and Destiny
Al-’Imàm ‘Ali (peace be upon him) has elucidated this, through the most express statement, when giving a reply to someone who asked him about fate and destiny (al-qadà’ wa al-qadar), saying:
“Woe to you. You take it as a final and unavoidable destiny (according to which we are bound to act). If it were so, there would have been no question of reward or chasetisement and there would have been no sense in Allah’s promises or warnings. (On the other hand) Allah, the Glorified, has ordered His people to act by free will and has cautioned them and refrained them (from evil). He has placed easy obligations on them and has not put heavy obligations. He gives them much (reward) in return for little (action). He is disobeyed, not because He is overpowered. He is obeyed but not under force. He did not send down prophets just for fun. He did not send down the Book for the people without purpose. He did not create the skies, the earth and all that is in between them in vain. That is the imagination of those who disbelieve; then woe
unto those who disbelieve — because of the fire.” (38:27).”198
What an express statement it is! I have never read a speech more rhetorical than this one, nor a proof better pointing to truth than it. Any Muslim is assured that his acts are (done) according to his free will and choice, as Allah, the Glorified, has given us His command but left for us the free will to choose (the acts), as said by the Imam (Amir al-Mu’minin): “Allah has ordered His people to act by free will.”
Besides, He — the Glorified — has prohibited and warned us against contradicting and disobeying Him. So his speech indicated that man being free to do whatever he wills, and can disobey Allah’s commandments, deserving in this case the chastisement (‘iqàb), according to al-’Imàm’s saying: “and has cautioned them and refrained them (from evil).”
The point was more elucidaetd by al-’Imàm ‘Ali (A) when he stated that: “He is disobeyed, not because He is overpowered”, meaning that if Allah intends to coerce and compel His people to do something, all of them will be unable to overpower Him (or contradict Him). That means that He has granted free will in cases of obedience and disobedience, as indicated clearly in the holy verse: “And say thou: “The truth is from your Lord; so let him who pleaseth believer”; and let him who pleaseth disbelieve ...” (18:29)
Then al-’Imàm ‘Ali addresses the conscience of man, to reach the depth of his inner consciousness, giving the decisive proof that if man being compelled in all of his acts as believed by some, so sending down the prophets and scriptures would be but a sort of play and sport, from which Allah is far above. That is due to the fact that the role of the prophets (peace be upon them all) and sending down of scriptures being for the aim of reclaiming people, taking them out from darkness into light, giving them the cure that is beneficial for their psychological illnesses, and clarifying the ideal way of living in felicity. The Almighty Allah said: “Lo! This Qur’àn guideth unto that which is straightest ...” (17:9)
Al-’Imàm ‘Ali concludes his statement with saying that to believe in good, being the same as believing that “He createth the skies and earth and all that is between them in vain,” which being a disbelief whose holders are promised by Allah to be thrown in fire.
When examining the Shi’ah’s belief in fate and destiny, we find it quitely an apposite belief and a right opinion. As while a sect went to extremes by believing in determinism (jabr), another one extravagated through holding the belief in free will (tafwid). But Ahl al-Bayt Imams (peace be upon them) undertook the task of correcting and rectifying the concepts and beliefs held by these and those ones, through calling to believe in the dictum: “Neither
determinism nor free will, but a state in between the two.”199
For this belief, al-’Imàm Ja’far al-Sàdiq cited a simplified example, easy to understand by all people in accordance to their thinking, when he replied to a questioner asking him: “What do you mean by saying: Neither determinism nor free will but a state in between the two”? He (A) answered him thus: “Your walking on earth is not like your falling down on it”, meaning that we walk on earth by our free will, but when we fall down on it, it is out of our will. Is there anyone among us like falling down that may cause fracture of some organs of our body, rendering us disabled?
Hence fate and destiny will be a state in the midst of two states, i..e a part being on our part and by our choice, and we do it according to our free will. And the second part being out of our will, and we submit to it, without being able to repel it. So we shall be called to account for the first one, while we shall not be called to account for the second part. Thus man, in this case and that will be authorized (mukhayyar) and compelled (musayyar) at the same time.
A. Free in the acts produced by him out of contemplation and meditation, as he goes through the stage of option and struggle between risk-taking or abstaining, concluding at either doing (the act) or abandoning (it). To this Allah, the Glorified referred when saying: “By the soul as it is
perfected. And inspired unto it (against) its vices and (about) its piety! Indeed succeedeth he who purifieth it! And indeed faileth he who polluted it!” (91:7-10)
So purifying and polluting the soul being the result of testing the conscience of every man, as success and failure being the inevitable and fair consequence for that test.
