Article - Knowledge of the Deeds of Allah
The Third Pillar:
The Knowledge of the Deeds of Allah
From: http://masud.co.uk/ISLAM/misc/ghazali3.htm
Based on ten principles
(i) Originated things are of His Deeds. Creation and Invention
The first principle: Is the knowledge that every originated phenomenon in the world is of His making, creation, and invention. There is no other creator of it besides Him, and there is no innovator of it except Him. He created the creation and fashioned them, and He brought into being their ability and movement.
All the deeds of His worshippers are created by Him and related to His Power, in confirmation of His saying - the High -
"the Creator of all things,"
and His saying - the High -
"Allah created you and what you do." (Ch.37:96 Qur'an).
And in His saying - the High -
"Whether you speak in secret or aloud. He knows the innermost of the chests. Shall He who has created all things not know? He is the Subtle, the Aware." (Ch.67:13-14 Qur'an).
He commanded His worshippers to be careful in their words, deeds and secret thoughts and intentions, because He knows the motives of their deeds. And the creation is a proof of His Knowledge.
And how could He not be the Creator of the deeds of a person when His Power is complete and free of any impotence.
Furthermore His Power is related to the movements of the bodies of people - while these actions are similar to one another - the relation of the Power of Allah with them is self-existing.
What then would prevent its connection in the case of some actions and would not prevent it in the case of others, when all are similar? For how could the animal be capable of invention by itself? The spider and the bee as well as the rest of the animals produce fine works which amaze wise minds.
But how could they have invented these things alone without the Lord of lords, when actually they are not aware of the details of what gains are produced from them?
All creation are abased before Him, the Owner of the Kingdom both visible and invisible, and the Compeller of the Heavens and Earth.
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(ii) Invention by Allah and a gain for His creation
The second principle: Although Allah - the Exalted - is the Sole Inventor of the actions of His worshippers, it does not negate the action from being of the Ability of Allah for the gain of the worshippers.
Rather, Allah - the High - created both the ability and those who are able, and created both the choice and those who choose.
Therefore, the ability is a description for a human being and a creation for the Lord; it is not a gain for Him.
As for the movement, it is a creation for the Lord - the High - and a description for the human being and his gain, in other words it is created with ability that is his description.
While movement is related to another description called ability, and for this reason it is considered a gain.
So, how could they be the result of complete compulsion when the difference between the voluntary actions and the involuntary reflexes is instinctively comprehended by man? Or, how could they be a creation of man when he does not know the different parts of acquired actions and their numbers?
Thus when the two extreme positions are disproved, there remains nothing except the middle position which asserts that they are voluntary through the Ability of Allah by invention and through the ability of the worshipper by another connection which is expressed by the term acquisition or gain.
The relation between the Ability and the willed is not necessary to be through invention only, since the Ability of Allah in eternity was to relate to the world although the world was not yet invented and at the time the invention was not yet occurring, while it is concerning the invention it is related with a different kind of relation.
Therefore, it is apparent that the relation of the Ability is not specifically for the occurrence of what was subject of the Ability.
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(iii) Gained by the creation, Willed by Allah
The third principle: Is that the deeds of the worshipper, although they are his gain, are nevertheless willed by Allah - the Exalted.
Neither a twinkling of an eye nor a stray thought, or the glancing of an onlooker ever occur, either in the visible or the invisible world except through His Decree and Ability, His Will and His Determination.
From Him is good and evil, benefit and harm, Islam and disbelief, gratefulness and ingratitude, winning and loosing, righteousness and error, obedience and disobedience, Oneness and polytheism.
There is none that rescinds His Commands, none that audits His Decrees. He leads astray whom He wishes and guides whom He wishes.
"None shall question Him about His works, but they shall be questioned." (Ch.21:23 Qur'an).
This is attested by the narrations of the sayings of all the scholars of the prophetic quotations; "What He Wills is and what He does not will is not." And the saying of Allah - the Mighty, the Glorified:
"Had Allah pleased He could have guided all people." (Ch.13:31 Qur'an).
And His saying - the High:
"Had it been Our Will, We will give every soul its guidance."
As for the evidence for it from the point of view of reason that if Allah neither likes nor wills sin and crimes, they must be in accordance with the will of the enemy, Iblis - Allah cursed him - who is the enemy of Allah - the Exalted - and consequently what takes place in accordance with the will of the enemy will be greater than what takes place in accordance with the Will of Allah - the High - . How could a Muslim deem it possible that the Kingdom of the Compeller, the Owner of Majesty and Honor, be reduced to such a rank that would not even interest the leader of a village, because if the enemy of that leader has greater influence in the village, no doubt the leader would resign.
