ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A Shi'ite Encyclopedia (chapter 11) The Shia and the Question of Destiny Now, for the Shia's opinion on Free Will and Fatalism: Dr. al-Tijani has met with the Great Scholars of the Twelver Shi'ite in Iraq. Among those he talked to are: The Martyr Muhammad Baqr al-Sadr, al- Khoie, Muhammad Ali al-Tabatabai, al- Hakim, and many others (May Allah (SWT) have mercy on those that have passed away, and on those that remain). Dr.

al-Tijani narrates what these great scholars explained to him: When al-Imam Ali (AS) was asked about Free Will and Fatalism, he (AS) said: (NOTE: This is a VERY hard quote to translate; thus, this translation is ROUGH at best, but it does convey the point): "Woe to you! Did you think that it was a mandatory destiny, and a final will? If it was as such, then reward and punishment would have no value, and admonition and exhortation would totally fail!

Allah (SWT) has ordered His (SWT) servants to obey Him (SWT) voluntarily, and asked them to cease doing evil as a warning to them (from punishment); and He (SWT) has ordained easy (simple) things in religion, and He (SWT) has not ordained difficult (hard) duties.

He (SWT) has given for the small amount of good deeds you do, a great reward; and He (SWT) is never disobeyed as a sign of His (SWT) defeat (or lack of power and ability); and He (SWT) is not obeyed [or worshipped] through coercion and force, rather voluntarily. He (SWT) has not sent Prophets and Messengers as part of a game He (SWT) is playing; nor did He (SWT) send down the Books (revealed scripture) for no reason.

And He (SWT) did not create the Heavens and the Earths as a falsehood (triviality); That, indeed, is the belief of the nonbelievers: Woe to the nonbelievers from the hellfire..." NOTE: The latter part of the speech: "That, indeed, is the belief of the nonbelievers: Woe to the nonbelievers from the hellfire......" is a verse from the Quran that al-Imam Ali (AS) concluded with. Dr.

al-Tijani, when he first heard this, was filled with joy to know that it is HE who controls his actions, and it is HE who is responsible for doing good deeds to enter heaven. And it is not, as the Sunni scholars claim, the Will of Allah (SWT) for him to enter hell. Dr.