On the accounts of the traditions and the noble verses of the Qur’an...

On the accounts of the traditions and the noble verses of the Qur’an, all knowledge with regards to the past and present realisation and future actualisation of the phenomenon in the external world is epitomised upon ‘the safe tablet’ (lawh mahfūz). Those by the permission of the Divine have access to the ‘tablet’ and are aware of the past and future of things. Furthermore there are other tablets of lesser degree in which the incomplete and conditional futuristic knowledge is present.

Those who are aware of this have limited information, which is susceptible to substitution. Apparently the following noble verse asserts upon these two forms of destinies sarnevest}: “Allah effaces and confirms whatever He wishes and with Him is the Mother of the Book” (al-Ra’d:39). Alteration in the conditional destinies is known as change (badā) in an earlier ruling in the religious text.

At any instance believing in the epistemic-decree and destiny will not influx any enigmas other than that of Divine eternal knowledge (‘ilm azali). In our previous lessons we have refuted those fatalistic arguments with relation to Divine knowledge. However believing in the objective decree and destiny, and particularly believing in determined destiny will influx several doubts and enigmas, which must be resolved.

Nevertheless a brief answer was provided in the discussions on independent effectuality. The relation of destiny and decree to human volition We know that the requirement for believing in the Divine objective decree and destiny is that all phenomena from beginning to end, and even the conditions of actualisation are subservient to the wise design of God the Supreme. Furthermore the reaching of this phenomenon to its final stage is also in consonance with the Divine will.

In other words the existence of every phenomenon is related to Divine will, without which no existent can come into being. Likewise the beginning of everything is based upon the Divine decree, without which no existent would take the limited forms or reach its (end) final stage. The explanation of these relationships and constituents in reality is the gradual teachings of the oneness of God.

This in the meaning of it being independent in effectuality, which is of the foremost level and plays an important role in the being and becoming of man, as indicated in our previous lessons.