Lesson video

Hello there, scholars of religion.

My name is Ms. Marx.

I'm going to be your religious education teacher today.

And today, we're going to be learning all about the idea of predestination and human freedom in Islam, and this tennis ball is going to help us.

It's gonna get quite philosophical.

So, when you're ready, let's go.

So, by the end of this lesson today, you'll be able to explain what a belief in predestination is and different perspectives on how this can relate to the idea of human freedom in Islam.

So, let's start with our keywords.

Decree is a command or an order which must be followed.

Free will is being able to choose between different actions.

Omnipotent, the belief that Allah is all-powerful.

Omniscient, the belief that Allah is all-knowing.

Predestination, the belief that Allah has pre-decided everything that happens.

So, watch out for those in today's lesson.

So, today's lesson is going to have three sections.

The first is, what is a belief in predestination? The second is the importance of beliefs about predestination.

And the third is different perspectives on predestination.

So, let's start with our first section.

What is a belief in predestination? If I could travel in time and see what you do tomorrow, so I know what you're going to do tomorrow, would you be free to choose to do something else? If I know what you're doing tomorrow, are you free to choose to do something else or do you have to do that thing 'cause I know you're going to do it? Pause the video and have a think.

You could talk to the person next to you or talk to me.

Many Muslims belief that Allah is all-knowing, which means Allah already knows today what will happen tomorrow.

Muslims also believe that humans have free will.

So, God already knows what will happen tomorrow, but I'm still free to choose what I do.

This question around God having full knowledge of what I'm going to do and then me having free will to choose to do that or to do something else is a really big one in philosophy and theology, and has been asked for centuries.

And within Islamic philosophy and theology, it's been asked and answered to.

Well, let's start with what Muslims believe about the nature of Allah, and that can help us understand how we could solve this issue about predestination and free will.

Meryem, Iqbal, and Fatemeh are discussing how the 99 names of Allah can help them understand what Allah is like.

So, these 99 names can help us understand more about the nature of God.

Meryem says, "The name al-Qadir means that Allah is all-powerful.

Nothing happens that is not Allah's will." Because there's not another being that's more powerful that's caused it to happen.

Things only happen if it is God's will.

Iqbal says, "The name al-Amin means that Allah is all-knowing.

Allah knows all that has and will happen." So, everything that will happen, everything that has happened is known by God.

And Fatemeh says the name al-Adl means that Allah is just.

We are fairly judged on the actions we freely choose to do.

And here, we have Fatemeh bringing in this idea of free will and that free choice.

Then Iqbal has said that God already knows what will happen.

And Meryem has said that nothing happens without it being God's will.

So, can we see some interesting combinations here between the different names of Allah? And these three things we will keep returning to in our discussion about predestination and human freedom.

Because God is all-powerful and all-knowing, then we need to work out how we can be free to choose what we're doing and then fairly judged.

And this is the philosophical theological problem that we're going to solve.

So, belief in predestination is part of the six articles of faith or six key beliefs in Sunni Islam.

It is also a belief that many Shi'a Muslims have, although it's not stated in the five roots of Usul al-Din, but it is stated in those six articles of faith for Sunni Muslims. Sometimes, this belief is also known as al-Qadr.

As Allah is outside and beyond our universe, Allah is not constrained by time or space.

Time and space only exists as a creation of God.

God is not constrained and within that, God is outside of that.

So, even when we think of future and past events, for many Muslims, God is not within that time.

God is outside of it and sees the future, sees the past, and knows all at once at the same time.

So, God is not constrained by that.

But also, as Allah is here with us in creation and knows us so well, Allah knows the choices we're going to make.

Allah knows what we will decide to do, because Allah is here with us and knows us so well.

So, how does this link to the idea of predestination? Well, let's break the word down.

We've got pre and destination.

Pre as a prefix means before, so you might know prevent or predict.

These are words showing that it's something before an event.

Destination, referring to the place where someone's going or will be sent or what will happen.

So, predestination is the belief that Allah has already decided everything that will happen.

It's been pre-decided.

Many Muslims believe that Allah has decreed what will happen.

