs-i ammāra, through heedlessness or misguidance, attributes the universe to causes. He assigns to them what belongs to Allah and claims ownership of himself for himself. He attributes his actions to himself and to those causes, then shifts responsibility and blame onto Qadar.

In that case, discussing free will, which ultimately belongs to Allah, and Qadar, which should only be considered at the very end, becomes meaningless. It is merely a trick of the nafs to escape responsibility and blame altogether, contradicting the wisdom behind Qadar and free will.