If God knows everything, are we truly free? Understand destiny, choice and accountability, and why God is perfectly just.
It is one of the oldest questions people ask: if God knows and wills everything, do we really have a choice? Some ask, and if He willed evil to exist, how can He be just? In Chapter 6 of Mastering Tawhid, I explain how Islam answers, and why the answer brings peace instead of anxiety.
Two kinds of knowledge
The chapter begins by separating what we can know from what we cannot. Accessible knowledge is what we gain by observation and reasoning: every action has a doer, every building a builder. Inaccessible knowledge is what God has kept to Himself, such as the exact time of the Day of Judgment, the reality of the soul, and the full details of destiny.
Belief stays healthy when we accept the first and do not chase the second. The book says this is why the details of how destiny works are a secret no prophet or angel has been given. A believer submits to that, and the person who digs for it ends up drowning in doubt.
What Islam says about destiny
The Arabic word al-Qadar means that God knew, willed, and created everything that happens, exactly when and where it happens. The Qur’an says (54:49): “We created everything according to a decree.” Muslims believe this includes both good and evil, because both events are part of the universe God created.
This surprises people. The book’s reasoning is that if something happened outside God’s will, God would not be all-powerful. The Qur’an says (81:29) that you do not will anything except that God, Lord of the universe, wills it.
But we still choose
The chapter is equally clear that people are not feathers blown by the wind. The Qur’an says God is not questioned about what He does, but people & jinn are questioned about what they do (21:23). The book uses the concept of acquisition: God creates every action, and the person directs his intention and chooses. God does not burden a soul (with obligations) beyond its capacity (to perform good deeds) (2:286).
In everyday life, nobody feels forced when choosing coffee over tea, one city over another, or one person to marry. The book says two extreme views are both wrong: the view that people have no choice at all, and the view that people create their own lives independent of God.
Order versus will
Here is the point that clears up the most confusion. What God orders and what God wills are different. The book gives four categories:
- Ordered and willed. God ordered everyone to believe and willed that some would.
- Ordered but not willed. God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his son, but willed that a ram be sacrificed instead. The order was a test that showed Abraham’s devotion to everyone else, because God already knew the outcome.
- Not ordered but willed. God did not order disobedience and sinning, and He does not approve of it, but He willed that some creations would disobey.
- Neither ordered nor willed. God did not order Angels to sin and did not will for Angels to ever sin. They have choice and angels always choose obedience.
So creating evil is not the same as approving of it. God created the full range of good and evil, and He tells us to love good and reject evil.
Is God just?
The Qur’an repeats in five different chapters: “Your Lord is never unjust to His servants.” The book’s explanation is about ownership. If a man owns ten sheep, nobody can demand that he explain what he does with them. God owns everything, and what He Wills for His creation is just because He is the rightful Owner. Behind every event, including the existence of Satan, there is wisdom, even when we cannot see it.
What destiny gives a believer
The practical side matters most. The Qur’an promises, twice in two verses (94:5-6), that with hardship comes ease. A believer who accepts destiny does not drown in “what if.” What missed you was never meant to reach you, and what reached you was never going to miss you.
The Prophet also taught a habit worth keeping: in worldly matters, look at those who have less than you, and you will appreciate what you have. In religious matters, look at those who are better than you, and you will want to improve. And ultimate success is dying as a believer after a life of obedience.
The takeaway
Destiny and accountability are not enemies. We choose, we are responsible for our choices, and everything happens as God knew it would. That brings humility, patience, and gratitude.
In the next article, I look at the people God sent to guide us: the Prophets and Messengers.
Question for you: Which part of this was hardest for you to accept, and which part brought relief?
Mastering Tawhid: The Key to Paradise is a free download here:
https://bookhip.com/JTWQQCQ. If you enjoy it, I’d welcome your honest review.