Sunni Feedback on The Issues of Infallibility and Ahulbayt [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Free Will and Fatalism INTRODUCTION:

This article deals with the perplexing issues of Free Will and
Fatalism.

Both viewpoints, the Sunnis's and Shia's, will be presented, as
the purpose is to be as fair and objective as possible.

This is
a VERY sensitive subject, and needs a lot of attention.

I will NOT
cover every detail such that I am not qualified, nor do I have all the resources.

Nonetheless, I will cover as much as is necessary for you to understand your responsibility before Allah (SWT).

Now, to get to the topic at hand, I will start with what the
Sunnis believe, and then state what the Shia believe.

This
peace is taken from Dr.
al-Tijani's second book Ma'ah al- Sadeeqeen -- With
the Truthful Ones (1989), pp 133-148.

I have quoted him where
appropriate, and added my own remarks elsewhere.

Please refer to those pages
for consultation, as well as the books of history, hadith, and philosophy.

FREE WILL AND FATALISM:

Dr.
al-Tijani starts out by expressing his own
experience with the concepts of Free Will (Qadariyyah) and Fatalism (Jabriyah).

He
was always baffled, as I was, by what the Sunni scholars preach in sermons and by
what their books state about EVERYTHING being the Will of Allah (SWT):
Drinking wine is the Will of Allah (SWT), sleeping, killing, evil, adultery,
marriage, knowledge, health, accidental death, and even whether you end up
in hell or heaven was judged before you were born! How can that
be? How can Allah (SWT) state in the Quran:

Allah is never unjust in the
least degree: If there is any good (done), he doubleth it, and giveth from
His Own Self a great reward.

[4:40]

Then Allah (SWT) states:

Whoever works righteousness
benefits his own soul; whoever works evil, it is against his own soul: Nor
is thy Lord ever unjust (in the least) to His servants.

[41:46]

Again, among many other places, Allah (SWT) asserts:

Verily Allah will NOT deal
unjustly with man in aught: It is man that wrongs his own soul (and other souls).

[10:44]

How can these verses be reconciled with what the Sunnis preach?
It is either that Allah (SWT) is right, and the scholars are wrong, or
vice versa? Of course, for the believer, the answer to that question
is quite obvious.

However, the Quran also states:

But ye will not, except as Allah
wills; for Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.

[76:30]

And Allah (SWT) states:...

For Allah leaves to stray
whom He wills, and guides whom He wills...

[35:8]

What kind of contradiction is this? Exalted be Allah (SWT) from contradicting Himself.

It is this kind of mental
torture and struggle that I went through every day: On the one hand, Allah (SWT)
asserts His (SWT) Justice, yet on the other He (SWT) asserts His (SWT) Will to do
as He (SWT) pleases because He (SWT) is the Creator (SWT).

Note
that I agree with Dr.al-Tijani regarding this mental struggle,
and I have seen how it is destroying the fabric of our society, especially the youth.

Dr.
al-Tijani continues: I was not alone in this
struggle, and that's why many scholars and sheiks when asked about Qada Wa Qadr
(Destiny), they simply brush off the subject and say that it is not for us to
decide this matter.

Then the scholars state that the Prophet (PBUH&HF)
said that we must believe in Qada Wa Qadr whether it is good or bad.

Now, if an inquiring mind asked those scholars how can Allah (SWT) force
someone to commit adultery, for example, and then condemn him to hell, they
would claim that the questioner is a disbeliever that has abandoned
his religion!

It is this kind of avoidance of the crucial issues in one's
existence and religion that has fostered intellectual decay in the Ummah of
Muhammad (PBUH&HF).

THE SUNNIS AND THE QUESTION OF DESTINY:

Dr.
al-Tijani narrates a brief encounter with a Sunni
scholar that asserts that EVERYTHING is the will of Allah (SWT).

So Dr.
al-Tijani
countered his argument with the following: First, marriage is NOT the Will of
Allah (SWT) because Allah (SWT) says:

Marry
women of YOUR CHOICE.

