Table of Contents

Introduction

The reason of our existence

We are so much preoccupied and busy with our daily life, that we rarely think of the above question. The possible answers in the back of our minds may be any of the below:

Most of the time we end up subconsciously with the idea that either we are accidentally created without any real purpose.
Some may think our existence in this world is nothing but a punishment to us – as we are knocked out of the Paradise.

But, if you think for a while, you will find out that the only correct logical explanation is that we are here, on Earth, on purpose and the purpose is to test us — the Quran informs us, why are we tested, how are we tested, how to pass the test and how people fails the test — a Complete Guidance — If we still fail the test the responsibility is ours.

Being Muslims, we have:

	5 Pillars of Islam	6 Pillars of Imaan
1	Shahada – Faith in Allah(swt) and His messenger	Belief in Allah(swt)
2	Salat – Prayer	Belief in His angels
3	Zakat – Mandatory Charity	Belief in His revealed books
4	Sawm – Fasting	Belief in His Messengers (pbut)
5	Hajj – Pilgrimage	Belief in the Day of Judgement – Qiyamah
6		Belief in Pre-destination – Qadar

This concept of pre-destination – Qadar of Allah(swt) – raises further questions regarding the logic of our existence; like, if everything is pre-destined then:

Where is the freedom of choice? What is my fault of my sins? Where is the test?

Logical Explanation of our Existence

This Earth created in such a way and is protecting us in such a manner, that our existence would be impossible, if all of these came out of nothing but an accident. In addition to that, if we consider the Quran (none of whose ayat/verse could be falsified). We can find all the aspects of our life on Earth as a test in the Quran as below:

Why Test us?

And We will surely test you until We make evident those who strive among you [for the cause of Allah] and the patient, and We will test your affairs. {Surah Muhammad: Ayat 31}

How Test us?

And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient {Surah Al-Baqarah: Ayat 155}

But hardship is not the only method of testing us, we can also be tested with our ease of life and convenience. Allah(swt) informs us not to be amazed/feel jealous on a person who is enjoying his worldly life (wealth, ease, etc); these are nothing but a means of testing them. Far better life is waiting for us if we can just pass the test.

And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly life by which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring {Surah Al-Hadid: Ayat 20}

Pre-destination Explained

A common human equation:-

All of our good deeds = My Credit; All evil deeds = Qadr of Allah(swt).

Let’s try to analyze this in a bit detailed approach.

Allah(swt) is the possessor of all knowledge – seen and the unseen – past, present and the future. Time itself is a creation of Allah(swt).
Due to this power Allah(swt) already knows what decisions we are going to take in the future.
But, those decisions/choices are our own, so we are solely responsible for our decisions. It’s not like Allah(swt) has pre-ordained so we are taking these decisions. Even Shaitan has no control over us he can only whisper and invite to evil.

And Satan will say … I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves…. {Surah Ibrahim: Ayat 22}

Quranic Examples:

Following these Ayats of the Quran we can clearly understand our control over our own decisions:

Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned… {Surah Al-Baqarah: Ayat 286}

That is the True Day; so he who wills may take to his Lord a [way of] return. {Surah An-Naba: Ayat 39}

Those who associated with Allah will say, “If Allah had willed, we would not have associated [anything] and neither would our fathers, nor would we have prohibited anything.” Likewise did those before deny until they tasted Our punishment. Say, “Do you have any knowledge that you can produce for us? You follow not except assumption, and you are not but falsifying.” {Surah Al-An’am: Ayat 148}

In the Hadith of Sahih Al-Albani – Book 38, Hadith 16, Ali said,

Once the Prophet(pbuh) said, that everyone has their seat written either in the Fire[Hell] or in the Garden [Paradise].’

Few people asked, “then should we not rely on what is written for us and abandon action [good deeds] ‘Act.”

The Prophet(pbuh) suggested to perform (good) deeds, because everyone will be helped to go on the path that he chooses and reach his destiny be that good or evil. After that he recited:

‘As for him who gives out [in charity] and has taqwa and confirms the Good’ {Surah Al-Layl: Ayat-5}

Illustrative Examples

Consider a person who believes that food will come to him with the Qadr of Allah(swt) and sits back to his home. He will starve to death as food will not come to him automatically and it was his actual destiny.