B. Being compelled (musayyar) in respect of the surrounding rules and movements of the universe, which all being subdued to Allah’s Will with all its parts, components, planets and particles. Man has no option to select his sex, of maleness or femaleness, or to choose his skin colour or his parents, to be brought up, for instance, by well-off parents not poor ones. Moreover he can never choose the length of his stature nor the shape of his body.
Man is verily subject to several compulsory factors, like inherited diseases for instance, beside numerous natural rules made for his advantage, with no need for any toil on his part. As man sleeps when feeling tired, gets up when being restful, eats when feeling hungry, drinks when feeling thirsty, laughs and be delighted when feeling happy, and weeps and frowns when feeling sad, while having inside his body factories that manufacture hormones, vivid cells, and transformative semens, building at the same time his body in a wonderful well-arranged equilibrium. Despite all these manifestations, man being ignorant not knowing that the Divine grace is encompassing him at every moment of his life, and rather even after
his death! Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, says in this regard: “What! Thinkest man that he will be left uncontrolled? Was he not a (mere) drop of sperm emitted? Then was he a clot of blood, then He created (him), and (He) made (him) proportioned. Then made He of him of two kinds, the male and the female. What! Is not He potent enough to give life (again) unto the dead?” (75:36-40)
True, glorified and praised Your Name, O our Lord, the Most High! You are the One Who created then fashioned (all things), planned and guided, and caused (creatures) to die and to live. Blessed and Exalted are You, and may wretchedness and separation inflict those who contradicted and turned away from You, never esteeming You with the estimation that that befits You.)
We conclude this discussion by a saying for Al-’Imàm ‘Ali ibn Musà al-Ridà, the Eighth of Ahl al-Bayt Imams, who was known of having abundant knowledge during the reign of al-Ma’mun, though not reaching the age of fourteen, to the extent of being the most knowledgeable of his contemporaries.200)
A man asked him about the explanation of the hadith of his grandfather al-’Imàm al-Sàdiq: “Neither determinism nor free will but a state in between the two (extremes).” Al-’Imàm al-Ridà replied:)
“Whoever claims that Allah does our acts (determines them), and then chastises us for them, has in fact believed in determinism (jabr). And whoever claims that Allah has
left the affairs of creation and sustenance completely to (be undertaken by) His trustees (hujaj) — i.e. the Imams —, has in fact believed in tafwid (authorization). Whoever believes in jabr is a disbeliever, and whoever believes in tafwid is a polytheist (mushrik). And concerning the phrase “a state in between the two”, it shows the way toward doing and undertaking whatever commanded by Allah, and abandoning what He forbade. That is, Allah the Glorified has given him power to do the evil act and abandon it, in the same way as He made him able to do the good and to abandon it, and as He ordered him to do this (act) and forbade him of doing that one.”)
By my life, it is verily a sufficient and convincing statement that to be conceived by all minds, and can be comprehended by all people: the educated and uneducated.)
The Messenger of Allah (S) disclosed the truth when saying in their regard:)
“Do not outstrip them, for then you shall perish, and do not fall short of them, for then you shall perish. Do not teach them for they are more knowledgeable than you.”201
A Commentary on Caliphate
within Fate and Destiny
Whereas the Shi’ah hold exactly the opposite opinion, as though believing that man has option in his acts, and that Allah’s bondmen can do whatever they like (within the framework of the hadith:)
Neither determinism nor free will but a state in between the two), but when it comes to caliphate they hold that no one has any right of option!)
All this seems to be a contradiction from both sides: the Sunnah and Shi’ah at first blush, but this being untrue. As when the Sunnah hold that Allah, the Glorified, compels His bondmen in all of their acts, they in fact contradict the matter of fact, as they believe in Allah’s being the real owner of free will, but what He leaves for them being only imaginary option. Since Abu Bakr was elected, on the day
of Saqifah, by ‘Umar and then by some of the Companions, who being in fact executors of the order of Allah, Who has made them only a medium, according to this allegation.)