[4:3]

Second, divorce is NOT written -- i.
e.
, not the
Will of Allah (SWT) either:

A divorce is only permissible
twice; after that, the parties should either hold together on equitable
terms, or separate with kindness.

[2:229]

That is, the parties are AT LIBERTY to separate or maintain a
relationship;

they are NOT forced or coerced.

Third, adultery is NOT
the Will of Allah (SWT) either:

Nor come nigh to adultery: For it
is an indecent (deed) and an evil way.

[17:32]

You are AT LIBERTY to commit or refrain from adultery.

Fourth,
drinking alcohol is also NOT the Will of Allah (SWT):

Satan's plan is (but) to excite
enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder
you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: Will ye not
then abstain?

[5:91]

You are AT LIBERTY to abstain.

Fifth, as for killing a
human being, it is also NOT the Will of Allah (SWT), for Allah (SWT) says:

If a man kills a believer
INTENTIONALLY, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (for ever); and the wrath
and curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful chastisement is
prepared for him.

[4:93]

Again, Allah (SWT) says:....

TAKE NOT LIFE, which Allah
hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: Thus doth He command
you, that ye may learn wisdom.

[6:151]

Your freedom in these matters is most apparent.

Sixth,
as for eating and drinking, they are also NOT the Will of Allah (SWT), for Allah (SWT)
said:

eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah loveth
not the wasters.

[7:31]

You are AT LIBERTY to eat or not to eat, to drink or not to
drink, and to waste or not to waste.

Dr.
al-Tijani said to
the scholar: How, then, can you claim that EVERYTHING is the Will of Allah (SWT), when the
Quran is clear about that matter?

The scholar answered that Allah (SWT) does whatever He (SWT)
pleases, as the Quran states:

Say: O Allah! Lord of Power (and
Rule), thou givest Power to whom thou pleasest, and thou strippest off
power from whom thou pleasest:

Thou enduest with honour whom thou
pleasest, and thou bringest low whom thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all
Good.

Verily, over all things thou hast power.

[3:26]

Dr.
al-Tijani answered: We are not quarreling
about whether Allah (SWT) CAN do whatever He (SWT) wishes or not; we are debating whether
or not Allah (SWT) FORCES people to do things, and then punishes them
for it?

The scholar answered: You have your religion, and I have
mine! and the discussion was over.

Two days later, Dr.
al-Tijani returned and said:
So if your belief is that Allah (SWT) executes EVERYTHING, and His (SWT) servants have NO
choice whatsoever in the matter, why, then, don't you apply the same
reasoning to the matter of the Caliphate; and [surrender to the point] that
Allah (SWT) chooses whomever He (SWT) wishes? The point that Dr.
al-
Tijani is trying to drive across concerns the belief by the Shia that al-Imam Ali
(AS) was chosen by Allah (SWT) to be the successor to the Prophet (PBUH&HF).

The scholar said: YES! I do believe that; because Allah (SWT)
has chosen Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman, and then Ali (AS).

Dr.
al-Tijani said: Now you have fallen in the
trap of your own logic!

The scholar said: How so?

Dr.
al-Tijani said: Either you say [and believe]
that Allah (SWT) has chosen the first four Caliphs, and then left the matter for the
people to decide upon.

Or you say [and believe] that Allah (SWT)
has not left the matter of the Caliphate for the people to decide upon; and it is
He (SWT) Who chooses ALL the successors [of the Prophet (PBUH&HF)]
from the day of his (PBUH&HF) death till the Day of Judgment?

The scholar answered by quoting the Quran:

Say: O Allah! Lord of Power (and
Rule), thou givest Power to whom thou pleasest, and thou strippest off
power from whom thou pleasest:

Thou enduest with honour whom thou
pleasest, and thou bringest low whom thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all
Good.

Verily, over all things thou hast power.

