Is man in this life compelled or given choice?
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Question:
The following message is from the listener Yunus al-Nur Uthman, who asks and says: I hope you will be kind enough to answer the following question: Is man in this life compelled, or given choice? Please include all the evidence. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Man is both given choice and compelled; he possesses both descriptions. He is given choice because Allah gave him intellect, gave him will, and gave him a desire by which he acts; so he chooses what is beneficial and leaves what is harmful, he chooses good and leaves evil, he chooses what benefits him and leaves what harms him, as the Exalted said: [At-Takwir: 28-29]. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: : [Al-Anfal: 67].
People have will, they have desire, and they have actions. Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ma'idah:8].. [An-Nur:30] So they have actions, they have wills, and they have desires; they are given the choice. If they do good, they deserve the reward from Allah, which is a favor from Him . If they do evil, they deserve the punishment. So if they perform acts of obedience, they do so by their own choice, and they have the reward for them. If they commit sins, they do so by their own choice, and they bear the burden and the sin of them. The divine decree passes over them; they are also moved by a prior decree. He (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Yunus:22].
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Muwatta Malik 46:4. The Exalted said: [Al-Hadid: 22]. He (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [At-Taghabun: 11].
When Jibril asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about faith, he said:Sahih Muslim 8a. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . So Allah decreed things in advance, and He knew the people of Paradise and the people of the Fire, and He decreed good and evil, obedience and sins. Every person proceeds in what Allah has decreed for him, and everyone is facilitated for what he was created for.
In the two Sahihs, it is reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said to his companions one day:Sahih al-Bukhari 4945. They said: O Messenger of Allah, then what is the work for? What is the work for? Meaning: since our seats are known from Paradise and the Fire, what is the work for? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 4949. Then he recited His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Layl: 5-10].
So you, O servant of Allah, you have to work, and you will not go beyond the decree of Allah . You have to work, strive in the obedience of Allah, and ask your Lord for success. You have to beware of what harms you and ask your Lord for assistance in that. You are made easy for what you were created for; everyone is made easy for what he was created for. We ask Allah for guidance and success for everyone. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
The following message is from the listener Yunus al-Nur Uthman, who asks and says: I hope you will be kind enough to answer the following question: Is man in this life compelled, or given choice? Please include all the evidence. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Man is both given choice and compelled; he possesses both descriptions. He is given choice because Allah gave him intellect, gave him will, and gave him a desire by which he acts; so he chooses what is beneficial and leaves what is harmful, he chooses good and leaves evil, he chooses what benefits him and leaves what harms him, as the Exalted said:
(28) For whoever wills among you to take a right course. (29) And you do not will except that Allah wills - Lord of the worlds.
لِمَنْ شَاءَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَقِيمَ وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَSome Muslims desire the commodities of this world, but Allah desires [for you] the Hereafter
تُرِيدُونَ عَرَضَ الدُّنْيَا وَاللَّهُ يُرِيدُ الآخِرَةَPeople have will, they have desire, and they have actions. Allah the Exalted said:
indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَIndeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَIt is He who enables you to travel on land and sea
هُوَ الَّذِي يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِThe Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Everything is by decree - even incapacity and ability
كل شيء بقدر، حتى العجز، والكيسNo disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being
مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَبْرَأَهَاNo disaster strikes except by permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah - He will guide his heart
مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُWhen Jibril asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about faith, he said:
That you affirm your faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the Divine Decree about good and evil.
الإيمان أن تؤمن بالله، وملائكته، وكتبه، ورسله، واليوم الآخر، وتؤمن بالقدر خيره وشرهIndeed, Allah decreed the destinies of the creatures fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and His Throne is over the water.
إن الله قدر مقادير الخلائق قبل أن يخلق السماوات والأرض بخمسين ألف سنة، وعرشه على الماءIn the two Sahihs, it is reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said to his companions one day:
There is none of you but has his place written for him in Paradise or in the Hell- Fire.
ما منكم من أحد إلا وقد بين مقعده من الجنة، ومقعده من النارCarry on doing (good) deeds, for everybody will find easy to do such deeds as will lead him to his destined place for which he has been created. So he who is destined to be among the happy (in the Hereafter), will find it easy to do the deeds characteristic of such people, while he who is destined to be among the miserable ones, will find it easy to do the deeds characteristic of such people.
اعملوا فكل ميسر لما خلق له، أما أهل السعادة فييسرون لعمل أهل السعادة، وأما الشقاوة فييسرون لعمل أهل الشقاوة(5) As for he who gives and fears Allah (6) And believes in the best [reward], (7) We will ease him toward ease. (8) But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need (9) And denies the best [reward],
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَىSo you, O servant of Allah, you have to work, and you will not go beyond the decree of Allah . You have to work, strive in the obedience of Allah, and ask your Lord for success. You have to beware of what harms you and ask your Lord for assistance in that. You are made easy for what you were created for; everyone is made easy for what he was created for. We ask Allah for guidance and success for everyone. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.