Fate of a Man By Mohammad Rafique Etesame Almighty Allah Says in the holy Qur’an,”Naught of disaster befalleth in the earth or in yourself but it is in a book before We bring it into being-Lo! That is easy for Allah. That ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which hath been given. Allah loveth not all prideful boaster”, (1). When someone enters Islam religion, he has to bear a witness that,” I have faith in Allah, and in His angels, and in His holy books, and in His holy Prophets (May peace and mercy of Allah be upon them), and in the Hereafter, and in ‘taqdeer’ (Fate) good or bad is from Allah S.W.T., and also in raising the life to dead (2). Issue of Taqdeer is a burning question among the Muslims and it is going on from the early age of Islam. People have great interest in it. That is why almost every newspaper and Magazine publish a column “Horoscope” and “what the stars forecast.” In these columns the astrologers and Palmists tell about the fate of their viewers and what will happen in the next week? There are two schools of thoughts in this issue. First is that the man kind is quite helpless and oppressed against his fate, he can do nothing by his own will and authority but what is already written in his fate. The second one is: Fate or Taqdeer is nothing but man can do everything by his own will; but all these points of views are not correct. Religious scholars say that the mankind is neither quite free to do everything and nor is quite helpless as to do nothing but is in the middle stage. Hazrat Ali (R.A.), when asked about taqdeer, he said to the questioner,” Lift up your leg”. When he lifted it up, he again said,” now lift up your other one also”. He replied that it was not in his power. Then Hazrat Ali told him that it was the reality of Taqdeer. Almighty Allah Says in the holy Qur’an, “ And a soul and Him Who perfected it, And inspired it (with conscience of) what is wrong for it and (what is) right for it.” (3) These verses reveal that Allah Almighty inspired evil and good in the conscience of man and he knows well what the right is and what the wrong is? Now the question is: whether Allah S.W.T. gave only the knowledge of right and wrong actions to mankind and did not give him the power to act upon any one of it? If it is so, then also a question arises : why Allah Almighty set up ‘Kiraman Katibin’ (Twain recording Angels) over every man to take all their good or bad actions into record? And why will be the accountability at the Day of Judgment and also entering him in the Hell on the basis of his “bad actions”? Perhaps Allah Almighty, after tightened the man by the chain of Taqdeer, said to him,” Now go on and do what you can! I shall put you in the fire of Hell at the Day of Resurrection if your actions would be wrong”? But it is not so because Allah is not tyrant and unjust to His creation but is the Beneficent and the Merciful as the holy Qur’an reveals,”Say (unto them, O Mohammad): The comfort of this world is scant; the Hereafter will be better for him who wardeth off (evil); and ye will not be wronged the down upon a date-stone”. (4) Also reveals,” (And unto him it will be said): This is for that which thy two hands have sent before, and because Allah is no oppressor of His slaves.” (5) He awarded him authority for doing good or bad actions as it is mentioned in the holy Qur’an,” “And that man hath only that for which he maketh effort, And that his effort will be seen, And afterward he will be paid for it with fullest payment; And thy Lord, He is the goal;” (6) And,” Allah taketh not a soul beyond its scope. For it (is only) that which it hath earned, and against it (only) that it hath deserved”. (7) So the reality of Taqdeer is: man should make effort to gain the useful substances and (also) make effort to avoid from the harmful substances, because no one can know what is written in his taqdeer good or bad in the “Lauh-e-Mahfooz.” This is the only way for him. As he makes effort in other walks of life i.e. for business, health or other works. For example, if he wants to run a business, then he makes the best planning for it, like providing the capital, advertisement and considering market competition etc. Here he never thinks about taqdeer that,” Allah Has promised to me for giving me my provision, so there is no need to do any business, it would have been given to me automatically.” And if unfortunately he falls ill, then he goes to the expert for remedy, he takes the best medicines and follow his doctor. He never thinks here that,” if health is already written in my taqdeer, then I would be healthy, so there is no need for any doctor or medicines.” Likewise, he should deal with the other matters of his life. May Allah give us “taufeeq” to obey all His commands to make our fate the best. Quotes: (1) Al-Hadeed:23 (2) Eman-e-Mufassal (3) Ash-Shams: 8 (4) An-Nisa: 77 (5) Al-Haj: 10 (6) An-Najm:42 (7) Al-Baqarah:286