It has been commanded, it has been said as part of God's omnipotence and omniscience.

So, God already knows.

But God has also decided because nothing happens that's not part of God's will.

Sometimes, this is called the supremacy of God's will.

Let's do a quick check.

Which term means that Allah is all-knowing.

Is it omnibenevolent, omnipotent or omniscient? Pause the video and have a think and we'll see what you've done in a moment.

Well done, it's omniscient.

A bit of a tricky one there, 'cause they will start with omni, which means all, but omniscient means all-knowing.

Think of science and knowledge.

So, why might Muslims have this belief then? Well, let's think about the Qur'an as a source of authority.

And here, we have two sections that we can use.

"The command of God is an absolute decree." So, here, we've got this idea that God has commanded something and people must follow it.

It's down to God's will whether things have happened or not.

And then we have got, "Yet you cannot will, unless God wills.

God is Knowing and Wise." So, I might think I'm in charge of my actions and I want a certain thing to happen or things to go a certain way, but actually, it won't happen unless that's what God wants.

Everything as part of that plan, the supremacy of God's will.

So, how could these quotes support a belief in predestination? Pause the video and have a think.

You could talk to the person next to you or talk to me.

Yeah, here, we've got the idea of the command and the decree and nothing happening unless God wills it.

Meaning that everything that will happen God already knows and has already decided, which is predestination.

Another source of authority we can have to understand Muslim beliefs is The Hadith.

Now, these are collections of narration or stories about what the Prophet Muhammad did and said.

And in this Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad is relaying what God has said to him about people keeping promises.

So, "The vow, promise, does not bring about for the son of Adam anything I have not decreed for him, but his vow may coincide with what's been decided for him, and by this way, I cause a miser, who somebody doesn't want to share anything, to spend of his wealth." So, have another read of that and think about how could that link to the idea of predestination? How could this Hadith that the Prophet Muhammad reported to have said support a belief in predestination.

Pause the video and you can have a think or talk to the person next to you or talk to me.

Yeah, we have this idea that no matter what I promise or whatever I say I'm going to do, it's not gonna happen unless it's already been decreed or decided for me.

And even someone who doesn't wanna do something can be made to do something by God, if that's what God wants.

So, this idea of the supremacy of God's will comes through really strongly in this Hadith, doesn't it? Even if we choose to do something, we would not do it if it wasn't part of God's plan for us.

And it can go against our wants if it is God's plan.

And here, we got that phrase, decree, there as well, haven't we? So, Lucas and Laura are gonna discuss how these sources of authority might support a belief in predestination.

Lucas says, "A Muslim might believe in predestination because in the Qur'an it says 'The command of Allah is an absolute decree.

' This shows that Allah has willed everything to happen and already knows it." And Laura says, "A Muslim might believe in predestination because in the Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad said that no matter what we vow, Allah decrees what happens.

Allah would cause a miser to share his wealth, meaning it happens because Allah has caused it." And what I really like about what Lucas and Laura have done here is they've said the source that it came from.

So, Lucas has said it came from the Qur'an and Laura has said that this came from the Hadith.

Let's do another check.

In which Muslim source of authority was the example given that Allah would cause a miser to share his wealth? Which source of authority was that? Pause the video and have a go and we'll see what you've done in a moment.

Well done, that was in The Hadith.

So, time for a practise task to see what we've learned then.

Explain two Muslim beliefs about predestination.

And remember, this is an explained question, so you need to give a point but then also develop it.

So, it might be an example, it might be a reason why.

Sometimes, the phrase this means that can be helpful.

Refer to sacred writings or another source of wisdom and belief and teaching in your answer.

So, for us, we could use the Qur'an or the Hadith that we've just looked at.

So, you're going to give a point and develop it and a second point and develop it, and in one of those, you're going to include the name of a source that links to your point and what it says or teaches and how does it link to your point.

And it could be a quotation or a general belief or teaching.

So, pause the video and have a go and we'll see what you've done in a moment.

Well done, that's some really good philosophical theological thinking that you're doing.

So, I asked you to explain two Muslim beliefs about predestination and to refer to sacred writings or another source of Muslim belief and teaching in your answer.

