Man's Free Will:

• We believe, however, that Allah has granted man a power and a free will by which he performs his actions. That man's deeds are done by his power and free will can be proven by the following points:

1) Allah says: "So approach your fields (wives) when and how you will"

(2:223); and "Had they desired to go forth, they would have made some

preparation for it" (9:46). In these verses, Allah affirmed for man "a going forth" by his will and "a preparation" by his desire.

2) Directing man to do or not to do. If man has no free will and power,

these directions mean that Allah is asking man to do that which he cannot

do. This proposition is rejected by Allah's wisdom, mercy and truthful

statement: "Allah does not charge a soul beyond its capacity" (2:286).

3) Praising the virtuous for his deeds and blaming the evildoer for his

actions and rewarding each of them with what he deserves. If the action is

not done by the individual's free will, then praising the virtuous is a joke

and punishing the evildoer is an injustice, and Allah is, of course, far from joking and being unjust.

4) Allah has sent messengers who are "bearing good tidings, and warning,

so that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the

messengers" (4:165). If the individual's action is not performed by his free will, his argument is not invalidated by the sending of messengers.

5) Every doer of actions feels that he does or does not do a thing without

any coercion. He stands up and sits, comes in and goes out, travels and stays by his own free will without feeling anybody forcing him to be any of these actions. In fact, he clearly distinguishes between doing something of his own free will and someone else forcing him to do that action. The Islamic law also wisely distinguishes between these states of affairs. It does not punish a wrongdoer for an action done under compulsion.