Is man compelled or given choice?
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Q: Is man compelled or given choice?
A: Man is both compelled and facilitated, and he is given choice. He is compelled and facilitated according to what has passed of Allah's decree, for Allah decreed the decrees and determined what would happen in the universe fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth. He decreed every thing , and His knowledge preceded every thing, as He said : [Al-Qamar: 49], and He the Exalted said: [Al-Hadid: 22], and He the Mighty and Majestic said in His great Book: [Al-Taghabun: 11].
So all matters have been preceded by the knowledge and decree of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, and every being is compelled and facilitated for what it was created for, as He the Exalted said: [Yunus: 22], and He the Exalted said: and he believed in the best so We will make easy for him the easy path and as for he who was stingy and considered himself self-sufficient, and denied the best, so We will make easy for him the difficult path [Al-Layl: 5 - 10], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih.
And among the six pillars of faith is belief in the divine decree, its good and its evil. So man is facilitated and compelled from this perspective for what he was created for, according to what has passed of Allah's decree; he does not go beyond the decree of Allah, as He the Exalted said: [Yunus: 22]. And he is also given choice from the perspective of the intellect, will, and choice that Allah has given him. Every person has intellect, unless it is taken from him, as in the case of the insane, but the default is intellect. So whoever has intellect is given choice; he is able to do good and evil. Allah the Exalted said: [At-Takwir 81:28] and you do not will except that Allah wills [At-Takwir: 28 - 29], and He the Exalted and Majestic said: [Al-Anfal: 67].
So the servants have will, and they have choice, and they are doers in reality, and Allah is the Creator of their actions, as He the Exalted said: [An-Nur: 53], and He the Exalted said: [An-Nur: 30], and He the Exalted said: [An-Naml: 88]. So the servant has an action, and he has a deed, and he has a work, and Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is the Creator of him and the Creator of his action, his deed, and his work. And He the Mighty and Majestic said: [Al-Muddaththir: 55 - 56], and He the Exalted said: [At-Takwir 81:28] and you do not will except that Allah, the Lord of the worlds, wills [At-Takwir: 28 - 29].
So every person has choice, and he has will, and he has work, and he has a deed, and he has a choice. And for this reason he is burdened with obligations. He is commanded to obey Allah and His Messenger, and to leave what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden. He is commanded to perform the obligatory acts and to leave the forbidden acts. He is commanded to be just with his brothers and not to oppress. So he is commanded to do these things. And he has the ability, and he has the choice, and he has the will. So he is the one who prays, and he is the one who fasts, and he is the one who commits unlawful sexual intercourse, and he is the one who steals, and so on in all actions. He is the one who eats, and he is the one who drinks.
So he is accountable for all these things, because he has choice and he has will. So he is given choice from this perspective, because Allah has given him intellect, will, choice, and action. So he is facilitated and given choice, and he is compelled from the perspective of what has passed of Allah's decree. So he should heed the decree and say: [Al-Baqarah: 156] when something happens to him that he dislikes. And he should say, "The decree of Allah, and what He willed, He did." He should take consolation in the decree of Allah. And he should strive against his self and account for it by performing what Allah has made obligatory, and by leaving what Allah has forbidden, by fulfilling the trust, and by fulfilling the rights, and by giving sincere advice to every Muslim. So he is facilitated from the perspective of Allah's decree, and he is given choice from the perspective of the intellect, choice, will, and selection that Allah has given him.
And it is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 4945 So some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "Then what is the work for, O Messenger of Allah?" So he, may the prayers and peace be upon him, said: Sahih al-Bukhari 4948 Then he, may the prayers and peace be upon him, recited His saying, the Exalted: and he believed in the best so We will make easy for him the easy path and as for he who was stingy and considered himself self-sufficient and denied the best, so We will make easy for him the difficult path [Al-Layl: 5 - 10]. And the verses and hadiths in this meaning are many, and they all indicate what we have mentioned. And success is from Allah.
A: Man is both compelled and facilitated, and he is given choice. He is compelled and facilitated according to what has passed of Allah's decree, for Allah decreed the decrees and determined what would happen in the universe fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth. He decreed every thing , and His knowledge preceded every thing, as He said :
Indeed, all things We created with predestination.
إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَاهُ بِقَدَرٍNo 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 الْأَرْضِ وَلا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلا فِي كِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَبْرَأَهَاNo disaster strikes except by permission of Allah
مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ إِلا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِSo all matters have been preceded by the knowledge and decree of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, and every being is compelled and facilitated for what it was created for, as He the Exalted said:
It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea
هو الَّذِي يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِAs for he who gave and feared Allah
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى Indeed, Allah decreed the destinies of the creatures before He created the heavens and the earth by fifty thousand years, and His Throne was over the water
إن الله قدر مقادير الخلائق قبل أن يخلق السماوات والأرض بخمسين ألف سنة وعرشه على الماءAnd among the six pillars of faith is belief in the divine decree, its good and its evil. So man is facilitated and compelled from this perspective for what he was created for, according to what has passed of Allah's decree; he does not go beyond the decree of Allah, as He the Exalted said:
It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea
هُوَ الَّذِي يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِFor whoever wills among you to take a right course.
لِمَنْ شَاءَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَقِيمَ Some Muslims desire the commodities of this world, but Allah desires [for you] the Hereafter
تُرِيدُونَ عَرَضَ الدُّنْيَا وَاللَّهُ يُرِيدُ الْآخِرَةَSo the servants have will, and they have choice, and they are doers in reality, and Allah is the Creator of their actions, as He 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 يَصْنَعُونَIndeed, He is Acquainted with that which you do.
إِنَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَفْعَلُونَ(55) Then whoever wills will remember it. (56) And they will not remember except that Allah wills. He is worthy of fear and adequate for [granting] forgiveness.
فَمَنْ شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ * وَمَا يَذْكُرُونَ إِلا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُFor whoever wills among you to take a right course.
لِمَنْ شَاءَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَقِيمَ So every person has choice, and he has will, and he has work, and he has a deed, and he has a choice. And for this reason he is burdened with obligations. He is commanded to obey Allah and His Messenger, and to leave what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden. He is commanded to perform the obligatory acts and to leave the forbidden acts. He is commanded to be just with his brothers and not to oppress. So he is commanded to do these things. And he has the ability, and he has the choice, and he has the will. So he is the one who prays, and he is the one who fasts, and he is the one who commits unlawful sexual intercourse, and he is the one who steals, and so on in all actions. He is the one who eats, and he is the one who drinks.
So he is accountable for all these things, because he has choice and he has will. So he is given choice from this perspective, because Allah has given him intellect, will, choice, and action. So he is facilitated and given choice, and he is compelled from the perspective of what has passed of Allah's decree. So he should heed the decree and say:
Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return."
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَAnd it is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
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 علم مقعده من الجنة ومقعده من النارThose who are destined to be happy (in the Hereafter) will find it easy and pleasant to do the deeds characteristic of those destined to happiness, while those who are to be among the miserable (in the Hereafter), will find it easy to do the deeds characteristic of those destined to misery.
اعملوا فكل ميسر لما خلق له، أما أهل السعادة فييسرون لعمل أهل السعادة، وأما أهل الشقاوة فييسرون لعمل أهل الشقاوةAs for he who gave and feared Allah
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.