Most of the Muslims believe that everything is destined
beforehand and what ever happens, good or bad, happens according to the will of
Allah and that man has no control.
The Shias believe that man is neither completely compelled
nor completely free in his deeds. It is between the extremes. Imam Sadiq (a.s.)
said, “There is no compulsion (by Allah), nor is there absolute delegation of
power (from Allah to man); but the real position is between these extremes.”
Shaykh Saduq said, “Allah possess foreknowledge of human actions, but does not
compel them to act in a particular manner.” Imam Musa al-Kazim (a.s.) said, “A man
acquires the ability to act freely when there is nothing to hinder his plan, his
health and other faculties needed for that work, are up to the required
standard and Allah provides the occasion of that work.”
That is one of the reasons for including “The Day of
Resurrection” into the “Roots of Islam” If Allah decrees every act which is
done by us, then why He should inflict punishment upon us for those sins, evils,
and transgressions.
Imam Abu Hanifa, the founder of the Hanafi School of Sunni
Laws, went to meet Imam Sadiq (a.s.). The Imam was inside the house and Abu Hanifa
was waiting for him. In the meantime, a small child (Imam Musa al-Kazim)
came out and Abu Hanifa, to pass the time, asked him, “O child, from whom is
the action of man?” The child at once said,
“O Abu Hanifa, there are only three imaginable sources;
either the man himself is the originator of his action, or the God is the doer
of that action; or both together are the originators of that action. Now if God
is the doer of the actions of man, then why does He inflict punishment on the
man for the sins? Is it not injustice (zulm)? And Allah says, “Verily, Allah is
not unjust to His creatures.”
And if man and God are partners in that crime, then is it
not gross injustice that the powerful partner (i.e., God) punishes the weaker
partner (i.e., man) for an action which both performed together? And as both two
alternatives are proved to be illogical and impossible, the third theory is
proved to be correct that man does his actions by his own power and will.”
(At-Tabrasi, al-Ihtijaj v.2 pp. 387; al-Majlisi, Bihar-ul Anwar v.5 pp. 4and
27)
Once, Abu Hanifa was telling his disciples, “I have heard
three things of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq which are wrong; “He said that Allah
cannot be seen” If a thing exists it must be seen. Secondly, he said,
“Allah will punish Satan in Hell” It is absurd because Satan
was created from fire. So, fire can do harm to a person made of fire? Thirdly, “he
says that a man’s action is done by his will and power and that
he is responsible for it.” But it is wrong because all the actions of
man are done by Allah’s will and power, and Allah is responsible for it.
Bahlul, the wise, took a lump of clay and sent it hurtling
towards Abu Hanifa. It hit him on the forehead, he cried in anguish and pain,
and Abu Hanifa took him to the judge. The judge asked him if the allegation was
true. Bahlul, the wise said, “O judge! Imam Abu Hanifa says that he is
suffering from a searing pain in his head because of the clay which hit him. But
I think he is lying. I cannot believe him until I see the pain.” Abu Hanifa
said, “You are really mad! How can I show you the pain? Bahlul, the wise said,
“But, O judge, he was just teaching his disciples that if a thing does exist,
then it must be seen.”” Also, he was telling his disciples that Satan is made
of fire, the fire of Hell cannot do him any harm. Now man is made of clay and
it was a lump of clay that hit him: I wonder how he can claim that a lump of
clay did harm to a man made of clay. He was also preaching that all the actions
of man are done by Allah and that Allah is responsible for those actions. He
should file suit against Allah.” The judge acquitted Bahlul, the wise.
Source:
Justice of God by Ayatullah Sayyid Sa’eed Akhtar Rizvi
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