ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Theological Instructions LESSON FIFTY-EIGHT: PRIVILEDGES OF THE BELIEVERS Introduction In the section on ‘Theology’ (See lesson 11), we realised that God’s Will consists basically of righteousness and perfection and there is no place therein for deficiency. Therefore, with respect to man, God’s primary Will naturally tends to belong to his perfection, eternal prosperity and enjoyment of eternal blessings.

However, the sinners’ punishment and bad luck, which are due to their own wrong choices, are included in God’s wise Will aswell.

Nevertheless, had it not been the requisite of the peoples’ wrong choices, in meeting their punishment and adversity, God’s infinite mercy would necessitate no creature to meet punishment.[5] It is the same overwhelming Divine mercy, which characterizes man’s creation with freedom and the right of choice; however, the requisite of being able to choose between faith and disbelief is to meet its good or bad outcome.

The difference, nevertheless, is that meeting a joyful end belongs to God’s primary Will, while meeting a painful end belongs to His subordinate Will. The same difference necessitates that in both creation and canonization, righteousness is preferred.

In other words, man is created so as his personality becomes more deeply affected by good deeds, whilst canonically he has been ordered to perform easy deeds so that other than for gaining prosperity and relief from eternal punishment he would not need to perform hard and intolerable deeds (Refer to al-Baqarah:158, al-Hajj: 78). Moreover, at the time of assigning reward or punishment to people, reward is preferred and God’s mercy will precede His anger.

This precedence or preference of God’s mercy is manifested in different ways; some of which are discussed below. Increase in reward With respect to the results of good deeds, the first privilege for those who seek prosperity is that their reward does not merely equal the amount they deserve; rather it exceeds their deeds. This has been cited in the Holy Qur’an in different verses such as: “Whoever brings virtue shall receive [a reward] better than it” (al-Naml:89).

Moreover, the following verse states:“Whoever performs a good deed, We shall enhance for him its goodness” (al-Shūra:23). And the following verse maintains:“Those who are virtuous shall receive the best reward and an enhancement” (Yūnus:26).