Are all events in a person’s life predetermined by God? Is this supported by any authentic text? In this case, does this not mean that some people are privileged from birth, and some have the best in this world and in the life to come? If a person is predestined to live a life of sin, how is he made accountable for his sins? If people are free, then when their lives are cut short, say, by a natural disaster, their chance of repentance and mending their ways is removed. May I ask a pointed question for which I hope to receive a direct answer: are we masters of our own destinies?
It is not true to say that God predetermines all human actions, but it is true to say that they take place by God’s will. The two statements are widely different. It is God’s will to give human beings a free choice in a wide area of their lives. Thus, when they exercise this free choice, they do so by God’s will. This does not mean that God interferes directly to force them to make their choices in a particular fashion.
This would be contrary to the very thought of free choice. But we say that free choice is a reality in our lives. Everyone knows and experiences that. We make choices at every juncture, and we do not feel being forced to make a particular choice. We are free to follow what we feel to be the best, or least disadvantageous, or more enjoyable, or in our interest. There is no doubt about this, because it is God’s will to grant us that freedom of choice.
Thus, the privilege you are speaking about is not true. In fact, the opposite is that we are all born with the same predisposition to believe in God and follow His guidance. We also have the same ability to turn away from it and follow our desires wherever they lead us. The question here is one of choice, and when we make our choice, God facilitates it for us. Thus, a person must take the initial step to believe in God and follow His message. When a person does that, God makes his path in that direction easier. The same is the case when a person turns away from God and chooses to disbelieve in Him. God makes his way to error easier. But all this is determined by man’s own free choice.
No one is deprived of any chance to repent and mend his ways after committing errors and falling in sin. We all know that we are liable to die at any moment. Hence, we must always be on the alert. If we forget and indulge in some forbidden pursuit, we should immediately repent and seek God’s forgiveness. This is the mark of true believers. God says in the Qur’an:
"If those who are God-fearing experience a tempting thought from Satan, they bethink themselves (of God); and they begin to see things clearly." (7: 201)
We must not allow time to pass before turning to God in repentance, because we must always be aware that if we do not do so, death may overtake us and we could end up in disobedience to God. Why do you think that natural disaster or murder deprives anyone of his or her chance, when no one knows whether he or she will live for another minute? The time for repentance is now. If we lose it, it is our choice not to make use of it.
Having said that, I add that there is an area in life where we have no choice, such as being affected by natural laws and phenomena.
Thus, we contract a disease if we expose ourselves to it. When we have that disease, our immune system will try to defend our bodies against it. The immune system will not wait for our choice to make its defense. If we put our finger in the fire, it burns. If we walk in the rain, we get wet. If we go into the sea and do not swim, we get drowned.
There is no choice in such matters. Are we masters of our destinies? The answer is: “Yes, within the limits God has given us.”
I am told that it is forbidden in Islam to talk to a person from the opposite sex. Could you please confirm whether this is true or not.
It is a very serious matter to say that something is forbidden when it is not, or to make permissible what God has forbidden. In Islam the authority to forbid anything belongs to God alone. No one else is empowered to forbid anything. What the Prophet, peace be upon him, has mentioned to be forbidden is also prohibited by God, but the prohibition is communicated to us through the Prophet, peace be upon him. Anyone, who claims to have the authority to make things forbidden, or to permit what God has prohibited, actually usurps God’s authority.
Another very important rule in Islam is that prohibition must be made clear by Qur’anic or Hadith text. All things are permissible unless there is a clear evidence of prohibition. So, we need not provide evidence in order to rule that something is permissible.
We can only say that there is no evidence to make it forbidden. The person who claims that something is forbidden is the one who must provide evidence in support of his claim.
There are hundreds of Hadiths, which mention that women talked to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and asked him questions. In some of these Hadiths you find a husband sending his wife to ask the Prophet, peace be upon him, about something he wants to know. Also, there are numerous reports about the Prophet’s companions talking to women.
There is a famous report about the woman who objected to Omar when he wanted to restrict dowries to a maximum limit, which was equal to what the Prophet, peace be upon him, paid in dowry.
When she objected, he realized his mistake and said that she was right.
Indeed, Islamic society does not support the view of segregation. Women were present in practically all functions during the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his rightly guided successors, even in war.
A married lady who is known to be firm in her belief in Islam had a very disturbing experience. One night, as she was reflecting, she had thoughts of disbelief. She told herself that she became a disbeliever. A few minutes later, she banished those thoughts and was firm in her belief in Islam. She has been worried ever since about her status. She feels that her marriage became null and void the moment she had those thoughts of disbelief. How could she remain married to her husband without telling him what happened? If a new marriage contract is needed, how could this be effected without people getting to know of what happened to her? In fact she does not want anybody to know that. Can a mistake like this invalidate marriage, when the person involved has immediately repented and sought God’s forgiveness? Please comment.
It is often the case that we do things to our own detriment only because we do not know the exact Islamic position in the matter in question. We behave on the basis of insufficient information, and that could easily land us in trouble. Here the lady experienced some false thoughts and reflected in her mind on some false beliefs. When she came to senses, she was her own old self, a firm believer in God and His messenger. What does this constitute?
The Prophet, peace be upon him, says: “God has pardoned my community whatever thoughts people may entertain, unless they put these in practice.” So, any one of us may think that if he could do this or that action, he would be much better off. What he might be thinking of may be a theft, a forgery, adultery or even a murder. But when he reflects for a moment, he turns to God for help and prays to Him to protect him from sin. Would any of these thoughts constitute a sinful action for which he is to be punished? It is part of God’s mercy that he does not hold us to account for any of these thoughts.
Similarly, if one entertains some doubts about God, but soon afterward he or she reconfirms their belief in Him, attending to their prayers and other Islamic duties, those erroneous thoughts are not taken into account. In fact, the whole process tends to confirm one’s belief in God. That is because when those thoughts were clear in his mind, he did not allow them to dwell for long. He sought to reconfirm his conviction in God’s oneness and His control of the universe. That allows a firm belief.
This means that this lady does not have anything to worry about as a result of her experience. The fact that she was so disturbed by it confirms her as a good believer. However, my advice to her is to try to study Islam at greater depth. The more she studies, the better for her, as her faith will be stronger and she will banish any evil thoughts that may flash in her mind. Needless to say, her marriage was not affected