The Holy War — Page 210
210 3) You puzzle me when you say that compulsion is not proven from the Quran. You do not pay attention to the words in that verse in which it is written: They say, ‘Do we have any hand in the govern- ment of affairs?’ And in reply to this it is said: ‘Say, all affairs are in the hand of Allah. ’ And I can give many Quranic verses regarding this case, but there is no need. Then, your belief that is written here والقدر خیره و شرہ من ہللا تعالٰی that good and evil come from Allah the Almighty, this inference is chosen from the Quran. The commentary you have written about the verses from the Gospels is not correct. I have stated that evil is permitted by God; in other words, for permissions and privileges, that is the limit of it, within which there is no mention of Heaven or Hell. Scarcity and excess of convenience and ease within the world are mentioned. So why do you say that they are similar to the Quran? What I say is that the Quran teaches both coercion and destiny, but both these cannot coexist in harmony with each other, together. Instead, they negate each other just as saying that you have a choice and you do not have a choice are clear opposites. 4) Regarding the trial of our Lord Christ, where Satan tested humanity, I fail to understand what you mean; nothing is apparent at all. What do coercion and destiny have to do with this? I do not understand why your example of the sun is appropri- ate here when you say that God Almighty, who is the First Cause, attributes the actions of the secondary causes to Himself as well. I do not understand why He does it. What need is there for this? The actions of the secondary cause can be attributed to the First Cause when there is some share of the First Cause in them also. The First Cause made a person capable of free will. Free will in itself cannot be held accountable until something results from it. It is, therefore, in reality not bad either but rather good and if the pri- mary Cause were to interfere in it, then it would negate the act of granting free will. This is in itself far from His purpose of bestowing free will.