Monthly Archives: February 2017

Destiny and Choice

Syed Sharfuddin

The debate on the question of divine destiny and choice (Qada wa Qadr) also known as Jabar wa Qadr goes back to the period of the Ummayads and fascinates the student of Islamic history about the possibilities of philosophical interpretation in this area. The debate still goes on and I am not sure if it is everyone’s cup of tea.

As far as I have understood the complicated relationship between destiny and choice, it is like a train which is rolling on the tracks bound for its destination. Its passengers will end up where the train is heading. These passengers can’t change the direction of the train nor can they pull the emergency chain to stop it. However, they are free to choose their coach number and decide where they want to sit or not sit at all. If they want to sit by the window, they will have the advantage of the view outside. If they take the isle seat they will have more leg room and the ease to get in and out quickly. If they decide not to sit at all they can move between one coach to another and meet more passengers.

The train also has a system of announcements. The last three coaches will not open when the train arrives at the destination. Therefore those who do not move to the front coaches closer to arrival will not be able to get down at the station. Ironically, the last three coaches of the train are first class and have free tea/coffee service. They also have reclining chairs for more luxury. The announcement also says that a guard may or may not check their travel rickets but anyone found without ticket or a pass will be heavily fined.

So passengers have a lot of choice to exercise in their journey but their final destination is already decided. They can’t go anywhere else other than where the train will take them. It is now up to the passengers how they want to spend their travel time. Do they befriend everyone or develop divisions amongst those who are seated by the window or by the isle; those who are taking a nap or those who are sitting up; those who are engaged in a conversation and those who are not; and those who are having cakes and ale and those who are saving their appetite for the train to arrive at its destination.

I believe faith is somewhat like this. Our destinies are sealed by the master who is controlling the train but we have the chance to make our journey comfortable through mutual respect and accommodation of our different choices. And we do want to be in the front coaches to get down at the station as soon as the train reaches at its final destination.

The raises two fundamental questions. Is there such a thing as independent choice; and, if so to what extent it is predetermined by destiny. To find an answer let us go to the Quranic text itself instead of relying on philosophical hypothesis.

The style of Quran is to illustrate by contradiction. In the statement “there is no god but God” there is a contradiction. The first four words of this sentence constitute a negation which is tantamount to apostasy. The addition of two further words at the end of the sentence gives an affirmation of God by contradiction. This is done to put emphasis that there is God and He is indeed the only God. Take another example. In Surah Al-Ankaboot (Chapter 29, Verses 2-3) Allah says He tests human beings so that He can distinguish between the truthful and liars.

أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتۡرَكُوٓاْ أَن يَقُولُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمۡ لَا يُفۡتَنُونَ • وَلَقَدۡ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۖ فَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱلۡكَـٰذِبِينَ • أَمۡ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن يَسۡبِقُونَاۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ

Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: “We believe,” and will not be tested. And We indeed tested those who were before them so that Allah will indeed know those who are true, and He will know those who are liars. Or think those who do evil deeds that they can outstrip Allah. Evil is that which they judge!

On the face of it this is a major contradiction. Does Allah, who is omniscient and possessor of all knowledge in the past and in the future need to put human beings to test so that He can know who is truthful and who is deceiving Him. But this is the style of the Quran. What Allah wants is evidence of what humans do so that on the day of resurrection they cannot say they were under duress to do or not to do certain acts for which are being held accountable. In the same way when we discuss the topic of destiny and choice, we usually get side tracked by the contradiction that since Allah has fixed destiny for man, there is no room for free will. This logic leads us to conclude that whatever good deed or sin human beings perform is out of the clockwork that was ordained for them. If a person is a believer or non-believer, criminal or law abiding, peace loving or trouble maker, it was his destiny and he had no role in it. It is the same logic as saying why do we need to say there is no god but God. Why can’t we just say there is God and stop there.

This is not denying the fact that fate and predestination also work in life but when this is played out human beings are not held accountable. For instance, someone who gets murdered in a robbery or is born blind falls in the category of destiny, not choice. Allah tells us in Surah Kahf (Chapter 18 – story of Moses and Khizr) that there are things that happen in the world with His Will in which human beings have little say or control. But for these acts, they will not be held accountable and if at all, they will indeed be compensated in the long run.