And your answer might look something like this.

"One Muslim belief about predestination is that Allah knows what choices we will make and everything that will happen in the future, as Allah is omniscient.

This means that Allah is all-knowing of past, present, and future events." So, it's already been decided and known.

And in this, I've given both the point which is about Allah knowing the choices we'll make, and then I've explained it by saying what that means to understand the past, present, and future events.

My second point, "Another Muslim belief about predestination is that Allah is omnipotent and nothing happens which is not the will of Allah.

Muslims read in the Qur'an, 'you cannot will, unless God wills.

' Which shows that nothing happens that is not part of Allah's plan and decree." So, again here I've given a point about Allah being in charge and omnipotent, nothing happens that's not the will of God, but then also, I've given an explanation for this using the quote here, "You cannot will, unless God wills." Showing that it has to be part of God's plan and decree if it's happened.

And I've stated my source as the Qur'an.

So, onto the second section of our lesson then, the importance of beliefs about predestination.

Lucas, Laura, and Jacob are questioning how belief in predestination could influence someone.

Lucas says, "Wouldn't a belief in predestination mean there's no point trying to be good if it's already decided?" Laura says, "Would it make you feel that you don't have free will because it's not your will but Allah's?" And Alex says, "Can Allah punish people for doing bad actions that Allah had decided they would do?" So, here's three questions that Lucas, Laura, and Alex are asking to do with predestination and human freedom.

And these have been asked many, many times through the history of philosophy and theology.

How could a Muslim respond to these challenges do you think? How could a Muslim respond to some of these challenges? Pause the video and have a think or you could speak to the person next to you or speak to me.

Well, actually, many Muslims do not view predestination in that way.

Iqbal is a Sunni Muslim, and here, he's going to explain to us how he understands predestination.

Iqbal says, "I believe Allah's will is supreme and nothing happens without the will of Allah, but I must still try to do the right thing and avoid bad actions.

Allah knows me so well, Allah knows what choices I'll make.

Allah is fair and just and will judge everyone depending on their actions and intentions for the afterlife.

I can't fully understand Allah, as I'm just a small part of Allah's entire creation." So, on the one hand, Iqbal saying here that yes, God's will is supreme and nothing happens without God's will, but he still has to try and do the right thing.

And ultimately, God is going to know that and going to know the intentions that Iqbal has.

Time for a quick check, is this true or false? A belief in predestination means it doesn't matter what choices a person makes in their life.

Is that true or false? Pause the video and have a go and we'll see what you've done in a moment.

That is false, but why? Well, it's false because Muslims who believe in predestination believe they should still make the right choices and avoid bad actions in life.

Allah just knows them so well and also knows what choices they'll make and will judge them fairly based on the choices that they made in their life.

So, why is this belief in predestination important for many Muslims then? Well, predestination is linked to Allah's omnipotence, which we know is a really important belief that God is all-powerful and links back to Tawhid.

And so, therefore, if things happen that are outside of God's control and outside of God's power, that limits it, doesn't it? And God must have complete power and complete control to be omnipotent.

Predestination is also linked to Allah's omniscience, that belief that God is all-knowing, because for God to be all-knowing, God must know everything that has happened and will happen to have all knowledge.

Otherwise, God's knowledge is limited and that wouldn't be omniscient.

And predestination is linked to the idea that Allah has a plan for the world, believing that God has a plan us with no matter what's happening in our life, it is all part of the plan that God is in control of.

So, we can see from certain actions that this belief in predestination might be important for Muslims. So, for example, if a Muslim is worshipping God, then it is an omnipotent God that's worthy of worship, not a limited God, or one God out of many.

This is the one God that Muslims worship, and that God is omnipotent.

Nothing limits that God's power.

An omniscient God can be trusted to have sent good and accurate and helpful revelations.

So, the Qur'an, if a Muslim didn't believe that God was omniscient and knew everything, then would there be wrong things in the Qur'an about the future, if God didn't know the future for example? So, a Muslim who's reading the Qur'an does that in the belief that that God is omniscient who revealed that to the Prophet Muhammad.

