List Q&A

Essentially, picturing God and moving towards embodying and picturing God is wrong, because God isn't physical and cannot be pictured or imagined. God is a reality and at the same time, in all realities. He is One, but not like any other thing. He is present everywhere, and sees everything, but cannot be imagined or pictured.  Man can only see Him with the eyes of the heart, not by picturing Him.

Our narrations tell us that some would come to the imams and ask about how the knowledge of God is. They would reply: “This is wrong, don’t go after these things.” Therefore, we shouldn’t go after picturing God and this is not a straight path. One should strive to develop a strong and intimate relationship with Him and find Him in his heart. The times when we have a good spiritual feeling, or when our heart is broken, or our attention is drawn to Him, are all times of special connection to Him. We must know the value of these precious moments. Of course, Allah is always by our side and with us; it is us who forget Him.

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Ref: www.Islamquest.net

The existing system of the world is the most wise and judicious system. It is not only based on knowledge, consciousness and will but is also the healthiest and the best possible system. No better system is possible. The existing world is the most perfect because everything and every phenomenon has its particular befitting place. All existing things stand in an inexorable relation of precedence and posteriority and cause and effect to each other. No existing thing can move from its appointed position, nor can it occupy the place of something else. Existing things have varied grades of existence, and vastly differ from each other from the point of view of defectiveness and perfection and strength and weakness. This variation is an inherent part of the grading of existence.
The best system requires the existence of the relation of precedence and posteriority among existents. The disparity is not created but it is part and parcel of the creatures. God, the Exalted, creates them based on existential capacity and merit because every created being could have accepted only that position in which it has been created.

Allah is a transcendental entity and possesses all excellences. At the same time, creation is a means of grace and Allah is graceful. His unlimited grace calls for him to create whatever has the potential to be created. Therefore, Allah created because he was graceful, meaning that the reason behind creation lies in his grace and mercy. Moreover, knowing that Allah’s attributes of essence are in oneness with his entity, one can say that the reason behind creation is Allah himself. 
Allah created man with two inner calls to good and bad, as well as two outside callers to good and bad, the prophets and Satan, resulting in the potential to reach the highest levels of perfection and also declining to the lowest levels of human value. If man, despite his carnal and satanic desires, takes the path of truth and perfection, then he will be greater than the angels, because they do not have carnal and satanic desires.  And if he chooses the path of evil, he will be worse than animals, because they do not have a spiritual aspect like humans do. 
If Allah created man with all excellences he could possibly possess, this perfection had not been reached through his free will (making the creation of man in vain). Therefore, the purpose behind man’s creation is only met when he is created with the potential of perfection and when he reaches it through his free will. However, the fact that unbelievers and sinners do not fulfill the true purpose behind creation does not contradict Allah’s reason for creation, because Allah wanted them to have the chance to choose the right or wrong path and reach perfection if they chose to.  If Allah made it impossible for man to take the path of evil, then choosing the path of perfection and development would not be through free will either, (and this would contradict the wisdom behind creation). 

a) His ability to create called for Him to create.
b) The order of creation is one based on aim and wisdom.
c) The ultimate goal and aim of creating all things, is the emergence of man; the reason being that everything has been created for his purpose and he is the most noble of all creatures, as his creator is the most noble of all creators.
d) Since God (swt) is the Transcendent and All-Sufficient, being of no need to anything or anyone whatsoever, the purpose of creation, regardless of what it is, is surely only to the benefit of man himself.
e) The main purpose of creating man, is for him to reach the climax of perfection, true prosperity and salvation, and to find way to the realm of Malakut; all of which can only be accomplished through acquaintance, knowledge, servitude and worship that comes from awareness towards the Lord.

According to a reliable narrative quoted on the authority of Imam Mohammad al-Baqer (a.s.) reported by Shaykh Saduq (a.r.) in his “Elal ash-Sharaye” (vol. 1, section 96) before Allah created human beings, there lived Jinn and Nasnaas (creatures resembling human beings) for 7000 years in a disgraceful manner which made the angels make the above-mentioned remarks. Sayyed Mohammed Musawi
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Ref: www.wabil.info

Religious belief can never agree with fatalism, religious programs, as well, are all altered by accepting this school of thought.
How can we reconcile the justice of God with the school of fatalism? How is it possible that God obliges someone to do an evil deed? Then punishes him because he did it. This does not agree with any kind of logic!
Thus, by accepting the school of fatalism, spiritual rewards, punishments, heaven and hell are meaningless as well as ‘scroll of deeds’, ‘questioning’, ‘Divine reckoning’, ‘reprimanding the evil doers in the Quran’, ‘encouragement and praise for those who do good’, all of these lose their meaning. Because according to this school, neither do the good doers or the evil doers have a choice.

Thus, by accepting the school of fatalism, spiritual rewards, punishments, heaven and hell are meaningless as well as ‘scroll of deeds’, ‘questioning’, ‘Divine reckoning’, ‘reprimanding the evil doers in the Quran’, ‘encouragement and praise for those who do good’, all of these lose their meaning. Because according to this school, neither do the good doers or the evil doers have a choice.

In addition, in religion, one of the first issues we encounter is ‘duty’ or ‘responsibility’, but does ‘duty’ or ‘responsibility’ make any sense if a person has no choice?

Can we tell a person whose hands involuntarily shake, not to shake their hands? Or tell a person who is falling down a steep mountain to standstill?
It is because of this that Imam Ali, peace be upon him, says in a famous tradition recorded in the Usul kafi vol. 1, p. 119, that the school of fatalism is a school of idol worship whose followers are members of Iblis’ party.

