What is the belief of the Jabriyyah and how to respond to them with the doubt that Allah decreed the decrees a long time before the creation of the heavens and the earth, so how can it be said that
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The questioner : He said: We hope you will clarify the belief of the Jabriyyah and how to respond to them with the doubt that Allah decreed the decrees a long time before the creation of the heavens and the earth, so how can it be said that man has free will in his actions, such as obedience and disobedience?
The Shaykh : The issue is actually easy for one who has comprehensive knowledge of the decrees of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that precede events. If we examine any event that has occurred, we have no doubt that this reality is what was previously recorded in the Preserved Tablet before it happened. Let us give some examples of this:
The intentional killer, the accidental killer, the correct jurist, and the mistaken jurist. So-and-so killed intentionally; what is written in the Preserved Tablet? That he will kill intentionally. The other killed accidentally; what was written in the Preserved Tablet? Will he kill intentionally or accidentally? There is no doubt that the divine decree precedes events, and with His eternal, preceding knowledge, Blessed and Exalted is He, He reveals these events and records them in the Preserved Tablet before they occur. So, just as they happened, they were recorded. And at that point, we say: Did the intentional killer kill by his choice or by compulsion? And conversely, did the accidental killer also kill by his choice or against his will?!
The answer will come: The first killer killed by his choice, and the second killer killed against his will, not by his choice. So, because our Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, informed us of the decree that preceded the recording of all created things, and because we know this reality, will our knowledge of this reality compel us to change our knowledge of this reality? We said that one of the killers killed by his choice. So, do we say that he killed against his will because we believe that it was previously written in the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that he would kill? Our answer is that it was previously written in the Book of Allah that he would kill by his choice. Therefore, choice is established in the decree exactly as compulsion is. And so, as a very obvious result, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) punishes the intentional killer and does not punish the accidental killer, because the intentional killer killed by his choice. Therefore, choice cannot be denied merely on the basis of the belief that this killing was recorded in the Preserved Tablet. But we should remember that what was recorded in the Preserved Tablet will occur with complete precision. And we have said that what occurred happened by his choice. Is this in accordance with the divine decree or contrary to it? It is in accordance with the divine decree.
Therefore, those who hold to compulsion (jabr) contradict the divine decree. They want to equate what was written in the Preserved Tablet and in the divine decree, whether by choice or by compulsion. For this reason, the Shari'ah, the law, and reason distinguish between one who has choice in something and one who does not. The basis of religious obligation is the existence of choice. If choice is absent, religious obligation is absent. So, the claim of compulsion negates the decree, while they want to establish compulsion because it is established in the decree. The decree is of two types:
Recorded by choice that he will do such-and-such, and recorded by compulsion that he will do such-and-such.
So, their claim of compulsion, relying on divine decree and destiny, turns the argument back on them contrary to what they claim.
And there is a witty remark by some of the witty ones:
If the Jabri says to you: Everything a person does is compelled because it is written in the Preserved Tablet and it must happen, say to him: Is the compelled person accountable and obligated? He will say to you: No. So, let him say this misguidance, unless you slap him on the cheek, for example. He will say: Brother, why did you hit me? You say to him: Compelled. Compelled is the most foolish thing to say. And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created man in the best of forms.
So I say, for example: Where is the compulsion? I am now speaking with you; am I choosing or am I compelled? If I say I am compelled, hey, hey, compelled to be silent, hey, I am speaking with you. Where is the alleged compulsion?!
So Allah (Mighty and Majestic), the Most Wise of the wise, created man and enabled him to do good just as He enabled him to do evil. And therefore He said:[Al-Kahf 18:29] : So human will includes both good and evil.
And in the Preserved Tablet, it is written in precise detail what will befall every obligated person in this worldly life. If he does something evil by his choice, he will be held accountable. And if he does something evil under compulsion, he will not be held accountable and will not be punished. And there is no evil greater than disbelief in faith. And yet, our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) has distinguished between one who disbelieves by choice and one who disbelieves under compulsion.
The Shaykh : The issue is actually easy for one who has comprehensive knowledge of the decrees of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that precede events. If we examine any event that has occurred, we have no doubt that this reality is what was previously recorded in the Preserved Tablet before it happened. Let us give some examples of this:
The intentional killer, the accidental killer, the correct jurist, and the mistaken jurist. So-and-so killed intentionally; what is written in the Preserved Tablet? That he will kill intentionally. The other killed accidentally; what was written in the Preserved Tablet? Will he kill intentionally or accidentally? There is no doubt that the divine decree precedes events, and with His eternal, preceding knowledge, Blessed and Exalted is He, He reveals these events and records them in the Preserved Tablet before they occur. So, just as they happened, they were recorded. And at that point, we say: Did the intentional killer kill by his choice or by compulsion? And conversely, did the accidental killer also kill by his choice or against his will?!
The answer will come: The first killer killed by his choice, and the second killer killed against his will, not by his choice. So, because our Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, informed us of the decree that preceded the recording of all created things, and because we know this reality, will our knowledge of this reality compel us to change our knowledge of this reality? We said that one of the killers killed by his choice. So, do we say that he killed against his will because we believe that it was previously written in the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that he would kill? Our answer is that it was previously written in the Book of Allah that he would kill by his choice. Therefore, choice is established in the decree exactly as compulsion is. And so, as a very obvious result, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) punishes the intentional killer and does not punish the accidental killer, because the intentional killer killed by his choice. Therefore, choice cannot be denied merely on the basis of the belief that this killing was recorded in the Preserved Tablet. But we should remember that what was recorded in the Preserved Tablet will occur with complete precision. And we have said that what occurred happened by his choice. Is this in accordance with the divine decree or contrary to it? It is in accordance with the divine decree.
Therefore, those who hold to compulsion (jabr) contradict the divine decree. They want to equate what was written in the Preserved Tablet and in the divine decree, whether by choice or by compulsion. For this reason, the Shari'ah, the law, and reason distinguish between one who has choice in something and one who does not. The basis of religious obligation is the existence of choice. If choice is absent, religious obligation is absent. So, the claim of compulsion negates the decree, while they want to establish compulsion because it is established in the decree. The decree is of two types:
Recorded by choice that he will do such-and-such, and recorded by compulsion that he will do such-and-such.
So, their claim of compulsion, relying on divine decree and destiny, turns the argument back on them contrary to what they claim.
And there is a witty remark by some of the witty ones:
If the Jabri says to you: Everything a person does is compelled because it is written in the Preserved Tablet and it must happen, say to him: Is the compelled person accountable and obligated? He will say to you: No. So, let him say this misguidance, unless you slap him on the cheek, for example. He will say: Brother, why did you hit me? You say to him: Compelled. Compelled is the most foolish thing to say. And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created man in the best of forms.
So I say, for example: Where is the compulsion? I am now speaking with you; am I choosing or am I compelled? If I say I am compelled, hey, hey, compelled to be silent, hey, I am speaking with you. Where is the alleged compulsion?!
So Allah (Mighty and Majestic), the Most Wise of the wise, created man and enabled him to do good just as He enabled him to do evil. And therefore He said:
so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve
فمن شاء فليؤمن ومن شاء فليكفرAnd in the Preserved Tablet, it is written in precise detail what will befall every obligated person in this worldly life. If he does something evil by his choice, he will be held accountable. And if he does something evil under compulsion, he will not be held accountable and will not be punished. And there is no evil greater than disbelief in faith. And yet, our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) has distinguished between one who disbelieves by choice and one who disbelieves under compulsion.