Mīzān al-Ḥikma

The Fallacy Of Predestination

Volume 1 3 narrations
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Divine Decree 3 Justice 2

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hadith 3211
Imam Ali (AS), exposing the fallacy of predestination, said, ‘If it were like this, the concepts of reward, punishment, command, and prohibition would be erroneous. The meaning of promise [of Paradise] and threat [of the Hellfire] would be futile, and there would be no blame for a wrongdoer, nor praise for the good-doer. Furthermore, the good-doer would be more blameworthy than the wrongdoer, and the latter would deserve more praise than the former. This [i.e. predestination] is the claim of the idolators and the foes of the Merciful.
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ في بيانِ بُطْلانِ الجَبرِ ـ :لَو كانَ كذلكَ لَبَطلَ الثَّوابُ والعِقابُ، والأمرُ والنَّهْيُ والزَّجْرُ، ولَسقَطَ معنى الوَعْدِ والوَعيدِ، ولَم تَكُنْ على مُسيءٍ لائمَةٌ، ولا لمُحسنٍ مَحْمَدةٌ، ولكانَ المُحسنُ أوْلى باللاّئمةِ مِن المُذنِبِ، والمُذنِبُ أولى بالإحسانِ مِن المُحسِنِ، تلكَ مَقالةُ عَبَدَةِ الأوثانِ وخُصَماءِ الرَّحمنِ.
Tags Divine DecreeJustice
hadith 3212
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Anything that you can blame a servant [of Allah] for is his own doing, and whatever you cannot blame him for is Allahs doing. Allah, the Exalted, will ask the servant, ‘Why did you disobey [Me]? Why did you commit sins? Why did you drink wine? Why did you commit adultery? All of this is the the servants doing. But He will not ask him, ‘Why were you sick? Why were you short? Why were you white? Why were you black? because all of this is Allahs doing.
الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ما اسْتَطعتَ أنْ تَلومَ العبدَ علَيهِ فهُو مِنهُ، وما لَم تَسْتَطِعْ أنْ تَلومَ العَبدَ علَيهِ فهُو مِن فِعلِ اللّهِ، يقولُ اللّهُ تعالى للعبدِ: لِمَ عَصَيْتَ؟ لِمَ فَسَقْتَ ؟ لِمَ شَرِبْتَ الخَمرَ؟ لِمَ زَنَيْتَ؟ فهذا فعلُ العبدِ، ولا يقولُ لَه: لِمَ مَرِضْتَ؟ لِمَ قَصُرْتَ ؟ لِمَ ابْيَضَضْتَ ؟ لِمَ اسْوَدَدْتَ؟ لأنَّهُ مِن فِعلِ اللّهِ تعالى.
Tags Divine Decree
hadith 3213
Imam al-Kazim (AS) said, ‘Sins cannot be other than one of three cases: either they originate from Allah - which they do not - and in this case it would not be proper for the Lord to punish His servant for what he has not committed; or that they originate from Him and the servant together - which they do not - and in this case it would not be proper for the strong partner to wrong the weak partner; or that they originate from the servant - which they do - and in this case, if Allah forgives, it is due to His kindness and liberality, or if He punishes, it is as a result of the sin and crime of the servant.
الإمامُ الكاظمُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّ السَّيّئاتِ لا تَخْلو مِن إحدى ثلاثٍ: إمّا أنْ تكونَ مِن اللّهِ ـ ولَيستْ مِنهُ ـ فلا يَنبغي للرَّبِّ أنْ يُعذّبَ العبدَ على ما لا يَرْتَكِبُ، وإمَّا أنْ تكونَ مِنهُ ومِن العبدِ ـ ولَيستْ كذلكَ ـ فلا يَنبغي للشَّريكِ القَوِيِّ أنْ يظلِمَ الشَّريكَ الضَّعيفَ، وإمّا أنْ تكونَ مِن العبدِ ـ وهِي مِنهُ ـ فإنْ عَفا فبِكَرَمِهِ وجُودِهِ، وإنْ عاقَبَ فبِذَنبِ العبدِ وجَريرَتِهِ.
Tags Divine DecreeJustice