As for the choice of birth which includes the choice of family, time, place and the socio-cultural exposure which makes a baby grow up as a Jew, Christian or Muslim, or follower of another religion or no religion, I accept that there is no choice. But Adam was also not given a choice to come or not to come to the earth. His fall was the result of the wrong choice he made in Paradise of eating from the forbidden tree. Likewise, the result of our birth is not our choice but that of our parents meeting and consummating. Therefore, the absence of choice absolves us of any accountability on this score. Our account book opens only when free choices are made by us in life, or to put it in the context of the present discussion, when we have come to the realisation that we are aboard a train heading toward a place from where no one ever returns to repeat this journey.

In the grand scheme of things of universe what we consider free will may not be free will. Comin back to the analogy of the train, a passenger walking from East to West while the train is headed toward East will make no difference to the speed or direction of the train. But there will be evidence in the CCTV camera of the coach that the passenger did try to walk toward East even if it meant nothing in the grand timetable of the train operator. After all, we are all passengers in this short journey of life.

Faith is like the Moon

Faith is like the moon. It changes shape, it is born, it rises and it sets. It has magnetic waves. It attracts and causes high tide. It guides caravans and ships at sea. It makes people fall in love, get romantic or become lunatic. Moon inspires and challenges man to think beyond earth. It is an enigma, a reality and a big rock.

Moonlight is sheer joy. It is for everyone for free but only if one chooses to sit under it. Moonlight does not shun those who want to be exposed to other lights but it is always there for anyone who wants to return to it. It is more powerful and more soothing than other lights.

Likewise, faith comes in varied measurements. Sometimes it fills the heart completely; at other times it is very weak or half full and half empty. It rises in the heart of the believer and it sets in the heart of the heathen. Faith is a big magnet. It attracts people. It has attracted man since his existence. It makes people go to war but it also guides lost travellers and the meek and humble on earth. It makes people fall in love with humanity and the beautiful world God has created to comfort man. Yet it turns people crazy with fanaticism and hatred. It sometimes gives rise to pride and prejudice. It is open to different interpretations and schools of thought. It is sombre and it rocks. Faith inspires man to think beyond his mortal existence. It is an enigma, a reality. It has a big shoulder to rest your head and cry.

Faith is a joy for the faithful. It is for everyone for free but only if one chooses to accept it. Faith does not shun those who do not want to embrace it but it is always there for anyone who wants to return to it. It is pure brilliance, more powerful and more soothing than other lights.

Those who see only the crescent don’t know what a full moon is. Those who only see the moon at its full bloom don’t know what it looks like at the first and last quarters of the month. Those who observe all the phases of the moon have to believe there is an external force that make it happen. Those who are experts in the study of moon can explain much better why the crescent is inverted at the beginning of the month but not inverted when it is setting. They can tell why even after it is born it is not seen by the naked eye until a few hours have passed. They can also explain why the new moon is visible in one part of the earth but not visible in another part of the earth at the same date and time. And then there is lunar eclipse, partial and total; and of course not forgetting that there is an old woman in the moon who is spinning the yarn, or the old saying that ‘moon is your uncle’.

Likewise, those who experience only a part of the faith don’t know what it is in totality. Those who immerse themselves completely in faith forget what is doubt and uncertainty. Those who experience all stages of faith from a wavering start to full knowledge come to the conclusion that there is an external Force that makes it all happen. Those who are experts in the study of faith can explain much better why faith seems controversial in the beginning but not controversial when it has answered all the questions. They can tell why even after it is found in the heart of every new born it is not discovered by the self until it is searched and perfected over years. They can also explain why there are people of faith in one family and people of different belief or no belief in the same family. And then, there is faith eclipse which is a state when disobedience overpowers goodness and darkness replaces light, partially or totally; and of course not forgetting that there is a time clock in faith which is ticking till our individual alarm goes off, or the belief that ‘the only thing that goes in the grave when a dead body is interned is faith’.