It was reported that a man who was caught stealing was brought to ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, who ordered that this man’s hand be cut off. The man said: “Wait, O leader of the believers! I only stole because this was in the Qadr of Allah.” ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, replied “And we are amputating your hand because it is in the Qadr of Allah.”

Logic Behind getting to the Hell or Paradise

We need to Pay for the Facilities of this World

Consider this earth, sometimes we are automatically entitled to our properties/luxuries from our forefathers or any other source. We have to achieve all other things by hard working and most of them require payment. So, we struggle to earn in order to:

Buy or pay rent for our houses
Buy or fill fuel/gas in our car; or hire a car or public transportation
Pay our utility bills like electricity bills

So, to enjoy these services and luxuries, we are actually struggling to pay off the required money or to maintain these facilities. The extent of the struggle may differ from person to person, because for some people easily earns a lot whereas some people earns few penny after lots of efforts. However these facilities are not coming to them free of cost.

Justification of the Facilities of the Paradise

Now, consider the Paradise, you will get whatever you wish over there. Such kind of facility should not logically come to every person for free, where you are not supposed to pay for the light to see, food to eat, etc. So we are sent to the earth for a short period of time in order to validate our Imaan. We can only deserve to enjoy these facility by validating it with strong faith in our minds thus trying to gain Allah(swt) rahmah and the Paradise can only be attained by the rahmah and blessings of Allah(swt).

Do the people think that they will be left to say, “We believe” and they will not be tried? But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars. {Surah Al-‘Ankabut: Ayat 2-3}

Justification for our Fate

Allah(swt) is acting fair enough to the humanity by sending His guidance through His messengers with clear signs and we should put our efforts to receive these guidance and follow its obligations and restrictions — which are actually beneficial for us.

And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], “Worship Allah and avoid Taghut.” And among them were those whom Allah guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers. {Surah An-Nahl: Ayat 36}

And for every nation is a messenger. So when their messenger comes, it will be judged between them in justice, and they will not be wronged. {Surah Yunus: Ayat 47}

For us, we already have our guidance encapsulated inside the Quran, which is revealed through the final messenger of Allah(swt) i.e. Muhammad (pbuh), as a blessing for us. So, if we end up to Hellfire being misguided deliberately or out of ignorance – we are solely responsible for that.

If everything is Pre-distined, Why wait till the Judgement Day?

This simulation of our world should carry on in order to justify our fate. If we do not pass through this time we can not argue, what is actually worthed for us i.e Hell/Paradise/Mixed. We are witnessing our decisions and also leaving behind several other witnesses to our activities (like the record of the the angels of the soulder) to justify our actual position on the Judgement Day.

In this world, we don’t have enough control over the circumstances around us but we have full control over our choices (intention behind our decision). These choices/decisions leads us toward our actual fate on the Judgement Day.

Best example can be drawn from the story of Iblees and Adam AS:

Allah(swt) made Adam AS and told Iblees to prostrate to Adam AS (to show respect, not to worship).
Iblees refused to prostrate (out of arrogance) and disobeyed Allah(swt).
Iblees was converted to Shaitan (the accursed one).
Adam AS and Hawa RA was sent to Paradise and told not to eat from the tree.
Shaitan, after a long-planned attempt, was able to convinced them to eat from it.
They ate from the tree and sent to the Earth (to pass a test and qualify again to be worthed to stay on Paradise eternally.
Adam AS repented and subsequently could make his way back in to Jannah again
We being his son are going through the same test to qualify our fate (it is not a punishment to us rather a testing field equipped with proper guidance – fair enough).

Please Stop the Blame Game

There is a crucial fact to understand in the above story:

When Adam AS ate from the tree, he acknowledged his own mistake, even though it was Pre-destined and Shaitan influenced them to do so:

They said, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.” {Surah Al-A’raf: Ayat 23}

But Iblees didn’t accept his fault, rather he blamed Allah(swt) for his action:

[Satan] said, “Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path. {Surah Al-A’raf: Ayat 16}

So we should not blame Allah(swt) for our evil deeds or misguidance like Iblees did, rather learn to take responsibility for our actions based on our own decisions.

But, if we have already done any sin/mistake, we should make a firm conviction of not repeating that again and ask forgiveness from Allah(swt). This is a lesson from our father Adam AS teaching us what to do after making a mistake. This is how we can earn the blessings/rahmah of Allah(swt) and only these blessings/rahmah can take us to our expected destination — Jannah.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]