Allah (swt) has recorded all the actions of humans even before their birth. Given that, how can we say that humans have free will in their actions?
Question
Allah (swt) has recorded all the actions of humans even before their birth. Given that, how can we say that humans have free will in their actions?
Solution
This is a complex theological question that has been discussed by scholars for centuries. Here's a simplified explanation:
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Understanding Allah's Knowledge: Allah (swt) is omniscient, meaning He has complete knowledge of everything, past, present, and future. This includes knowledge of all our actions before we even perform them.
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Defining Free Will: Free will in Islamic theology is the belief that humans have the freedom to choose between different courses of action. It does not mean that our actions are unknown to Allah (swt), but rather that we are not compelled by Him to act in a certain way.
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Distinguishing Between Knowledge and Predestination: Allah's (swt) knowledge of our actions does not mean He forces us to act in a certain way. He knows what we will do because of His omniscience, not because He predestines our actions. In other words, our actions are known, but not caused by Allah (swt).
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Understanding Accountability: Because we have free will, we are accountable for our actions. If our actions were predestined, it would contradict the concept of moral responsibility in Islam.
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Reconciling Allah's Knowledge and Free Will: While Allah (swt) knows everything we will do, this knowledge does not interfere with our free will. We are not forced to act in the ways Allah (swt) knows we will. His knowledge is simply a result of His omniscience, not a cause of our actions.
In conclusion, while Allah (swt) has complete knowledge of all our actions, this does not negate our free will. We still have the freedom to choose our actions and are accountable for them.
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