Whereas the Shi’ah, when holding that Allah, the Glorified, made His bondmen free in their acts, they never contradict their opinion that caliphate being determined according to the Will of Allah alone, as stated in the verse: “Thy Lord bringeth to pass what He willeth and chooseth. They have never any choice...” That is due to the fact that caliphate, exactly like prophethood, is not among the acts done by people, and can never be determined by them or their choice. As Allah selects His apostle from among people, and delegates him (with a mission). The same is true regarding the successor of the Messenger, and people are free then either to obey the command of Allah or to disobey it, as actually happened during the lifetimes of the prophets throughout the course of ages. So (Allah’s) bondmen shall be free in accepting Allah’s choice, since the upright believer submits to what Allah has chosen and determined for him, while that who being ungrateful to the bounty of his Lord, rejects what Allah chose for him, rebelling against it. The Almighty Allah said:)
“... then whoever followeth My guidance, he shall go not astray nor put to grief. And whoever turneth away from My monition, verily his shall be a life straitened, and We shall raise him up on the Day of Judgment, blind. He
shall say: “O’ my Lord! Why hast Thou raised me blind, whereas indeed I was seeing (before)?” (God) will say: “Thus (is the recompense) for did come unto thee Our signs but thou didst ignore them; And even so art thou forsaken this day.” (20:123-126))
After that, when considering the opinion of Ahl al-Sunnah in respect of this issue in particular, you won’t blame anyone, as whatever occurred and occurring because of the caliphate, and all the blood that was shed and honours that were violated, altogether were from Allah (by His Will), as commented some of knowledge-claimants among them by Allah’s saying: “... and had thy Lord pleased they would not have done it...” (6:112))
Whereas the belief of the Shi’ah being to hold responsible whoever caused the deviation and whoever disobeyed the command of Allah, each one according to the extent of his sin and that of everyone followed his heresy up to the Day of Resurrection, in accordance to the hadith: “Everyone of you being a guardian, and every one is responsible for his subjects.”)
Allah the Exalted said:)
And stop them, for verily they must be questioned.” (37:24)
Al-Khums (One-fifth)
The Messenger of Allah (S) said:
“I order you to do four things: To have faith in Allah, to establish prayers, to pay zakàt, and to fast the month of Ramadàn, and to pay for Allah the fifth of whatever you acquire.”202
The Shi’ah — complying to the command of the Messenger of Allah (S) — usually take out fifth of whatever they earn of money throughout the whole year, explaining the word “spoil” (ghanimah) to mean whatever man earns of profits in general.
Whereas Ahl al-Sunnah concur on specifying khums on the spoils of war solely, explaining God’s saying: (And know ye that whatever of a thing ye acquire) to mean whatever you acquire during war.
This being the abstract of what the two sects hold regarding khums, and their ‘ulamà’ have written many articles about this issue.
I know not how can I convince myself or others to accept the opinions of Ahl al-Sunnah, that were based — as I think — on the sayings of the Umayyad rulers, headed by Mu‘àwiyah ibn Abi Sufyàn who seized the whole estates of Muslims, looting with his retinue all the gold and silver there.
So no wonder to see them interpreting the khums verse to be specifically related to the spoils of war, since the course of the verse happened to be within the verses of war and fighting. Not only this verse, but they have interpreted many verses in accordance to the course of the preceding verse or the one coming after. For instance, they interpret the verse of removing the uncleanness and purification (tathir), to be specifically referring to the Prophet’s wives, as whatever preceding and succeeding it being about the wives of the Prophet (S).
They also interpret the Almighty’s saying: “...They who hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah, unto them give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom,” to be specifically related to the People of Scripture (Ahl al-Kitàb).
Also the story of Abu Dharr al-Ghifàri (may God be pleased with him) with Mu‘àwiyah and ‘Uthmàn ibn ‘Affàn, and exiling him to al-Rabadhah, is so common,
when he vilified them for hoarding up gold and silver, arguing them with the aforementioned verse. But ‘Uthmàn consulted Ka’b al-’Ahbar about it, and he answered him that it was specified for Ahl al-Kitàb. Thereat Abu Dharr reviled him saying: May your mother be bereaved of you, O the son of the Jewish woman! Do you teach us our religion? These words angered ‘Uthmàn, who ordered to exile him to al-Rabadhah, after his displeasure toward him became greater. Then Abu Dharr died there, alone and driven away, with his daughter finding no one to undertake the ceremonies of washing and shrouding him.
Ahl al-Sunnah have a well-known technique and fiqh (jurisprudence) in relation to interpretation of the Qur’ànic verses and Prophetic Traditions, following in this respect what the earlier caliphs and famous Companions interpolated against the express texts from the Book and Sunnah.203
Intending to investigate respecting this matter, a separate book will be needed to cover it, but it is sufficient for every truth-seeker to refer to the book al-Nass wa al-’ijtihàd, where he can find out how the interpreters play with Allah’s decrees and precepts.
For me, as a researcher, I have no right to interpret the Qur’ànic verses and Prophetic traditions according to my likings, or in accordance with what the school (madhhab) I follow dictates upon me. But what to do while noticing Ahl al-Sunnah themselves reporting in their Sihàh that
khums being imposed on the earnings in other than war, contradicting thus their interpretation and school of thought.
