Q66 :May I start by saying that I adhere to Islamic
teachings as much as I can. However, I am bothered by the thought that
I have no choice as to the very basic step of neting into existence. It
may be that my parents wanted so much to have a baby, but why should I
be responsible for my birth? May I give the analogy of obeying one’s
superiors in one’s job. We all do this because we do not wish to lose
our jobs.
A66 : There is nothing wrong with thinking about
one’s existence. Indeed, we are invited to do so by Allah because such
thinking is conducive to strengthening our faith. When sometimes our
thoughts do not seem to fit in with our beliefs, we should be a little
careful. We should examine our premise and how our thoughts develop.
There may be something wrong in the process. What seems to trouble
you, in the line of thinking you are following, as you have explained
it to me, is the thought of choice which you seem to desire before
neting into existence. But this is the thought of a mature human being
about a stage of existence which is very different from his own. May I
ask: At what point in time you think a human being should be given this
choice at the beginning or end of adolescence? In childhood?
Immediately at birth? At the time of conception? Or should the choice
be given to the male sperm or female egg separately? If anyone suggests
that the choice should be given to the sperm, then would it be fair to
give it to every single sperm, although any one in billions is destined
to benete a full human being? If one suggests that the choice should be
given at the time of conception, would a zygote be able to make a
rational choice? Perhaps it is more reasonable to suggest that the
choice should be given sometime during one’s life, when one has known
enough about human life to determine whether to continue with it or
not. One could then choose whether to continue with one’s life, obeying
Allah’s rules and taking the risk of punishment in the hereafter if he
fails to do so. Otherwise, one is immediately and finally obliterated.
Suppose that such a choice is given, what sort of result would be
expected from it? Would you not think that every human being will opt
for a continued existence, giving every pledge to follow divine
guidance? The love of life makes every single one of us cling to it
despite going through very difficult circumstances. We always hope that
our situation would improve and we would be able to enjoy a better
life. On the other hand, if we say that the choice should be given to
us before we are born, would we be able to make a choice based on
mature judgement without ever being aware of the outnete of the choice
we make? The fact is that we have a choice at every moment in our
lives. While it is true that the choice is not whether to live or not,
but what sort of life we should lead. We should not portray the choice
in the way you have, as something we have to give in order to avoid
future suffering. That is certainly a grim picture if it was true. It
is not. What is wrong with the way you describe the choice is that it
implies that we will be saved from suffering in the life to nete if we
are willing to pay a price now, in the form of obeying certain rules.
That makes the benefit of our netpliance accrue to someone else or
indeed to Allah. This is wrong because Allah does not benefit at all by
our obedience or netpliance of His rules. Read if you will, the sacred
( or Qudsi ) Hadith in which the Prophet quotes Allah as saying: “My
servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and you will
not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me. My servants, were the
first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you
to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that
would not increase My kingdom in any way. My servants, were the first
of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be
as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would
not decrease My kingdom in any way. My servants, were the first of you
and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in
one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he
requested, that would not decrease what I have, anymore than a needle
decreased the sea if dipped into it. My servants, it is but your deeds
that I reckon up for you and then renetpense you for, so let him who
finds good praise Allah and let him who finds other than that blame no
one but himself.” (Related by Muslim, At-Tirmithi and ibn Majah) If
our worship and netpliance with Allah’s orders does not benefit Him,
why are we then required to do it? The answer is: For our own benefit,
Allah has created us the way we are, and has sent us messengers to show
us how to lead a happy human life. Their role is to point out to us
what benefits us and what spares us problems and misery. What they have
conveyed to us is a netplete message which outlines an integrated
system, devised by Allah, who has created man and who knows what
benefits us and suits him, to be implemented in human life and to bring
man happiness. Thus, when we obey Allah’s rules, we are beneficiaries.
The benefit is immediate, because the rules are made so that they spare
man affliction, contradiction and confusion. You say that you try to
live by the Islamic code. Have you asked yourself: What benefit to
Allah are your prayers and your fasting? When you think deeply about it
you are bound to conclude that they can benefit Him in no way. But
prayers certainly benefit you by keeping you always on your guard
against temptation and falling in sin. Fasting also teaches you
self-discipline. When a human being puts Allah’s constitution behind
his back, it is he who suffers. He does not harm Allah in any way. So
the choice we have in this life is whether to do what is right and
enjoy its benefits immediately in this life, or to reject it and suffer
the consequences of this rejection. Moreover, netplete obedience to
Allah is not possible, not even by the best human beings. Everyone is
liable to error and every one errs. But when we do, we seek Allah’s
forgiveness and it is forthneting when our request is genuine. Let us
not forget that a human being may be in error throughout his life, but
then he realizes his mistake and repents them, seeking Allah’s
forgiveness. He may die shortly after that, but he is forgiven
everything he has done in his past. If you take this example and that
of a person who lives the most pious life and put them together, what
do you get? You will find that even the most pious person slips often
enough to incur punishment. He cannot thank and praise Allah enough for
His blessings, yet he disobeys Him. If Allah were to treat him
according to the merits and demerits of what he does, he would throw
him in hell., But Allah does not do that. He forgives everyone who
turns to Him in genuine repentance, even the most wicked of mankind.
Therefore, we must not view our obedience of Allah’s message as
something which is sufficient to ensure our salvation. Our salvation is
attained only through Allah’s grace. But the choice is ours throughout
our lives. The choice is to adopt a responsive or defiant attitude.
Although when we make the right choice, we do not live up to it,
Allah’s grace is so great that our choice ensures our salvation.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )