I mean, in Islamic theology, does Allah control every occurrence that happens from natural disasters to something that occurs in individuals lives? Or did Allah just create the world and the inhabitants, "bring" the prophets and just sits back and watches?
I mean, in Islamic theology, does Allah control every occurrence that happens from natural disasters to something that occurs in individuals lives? Or did Allah just create the world and the inhabitants, "bring" the prophets and just sits back and watches?
Hi Buddhists, namaste! Yes. ALLAH is controlling every nerve in it and maintaining the Divine Balance. Every death and life is just maintaining the Order of Cosmological Balance in his Divine Plan. The natural disasters are part in His Major Corrective Action Plan (CAP). As is said in the Al-Quran, ALLAH never sleeps, every nanomoment He is in some kind of activities. So if one has developed the capacity, he/she can reach out to ALLAH who is accessible 7- 24 . Salaam/Peace/HORAS
Thank you for the explanation :) Visio has given a great reply. I would just like to add this muslims view this life as a test, which means when things arent going smoothly, theyre not suppose to go grumbling and say "God why did you do this to me, i have always been good". Muslims believe that this life is a test, and that it comes with hardship. Muslims believe that they have "free choice", which means they can choose what they want to do. The true test of faith is when things are going well. It is often when things are smooth that people forget God, and only remember Him in times of need.
I mean, in Islamic theology, does Allah control every occurrence that happens from natural disasters to something that occurs in individuals lives? Or did Allah just create the world and the inhabitants, "bring" the prophets and just sits back and watches?
Peace Bhuddist!, Wellcome!
Allah [swt] controls litterally everything and everything happens by His will and determination; it is deemed in Islam that there is only One creator of all that exists, including our actions and litterally everything that ever happens in creation [for actions and occurences are created too], thus if even the minutest thing, like the batting of an eyelid or the slight movement of a leaf of a tree is considered to occur on it's own accord [without Allah willing it] then it is as if though one regards there to be two creators rather than just One, thus in Islam, believing that nothing happens without ALlah willing it goes hand in hand with the belief of monothiesm
I mean, in Islamic theology, does Allah control every occurrence that happens from natural disasters to something that occurs in individuals lives? Or did Allah just create the world and the inhabitants, "bring" the prophets and just sits back and watches?
Brother, if your question is based on trying to make sense of the recent Haiti disaster, then let me just mention a few words on it to give you an Islamic perspective on it inshaAllah:
The Divine Books [the Quran, and the original Torah and injil [which are now distorted] are full of stories of how Allah [swt] sent disasters to communities that are heedless and steeped in sin, in the form of what we now term as 'natural disasters' i.e, floods, earthquakes, storms, brimstones falling from the sky, etc, etc, and given the general heedless state of the human community today all around the world, we really cannot put such disasters down to anything else other than a trial from ALlah [swt]
Ofocurse it is not a 'punishment' for all the people affected by the disaster for when such a disaster strikes, the good, along with the bad get effected too and people would be judged according to their deeds if they die; also such disasters are to try the patience and perserverance of the 'good' people and to give a great chance for the astray to turn their lives around and turn to God..., thus it is a means for salvation and getting closer to Allah for many people too and ofcourse it is a test on those who are in a position to help iether financially or physically to see wethe they take this oppurtunity to practice the compassion which is an inextricable and major part of being a human, so lets all help them as much as possible
Peace
ps: the scientific geological causes and effects are obviously all there [such as 'fault lines', the earths crust heating up or two plates colliding etc, etc, but this is just the 'means' of it happening and it ultimately happens by the will of Allah
May I follow up with the another question then.. If someone does a bad deed, who is responsible?
Hi Spanky!