And Muslims may ask God for help through prayer.

And you're going to ask God for help if that God is omnipotent and omniscient, not if that God's knowledge or power is limited in some way.

That God is all-knowing and all-powerful and that's why you can pray and ask for help from that God.

So, let's see how a belief in predestination might influence someone's thoughts then.

Laura's going to ask Iqbal, "How does a belief in predestination influence your thoughts, Iqbal?" And Iqbal says, "A belief in predestination influences my thoughts because it means I trust in Allah.

If I'm worried about the future, I know I can trust Allah's plan for me.

I often say insha'Allah when I talk about future plans.

It means God willing and reminds me that things only happen if Allah decrees them.

This reassures me and makes me feel more confident about the future." So, there's a lot we can unpack in here, the action of saying insha'Allah.

Also, we've got those thoughts of trust, reassurance, confidence about the future.

Lucas is asking Meryem about her belief in predestination and how that might influence her actions.

"How does the belief in predestination influence your actions, Meryem?" And Meryem says, "A belief in predestination influences me, as when I pray to Allah asking for help, I know Allah has the power to help me.

If Allah's power is limited, then why would I pray for help? I know that Allah would want me to do the right actions when I have a choice, and so I try to make good decisions in my life." So, Meryem and Iqbal there showed us that there's often more than one way that beliefs can influence believers.

And we are going to now, together, give away that a belief in predestination might influence a Muslim.

So, remember that can be a thought, a belief, or an action.

What difference does it make to them? And one way could be praying to Allah for help and guidance to do the right thing, because it is in God's hands what happens in the future, and we can be asked to be guided to do the right choice.

So, over to you then.

Give one way that a belief in predestination might influence a Muslim.

Pause the video and have a go and we'll see what you've done in a moment.

Well done.

And here, we have a suggestion.

The predestination might influence a Muslim to trust in Allah's plan.

Other responses could have been say insha'Allah after future plans, feel reassured about the future.

So, let's do another practise task to see what we've learned.

Explain two ways that a belief in predestination could influence a Muslim.

And remember, this is an explain question, so we're going to give a point and develop it.

And by influence, we could be speaking about a belief, a thought, or an action.

What you're going to do is give one way a belief in predestination can influence a Muslim, then explain how and why this could impact the life of a Muslim, then give another way a belief in predestination can influence a Muslim, and then explain how and why this could impact the life of a Muslim.

Remember for this, you don't need to give a source of authority, what matters is that you explain the influence.

Pause the video and have a go and we'll see what you've done in a moment.

Well done, some really good thinking there.

So, I asked you to explain two ways a belief in predestination might influence a Muslim.

And your response might be similar to this.

"A belief in predestination can influence a Muslim to feel reassured and comforted by the future.

This is because they can trust that everything that happens is part of Allah's plan for the universe." And here, I've given the influence of feeling reassured and then I've explained it with that phrase, this is because, and the idea of God's plan for the universe and trusting it.

Secondly, "A belief in predestination can also influence a Muslim to say the words insha'Allah, which means God willing, after any plans made for the future.

This reminds them that everything happens because it's decreed and decided by Allah." So, here, I've got the influence being the actions of saying the words insha'Allah, which means God willing, and then I've explained them with this, reminds them that the idea that it's all decreed by God anyway.

Well done.

So, onto our third section then, different perspectives on predestination.

So, human freedom or free will is an important belief in Islam.

The purpose of life on Earth is for humans to be tested.

If they pass the test, they can go to paradise after.

It's not a fair test if Allah has decided their actions.

If it's already decided that I will do the right thing or decided I'll do the wrong thing, then is it fair for me to be sent to paradise or not based on that? Therefore, for Allah to be fair, which we know is an important belief about the nature of Allah, there must be free will.

People must be choosing freely, which they're going to do.

Is a belief in predestination that things are pre-decided and we're only doing what Allah wills compatible with free will and human freedom? This is something that has puzzled philosophers and theologians for centuries, but you have a go now.

What do you think? Pause the video and have think.

You could talk to the person next to you or talk to me.

