UPDATED 8 July 2025 (below)
Only when you are old will you understand what life is all about. A murid of mine said that even wearing a mask did not prevent her from getting a flu and a bad cough (actually it’s a strain of COVID which many do not believe in).
Most have difficulty accepting reality but if you visit the old, you can see it in their eyes. When they look back on their lives, everything becomes clear to them. To be honest, these very same people (I have sat with many) point many things about life. Unfortunately, it has no impact on us.
Everyday, we are advised about obesity, high-blood pressure, salt and sugar intake. We are told to exercise and to have a proper diet, but most ignore these warnings. Many are indifferent to advise until they are struck with a disease. Why does it end up this way?
Everyone lives their lives as it has been laid out by Allah (preordained). However, those who do not believe in such will offer you a rationally and logical explanation based on scientific evidence and intellectual reasoning. They will tell you that the human genome (a complete set of nucleic acid sequences for humans, encoded as the DNA within each of the 23 distinct chromosomes in the cell nucleus), determines what you are. Alien Theorists will tell you that we are a product of aliens. Graham Hancock will in turn speak about past civilizations in the ‘Ancient Apocalypse’ television series.
The jisei, or death poem, of Kuroki Hiroshi, a Japanese sailor who died in a Kaiten suicide torpedo accident on 7 September 1944. It reads: "This brave man, so filled with love for his country that he finds it difficult to die, is calling out to his friends and about to die". Zen Monk Kozan Ichikyo wrote: “Empty handed I entered the world. Barefooted I leave it. My coming, my going – two simple happenings that got entangled."
In Buddhism, we are puppets on a string. In Islam, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said “Indeed Allah created Adam, then He wiped his back with His Right Hand, and his offspring came out of him. He said: "I created these for Paradise, and they will do the deeds of the people of Paradise." Then He wiped his back, and his offspring came out of him and said: "I created these for the Fire, and they will do the deeds of the people of the Fire." A man said: 'Then of what good is doing deeds O Messenger of Allah!' The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said: “Verily, when Allah created a man for Paradise, He makes him perform the deeds of the people of Paradise, until he dies doing one of the deeds of the people of Paradise. So, Allah will admit him into Paradise. And when He created a man for the Fire, He makes him perform the deeds of the people of the Fire until he dies doing the deeds of the people of the Fire. So Allah will enter him into the Fire.” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3075: https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:3075).
This Hadith is reported to be a ‘Daif Hadith’ - a Hadith with weak narrations. Well, that is how religion is defined for us. On some occasions what is weak is accepted because they all share the same message being delivered as in the case over the predicted death of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet (s.a.w.).
However, when you go through the life of Abu Lahab, you will notice that he enjoys a few droplets of water every Mondays just because he released a slave on receiving news of the birth of Muhammad, yet a Surah is named after him, condemning him to Hell. Why? The answer is simple: Abu Lahab performed a simple good deed! All the participants during the life of Muhammad (s.a.w.) lived out their lives as it was ordained by Allah.
This conclusion may seem unjust and unfair to many, yet even today, the world is filled with such people in the form of Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, religious extremists, biggots etc. In a way, life moves along on a Preordained path; a Predetermined Path as many would like to view it. The truth, it is moving on a path that has been set into motion by Allah to reach its Final Destination.
The Buddhists, like to view it as Reoccurring Birth Cycles to attain Nivana (pure enlightenment). It’s a nice way of giving you ‘another chance’ towards perfection and enlightenment. In Islam, only Allah exists and only His Face remains (Qur’an).
When you absorb all this and consider the views of every religion, it provides “those who believe” with hope. However, when you consider the countless number of religious followers “who know but do not follow (meaning believe in the reality of existence), it matters nothing to them. They just rob and plunder the wealth of a nation. Do they not remind you of Abu Lahab, the uncle of the Prophet (s.a.w.)? At the end of the day, were they all not living out their lives the way it was intended to go?
To survive in this world, one needs to live within one’s means. You function by serving Allah and mankind according to your status, position, and whatever tools you have at hand. Do NOT go overboard because Allah has not place a burden on any soul that he cannot bear (Qur’an). However, you can if you want to and accept the consequences. That too would have been ordained by Allah in your destiny because you are what you are. One cannot remove a tiger’s stripes but you can tame the tiger within you.
Whatever decision you make, know that Allah is fully aware of it. This has been expressed in Ayatal Kursi in the Qur’an. We all live our lives as it has been laid out for us by Allah. Doing good and turning to Him, begging Him to change your Qada’ and Qadar and your Fitrah is the only way out, because Allah is within you’ He is outside of you; He is everywhere and in everything. The whole Creation is a manifestation of His Divine Names and Attributes. Amin. (Mokhtar Stork 5 July, 2025)
UPDATE: A response I received to this articles mentioned about "striking a balance between Qadr and Ikhtiyar (effort). I am familar with this illusion. Whatever you do in terms of effort (ikhtiyar) is an effort on your part. It is part of "striving" but it may succeed or may or may not succeed. And who do you think approves it either way? The answer is Allah. Does that not bring us back to square one? There is also a need to define "ikhtiyar". Is it "nafs" orientated or "just for Allah sake". If it is for Allah's sake, then there is no expectation... just doing good. Traditional Islam presents a practical logical picture, which I acknowledge, however, when you view reality, the Prime Mover and Determiner is Allah. In a way it is true, you life your life as it has been planned for you, including all your efforts.
