FATE and FREEWILL (HUSEIN ROFÉ)

FATE and FREEWILL

HUSEIN ROFÉ

ANY European critics of Islam have a strange opinion that man is considered by our faith as a quite irresponsible puppet pirouetted about according to the whims of a heartless Creator who seeks to punish him for what was beyond his power to avoid.

Of course, this conception prevails only in circles where ignorance of Islam is paramount.

Yet these critics are not altogether blameworthy, for certain circles of the Muslim community behave as if striving is useless, for all is fore-ordained.

SUCH persons may be termed Muslims since they adhere to the Sunnat; but they do not yet deserve to be classified as Mu' mins, for their practice is scarcely permeated by that enlightenment which accompanies a true know ledge of Islam.

To the critic who likes to stress the classical example of a North-African chauffeur taking hairpin bends at hair-raising velocity, convinced that merciless Qismat has fore-ordained his salvation or downfall, we may well counter with a significant anecdote from the source of the Sunnah.

A DESERT Arab was one da visiting the Prophet, who enquired as to the whereabouts of his camel, and whether it had been appropriately tethered.-

The Bedouin, characterized more by zeal for his new faith than understanding, informed him that it was superfluous to take such precautions, as he had confidence in the boundless power of Allah.

The Prophet reproved him with the advice: "First take all necessary precautionary methods with- in human power, and trust God for what you can do nothing about."

THUS we see clearly that Islam bears the same message as Jesus, who underlined the scriptural advice that man should not tempt his Maker.

But it also implies action, like the Greek dictum that "The gods help those who assist themselves".

This isolated anecdote should suffice to indicate our duty to protect our own best interests, within the limits of the Shariat.

THE Quranic text that "God guides those whom He wills, and leads astray those whom He wills", refers not to predestination, but to reward and punishment in accordance with the merits and demerits of voluntary acts.

Even the apparent leading at astray is a form of Grace, for the co road to perfection lies through experience; and he who is never chastised will never appreciate the error of his ways.

In the spiritual school represented by this earth, the stupid a pupil will require more lessons than the brilliant one.

WHILE the Divine Qudrat is unlimited, it does not interfere in every human action. As far as the destiny of this world is concerned, God has delivered it into the hand of those who qualify for the title of Insan Kamil or Perfect Man.

Such are the Divine Regents on earth, to whom power is delegated.

Such is the destiny of man, but only insofar as he qualifies for such a diploma.

DIVINE interference in human affairs is restricted to four forms in normal practice: Reward, Punishment, Life and Death. It is also taught in the Quran that God will only change the destiny of those who alter themselves, and a moment's reflection will show us why this is so.

Reward and punishment, or the bestowal of pleasure and pain, depend on the subjective evaluations of the recipient. If a man's consciousness is centered exclusively in financial gain, he is unlikely to consider anything else as pleasure or reward.

Hence, when the moment for reward comes, he is unlikely to be allotted anything more lasting than commercial success!

BUT let that same man evolve his standard of values, by disciplining the self, and desire spiritual benefit. Then his destiny will be changed, for he would no longer feel rewarded by transient material gain.

This factor has been emphasized by such Muslim thinkers as for w Rumi and Iqbal, who realized that we can, and should (in our own best interests), seek to expand our prove own horizons; insofar as we succeed, the nature of Divine rewards will proportionately increase.

THUS Islam shows us that the limits of freewill are not fixed. They expand with spiritual progress.

The more man develops, the greater the power delegated to him, until he conquers his rightful place and receives power over all creatures on earth.

Such power is never abused, for with increase in wisdom comes increase in authority; while misuse of the former automatically provokes a contraction of the horizon and diminution of that authority.

WE may reflect on the meaning of Rousseau's remark, pre- faced to a treatise on education: "Man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chains".

Freedom is the birthright of human destiny in harmony with cosmic order. Man has created his own chains, by progressive infatuation with material phenomena, coarsening consequently his own sensibilities, and losing that freedom.

True Islam is that freedom which comes from obedience to Divine Laws; not the infantile conception of freedom which would follow every passing whim unimpeded, but the mature under- standing of human unity and the responsibilities which this entails.

AS long as man remains under the sway of desire and his sensual passions, he forces his own destiny as surely as a rider galloping unrestrained towards a cliff may be expected to fall over it.

Divine Omnipotence can interfere, but rarely does so, for interference would deprive man of his of own responsibility; and yet Di vine Rahmat does modify the consequences of many of his errors.

Thus we are the playthings of Fate insofar as we lack self- discipline. We become free when we submit voluntarily to Divine T will, and not from constraint.

THOSE who seek to unveil the future often reach a certain degree of predictive accuracy, as does the observer who indicates that a regular and habitual drunkard will eventually develop alcoholic poisoning.

Yet the unexpected can happen: the winebibber may one day see the folly of his ways, and incipient disease may vanish completely.

Even so, clairvoyant predictions are always nullified in the event of an unexpected change in subjective consciousness.

The opportunity for such change depends again on Qudrat, yet its exploitation is a matter of f freewill.

THUS we see that Islam by no means indicates predestination. Its glorious message is precisely to show how a human being, formerly subject to dictates of Fate, may find the Sirat leading to increasing emancipation.

It shows man the highroad to freewill, the end of suffering and bondage, and includes a promise of ever increasing vistas of brightness as man approaches closer to his Divine nature, preparing for the day when he may discard the human envelope and become a Divine delegate with angelic attributes.

THE MUSLIM DIGEST, September, 1955