It is reported in Sahih al-Bukhàri, under the bàb “Fi al-Rikàz al-Khums”, that Màlik and Ibn Idris said: Al-Rikàz (buried treasure) is the burial (dafn) of Jahiliyyah, upon its little and much khums is imposed and minerals cannot be considered rikàz. The Messenger of Allah (S) said: “On minerals repairment is imposed and on rikàz the khums.”204 Under the “bàb mà yustakhraj min al-bahr” (what is retrieved from the sea), Ibn ‘Abbàs is reported to have said: Ambergris is not regarded rikàz, but a thing driven forward by the sea. Whereas al-Hasan said: Khums is imposed (wàjib) on ambergris and pearls, and verily the Prophet (S) made rikàz liable to khums, not that which is retrieved from the sea.205
From all these traditions any researcher may conclude that the scope of the term ghanimah, on which khums made wàjib by Allah is not confined to the spoils of war, since rikàz is a treasure extracted from the earth, and it becomes the property of that who extracted it.But he is obliged to pay its khums because it is a ghanimah. Moreover anyone extracting ambergris and pearls from the sea is liable to take out the khums since it is a ghanimah.
According to what is reported by al-Bukhàri in his Sahih it becomes clear that khums is not confined to the spoils of war.
While the Shi’ah’s opinion remains always to represent the truth that being devoid of any contradiction and difference, since they refer in all the rules and beliefs to the Imams of guidance, far from whom Allah removed uncleanness and purified a thorough purification. The Imams who are verily equals to the Book (Qur’àn), to whom everyone holds on will never go astray, and feels safe whoever seeking their shelter.
However, we can never depend on wars to establish the State of Islam, since this never goes with the liberality of Islam and its invitation toward peace. Islam is not a colonialist State that is established on exploiting the nations and looting their fortunes and resources, the charge that the Westerners trying to accuse us with when referring to the Prophet of Islam with disgrace, claiming that he (S) extended his dominion through force, compulsion and sword to exploit the peoples.
And as money being the sinew of life, especially when the theory of the Islamic economics necessitates origination of what is called nowadays: the social insurance, for the sake of guaranteeing for the needy and disabled their livelihood with consideration and dignity.
The Islamic State can never be sustained through depending upon the zakàt taken out by Ahl al-Sunnah, which never exceeds at the best 2.5 percent. It is a very low percentage that can never meet the needs of the State including: making ready of force, building the schools and
hospitals and paving the roads, beside guaranteeing for every individual an income that can be sufficient for his livelihood and insuring his life. Further the Islamic State can never be dependant on bloody wars and fighting people to safeguard its existence, and develop its foundations at the cost of the slain people who were averse to Islam.
The Ahl al-Bayt Imams (peace be upon them) were the most knowledgeable people in the denotations of the Qur’àn. Why not, while they being its true interpreters, undertaking the task of laying down for the Islamic State the guidelines of economy, and sociology, had they an obeyed opinion.
But, unfortunately and regretfully, power and leadership were in the hands of other than them, those who seized and usurped caliphate by force and subjugation, and assassinating the righteous among the Companions, as practised by Mu‘àwiyah. Moreover they altered the rules of Allah according to the dictates of their political and worldly interests and lusts, going astray thus and misleading the others, leaving the Ummah to reach the lowest point, with no consideration or power till the present time.
Thus the precepts and teachings of Ahl al-Bayt became mere thoughts and theories, believed only by the Shi’ah with no way to apply them, since they were persecuted and chased out eastwards and westwards of the earth, being pursued by the Umayyads and ‘Abbàsids throughout ages.
After the disintegration of these two dynasties, the Shi’ah managed to bring about a society committed to pay the khums to the Imams (peace be upon them) secretly. And nowadays, they pay it to the high religious authority (marji‘) whom they imitate (in Islamic rules) as a deputy to al-’Imàm al-Mahdi (peace be upon him), who in turn expends it within its legitimate purposes and uses, such as founding theological schools, charity centres, public libraries, and orphanages, beside other noble works such as paying monthly salaries and stipends to the knowledge-seekers, and alike.
From all this we can conclude that the Shi’ah ‘ulamà’ act independently from the ruling authorities, since the khums meets all their needs, and out of it they give everyone his due.
Whereas Ahl al-Sunnah being a burden provided by the rulers, and agents working for the ruling authority, with the ruler being free to bring near, or exclude whoever he wills from among them, in accordance with their treatment and behaviour toward him and sacrifice for serving his benefit. In this way the scholar turns to be merely an agent close to the ruler rather than just a scholar (‘àlim)! which being one of the bad consequences that resulted from forsaking and ignoring performing the obligation of khums, in its meaning conceived by Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).