[3:26]

Dr.
al-Tijani contended: So you believe that
EVERY King or Leader, whether now or in the past, who has fought against Islam has been
appointed by Allah (SWT)?

He (the scholar) said: Yes! No doubt about it!

Dr.
al-Tijani said: Subhan Allah (SWT) --
Vindicated from ALL Impurities/Imperfections Be Allah! How, then, do you defend the
Sunnis in their contention that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) died and left
the matter for THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE?

The scholar said: Yes, I do believe that, and I will
continue to believe it (forever), In Sha' Allah (SWT) -- Allah Willing!

Dr.
al-Tijani said: How do reconcile Allah's (SWT)
Will with that of the people?

The scholar said: Since the Muslims chose Abu Bakr, that
means that Allah (SWT) has chosen him!

Dr.
al-Tijani said: How did the Muslims know
that Allah (SWT) wanted Abu Bakr?

The scholar said: Because if Allah (SWT) wanted anybody
else, neither the Muslims nor the scholars would be able to prevent what Allah (SWT)
wanted!

At this stage, Dr.
al-Tijani realized the futility of
conversing with such men; and that if we abide by what these people say, we will
never be able to forward a veritable scientific or philosophical theory or
contention.

(Note that I have skipped some of the dialogue between Dr.
al-
Tijani and the scholar for purposes of maintaining the attention span of
the reader.
However, the parts I skipped in NO WAY affect the clarity or
message of the conversation.
)

It is this kind of attitude that has destroyed the youth and the intellectual curiosity among humanity in general.

For if we believe as this scholar believes, then we will never accomplish anything!
Why? Because if we abide by the above fatalist approach, we would genuinely
believe that the current state of the Ummah is what Allah (SWT) wants, and
the massacring of Muslims is what Allah (SWT) wants, and the
ignorance that prevails, and to fail on an exam at school, and to have a car
accident are ALL the Will of Allah (SWT); and, as such, we cannot change
anything until Allah (SWT) wants, so let's sit and wait while the nonbelievers
have invaded outer space and reached the other planets!!! This is
exactly what the enemies of Islam want!

Dr.
al-Tijani traces this concept of Fatalism to the
Ummayads, who were the clan of Uthman Ibn Afan, the third caliph.

He
states that during these days, when Uthman was caliph, and due to his corruption in
politics and government, the Muslims requested that he step down from the
leadership of the Ummah.

Uthman replied:

I shall not undress a shirt which
has been clothed on me by Allah.

The shirt here refers to the leadership of the
Muslims; and the opinion of Uthman that Allah (SWT) is the One (SWT) Who clothed him the
shirt, indicates that it is the Will of Allah (SWT) that Uthman is the
caliph.

And that the shirt shall only be undressed as a
consequence of Uthman's death (i.
e.
, when he dies.
).

We also find
the same attitude from Muawiyah, who is a relative of Uthman, at a later point in time.

For Muawiyah had said, as Ibn Kathir narrates in v8, p131:

I didn't fight you to pray, fast,
and pay charity, but rather to become your leader and control you, and
Allah (SWT) has given me that, even if you dislike it!

This is an indication that he never cared about any of Islam's
mandates, nor Allah's (SWT) orders; rather his war was politically
motivated to gain control of the region and become the appointed leader.

Again,
Muawiyah has claimed that he is the leader of the Ummah because Allah (SWT)
has made him so.

However, Muawiyah's claim is more far-reaching
[and damaging] than that of Uthman; for Muawiyah's claim lends credibility to the evil
contention that Allah (SWT) has aided and abetted him (Muawiyah) in killing
[innocent] Muslims.

Allahu Akbar! (Allah is Great!) THE SHIA AND THE QUESTION OF DESTINY:

Now, for the Shia's opinion on Free Will and Fatalism:

Dr.
al-Tijani has met with the Great Scholars of the
Twelver Shi'ite in Iraq.