Disobedience prevails upon mankind, which is considered by the innovators of theology to be happening despite the Will of Allah - the True, the High - . This would be considered the most weak and impotent. Exalted is the High, the Lord of lords above the blasphemous words of the transgressors.
Furthermore when it becomes evident that the deeds of mankind are created by Allah, it becomes clear that they are also willed by Him.
If it should then be asked, "How does Allah forbid what He has willed and orders what He does not will?" We would say that the question is not that of will. For example, if a master strikes his servant and is reprimanded by the sultan, he justifies his action by the rebellion of the servant against him. But the sultan disbelieves him. So he attempts to prove his contention by ordering the servant to do something which the servant would refuse in the presence of the sultan. So, he tells the servant to saddle a mount. (Now how about this) the master has ordered the servant to do something which he really doesn't want him to do.
If he had not given his order, he would not have been able to prove his point; and having given the order - had he really desired what he ordered he would have desired what has not served his purpose, which is unthinkable.
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(iv) Creation is from His Grace not an obligation
The fourth principle: Is that Allah - the High - is Generous in creating and inventing and Gracious in imposing obligations upon mankind. Neither creation nor imposing obligations were obligatory upon Him.
The Mu'tazilites said that these were obligatory on Him for the welfare of mankind. But this is impossible since He is the Sole Orderer, the only One to obligate and to forbid. How then can He be subject to any obligation or necessity or be subjected to given orders.
Obligation or necessity means one of two things: First, an act which, when it is refrained from causes future harm. As when it is said that it is obligatory for mankind to obey Allah if they want to escape torment by fire in the Hereafter, or immediate harm as is the case when we say that it is obligatory for him who is thirsty to drink otherwise he might die.
Second, it means that which its non-existence would lead to an impossibility. As it is said that the existence of that which is known is necessary since its non-existence will lead to an impossibility, namely knowledge becoming ignorance.
If the adversary meant that the act of creation is necessary for Allah according to the first meaning, he would have exposed Him to harm.
If he implied the second meaning, he would be in agreement, because the precedence of knowledge necessitates the existence of the known. However, if he implied a third meaning, it is unintelligible.
As to his statement: "It is obligatory for the benefit of His worshipper" it is corrupt logic, for if He is not harmed by neglecting the welfare of mankind, the obligation upon Him bears no meaning.
Speaking of what is best for mankind is really its welfare in that He creates them in Paradise. While to create them in the world of trials and to expose them to sin then becomes subject to the danger of punishment, and to the terrors of presentation and accounting (on the Day of Recompense) is not enviable by the wise.
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(v) Obligating What is Beyond One's Ability
The fifth principle: It is possible that Allah - the Exalted - imposes on people obligations beyond their ability. This is contrary to the position of the Mu'tazilites (or anyone who follows this way of thought).
For if this were not contingent, it would be impossible for men to ask Allah to spare them that burden. But as a matter of fact they have beseeched Allah to spare them that burden when they said: "Our Lord do not over burden us more than we can bear." (Ch.2:286 Qur'an).
Furthermore Allah - the High - has informed His Prophet - the praise and peace be upon him - that Abu Jahl would not believe Him, nevertheless Allah commanded the Prophet to command Abu Jahl to believe in all the Words of Allah. But among the Words of Allah were those that Abu Jahl would not believe in. How then would he believe Him by not believing Him? The existence of such a thing is absolutely impossible.
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(vi) Inflicting Pain Upon the Creation is not Impossible
The sixth principle: Contrary to the Mu'tazilites (or anyone who follows this way of thought), it is for Allah - the Mighty, the Glorified - to inflict pain on men and to torment them, without their having previously committed any offense, and without the necessity of compensating them with future rewards. Because He is dealing with His Own Kingdom. It is inconceivable that His actions fell beyond His Kingdom.
Tyranny is dispensing with the possessions of others without their permission. But this is impossible in the case of Allah - the High - because there is no kingdom owned by other than Him, whereby His dealing with it would be considered to be tyrannous.
And the proof for this is simply because it exists. For example, the slaughter of animals inflicts pain on them, and the various kinds of torture which man imposes upon them have not been preceded by any offense.
If it is said that Allah - the High - will raise them from the dead and will reward them according to the amount of pain which they suffered, and that such action is obligatory upon Allah - the High - we would reply that anyone who would claim that it is incumbent upon Allah to bring every ant which was killed under the feet and every bug which was crushed back to life, so that He might reward them the pain which they suffered, would violate the dictates of Religion and reason, for it is said: "The description of reward and assembly is that it is obligatory upon Allah" - if it is meant that it will harm Him to neglect doing it it is impossible, and if it is meant by it other than the above mentioned for the necessitating otherwise any other reason beyond this will be considered unintelligible.
