Faith and Fate

As we move through life, the force of fate creates events that are inevitable. As Muslims, our faith leads us to belief that good and bad circumstances in our lives are predestined by Allah. You must have heard of expressions like "this morsel of food had your name on it," when someone turns up for dinner by surprise. Or when talking about doing something in the future, people say "when the time comes" or "when the time is right." Or it is alleged about a couple, that they were "meant to be" together. Muslims acknowledge that (1) nothing can happen without the permission of Allah and (2) there is a divine purpose in will of Allah. We are all meant to fill a place in the world and pass through a series of tests before we meet Him. This place and these tests are not from our own choosing. For example, we do not decide where we live sometimes, we are just born in that country or emigrate there with our parents. Or we don't get to shop for our siblings. There are no refunds if we don't get along with a brother or a cousin. On the whole, life is full of things we never asked for, don't always like and cannot change.

Fate is not to be confused with pessimism. Pessimism is giving up on life, while fate is living life to its fullest, even under strenuous conditions. Allah says, "no evil befalls on the earth nor in your own souls, but it is in a book before We bring it into existence; surely that is easy to Allah: So that you may not grieve for what has escaped you, nor be exultant at what He has given you." (Qur'an, 57:22-23) So list all the problems in your life and realize that Allah decided this fate for you as a test and a blessing. There is no reason to fight with your family, cry or cut yourself.
The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, “No Muslims is fatigued, is stricken with illness, feels stress, worry, sadness, or harm, not even a thorn which pricks him, except that Allah forgives his sins through it.” (Bukhari #5318) Imagine being purified from sins every time we are patient during a traffic jam, argument and aliment. Imagine receiving Allah's forgiveness whenever we do a good deed that is difficult upon the nafs.  Suffering and adversity prompts moral and spiritual evolution. So challenges arise to refine our character and draw us closer to Allah.

Many people resist their fate. They insist on doing something which is clearly not working out for them. Like this one uncle in Yanbu, applied for Canadian emigration 8 times and each time his paperwork was rejected. This poor man continued to apply for many years, only to waste millions of dollars of his earnings, which he could have used for his children's education and given some to charity.  Or someone trying to pass the SAP exam but failing each time. Instead of trying their skills in a different field, they buy more textbooks, take more courses and still get no where. It's like what Albert Einstein said about insanity. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. So if you have been kicking and pushing for something for so long and you are not getting it, maybe it's not your destiny. You know how the duaa' of istikhara is...

اللهم إن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمرا خير لي في ديني ومعاشي وعقبات أمري أو عاجل أمري وأجله فقدره لي ويسره لي 

Oh Allah! If in Your knowledge, this matter is good for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me.

وإن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر شر لي في ديني ومعاشي وعقبات أمري أو عاجل أمري وجله فصرفه  عني واصرفني ؛عنه واقدرلي الخير حيث كان ثم ارضني به

And if in Your knowledge, this matter is bad for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it. And ordain for me the good wherever it may be, and make me content with it. 

It is Allah's mercy that He saves us from places, people and things that are bad for our religion and/or livelihood. For example, it may seem like living on residence is a good idea; it will save you commuting time and gas money. Since you live close to the school campus, you can walk in and out of your classes, cafe and library whenever you want but paying for residence means you would need to take interest based loan and sharing your dorm with a non-Muslim who will drink or wear indecent clothes. You do istikhara and immediately thereafter you find that your application is rejected or they just ran out of spaces or it rained all summer and the room allotted to you is flooded. It is possible right? Stranger things have happened? 

Yusuf (a.s) entered Egypt as a slave sold for a petty price only to reign over it as a king. Yakabid (Musa a.s mom) threw her baby in the river to save it from Pharoah and the river takes him right to the Pharaoh's doorstep.  The Bani Israel gets lost in the desert for 40 years. Tragedy yeah? Not exactly. The desert environment toughens up the young generation; they return to Palestine and clobber the Amalqa giants to their knees. Allah says, "perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allāh Knows, while you know not." [Qur'an, 2:216] So on the very onset, it may look like you were just handed a death-blow (you lost your wallet with $500 cash and car keys in it or someone u know just got diagnosed with cancer or there is a divorce in the family etc). But if you trust Allah and remain patient, you'll soon realize that this blow either saved you from a bigger problem or it unlatched the door of bounties and blessings, without first receiving this test.