Syed Sharfuddin

Example of Life of the World

By Syed Sharfuddin

The example of life of the world is like rain which Allah sends down from the sky that irrigates the earth and produces food which men and cattle enjoy until the earth is adorned with beautiful flowers, fruits and greenery everywhere. Closer to harvest time, when people think they have obtained the most from earth and have mastery over it, Allah sends his command, by night or by day, to cause the earth to turn into a barren land as if it had never flourished before. Allah gives such examples for those who reflect. [Surah Yunus 10:24]

إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَاء أَنزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاء فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ وَالأَنْعَامُ حَتَّىَ إِذَا أَخَذَتِ الأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَازَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَا أَنَّهُمْ قَادِرُونَ عَلَيْهَآ أَتَاهَا أَمْرُنَا لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِالأَمْسِ كَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (10:24)

There could be no better example than the example of earth to illustrate the reality of life in the world which at the most can be counted as a few centuries for constructed buildings and at the most 100 years for human beings. In fact, by the time a person reaches hundred, if he comes to live that long, despite his wealth and status he is almost done with no movement left in his muscles, faded memory, lack of strength and capacity to live on his own without medical or family support. The same person may have moved mountains, conquered great battles and accomplished awesome feats in his youth; he may have been a fountain of knowledge and wisdom in his mature age; he may have been a great leader of a nation or a professional who invented and operated things for society but now in his late twilight years he has forgotten everything and lost his glitter. He can’t even eat properly, remember names or sit, let alone walk.

The earth which is the origin and final abode of man is precisely like that. With the water it receives for its sustenance from sky it gives out its best adornments when it is in its prime but it gradually begins to see its greenery turn into gold and leaves falling off its trees which then fly away in the wind leaving the earth barren and dry as if it had never seen spring before.

The sum total of what man does in his lifetime is pursuit of happiness in the form of chasing great ambitions and satisfying material and emotional needs. He works hard or is lucky by an accident of inheritance to have a successful business, achieve fame, live well, afford good food, good living, good cars and good company of others like him. Almost all the endeavours of human life from political governance and from successful financial investment to good economic management are centred around the attainment of these goals. Happiness comes from fulfilment of desires which are possible to obtain if you are successful materially.

Assuming one is able to acquire all this and more which perhaps the billionaire entrepreneurs of this world, successful leaders of great nations and world class generals and celebrities can claim to have, there comes a time when they start slipping off their success either because of ill health, old age or emotional breakdown.

Just when they think they have achieved all they wanted and could get with the press of a button, their age starts to catch up sooner than expected and their medical tests begin to show decay and decline in their bodies requiring drugs, therapies and staying away from their favourite foods and activities. Add a few more years and they are as good as a weakling with their grip on the control buttons loosening and their bodies turning into a barren collection of bones and muscles. Then like a harvest which is ripe and blown away by the autumn wind, the sceptre of time takes them six feet under as if they never existed before. All that remains is a gave number or urn for reference and for their next of kin to occasionally visit to lay flowers.

In the example in Surah Yunus above, the words “Our command comes by day or by night” أَتَاهَا أَمْرُنَا لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا are most significant. Just as some plantations have a longer life span but some others short, the life span of man varies for each individual. Death can come to anyone by night or by day irrespective of age. The founder of Apple, Steve Jobs was one of the most successful entrepreneurs but he succumbed to cancer and passed away at a very early age. The young Pharaoh Tutankhamun was even younger and yet he was one of the most powerful kings in the Pharaoh dynasty.

In this example Allah reminds men that although they live only once and die only once in this world they can see the example of earth, living and dying every year with the rotating cycle of spring, summer, autumn and winter and making a loop to start all over again.

This example challenges man to think. To ask why is he born at all if he is to die one day; why should he make any effort in life if the result of his toil is not permanent; and why can’t he stop being old or conquer death to live forever.

When he starts reflecting on the journey of his origin, development and destination, he becomes aware of the true purpose of life. He realises that the life of this world is an investment for the hereafter like the successful harvest which is stored in the granary for the rainy season. He realises that there is a Supreme being Allah who causes the weather to change, for rain to fall, for the earth to become wet and green and then turn dry and yellow. He knows that death is but a gateway into the next world. And he finally figures out that what he has been pursuing (happiness) is a short lived mirage. The real pursuit of happiness in life is to prepare for the everlasting world where there is no death and no autumn. Man does not need to chase success in the temporary life of a few decades which leaves him empty handed at the very time when he thinks he owns the world.