Among those he talked to are: The Martyr
Muhammad Baqr al-Sadr, al- Khoie, Muhammad Ali al-Tabatabai, al- Hakim, and many others
(May Allah (SWT) have mercy on those that have passed away, and on those
that remain).

Dr.
al-Tijani narrates what these great scholars
explained to him:

When al-Imam Ali (AS) was asked about Free Will and Fatalism, he
(AS) said:

(NOTE: This is a VERY hard quote to translate; thus, this
translation is ROUGH at best, but it does convey the point):

Woe to you! Did you think
that it was a mandatory destiny, and a final will? If it was as such,
then reward and punishment would have no value, and admonition and
exhortation would totally fail! Allah (SWT) has ordered His (SWT) servants to
obey Him (SWT) voluntarily, and asked them to cease doing evil as a
warning to them (from punishment); and He (SWT) has ordained
easy (simple) things in religion, and He (SWT) has not ordained
difficult (hard) duties.

He (SWT) has given for the small amount of
good deeds you do, a great reward; and He (SWT) is never disobeyed
as a sign of His (SWT) defeat (or lack of power and ability); and He
(SWT) is not obeyed [or worshipped] through coercion and force,
rather voluntarily.

He (SWT) has not sent Prophets and Messengers as
part of a game He (SWT) is playing; nor did He (SWT) send down the
Books (revealed scripture) for no reason.

And He (SWT) did
not create the Heavens and the Earths as a falsehood (triviality); That, indeed,
is the belief of the nonbelievers: Woe to the nonbelievers
from the hellfire.

NOTE: The latter part of the speech: That, indeed,
is the belief of the nonbelievers: Woe to the nonbelievers from the hellfire.

is a verse from the Quran that al-Imam Ali (AS) concluded with.

Dr.
al-Tijani, when he first heard this, was filled
with joy to know that it is HE who controls his actions, and it is HE who is
responsible for doing good deeds to enter heaven.

And it is not, as
the Sunni scholars claim, the Will of Allah (SWT) for him to enter hell.

Dr.
al-Tijani says: al-Imam Ali (AS) struck the
nail on the head when he (AS) said: .

and He (SWT) is never disobeyed
as a sign of His (SWT) defeat (or lack of power and ability);.

For
if Allah (SWT) wanted to force ANYbody into doing something, NOTHING can stop Him (SWT).

Rather it is a corroboration by al- Imam Ali (AS) to what Allah (SWT)
said:

Say, The Truth is from your
Lord Let him who will, believe (it);

and let him who will, reject (it).

[18:29]

Then al-Imam Ali (AS) strikes the inner workings of the mind and consciousness by asserting that if EVERYTHING was the Will of
Allah (SWT), then the function of the Prophets and Messengers would be a
total waste of time.

Again, if EVERYTHING was the Will of Allah (SWT),
Revealed Scripture would have no value either; this would clearly violate the
verses of the Quran:

Verily this Quran doth guide to
that which is most right (or stable), and giveth the glad tidings to the
believers who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a
magnificent reward.

[17:9]

So the Quran IS a book that guides people (which means that It
was revealed for the purpose of guiding mankind), and the believers are AT
LIBERTY to .

work deeds of righteousness.

The contention is that if EVERYTHING was the Will of Allah (SWT),
why would Allah (SWT) send Messengers to warn us, when He (SWT) has
already judged us? What good is it to do any kind of deeds (good or bad),
when the judgment for these deeds has already been rendered, regardless
of what you do?

We have seen many sects in Islam that have either said:
EVERYTHING is the Will of Allah (SWT) --This is Jabriyyah; or those who
said: EVERYTHING is Free Will --This is Qadariyyah.

Both views are wrong,
because they are not realistic.

Can you control to which parents you are
born to, for example?

Or is it realistic to believe that Allah (SWT) FORCES you to
drink alcohol, and then punishes you for it? The answer to both questions is:
OBVIOUSLY NOT!

