Do We Have a Free Will?
THE Qur’an mentions twice that Allah seals the hearts of those who do not believe. You can read this meaning in Verses 6-7 in Surah 2: “Verily, those who disbelieve, it is the same to them whether you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) warn them or do not warm them; they will not believe. Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be a great torment”.
Also, Verse 23 Surah 45 reads: “Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his ilah (god)? And Allah knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allah? Will you not then remember? And also the Verse 142 in Surah 2, which means: The fools (pagans hypocrites and Jews) among the people will say: “What has turned them (Muslims) from their Qiblah (prayer direction) to which they used to face in prayer.” [From Jerusalem to Makkah]?” Say (O Muhammad, peace be upon him): “To Allah belong both, the east and west: He guides whom He wills to the Straight Way.”
This phrase, here translated to mean that Allah guides whom “He” wills, is repeated many times in the Qur’an.
However, if the Arabic is understood with the meaning that Allah guides whom He wills, we may well ask whether Allah has created believers and non-believers? This raises the question: is everything predestined or ordained in advance, or do we have a free will? The answer does not conflict with the first interpretation.
If Allah did create or ordain our actions, then we would not have free will, and it would not be just to hold us accountable on the Day of Judgment. Likewise, it would not be just if it were ordained at our creation that we would end up in Paradise or Hell, no matter what our choices turned to be.
One of the names or attributes of Allah is al-Adl, The Just. Therefore, He does not do anything unjust.
So do we have a total free will? If we give this question careful thought and investigation, we might reach the conclusion that there are a few aspects of our life about which we have no say. We cannot choose when we are born, to which parents, nor when we are going to die, whether we are born into a rich or poor family, or what sex we are born into. But after that we can choose how to act, what moral code we abide by, what social and political responsibilities we fulfill or ignore.
There is a Hadith on this subject too. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him), the truthful and truly-inspired, said: “Each one of you was collected within the womb of his mother for 40 days, and then turned into a clot [or something that clings] for an equal period [of 40 days] and turned into a piece of flesh for a similar period [of 40 days] and then Allah sent an angel and ordered him to write four things, i.e., his provision, his age [at death], and whether he will be of the wretched or the blessed [in the Hereafter]. Then the spirit was breathed into him. And by Allah, a person among you [or a man] may do deeds of the people of the Hellfire till there is only a cubit or an arm-breadth distance between him and the Hellfire, but then that writing [which Allah has ordered the angel to write] precedes, and then he does the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it; and a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise till there is only a cubit or two between him and Paradise, and then that writing precedes and he does the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it.” (Reported by Bukhari)
Most people, when they read this, think that it means that when the angel writes these four things, Allah is commanding these things to happen.
However, Islamic scholars explain that while this is true for one’s age and provision — at least at birth — the angel is recording something that will happen, but that record does not “make” it happen.
It simply reflects a conception of time and knowledge of Allah beyond time and space. We have to always remember that Allah is never limited by the boundaries of time and space.
He gives us free will, but He knows beforehand — even before we were created — what our choices and their consequences will be.
Let’s examine the translation of a few more verses in the Qur’an related to the question of guidance. For example, Verse 26 of Surah 2 says: “Verily, Allah is not ashamed to set forth a parable even of a mosquito or so much more when it is bigger (or less when it is smaller) than it. And as for those who believe, they know that is the Truth from their Lord, but as for those who disbelieve, they say: “What did Allah intend by this parable?” By it He misleads many, and many He guides thereby. And He misleads thereby only those who are Al-Fasiqun (the rebellious, disobedient to Allah).”
Then in Verse 27, Surah 13, Allah says: “Say: Verily Allah sends to astray whom He wills and guides unto Himself those who turn to Him in repentance.”
These are but a few of the many verses in the Qur’an that speak of guidance.
Finally, I would like to quote another Hadith. This one is a Hadith Qudsi, which means the Prophet (peace be upon him) reported in his own words what Allah had revealed to him:
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), narrated, Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, stated: “I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his [remembrance], and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by a cubit, and if he draws near Me by a cubit I draw near him by the space [covered by] two arms. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.” (Reported by Muslim)
So, search for Allah and you will find Him. Keep an open mind, keep reading and asking questions, and keep praying while you are struggling with your religious beliefs and identity.