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(vii) Considering What is Best is Not an Obligation
The seventh principle: Is that He - the High - does with His creation whatever He wishes and there is no obligation upon Him to take into consideration that which is best for His worshippers, because of what we have already mentioned regarding the fact that there is nothing obligatory upon Him - the Exalted.
Rather, it is inconceivable that there are any obligations upon Him, for He is not questioned about what He does whereas others are asked.
I wonder what answer a Mu'tazilite would give when, in connection with his statement that it is incumbent upon Allah to do what is best, we place before him the following hypothetical debate:
It is supposed that in the Hereafter an argument takes place between two persons, a child and an adult, both of whom died as Muslims. Now, according to the Mu'tazilites, Allah exalts the rank of the adult and gives him preference over the child, because the former labored hard in acts of worship after he attained maturity. In fact this is incumbent upon Allah according to the Mu'tazilites. Suppose then that the child says, "O my Lord! Why have You exalted his rank above mine?" And Allah answers, "Because he has attained maturity and has labored in acts of worship." Thereupon the child rejoins, "But Lord, it is You who caused me to die a child. So it is obligatory upon You to have prolonged my life until I attained maturity; then I would have labored in Your worship. But You, O Lord, have deviated from justice by favoring him with long life. Lord! Why have You favored him?" Allah - the High - would then reply, "Because I knew that if you had lived to attain maturity, you would have committed the sins of polytheism and disobedience. Hence it was better for you to die a child." Such will the apology of the Mu'tazilite (or anyone who follows this way of thought) be for Allah - the Mighty, the Glorified.
But then the unbelievers will cry up from the midst of Hell-fire saying: "O Lord! Had You not known that if we had lived to attain maturity we should have committed the sin of polytheism, why then didn't You cause us to die in childhood before we could sin? We should have been content to enjoy in Paradise in a lesser rank than that of the Muslim child." What kind of answer could be given for this? In the face of this situation, is it not imperative to conclude that Divine matters, in view of their majesty, are exalted above to be weighed by the scales of the Mu'tazilites.
If it is said that because Allah can consider that which is best for mankind but instead inflicts upon them all manner of torment, this will be considered undesirable and unworthy of wisdom.
We should then say that the undesirable is that which does not suit the aim, but a thing may be undesirable to one person and desirable to the other if it disagrees with the desire of the one and suits the other.
Thus a family would deem the murder of their child undesirable but their enemies would welcome it.
Hence if it is meant by what is not best that which does not suit the desire of Allah - the Originator, the Exalted - this will be impossible because He has no desire. Therefore, the opposite of the best is not expected from Him, nor the harm because He does not deal with that owned by others.
And if it is meant by what is not best is that which does not suit the desire of others! Why, then did you say that this is impossible for Him? Is it not merely wishful thinking, disproved by what we have assumed of the debate of the adult and the child and the plea of the unbelievers from the midst of Hell-fire? Furthermore the wise is he who knows the realities of things and is capable of harnessing them in accordance with his will.
It is here where the consideration of that which is best is imperative. And as to the wise among us, he takes into consideration that which is best as far as he himself is concerned, in order to gain therewith praise in this world and reward in the Hereafter, or to prevent some evil from befalling him all of which are impossible for Allah - the Exalted, the High.
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(viii) Knowing Allah by Religion and Not by Reason
The eighth principle: Is that knowing Allah - the Exalted - and obedience to Him are obligatory upon mankind, by the obligation of Allah - the High - in His Religion, and not by reason at all. Of course this is is contrary to the Mu'tazilites (and some philosophers and Christians).
For if reason renders obedience obligatory, it does so either for no purpose, - for reason does not obligate resurrection - which is impossible, or for some purpose or desire.
Or, obligates it for a benefit and a desire which in turn has to return to the Worshiped and this is impossible concerning Allah - the High - for He is Exalted above desires and benefits. Even disbelief and unbelief, obedience and disobedience are the same from a beneficial point of view to Him.
Or, it returns to the benefit of the worshipper which is again impossible, because he has no current desire. Because of obedience, he becomes tired and refrains from lower appetites.
