The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 342
342 130 قد ان الأمر كله يله. Essence of Islām II. Tell them all governance belongs to Allāh. . They were admonished to obey the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be on him) in all circumstances. . This verse has nothing to do with choice or compulsion. . The reference is to the thinking of some persons that if they had been consulted they would have proposed something different. God Almighty admonished them that the matter was not one for consultation but was a. Divine commandment. . It should be clearly understood that Taqdir means only the determination of a measure; as Allāh the Glorious says: و خَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدِّرَهُ تَقْدِيرًا 131. He has created everything and has determined its measure. . This does not show that man has been deprived of choice. Indeed choice is a part of that measure. God. Almighty having taken the measure of human nature and human capacity called it Taqdir, and as part of it He determined up to what degree man would have choice in his actions. It is a great mistake to interpret Taqdir as meaning that man is under compulsion not to take advantage of the faculties bestowed upon him by God. . This might be illustrated by drawing attention to the mechanism of a watch which cannot continue to work beyond the measure determined by its maker. In the same way a human being cannot achieve anything that is 130 Al-e-Imran, 3:155 [Publisher] 131 Al-Furqān, 25:3 [Publisher]