Aslam

The Book of Constructive Virtues Sign in to save

Chapter I: Repentance

When nature is subject to some condition, the condition is created to accept that nature. Then that nature can be acquired from the strength of fate and God-given gift. When nature has not uniformity owing to the cause of condition, so also there is uniformity for occurrence of an event owing to the action of God.
Man should necessarily be fit for occurrence of this uniformity. God says : I ha ve created everything according to a measure. Wi th regard to the original fate, there is this verse: 'My order is not but in a twinkling of an eye.' Man is subject to his fate. Owing to the fate or pre-measurement. He created the strength of movement in the hand a writer after creation firstly of an attribute named strength, secondly after creation in his mind a firm determination and thirdly after creation owing to this determination in mind understanding and fourthly knowledge of cognition. When these four matters subservient to fate from the unseen world appear in the body of a man, the inhabitants of the world know it. But before it remains hidden in the unseen world. Then the inhabitants of this world say :
O man, you have moved, you have thrown arrows, you have written, but proclamation comes from behind the screen : When you have thrown arrows, you have not thrown them. It is God who has thrown them. When you fought, you have not fought. It is God who have fought with them. God will punish them through your hands.

GOD IS AGENT OF ACTIONS

Then sperficial learned man becomes blind and understands it. From his standpoint, he says that man has got freedom of will.

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TAUBA VoI-IV

Some say that man has got freedom of will but he has got no

connection with pre-measurement or destiny. Some adopt the

middle course and say that man's action is subject to efforts. If the

doors of heaven would have been opened to them and they

looked to the spiritual and unseen world, it would have surely

been disclosed to them that every opinion is true from one

standpoint or the other, but there is defect in it. God knows the

open and secret words. He does not disclose it except to those

prophets with whom He is pleased. He who has entered the limit

of His pleasure knows only the things of this world and not of the

spiritual world. But a man of spiritual world knows that God is

the Creator of everything and there is no master of action except

He.

Question : You have said that every opinion is true. Cite an example for clear understanding.

Source: Imam Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Islamic Sciences)
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