While there is nothing in the future except reward and punishment. So, how then, can he know that Allah - the High - rewards the disobedient and the obedient and does not punish both of them because both are equal concerning (their having an affect on) Him. Because He is inclined to neither, but we know all these characteristics from the Religion. While he who arrives at it through drawing an analogy between the Creator and the creature errs, as the creature distinguishes between gratitude and ingratitude on the basis of the amount of joy, gladness, and pleasure which he derives from the one or the other. If it is said that if examination and knowledge are not obligatory except through the Religion which does not become defined unless the person who is required to fulfill its obligations examines it, and if that person should say to the Prophet - the praise and peace be upon him - that reason does not obligated him to examine while the Religion is not confirmed except through examination, and obviously I am not going to examine it. All this will conclude in the Messenger - the praise and peace be upon him - being silenced?
We would then say that this argument is the same as that of the person who, on being warned by another that there is a wild lion standing behind him, and that unless he runs away the beast will devour him, and that he can ascertain that the warning is true if he will only look behind, says to the one who warned him that the truth of your warning can be established only if I look behind me, yet I am not going to turn and look behind me unless your truth is proven to me! This indicates stupidity of the speaker and guides him to destruction and there is no harm upon the guide!! As such is the Prophet - the praise and peace be upon him - he says: (in similitude) "Behind you is death, wild cats and the burning fire. If you are not cautious and realize my truthfulness by turning and looking at my miracles, you will be destroyed. So whosoever turns will know and be cautious and saved. But whosoever does not turn and insists is destroyed and lost, and there is no harm upon me even if all humanity are destroyed. It is only for me to proclaim the message in a clear manner." The Religion knows the existence of the wild lions after death, while reason aids in understanding the words of the Prophet - the praise and peace be upon him - and in realizing that which he prophecies is possible, and nature urges that precautions are taken against injury and harm.
A thing is necessary because its neglect causes injury and harm; while reason is that which renders a thing necessary because it makes known the impending harm. But reason in itself does not lead to the knowledge that when a person follows his appetite he will expose himself to harm after death.
This then is the meaning of both Religion and reason as well as their part in determining that which is obligatory.
For had it not been for the fear of punishment, for the neglect of things commanded, obligations would not have been established, since the term obligatory would be meaningless if no harm in the Hereafter were consequent upon its neglect in this world.
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(ix) Sending Messengers is not Impossible
The ninth principle: Is that sending prophets is possible and not impossible, contrary to the Brahmans who say there is no use in sending prophets since reason renders it unnecessary.
Because reason does not guide men to deeds which lead to salvation in the Hereafter, just as it does not guide them to discover medicines which are beneficial to the health.
Therefore the need of mankind for prophets is just like their need for physicians. The integrity of the physician is known through experience while the truthfulness of the prophet is known through miracles.
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(x) The proof of the Messengerhood of the Seal of the Prophets
The tenth principle: Is that Allah - the Exalted - has sent Prophet Muhammad - the praise and peace be upon him - as the seal of the prophets and as an abrogator of all previous Religions before him; the religions of the Jews and the Christians and the Sabians (a Judaeo-Christian sect). He (Allah) upheld him with unmistakable miracles and wonderful signs such as the splitting of the moon, the praise of the pebbles, and causing the dumb animal to speak, as well as water flowing from between his fingers and the unmistakable sign of the Glorious Qur'an with which he challenged the Arabs.
The Arabs, in their struggle with the Prophet, did everything to counteract him, but despite their distinguished ability and excellence in eloquence and rhetoric, they were not able to oppose him with anything like the Qur'an, because it was not within the power of human beings, to combine the succinctness of the phrases of the Qur'an and the smoothness of its style together with what it contained of the news of the ancient generations and the fact that the Prophet - the praise and peace be upon him - himself was unlettered having no experience with books, with the prediction of unknown future events the subsequent occurrence of which established the truthfulness of the Prophet - may praise and peace be upon him.
Examples of this are found in the Words of Allah:
"You shall certainly enter the Sacred Mosque in security if Allah wills, with hair shaven or cut short and without fear." (Ch.48:27 Qur'an).
And again,
"The Romans have been defeated in a land close by; but after their defeat, in a few years they shall become the victors." (Ch.30:2-3 Qur'an).
The reason why a miracle attests the truthfulness of the messengers is because everything which human beings cannot do must be the work of Allah.
Whatever is linked by the Prophet with a challenge enjoys the same position as that to which Allah says, "You are right." This is like the case of the person who, standing before the king announces to the subjects that he is the king's messenger, and in order to prove that he is, he asks the king to stand upon his throne and sit down three times contrary to his usual practice. The king obliges and the subjects know, beyond the shadow of doubt, that the king's action takes the place of his saying "You are right."