The question, whether freewill exist or not is an old philosophical problem. I haven't read many deep things on it. But I have my very personal view on this.I think freewill exist and at the same time it doesn't exist.
Freewill exist because, without it the creation of intelligence human race will lose its value. Without freewill the purpose of creation doesn't work.
Freewill doesn't exist to the Lover of God because all Knowing God created and designed it. So somehow freewill iteself has some limitations. But yet, it is designed in such a wonderful way that it gives human race tremendous independence in thoughts, behavior and everything.
The fact that freewill exist and doesn't exist at the same time can be compared with a half full glass . The glass is half full. And the glass is half empty. Both the statement is true at the same time.
In Final Testament it is acknowledged that human race has freewill. It is stated that: "Say, the truth is from your Lord, so let him who please believe, and let him who please disbelieve;…" (-Quran 018.029). Thus God gives choice even to deny or accept the very important Truth.
But at the same time we need to acknowledge that God knows everything even if we have freewill. This is because God created time. So although we are into time dimension, God is not. So for Him future, past and present is nothing but same. That is why, freewill doesn't exist if we look from God's point of view. But for us, we can be happy on earth as that we have freewill.
Tag: God, Philosophy, Free will
Hi Sadiq - I think you are right, it exists and doesn't exist at the same time! It may sound like a cop-out but I think it can be viewed as a question of God's intention.
ReplyDeleteFor example, He may have decided that we need to progress towards point X and that it will take 5000 years to do it. Now we can get to point X by bike, car, walk, fly or invent a totally new method of transport. We can even sit around going nowhere for a few thousand years! But in the end we will go to point X because it is God's will - in the meantime it appears to us that we have total free-will because we dictate our means of travel.
We just don't see the big picture because we are not God. Just an idea - probably nothing like this at all!
ah ha!
ReplyDeletesome of my friends like to joke and say that most people fail to realise they are really nothing but meat robots!
I tried explaining to someone once the idea that freewill was limited, "Well, if your freewill is so absolute, try not going to the bathroom..." they didn't care for that idea... ah well.
Segovius, a very good point, so few make the leap to see the bigger picture.
Beloved Segovius and Kevin,
ReplyDeleteWell said you both. Thanks for sharing your personal insights.
Sadiq
this...is so weird...my sis was from EEE 97 batch...do you know/knew someone name Nishat(Aeysha nusrat sulatana)? Tall, naive and bickering?hmmmm...and i thought only Jarir bhai had the material intellect in Nishat's batch...
ReplyDeletebtw, no way had i though some guy studying years in mechanics and fluid/dimensional movement can write columns with as much literal content as yours..well, "guess to err is human"
Very well articulated, Sadiq. My spiritual teacher used to say that it is in our minds, that freewill exists. However, beyond our finite understanding, it is God's Knowledge & Will that truly prevail.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog. Haven't got time to update yet but there lots of things to write soon, insha'allah.
Hello Sadiq
ReplyDeletethis is kinda deep. but the only thing that pops into my mind is that saying, "one for all and all for one." does that apply to this post? or am i way out there?
Hi Kathy,
ReplyDeleteThe thing that came into ur mind, "one for all, and all for one" is very much summarize many things.
In arabic Quran there is a verse , "Inna nillahi wa inna ilaihi raziun" .. which says, "Surely we are from God and to Him is our return".
Now if u replace one in ur sentence with 'One', it becomes, "One (God) for all, and all for One (God)",.. ya it makes deep mystical sense, isn't it?
The idea of freewill can also be encompassed into that.
Beloved Someguy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for ur comment.
Ya, i knew ur sister, Nishat. Infact she might recognized me if u tell her Sadiq, and also mention Mishu as reference.
Masheed is also here in my same lab here in university, singapore. Nishat must know masheed as well. U r nishat's brother right? nice to meet u..
thanks for ur kind words, although that doesn't apply for me. most of the things are stupid, age old questions which make me ponder. i'm such a damn stupid that i just love to think on them...and wonder all days perhaps.
Hi Sadiq,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you only partially. It is logically not possible for something to exist and not exist simultaneously. I believe there is Free will and there is no such thing as Predestination - the opposite of free will.
You said free will is limited. I think it is not limited, it is influenced by God's natural laws aka science, eg: gravity.
You are right that God does not live in time dimension so he knows all the past, present and future completely. But knowing is not causing. I might know that you have lunch everyday at 1 pm but its your free will that determines your lunch. Think of God's fore-knowledge as an absolute prediction. I am using the word absolute as God's prediction has NO probability of being wrong.
I have written an essay on the topic of free will in the context of Islam. It will help clarify my point. Please visit.
Kevin,
No doubt its is impossible for a person to not go to the bathroom. But when he does he does it with his will, he wills because he could not resist not going. One could argue that gravity limits my will to jump from a building. It does not limit, it influences, because the same gravity would encourage my will to jump if I was suicidal. Also keep in mind, free will is concerned not with a period of time but with a single moment. If it is concerned with a period of time then it is intention, plan, aim or goal. Please visit.
I wrote a very similar blog to this some time ago and my conclusion was similar however my perception on free will Vs fate is slightly different
ReplyDeleteI believe the best way to live, is to forget about destiny and only focus on choice and free will. If you rely on destiny, it becomes easy to fall into a pattern of lazyness and a sort of 'whatever will happen will happen' attitude. It was something that nearly destroyed me and I found that believe in choice and free will, for me, was the best and most productive way to live! ;)
Hi Sadiq,
ReplyDeleteI'm fascinated with everth..concerning your blog....
Regarding solitude...I'm not at all happy with loneleness whole my life..this for sure wasn't my choice, how did it come me to be chosen for this...
Love, Maya (51)
Dear Maya,
ReplyDeletei send my light and prayers to your way. May you be blessed and your solitude experience transform into blissful one.
sadiq
AoA bros & Sis
ReplyDeleteSadiq it is really a nice post and was pleasure to read it.
What i believe is that Freewill does exist, but its existence is tide with certain unavoidable limitations by God, and dats it.
You can stand on one foot by keepin other foot in air , but simply u cant stand if u wish to keep both feet in the air.
peace-
Hi
ReplyDeleteFrom what I know from Islam, the existence of limited free will is sth. that the Shia Moslems believe in, while the Sunni sect believe in absolute fatalism. Is this true?!! and thus does that make you a Shia in belief? If not could you please clarify this point?
I have just had a chance to glimpse through your blog and found some of your posts very interesting. Hope to be able to visit more often.
I have a blog of my own in which I am trying to find salvation through a pilgrimage for "The Truth", and hope that people like you can help me in my quest.
May the Lord shine his heavenly light upon us all.
Eli