Appendix 14
Predestination
We are absolutely free to believe
or disbelieve in God. It is God’s will that we will
(18:29, 25:57, 73:19, 74:37, 76:29, 78:39, 80:12).
After committing our original
sin
(Appendix
7),
God
gave
us
a
chance
to
denounce our crime and accept
His absolute authority (33:72). But we decided that we
wanted to see a demonstration of Satan’s competence as a god. Many people protest the fact that God has created them, to put them through this gruesome test.
Obviously, such people are not aware that [1] they have committed a horrendous
crime (Introduction & Appendix
7),
and
[2]
that
they
were
given
a
chance
to
denounce their crime and redeem themselves, but they chose to go through
the test.
We learn from 57:22 that our lives, along with everything
else around us, are
pre-recorded on something like a videotape. God fully knows what kind of decision each of us is destined to make; He knows which of us are going to Heaven and which are going to Hell. Even before
we were born into this world, God knew which
souls are good and which souls are evil. As far as God’s omniscience is concerned,
we
can
imagine
a
stamp
on
everyone’s forehead that says
“Heaven”
or
“Hell.” Yet, as far as we are concerned, we are
totally
free
to
side
with
God’s absolute authority, or Satan’s polytheistic views.
Predestination, therefore, is a fact as
far as God is concerned, not as far as we are concerned.
This understanding explains the numerous
verses
stating
that
“God
guides
whomever He wills, and misleads
whomever He wills.”
Based on His knowledge,
God assigns our souls to the circumstances that we deserve.
When God said to the angels, “I know what you do not know”
(2:30), this meant
that some of us deserved a chance to redeem
ourselves.
One
example
of
God’s guidance for those
who
deserve guidance is found in 21:51: “We granted Abraham his guidance, for we
were fully aware of him.” In other words, God knew that Abraham was a good soul
who deserved to be guided, and God granted him his guidance and understanding. Another good example is stated in 12:24. Joseph fell for the Egyptian
nobleman’s wife, and almost committed
adultery “if it were not that he saw a sign from his
Lord.” God teaches us in 12:24 that He “diverted
evil and sin from Joseph, for he was one of My devoted worshipers.” Was it Joseph who controlled his lust? Or,
was it God’s protection from sin that rendered him chaste? Such is predestination.
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