The Shia, however, have struck it right: al-Imam Ja'far al-
Sadiq (AS) said:

It is not TOTAL Free Will, nor is
it TOTAL Fatalism; rather, it is a matter between [those] two matters.

When a man asked al-Imam al-Sadiq (AS) what he (AS) meant by the
above quote, al-Imam al-Sadiq (AS) answered: To walk on the
ground is not the same as to fall on it! What a response!!! (My
comment!) Here's what it means: You walk on the ground voluntarily, but it may
happen to you that you fall because something unexpected happened to you (for
instance, some body hit you from the back).

Who among you wants to
fall on the ground on purpose? Such is the wisdom of the Imams, the progeny of
the Seal of Prophecy (PBUH&HF).

So Qada Wa Qadr is a matter
between two matters: Some things we can control, and others we can't; it is a mixture of
Free Will and Allah's (SWT) Will.

This belief is closer to reason than what all the other schools
say.

Moreover, a human being is ONLY liable for that which he has a
will [and control] over; and Allah (SWT) will judge him on those deeds
that he voluntarily committed, NOT the ones that he has no control over.

Allah (SWT) says:

By the soul, and the proportion
and order given to it; and its inspiration as to its wrong and its
right;-- Truly he succeeds that purifies it, and he fails that corrupts
it.

[91:7-10]

Indeed, he who purifies his soul is destined to succeed, and he
who corrupts it is destined to failure.

That is where
your choice comes in.

Again, things like the operation of the Universe, the movement
of the planets, ones own sex at birth, one's color of skin, one's
parents, and so on, we have no will or control over, and we will NOT be held
responsible for; but whether or not to be believers, killers, hypocrites,
commit adultery, feed our children, and so on, we do have control over,
and we WILL be held accountable for them.

As a conclusion to the matter, and a final display of the
superior knowledge of the Imams, I quote the following: al-Imam Ali Ibn
Musa al-Rida (AS), the Eighth Imam, was 14 years old when he (AS) was asked
about what al- Imam al-Sadiq (AS) meant by a matter between [those]
two matters? At 14 years of age, al-Imam Ali Ibn Musa al-Rida (AS) said:

He who says that Allah (SWT)
FORCES us to do our actions, subscribes to the school of Fatalism (Jabriyyah).

He who says that Allah (SWT) has left the matter of birth, creation,
and wealth to the Hujjahs, subscribes to the school of Free Will (Qadariyyah).

[NOTE: Hujjah means Proof.
It includes Prophets, Messengers, and the Imams.
The significance
of the word is that the Prophets, Messengers, and Imams command what
Allah (SWT) wants, and serve as a proof against the people they have been
sent to; as such, they are Allah's (SWT) Proofs on
Earth.
]

Then Imam (AS) continues.
He who subscribes to Fatalism (Jabriyyah)
is a Kafir (Nonbeliever), and he who subscribes to Free Will (Qadariyyah)
is a Mushrik (Polytheist).

As for the matter between two
matters, it is the seeking of the path that leads to the fulfillment of
Allah's (SWT) orders.

Allah (SWT) has given man the ability and freedom to do
good (deeds) or not to do good (deeds); and, Allah (SWT) has given man
the ability and freedom to do evil (deeds) or not to do evil (deeds),
then He (SWT) ordered him to do good (deeds), and prohibited him
from doing evil (deeds).

Such is the great knowledge of the Imams, may Allah (SWT) bless
them all.

It is no surprise that even at the age of 14, they are so
knowledgeable;

for it only confirms what the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said about
them:

Don't get too far ahead of them,
or you'll be destroyed.

Nor stay far behind them, or you'll also be
destroyed.

And don't try to teach them, for they are far more
knowledgeable than you are.

This tradition is mentioned in:

Usd al-Ghabah, by Ibn Athir, v3,
p137;

al- Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah by Ibn Hajar, p148;

Majma' al-Zawa'id, v9,
p163;

Yanabee' al-Mawada, p41;

al-Durr al-Manthoor by al-Suyuti, v2,
p60;

Kanz al- 'Umal, by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, v1, p168;

and Aqabat al-Anwar,
v1, p184.

