Planning -vs- Predestination
Verse 002:149 highlights four issues that scholars have raised but not answered uniformly.
- 1. Did God predetermine everything for everyone and so man has no choice in that? OR
- 2. Has God given man an unbridled will and whim to do what and when he pleases? OR
- 3. Does God know what man will do in a specific scenario, but gave him a leeway? OR
- 4. Has God predestined specific results of specific actions as rules of universal application but given man a limited choice of several (seven per 023:018) alternatives?
And then there are several meanings of following four words in the verse 002:149.
- a) The word وِّجۡهَةٌ (Wij-ha-toon) means a person’s attention, countenance, determined mind, face, focus, ideal, intent, mission, sole purpose or total endeavor. All, entire, sole, total or whole attention to his single purpose of life. Goal in a pre-occupied mind. Clear-cut closing settlement one sets up for himself exclusively. Dominant thought and pursuit of a sole objective. Ultimate end-result object towards to which one is drawn. Direction one seeks and pursues at all costs. Destination. Destined goal. Destiny.
- b) The word هُو (Ho-wa) refers to who: man who is focused OR ‘Allah who turns him.’
- c) The word مُوَلِّيۡ (Mo-wul-lee) means to ‘achieve or arrive, attain or turn, etc.’ Is it ‘He, the man, will eventually succeed in reaching and arriving there” (M M Pikthall)? OR Is it Allah Who ‘will turn him, the man, in the direction destined for him’ (Ahmad Zindan).
- d) The word الۡخَيۡرٰتِؕ (Ul-khai-raat) indicates man’s actions like good deeds and happy and pleasant acts, OR values like appreciating things that hold prospects of a better and improved prize, and comparatively superior noble goals, or moral virtues at their apex.
A commentary titled The Holy Qor-aan – The Most Read Book In The World has given a reasonable explanation of one view. “In Trillions of disputes, cases and controversies the judges and jurists, and in academic situation the academia and critics have interpreted and extrapolated its Commandments and Prohibitions in all kinds of legal and social issues, spiritual and temporal environments, personal and familial matters.” But there are other views too.
The permutations and combinations of meanings of all above created many possibilities. One of those possibilities that exceed over 65,000 when mathematically calculated is the answer. Whether God preordained man’s life or empowered him to change it per his choice is one answer. It is the disagreement in answering the above that has produced the right guidance for mankind. The Almighty God has created every human being for a given purpose and not in vain (003:192). Everyone is responsible for his actions (006:165), and that rule has been repeated several times. The Holy Qor-aan makes man’s relation with his God the most important in religious matters. And the law where one chooses to live binds him to obey it and to live in peace in temporal life.
The most logical meanings of the verse are thus very simple. Everyone has a purpose of life, is given choices and exhorted to excel in virtuous conduct. It appears illogical there is anybody who has a pre-set bad destiny to which God drives him. The Tuq-dee-r (pre-ordained destiny) is known to be moved with a human Tud-bee-r (plan). The plan provided in 002:046 and 002:154 is to seek Allah’s help and guidance with persistent prayers.
Planning -vs- Predestination
Planning -vs- Predestination
Verse 002:149 highlights four issues that scholars have raised but not answered uniformly.
And then there are several meanings of following four words in the verse 002:149.
A commentary titled The Holy Qor-aan – The Most Read Book In The World has given a reasonable explanation of one view. “In Trillions of disputes, cases and controversies the judges and jurists, and in academic situation the academia and critics have interpreted and extrapolated its Commandments and Prohibitions in all kinds of legal and social issues, spiritual and temporal environments, personal and familial matters.” But there are other views too.
The permutations and combinations of meanings of all above created many possibilities. One of those possibilities that exceed over 65,000 when mathematically calculated is the answer. Whether God preordained man’s life or empowered him to change it per his choice is one answer. It is the disagreement in answering the above that has produced the right guidance for mankind. The Almighty God has created every human being for a given purpose and not in vain (003:192). Everyone is responsible for his actions (006:165), and that rule has been repeated several times. The Holy Qor-aan makes man’s relation with his God the most important in religious matters. And the law where one chooses to live binds him to obey it and to live in peace in temporal life.
The most logical meanings of the verse are thus very simple. Everyone has a purpose of life, is given choices and exhorted to excel in virtuous conduct. It appears illogical there is anybody who has a pre-set bad destiny to which God drives him. The Tuq-dee-r (pre-ordained destiny) is known to be moved with a human Tud-bee-r (plan). The plan provided in 002:046 and 002:154 is to seek Allah’s help and guidance with persistent prayers.
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