Man is both a chooser and one who is guided in this life
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Question:
In her final question, this questioner says: I do not know if it is permissible to ask such a question, or not: Is man a chooser, or is he guided in this life? And may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
He is both a chooser and one who is guided. He is a chooser because he has actions, he has intellect, he has agency, and he has hearing and sight. He chooses good and avoids evil. He eats and drinks by his choice, he avoids what harms him by his choice, and he does what benefits him by his choice. He is guided in the sense that he does not exceed the divine decree. [Yunus:22] And Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Kahf:29] .. [Al-Insan:30] So he has will and choice, [Al-Ma'idah:8] .. [Al-Naml:88] .. [Al-Saff:3] He has action, choice, and will: [Al-Anfal:67] .. [At-Takwir:28-29].
So the will of Allah is effective, and His decree is effective. From this perspective, he is guided; he does not go beyond the decree of Allah. And yet, he is a chooser; he has action, he has will, and he has desire. He does good by his will, and he leaves evil by his will. He eats by his will, and he abstains by his will. He travels by his will, and he stays by his will. He goes out to prayer and to other things by his will, and he sits by his will. For this reason, he deserves punishment for sins, and he deserves reward for acts of obedience. Because he has choice and action, he is rewarded for his prayer, his fasting, his charity, his obedience to Allah, his enjoining of good, and his forbidding of evil. He is rewarded for this if he does it for the sake of Allah.
And he deserves punishment for his sins, such as unlawful sexual intercourse, negligence in prayer, consuming usury or interest, backbiting, talebearing, and so on. So he has action and choice, but in his action and choice, he does not precede the will of Allah, nor does he go beyond the decree of Allah. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good, O His Eminence the Shaykh.
In her final question, this questioner says: I do not know if it is permissible to ask such a question, or not: Is man a chooser, or is he guided in this life? And may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
He is both a chooser and one who is guided. He is a chooser because he has actions, he has intellect, he has agency, and he has hearing and sight. He chooses good and avoids evil. He eats and drinks by his choice, he avoids what harms him by his choice, and he does what benefits him by his choice. He is guided in the sense that he does not exceed the divine decree.
It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea
هُوَ الَّذِي يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِso whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve
فَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِنْ وَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْAnd you do not will except that Allah wills
وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُindeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَHe is Acquainted with that which you do.
خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَفْعَلُونَGreat is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.
كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَقُولُوا مَا لا تَفْعَلُونَSome Muslims desire the commodities of this world, but Allah desires [for you] the Hereafter
تُرِيدُونَ عَرَضَ الدُّنْيَا وَاللَّهُ يُرِيدُ الآخِرَةَ(28) For whoever wills among you to take a right course. (29) And you do not will except that Allah wills
لِمَنْ شَاءَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَقِيمَ * وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُSo the will of Allah is effective, and His decree is effective. From this perspective, he is guided; he does not go beyond the decree of Allah. And yet, he is a chooser; he has action, he has will, and he has desire. He does good by his will, and he leaves evil by his will. He eats by his will, and he abstains by his will. He travels by his will, and he stays by his will. He goes out to prayer and to other things by his will, and he sits by his will. For this reason, he deserves punishment for sins, and he deserves reward for acts of obedience. Because he has choice and action, he is rewarded for his prayer, his fasting, his charity, his obedience to Allah, his enjoining of good, and his forbidding of evil. He is rewarded for this if he does it for the sake of Allah.
And he deserves punishment for his sins, such as unlawful sexual intercourse, negligence in prayer, consuming usury or interest, backbiting, talebearing, and so on. So he has action and choice, but in his action and choice, he does not precede the will of Allah, nor does he go beyond the decree of Allah. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good, O His Eminence the Shaykh.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.