Allah [swt] creates all the actions [the good and evil one's] and mankind chooses between them with his free-will, thus mankind is to blame for all the evil he does; our free-will is subject to Gods will too and this is because God knew exactly what actions we will do on earth thus He wills for us to act in the way He knew we will, thus here again it is only us to blame and not God
Here is a more detailed explanation of one of the two foremost imaams in mainstream Islamic theolgy:
Al‑Maturidi combated the views of the Jabrites and the Mu'tazilites on the above questions and he also disagreed with al‑Ash'ari on certain points. Refuting the absolute determinism of the Jabrites, he says that the relation between God and man should not be considered to be the same as that between God and the physical world. God has endowed man with reason, with the power of distinguishing between right and wrong, and with the faculties of thinking, feeling, willing, and judging, and has sent messengers and revealed books for his guidance. Man inclines and directs his mind towards something which he thinks may benefit him, restrains himself from what he thinks will harm him, chooses one of the alternative courses of action by the exercise of his own reason, and thinks himself responsible for the merits or demerits of his actions. Now, while he thinks, desires, inclines, chooses, and acts, he always considers himself quite free, and never thinks or feels that any outside agency compels him to do any of his actions. This consciousness of freedom, al‑Maturidi asserts, is a reality, the denial of which will lead to the denial of all human knowledge and sciences. Quoting passages from the Qur'an [33] he also shows that the actions enjoined or prohibited by God are ascribed to men, and that they will be accountable for their "own" actions. All this clearly proves that God has granted men freedom of choice and necessary power to perform an action. The denial of this freedom will mean that God is wholly responsible for all human actions and is liable to blame or punishment for sins committed by men, yet on the Day of Judgment He will punish them for His own actions. This is quite absurd, as God has described Himself in the Qur'an as the most wise, just, and compassionate. [34]
But how can human freedom be reconciled with the Qur'anic conception of the all‑embracing divine will, power, eternal decree, and God's authorship of all human actions? Al‑Maturidi's explanations may be summed up as follows.
Creation belongs to God alone and all human actions, good or bad, are willed, decreed, and created by Him. Creation means bringing forth of an action from non‑existence into existence by one who possesses absolute power and complete knowledge in respect of that action. As man does not know all the circumstances, causes, conditions, or the results of his action, and does not possess within himself the requisite power for producing an action, he cannot be regarded as the creator (khaliq) of his action. Now, when it is proved that God is the creator of all human actions, it will necessarily follow that He also wills these actions, because divine action must be preceded by divine will. So nothing can happen in the world against or without the will of God. But, though God wills and creates human actions, He is not liable to blame or accountable for their actions, because divine will is determined by divine knowledge and He creates the action when a man in the free exercise of his reason chooses and intends to perform an action. Thus, God wills an action good or evil, which He knows a man will choose, and when ultimately he chooses and intends to acquire it God creates that act as a good or evil act for him. From this, it will be clear that God's willing or creating an evil action is not inconsistent with His wisdom and goodness. Because, God wills the happening of the evil because He desires the individual to exercise free choice, but being wise and just He always prohibits the choice of evil. So, though sins are in accordance with His will, they are never in accordance with His command, pleasure, desire, or guidance. Sin, then, according to al‑Maturidi, consists not in going against the divine will, but in violating the divine law, command, guidance, pleasure, or desire.
The basis of man's obligation and responsibility (taklif), al‑Maturidi main*tains, does not consist in his possessing the power to create an action, but it is the freedom to choose (ikhtiyar) and the freedom to acquire an action (iktisab), conferred on man as a rational being, which make him responsible and accountable. [35]
As regards eternal divine decree (qada' and qadar) al‑Maturidi holds that it is not inconsistent with human freedom, nor does it imply any compulsion on the part of man, because it is an eternal record based on foreknowledge. God decrees the act He knows from eternity that a man will choose and acquire freely. Man cannot deny his own responsibilities on the ground of the divine decree, al‑Maturidi adds; he cannot do so on account of time and space within which actions must be done. So, though man is not absolutely free, God has granted him necessary freedom consistent with his obligation and, therefore, the divine decree relating to human actions should not be regarded the same as in relation to the physical world. [36
May I follow up with the another question then.. If someone does a bad deed, who is responsible?
Hi Spanky! That's a very good and tricky question. To answer that, most likely a better understanding of the CREATION process is necessary. Anyway my take is that we are part of the cause and be responsible for it. However the only way we can act on the responsibility is by not propagating it for the future generation. How? Be good in this life so that when we die our soul would leave behind a very clean body (flesh & bones and all) and the spirits that clung to them. When they decay and dismantle they may make a better fertilizer to make a better seed for another person (to inherit). This works on the principle of the Trinity of a Human Person. I agree with Abdullah. Certainly it is not God's or ALLAHswt's. P.S. To be good in this life means reduce all the basic 7 composite defilements {Ignorant, Lust, Anger, Hatred, Jealousy, Pride, Greed} =ILAH.JPG inherited and inherent in all of us .