THE CALIPHATE AND THE QUESTION OF QADA WA QADAR:

The strange thing about the Sunni belief is that while they
believe that EVERYTHING is the Will of Allah (SWT), they stubbornly attach
themselves to the contention that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) left the matter of
the Caliphate (Succession) for them to decide upon.

The Shia believe the exact opposite of what the Sunnis believe
with regards to this issue (i.
e.
, succession).

While it
is true that the Shia ardently support the concept of Half-Free Will, they will NOT apply it to
the concept of the Caliphate (Succession).

The Shia believe that the Successor to a ANY Prophet or
Messenger is a matter that ONLY Allah (SWT) decides upon; and they can have NO
say in the matter.

As such, it is the belief of Twelver Shi'ite
that al-Imam Ali (AS) was chosen by Allah (SWT) to succeed the Prophet (PBUH&HF).

Prima Facie (superficially), this appears to be a contradiction
on the part of both parties, but the truth is otherwise.

The Sunnis when they claim that EVERYTHING is the Will of Allah
(SWT), they make Allah (SWT) the ACTUAL EXECUTOR of His (SWT) Will; and they
are left with an IMAGINARY WILL of their own.

So it was the
Companions (along with Umar) that chose Abu Bakr after the death of the Prophet (PBUH&HF);
but, in actuality, they were only executing Allah's (SWT) Will (i.
e.
,
the companions were only instruments used by Allah (SWT) to execute
His (SWT) Will.
).

That is the Sunnis's interpretation of the
events.

The Shia, however, when they assert that Allah (SWT) has given
His (SWT) servants the freedom of choice, they DO NOT contradict
themselves by stating that ONLY Allah (SWT) chooses the Chaliph (Successor).

For Allah (SWT) states in the Quran:

Thy Lord does create and CHOOSE
AS HE PLEASES: NO CHOICE have they (in the matter).

[28:68]

And We made them Imams, guiding
(men) by Our command, and We inspired them to do good deeds, to establish
regular prayers, and to give Zakat; and they constantly served Us
(and Us only).

[21:73]

And We appointed from among them,
Imams, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they persevered
with patience and continued to have faith in Our Signs.

[32:24]

[NOTE: In the above two verses A.
Yusuf Ali uses the term
Leaders instead of Imams; however, the Arabic Quran uses the word
IMAMS -- Check for yourselves.
]

And remember that Abraham was
tried by his Lord with certain commands, which he fulfilled: He
(Allah) said: I will make thee an Imam to the people.

He
(Abraham) pleaded: And also (Imams) from my offspring! He (Allah) answered: But My
Promise is not within the reach of evil-doers.

[2:124] So, as we see from the above verses, the matter of Succession (Chaliphate) is just like that of Prophethood -- People have NO SAY in it.

Allah (SWT) is the One who chose Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and the rest of the
Prophets, Messengers, and Imams; and there's NOTHING people can do about
it.

However, the Free Will component lies in the fact that you AT LIBERTY to
believe in or reject ANY Prophet sent to you, as has happened throughout
the history of mankind (i.
e.
, some people believed, while others
rejected the Prophets.
).

A true believer will accept Allah's
(SWT) orders, and attain felicity; while a nonbeliever will reject Allah's (SWT) Signs,
and suffer the consequences.

Indeed, Allah (SWT) says:

whosoever follows
My guidance, will not lose his way, nor fall into misery.

But whosoever
turns away from My message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall
raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment.

He will say: O my
Lord! Why hast thou raised me up blind, while I had sight (before)? (Allah)
will say: Thus didst thou, when Our Signs came unto thee, forgot them:
so wilt thou, this day, be forgotten.

[20:123-126]

Now, if we objectively analyze both viewpoints: that of the
Sunnis, and that of the Shia, we will discover that the Sunnis's viewpoint
literally holds Allah responsible (SWT) for EVERYTHING in the Universe,
whether it be good or bad.

Whereas, the Shia have clearly
vindicated Allah (SWT) from such impurities, and have proved that EACH Soul shall reap what
it has sown.

Which viewpoint is closer to reason? One that
blames Allah, THE Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, or one that makes YOU
responsible for your own actions? I leave the answer for the
enlightened reader to provide.

RESPONSES TO SUNNI BROTHERS:

First, a Sunni brother made the comment that I am accusing ALL
Sunni scholars of being fatalists, when in reality, this is NOT the
case.

My response was:

First, I did not say that ALL the Sunni scholars are
fatalists; rather, the MAJORITY.

Moreover, most of the scholars
preaching in the Mosques share the view of fatalism, and, as such, have contributed to
the corruption of the youths, who are the seeds of the future.

It is a betrayal of the scholarly trust when a SCHOLAR BLINDLY accepts
tradition and what others say.

(NOTE: I emphasize the word
scholar because I am NOT talking about the layman who CANNOT interpret complex
philosophical issues and sophisticated matters of jurisprudence.

But for a scholar, who is in a position to give Fatwas -- Religious
Opinions, to blindly become fatalistic is unacceptable in its entirety.
)

Indeed, Allah (SWT)
challenged the Jews and the Christians by saying:

Bring
forth your argument (proof) if ye are telling the truth!

[27:64]

As
such, it is MANDATORY for such scholars to provide proof to support their view of
fatalism.

Keep in mind that in Islam, the theory of proofs is as follows: If
two proofs are presented, and each proof is strong enough to equal the other
proof, they cancel each other out, and new proofs will be sought.

However,
if one of the proofs is stronger than the other, then the stronger proof
prevails and becomes dominant.
As far as Free Will vs.

Fatalism
is concerned, clearly Free Will, as I presented it, wins hands down.

Note also that this article depicts what the MAINSTREAM Sunnis
and what the MAINSTREAM Shia believe.

Undoubtedly, there are
Sunni scholars and individuals who are NOT blind fatalists, and there are Shi'i
scholars and individuals who ARE blind fatalists.

Neither group
represents MAINSTREAM thought within either faction.

Second, another Sunni brother stated that I neglected the
following verses in my analysis:
surah 74 54.

Nay this surely is an admonition:

55.
Let any who will keep it in remembrance!

56.
But none will keep it in remembrance
except as Allah wills:

He is the Lord of Righteousness
and the Lord of Forgiveness.

surah 76 29.

This is an admonition: whosoever will let
him take a (straight) Path to his Lord.

30.
But ye will not except as Allah wills; for
Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.

31.
He will admit to His Mercy Whom He will;
but the wrongdoers for them has He prepared a grievous
Penalty.

surah 57 22.

No misfortune can happen on earth or in
your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence: that is truly
easy for Allah:

23.
In order that ye may not despair over
matters that pass you by nor exult over favors bestowed upon
you.

For Allah loveth not any vainglorious boaster My response was as follows:

With regards to the above verses, and your claim that I am more
in favor of Free Will than Fatalism, thereby neglecting the above verses, I
offer the following:

What Allah (SWT) is saying in the above verses, among others,
when He (SWT) states: But ye will not except as Allah wills.

is NOT as you understand it to be.

Please remember the following
very important sentence:

SOME OF THE WILL OF ALLAH CHENGES BASED ON OUR ACTION.

It
is not fixed.

This serves as Half-Free Will for the human.
It is all
the Will of Allah, but SOME of His Will are modified by Himself.

(We do
not modify it.
He modifies it based on our actions).

Quran gives
evidence to this fact:

Allah removes what He wills, and
confirms (what He wills), and with Him is the Essence of the
Book.

[13:39]

Also this:
Allah does not change the
situation of any group of people, unless they change what is in themselves.

