What is Fate?

This is a very common question asked by many people who often joke about it saying “There is no use planning or working hard ultimately my fate is in God’s hands so Ill get what is written.” The short video 7+ min below by Dr. Ghulam Murtaza Malik answers this question with a very interesting example. Transcription is also provided in case you do not want to watch the video. The video is in Urdu Language but subtitles are available.

[Transcription]

Question Asked….

What is Fate?

If all the things that happen to us are predestined… Then how come we are accountable for our deeds? Then why reward or punishment for our acts? Then why Heaven or Hell? Please Explain…

The truth is that this Question disturbed and grieved me for a while… And i used to think that if really Allah (Swt) (God) had already written everything for me that on so and so time I will give a lecture here … will give this speech… will offer Salah (Prayers) at so and so time … Will call names to so and so person … will slap so and so person …If all these things are pre-scheduled or pre=programmed or pre-printed by Allah (swt) in my fate then Why am i to blame?

The blame goes to who has written my Fate… This point is pernicious… Let’s get to it

What is Fate? The Arabic word used for Fate is ILMULLAHI SABIQ which means pre-attained Knowledge of Allah (swt).

Allah (God) knows that today I will at so and so time by my own free will of my own accord with my own free thinking and with my independent actions will do so and so deed. I am doing this deed freely by myself and by my own intention. But the point is that Allah (God) is…

“…Truly, You, Only You Allah are the All-Knower of all that is hidden” (Qur’an 5:116)

“…Allah is the All-Knower of that which is in (the secrets of your) hearts” (Qur’an 3:119 and 3:154)

I do not know about myself what I will do tomorrow at 10:10 AM but Allah (swt) knows… I do not know where I will be after 10 years and what I will be doing at so and so time but Allah (swt) (God) knows.

Allah (swt) (God) knows about all my deeds which I will do in future independently and freely. Allah knows about what I will do so and so deed with free will at so and so time Allah has kept all these things written by Himself. Because He has to run all the systems of the Universe.

Allah’s knowledge is magnificent but His knowledge does not clashes with my intention. I will try to explain this by an event that occurs with me. Which revealed to me what fate is. It was 1971; I was a Deputy Accountant General in an Accountant Office. there lives a famous Astrologer “Sheikh Sadiq” who used to live in Qilah Gujjar Singh…

One day he entered in my office and offered his services to me. I told him straight forward that I have no time for this fiddle faddle … I do not believe in astronomy… I am a busy person; do not diddle me in such brandish… He requested me that at least give me 1 minute of your time on which I agreed.

He then opened a chart of paper on which there were 40 cells containing names of 40 different random things such as book, pen, notebook, chair, mosque, temple, etc.

He then asked me to select one of these things and write down its name on some paper secretly. At the same moment he picked a piece of paper from my desk and wrote down something on it and overturned it

At this I queried him about this action. He answered me, he has already written down the name of the thing which you will choose and write…

Now this made me worry… This became a droll show…

The word which I will write after a while with my own choice and with my own will … He has already written it down in that paper in front of me…

Then I started thinking of writing something which he had not already written.

Sometimes I think about this sometimes about that. At last wearily I wrote one word on a piece of paper and show him what I have written…

Then when He turned his paper his written word was the same which I had chosen…

Now I cannot tell how he had done so..  Through knowledge or contrivance or chance .. God knows better

But the lesson I learned that day was that … Whatever I have written, I chose by myself not abiding by what he had written…

But that person already knew what I will choose and write down…

Then I thought, Man ! If a person with limited knowledge can keep my future deed written with him which I have not committed yet and will do by my own intention without being forced…

If such a thing can be done by a Human then why not Allah (swt). Allah (swt) has kept all my future deeds written by HIMSELF. Because HE has to find means for my food, for my life, for my death, accommodation in my grave and many more…

Hence Allah (swt) has collected all my data for HIS information that what I will do by my own will in Future…

These deeds written with Allah does not annul my free will of deeds … My responsibility does not nullify …

Hence Allah (swt) will hold responsible for the deeds done by us solely …

There are a few things maybe in which Allah (swt) might not hold us responsible as that is part of his system … or due to pressure … But there are some deeds in which Allah (swt) has purely given us free will … we will be held responsible for such deeds…

We will be rewarded for those deeds in the Hereafter .. We will get punishment for the deed we have done … May Allah (swt) save us all from HIS punishment … Similarly on accord of our deeds we will get Heaven or Hell…But we do deed freely and with our own concern.. Thats another thing Allah (swt) knows what deeds will be done by us today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, after a year and ten year and so on …All written with HIM… “…with HIM is the Mother of the Book” (13:39)

But the deeds we do, we do it with our intention and free will and will be held responsible for them.

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Jazak’Allah Khair