Two types of authority
Allah’s authority – Sphere that dominates man
Man is forced to proceed in accordance with the universe and life subject to a particular law that does not change. Subsequently, man’s actions in this sphere occur without his will and he is compelled and has no choice. Man came to this life without his will and he shall leave it without his will. He cannot fly in the air with his body only, walk in his natural being on water, nor create the colour of his eyes. Man did not produce the shape of his head nor the size of his body. Indeed, it was Allah Who created all of this without the created servant having any say in that. This is because Allah created the law of the universe (wujood), made it the regulator of the universe, and made the universe proceed in accordance to it, without being able to function differently.
If someone shoots at a bird and the shot hits a person he was not aware of and kills him; or if a car goes off the road or a train derails, or a plane crashes. All of these are due to, an unexpected failure without any ability on the part of the pilot or the driver to avoid the accident, thus causing the death of the passengers. All of these examples of actions and the like which occurred from man or fell on him, are not within the law of the universe, yet they occurred from man or on him without his will and it was beyond his ability to control them. All of these actions, which occur within the sphere that dominates man, are termed QaDaa, because Allah alone is the one who has predetermined them. Therefore, man is not reckoned about these actions, whether they are classified as beneficial, or harmful, or whether he liked or disliked them – though Allah alone knows the good and bad in these actions – because man has no influence on them. He has no information about them or the manner in which they came about; nor is he able to drive them away or avoid them at all. Man thus must believe in this QaDaa and that this QaDaa is from Allah.
- General rules and laws which applies to kuffar and Muslims equally.
- All humans are subject to Allah’s reward and punishment system.
Allah created certain attributes in these objects. For example, He created in fire the attribute of burning, in wood the attribute of catching fire, and in the blade the attribute of cutting. He made the attributes indispensable in objects according to the law of the universe such that they do not change. When it appears that an attribute changes, it means Allah has eliminated the attribute of that object and such an event would be unnatural. These are miracles that happen to the Prophets.
As Allah created attributes in the objects, He created in man instincts and organic needs. He created in the instincts and organic needs specific attributes. Hence, He created in the instinct of reproduction the attribute of sexual inclination. He created in the organic needs attributes such as hunger and thirst and the like. He made these attributes inseparable from them according to the law of the universe. These particular attributes that Allah has created in objects, instincts and organic needs are called al-Qadar. This is because Allah alone created the objects, instincts, and organic needs and predetermined (Qaddara) in them their attributes. These attributes are not brought about by the objects nor does man have anything to do with them nor an influence on their existence. Therefore, man must have iman that it is Allah who has predetermined these attributes in objects. However, these attributes have the capacity for man to perform by means of utilising them an action either according to the commands of Allah and thus it is good, or contradicting His commands and thus it is bad.
So when performing actions utilising objects with their attributes or in responding to the instincts and organic needs, if (these actions) were according to the commands and prohibitions of Allah they would be termed good actions, and would be termed bad actions if they were in disagreement to the commands and prohibitions of Allah. Accordingly, all actions – good or bad – that occur within the sphere that dominates man are from Allah. All the attributes of objects and in the instincts and organic needs – whether resulting in good or bad – are also from Allah. Consequently, a Muslim must believe that QaDaa- good or bad – is from Allah ,i.e. he should believe that actions beyond his sphere of influence are from Allah. He must also believe that Qadar- good or bad – is from Allah i.e. he must believe that the innate attributes of the objects are from Allah ,whether they result in good or bad, and man, the created has no effect on them. Thus man’s lifespan (ajal), provision (rizq), and soul (ruH) are all from Allah .On the same token, the sexual inclination, and inclination towards ownership existing in the instincts of reproduction and survival, together with thirst and hunger, existing in the organic needs, are all from Allah. This is in respect to the actions that occur within the sphere that dominates man and the attributes of all objects.
Man’s governing over themselves – Sphere that man dominates
Just Government
- Must be governed according to the teaching of God
- Requires peoples acceptance.
Even Allah follow the rule of cause and effect.
As for the sphere that man dominates, it is the sphere in which he proceeds freely according to the system he chooses, whether it is the law of Allah (Shari’ah) or any other. This is the sphere in which the actions that emanate from man or fall upon him, occur with his free will. For example, he walks, eats, drinks and travels, whenever he likes. Likewise, he refrains from doing any of these actions whenever he likes. He also burns with fire and cuts with a knife when he chooses. Therefore, man is reckoned on these actions, which he performs within this sphere.
Though the attributes in objects, instincts, and organic needs, which Allah predetermined in them and also made them intrinsic have an affect on the outcome of the action, their attributes by themselves do not initiate action, it is man who initiates the action when using them. Hence, the sexual inclination in the instinct of reproduction has the potential for good and bad; and the hunger present in the organic need has the potential for good and bad. However, the one who performs actions that are good or bad is man and not the instinct or the organic need. This is because Allah created for man the mind that comprehends and He gave the mind the quality of comprehension and judgement. He also guided man to know the path of good and bad.