[13:11]

Also the following two verse in which Allah changed the decision
in real time, base on the weakness appeared to the companions:

8:65 O Prophet! Exhort the believers to fight.

If
there be of you twenty steadfast they shall
overcome two hundred, and if there be of you a hundred steadfast they
shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they (the
disbelievers) are a folk without intelligence.

8:66 Now, has Allah lightened your (duty), for He
knowes that there is weakness in you.

So
if there be of you a steadfast hundred they shall overcome two hundred, and
if there be of you a thousand (steadfast) they shall overcome
two thousand by permission of Allah.

Allah is with
the steadfast.

[8:65-66]

Also look at this:
But those who do ill deeds and
afterward repent and believe lo!
for them, then after that, Allah is
Forgiving, Merciful.

[7:153]

Note that Allah changes His decision after the action of human
(here is repentance).

There are many more verses similar to
above (see 16:110, 16:119, etc.
)

Allah (SWT) has given you the freedom to act and do whatever you
want WITHIN the CONFINES of your abilities.

Now Allah (SWT)
can interfere at ANYTIME to change a matter without any inhibition from ANYONE.

As such, His (SWT) Will to INTERFERE and change a matter prevails over
His (SWT) creation's will.

So Allah (SWT) Wills in the sense
that He (SWT) ALLOWS an event to occur, without Him (SWT) stopping it from happening.

That is His (SWT) Will, NOT that He (SWT) forces you to do something, and
then punishes you for it.

(Exalted be Allah (SWT) from such an
inference!) Given that fact, Allah (SWT) can, for example, intervene to return
Palestine to the Muslims, but He (SWT) doesn't.

That DOES NOT mean
that Allah (SWT) approves of having Palestine in the hands of the Jews, but
rather Allah (SWT) has a more sublime wisdom in not interfering.

Now, the obvious question is: Why doesn't Allah (SWT) interfere,
for example, to help the Muslims that are being slaughtered in
Bosnia, or elsewhere?

The answer is as follows: Going back to the Free Will argument,
you are responsible for your acts.

If Allah (SWT) interferes
to prevent evil from happening, then who will be held accountable? It is this
Accountability Principle that precludes the interference of Allah (SWT)
in many (not all) situations.

That DOES NOT mean, however, that Allah
(SWT) NEVER intervenes or that He (SWT) approves of the matter, but rather Allah (SWT)
intervenes only when He (SWT), Himself (SWT), sees a reason to do so, as
when He (SWT) intervened and helped the Prophet Abraham (AS) from the fire of
the nonbelievers, among other examples.

Why did Allah (SWT)
intervene then?

That's where your faith in Allah's (SWT) wisdom comes into play.

Do you believe in Allah (SWT) to the extent that you trust what He (SWT)
does, EVEN if you don't fully understand it? If yes, then you
have answered the question for yourself.

If not, then you have a weak
faith which is in need of some strengthening.

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, I (myself, not Dr.
al-Tijani) realize
that many points presented in this article are NOT easy to comprehend, nor are
they meant for the average person; however, I have deeply suffered from the
problem of Free Will and Fatalism, and my agony throughout that ordeal is
virtually beyond description.

As such, I do not wish anybody
to suffer as I have.
Let me also assert that my PERSONAL opinion is that Fatalism in
Islamic societies is one of THE MOST damaging ideologies around; it
fosters a COMPLETE paralysis of intellectual and physical exertions, and
promotes decay from within the community.

It is a GREAT SHAME
that we should profoundly suffer due to a false ideology.
We have
been deceived for all these years (1400 or so), while the Shia have always had the
answer to this perplexing question.

It is the irony of life that we
mock those who possess knowledge, while we praise our own ignorance!

Given that, I leave you with the same questions: Are you
realistic when you claim that Allah (SWT) FORCES you into committing evil, and
then punishes you for it? If Allah (SWT) has created me a Kafir,
why then should I bother and rectify myself? What difference would it
make -- I have already been judged?