I had a fate related issue too. Naturally I turned to the Qur'an for guidance (alhamdulillah). Every time I have questions and objections, I discover the answer the next day as I continue to read the Qur'an in the accepted order. Allah Knows and Understands my specific situations and it's like He revealss the solutions in the appropriate lines of the Qur'an in time for my next reading. It is scary at times, how accurately the Qur'an exposes and discloses our secrets and weaknesses. It imposes questions which can be painful to read, which we prefer to ignore or postpone. Then gradually it wears out any resistance until the heart and body yearn for the wonderful, sweet surrender to Allah.

Of the things I adore about the Qur'an is that it gives honest advise. The Qur'an will never isolate our happiness or suffering as be-all and end-all. Instead the Qur'an will tie our daily emotions to Allah and the Hereafter. Thus, the Qur'an will discuss our lives, our spouses, children, parents, relatives, the indigent, the orphans, the way-farers, our wealth and conflicts from Allah's frame of reference.  The Qur'an maintains that although we will be aroused to seek revenge, hate, discriminate and succumb to debauchery, we should not lose sight of the fact that the most beautiful rewards are with Allah in the Hereafter.  All acts of sin are actually self-destructive. The primary casualty of our sins is no one but ourselves. We rob ourselves  of spiritual ascent; a peaceful and purposeful life. Secondary loss is that the people around us and eventually the entire planet reeks with the stench of cruelty and crimes. Whereas, surrendering our desires to Allah bequeaths freedom and honour. Obedience to Allah incurs a powerful, sublime, serene felicity in this life and to an infinitely greater one in the next which cannot be achieved in any other way.

So anyway, when I was fighting with my fate a few days back, I didn't think too much of it. I just thought of it as QadarAllah - if Allah wills, it will happen if not then inshaAllah for sure Allah has something better in store or at least there is reward for being patient. Long story short...what did I learn about Faith and Fate from the Qur'an in my recent reading because of which I am writing this never ending post? :) The following... 

Qur'an, 4:23-25

1. People turn away from Allah's revelation because they have no fear of accountability. They don't really believe in the Day of Judgment. They assume that even if this Day was to come to pass, ever - the Hellfire will burn them for only a few days. So they remain averse to the commands to Allah. 

2. Their misbelief is the result of their misinterpretation of religion. They incorporated their own wishful thinking in Allah's revelation so much so that the revelation itself lost all meaning, credibility and value. So naturally their conviction in the Day of Judgment receded. They forgot if the Day of Judgment was part of Allah's promise or their own concoction. 

3. Undoubtedly, every person will be gathered on the Day of Judgment. Every soul will receive its share of reward and punishment.

What did I learn from these verses? The importance of revering the Qur'an and observing all of its commands in its entirety. I learned to always juxtapose my problems with the Hereafter. Is my problem worth giving up Allah's pressure? Is it worth going to Hellfire? In the grand scale of things, this problem may be only a matter of pain and stress for a few hours or days, I may not even remember it a week or a month from now (as life is a process of growth and decay) but if I sin, then Allah will thoroughly punish me for it in the Hereafter. I seek refuge in Allah from His anger.

Qur'an, 4:26-29

1. Allah is the King, the All Powerful. He give leadership and authority to whom He wills and removes it from whom He wills. Allah Honours and debases whom He wills. All goodness is in His Hands (control, possible with His permission). He is Mighty and Capable to do as He intends. 

2. Allah turns day from night and takes night from day. He extracts the living from the dead and vice versa. He decrees sustains to His creation as He wills (i.e. some He makes poor while others are rich by His permission).

3. Muslims should not take the Kaffireen as close, protecting friends. Allah is our final destination. 

4. Allah Knows our secrets whether we hide them or disclose them. He is aware and acquainted with all the details of the heavens and the earth. 

I learned that we cannot change the fate Allah has destined for us. Fate binds us to wealth or poverty, power or inability. Fate brings us together with some people and distances us from some. Faith is to accept fate. It doesn't mean we shouldn't earn an education or seek good employment. Or that we should give up our relations with people. Rather, accepting faith means not to complain and commit suicide over things that are not to according to our desires and dreams. It means acknowledging the other blessings of Allah that we do have, being grateful and living righteously.

Moreover, I learned that life presents innumerable opportunities to receive guidance and err and stray. Our company, especially if they are Kafir will lead us into trial. So stay away from those who can pose a negative influence. Also, I learned that in order to change one's fate, we should not join the Kuffar or become like the Kuffar. For example, if a person is desperate to make money or to get married but he is not able to do so, he should not resort to the ways of the Kuffar i.e. doe haram business or start a secret relationship with a non-mahram. Allah is Watching and Nothing is Hidden from Him.