Now, this question about predestination and free will has been around for a very long time in Islamic scholarship too, and we're going to look at some different approaches that have been taken within Islam.

So, a Muslim source of authority that supports the belief that life is a test is in the Qur'an.

"We created man from a liquid mixture to test him and we made him seeing and hearing." "We guided him to the way, be he appreciative or unappreciative." So, have a read of that again.

How could that support the idea of free will? Pause the video and have a think.

You can talk to the person next to you or talk to me.

Well, here, we've got two things really, haven't we? We've got the idea of test, but also this idea of being guided and sort of being able to make that choice appreciative or unappreciative.

The quote shows that the purpose of human life is a test.

Here, Allah has created humans for that test, but then also, we may be guided to do the right thing, but ultimately, it cannot be forced or decided for us.

Let's do a quick check.

Which name of Allah means the just? Pause the video and have a go and we'll see what you've done in a moment.

Well done, is al-Adl, the just, which links to the idea of the justice of God that we have within the five roots of Usul al-Din.

Hassan says, "The whole universe is governed by rules set by Allah, but we have free will to make choices in our lives.

Allah has provided a guide for us but doesn't control us." So, in this view, the universe is governed by certain rules which are set by Allah, which fall by the control of Allah and the will of Allah for how the universe is going to function.

So, for example, the law of gravity.

If I drop this ball, we know it's going to fall because of the law of gravity that's on it, no matter what I will or what I want for this ball.

But it's different when it's the choices I make about my own life where I can influence that and I can make a choice.

And Allah does not control that.

Allah guides me, but doesn't control it in the same way that gravity might control this ball.

And Fatemeh here says that, "Allah has the power to intervene on Earth.

For example, when Jibril brought the revelations of the Qur'an." So, Allah can suspend those laws and come in and suspend the laws that happen on Earth and intervene when needed.

But Allah doesn't do that for our every action.

So, how could these views relate to a belief in predestination? Pause the video and have a think.

You could talk to the person next to you or talk to me.

So, predestination is a belief that many Shi'a Muslims will have, but they may understand it in a slightly different way to many Sunni Muslims. Is this true or false? All Muslims agree on the relationship between predestination and human freedom.

Is that true or false? Pause the video and have a think and we'll see what you've done in a moment.

That is false, but why? Well, it's false because there's a variety of views on the relationship between predestination and human freedom in Islam, and most Muslims take a middle ground between both predestination and free will, accepting both.

Let's do another task to see what we've learned then.

Here, we've got Iqbal and Hassan who we've met in the lesson discussing predestination and human freedom.

For each point they give, provide a source of authority that supports their view.

So, we've seen sources of authority that support these and these are two views we've already encountered in the lesson.

So, for Hassan and Iqbal, let's look at their views and then you can think about what source could support it.

Hassan says, "There are some things that are predestined, but Allah guides people and does not force them." And Iqbal says, "Predestination means that nothing happens on Earth without it being the will of Allah." What sources could they use to support that? Pause the video and have a go and we'll see what you've done in a moment.

Well done, some good thinking there.

Well, for the points that Hassan and Iqbal gave about their view of predestination, we needed to give a source of authority.

So, for Hassan, he said, "There are some things that are predestined, but Allah guides people and doesn't force them." In the Qur'an, it says Allah has provided a guide for humans to follow.

And Iqbal said, "Predestination means that nothing happens on Earth without it being the will of Allah." In the Qur'an it says, "You cannot will something to happen, unless Allah has willed it." So, both of them there have used the Qur'an as their source of authority to support the view they have of predestination and free will.

And I wonder where you sit in the debate around whether predestination and free will can be compatible or not.

So, let's summarise what we've learned today then.

Predestination and human freedom.

Muslims believe that Allah is all-knowing, omniscient, and all-powerful, omnipotent.

Allah knows what will happen in the future, and many Muslims believe this means that Allah wills what happens.

This belief is known as predestination, that Allah decrees what will happen.

This can be seen to conflict with free will, but Muslims have different ways of resolving this.

Most Muslims believe in both predestination and human freedom.

So, well done for your hard work today.

That's a lot of philosophy and theology we've been covering, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Bye-bye!.