Are Our Actions based on Free Will or Are They Predestined?

Do we, as humans, operate freely? Or does God predetermine our actions and faith? And are we merely carrying them out? Muslims have adopted a number of views.

Sh'ia Muslims believe that humans do not exclusively have free will or are predetermined, but the answer lies somewhere in the middle. They believe that while God knows what people will do in their lives, His knowledge of this does not affect or decide the decisions we take, especially as He is not restricted within time or space, and that He is the essence of justice.

They believe that there are many factors in life like our parents, the colour we are, our ethnicity and gender. These factors are the ones that have already been determined. However, the choices we make are all ours to take. This is clarified in the following verse in Surat Ar-Ra'ad: "God does not change the conditions of the people unless they change what is in themselves" (13:11).

Imam Ja'far As-Sadiq, alayhi as-salam, is narrated to have said: "it is not total free will, nor it is total fatalism. Rather, it is a matter between those two". This shows that while Allah has the power to, He does not change anything unless the people decide themselves that change needs to take place. The act of change thus comes from the human, which shows that individuals must use their free wills to decide upon which path they want to go.

Many modern Sunni scholars move to believe in something similar. These scholars believe that God knows all of the actions that will be taken by a human and has written them in the Law Al-Mafudh, the Preserved Tablet, as was mentioned in verse number 22 of Surat Al-Hadid: "no calamity befalls on the Earth or in yourselves, but is inscribed in a Decree before We bring it into existence. Verily that is easy for Allah" (57:22). However, they argue His knowledge of this does not determine the actions of the human, as Allah is not limited to time and space.

While the Qur'an does speak about God's knowledge encompassing all of fate, it would be against God's Justice to Destin someone to hell if the person does not have the free will to decide their actions. In verse 14 of Surat Al-Hadid, Allah explains how the blame of any action falls on the human, as he or she is allowed to select the path in which they go: "they will cry out to them. Were we not with you? They shall say: yes, but you caused yourselves to fall into temptation and you waited and doubted and vain desires deceived you, till the threatened punishment of Allah came, while the archdeceiver deceived you about Allah" (57:14).

This is also mentioned in verse 23 in Surat Al-Anfal: "and if Allah had known any good in them, He would have made them hear, and if He makes them hear, they would turn back while they withdraw" (8:23).

Thus Qur'anic scholars say that God's characteristics as being All-knowing and All-just can only be explained by saying that Allah knows what will take place, but His knowledge does not affect the decision, as we must take the decisions to do good, and evil ourselves. If an individual chooses the path of evil and falsehood, he or she will be punished.

Those however, who choose a path of goodness and truth, on the Day of Judgement, Allah would place them in Heaven with His prophets, messengers, and and the righteous, through His Divine Justice and Mercy.