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Ref: Fifty Lessons of Principles of Belief for Youths; Ayt. Makarem Shirazi; Translated by: Bahador Shirazian; Published by: Ahlul Bayt World Assembly

Your question can be answered by understanding the real meaning of freewill. Freewill means the ability to choose good or bad without any influence from anybody or any factor or reason but out of one’s own decision. The choice to be good or to be bad is a result of many factors, all of them directly related to the one who decides and not to anybody or anything else. Some of these factors are:

1. The state of mind of the person and how he/she looks at life. Those who think in a wrong way usually choose bad thoughts and bad deeds. The mind that acknowledges the main facts of life is a clear mind and usually leads to rightful thoughts and deeds, while the person who insists on denying the main facts of life, or tries to bypass them, fails in achieving peace and success. The biggest fact in life is ‘The Creator of life’, Who has put a discipline of harmony between man and himself, man and others, and man and his Creator.

The mind that acknowledges the main facts of life is a clear mind and usually leads to rightful thoughts and deeds, while the person who insists on denying the main facts of life, or tries to bypass them, fails in achieving peace and success. The biggest fact in life is ‘The Creator of life’, Who has put a discipline of harmony between man and himself, man and others, and man and his Creator. 

Acknowledging this central fact makes one’s life in harmony, while denying or ignoring the discipline of life put by The Creator will definitely lead to bad life. So, understanding or misunderstanding life is crucial in shaping a man’s course of life as good or bad. It is his own decision which takes him by his own freewill to good or to bad.

2. One’s aims in life and how he/she wants to achieve them. As a result of his or her understanding or ‘misunderstanding’ of life, the aims of life are set by every person. Wrong aims like material desires, lust, fame, power, etc. naturally deviate man from right towards wrong, while right aims like gaining useful knowledge, doing good, helping others etc., make the person closer to success as far as he/she is focusing on and trying to achieve the noble aims. Sometimes some people have good aims but choose wrong ways to achieve their aims. That is why we need to be sure that not only are our aims noble, but so are our means.

Wrong aims naturally deviate man from right towards wrong, while right aims make the person closer to success as far as he/she is focusing on and trying to achieve the noble aims. Sometimes some people have good aims but choose wrong ways to achieve their aims. That is why we need to be sure that not only are our aims noble, but so are our means. 

3. The result of the conflict between intellect (Aql) and excessive desires - as this conflict is a reality in the life of every human being. Those who give their desires more than the balanced share, fall into bad actions, while those who have a control over their desires succeed in getting more freedom, dignity and self and others respect. It is altogether for the person himself or herself to choose, and there is no power whatsoever, in any inner or outer factor to compel or enforce human behavior. No doubt, the divine nature of man (Fitrah) which is inside every human being, always guides him/her towards good, but many people insist on going against it in favour of their excessive desires or misguided goals of life. As an example of the freewill, look at one of the greatest prophets, Noah (a.s.), who had his own son and wife going astray? On the other hand, look at one of the worst evil doers, Pharaoh, whose wife chose to be good. It is after all the human being’s own freewill, as Allah (s.w.t.) says in the Holy Qur’an:

“Verily, We have shown him the way, be he grateful, or ungrateful.”

Sayyed Mohammed Musawi

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Ref: www.wabil.info

Allah mentions in the Holy Qur’an that the purpose behind creation of human-beings was that they receive His infinite Mercies and Bounties. Man’s creation does not benefit Allah Ta’ala in the least bit. He is Absolutely Needless. Asking for a choice brings to mind the case of children who are unsuccessful at their studies and wish to run away. The child is not in a position to choose what is good for him. Allah, the Majestic and Mighty, did give each soul the choice of life and of submission. It is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an:

“And when your Lord brought forth from the loins of the children of Adam their seed, and made them bear testimony about their souls” (He asked): “Am I not your Lord?” They said: “Yes, we bear witness”.

Due to the barriers of short-sightedness, man does not see beyond the materialistic life. Those who speak in this fashion should be grabbed by the neck to see whether they are really fed up of life. Those who believe in the Unseen, Here-after world face life’s vicissitudes with patience and prayers. They do not despair and pose imprudent questions to their Creator, Glory be His name. Sayyed Mohammed Musawi

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Ref: www.wabil.info

It can't be denied that human has authority over doing or giving up an act according to the power which God has bestowed on him. On one hand his act is related to God because He has bestowed the power on him for doing or giving it up and if Allah wills He can stop him from doing whatever it is he intends to do, and on the other hand it is related to him because he can choose between doing and giving it up. Therefore it has been narrated from the Household of the Prophet (s.a.w.) that: "It is neither compulsion nor authority but it is a matter between them." (1)

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1. The aspect of Shi’ah’s creed, p.69
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Ref: www.makarem.ir

Like the other creations. Man and angels are also the creatures of Allah. The only difference is that Man has some extraordinary capabilities, which the angels do not have. In addition to this the angels are created in such a way that they are free from selfish desires. Apart from this the animals do not have reasoning capacity, they only possess animal desires but both these abilities are present in Man.
Because Man has these two opposite qualities his responsibility is also serious and dangerous. Therefore if Man follows the intellect and if he recognizes Allah and becomes faithful and suppresses his wrongful desires he can become better than angels. If he follows his base desires and stays aloof from the guidance of intellect and also dissociates from truth, goodness and faith he becomes worse than animals.

Because Man has these two opposite qualities his responsibility is also serious and dangerous. Therefore if Man follows the intellect and if he recognizes Allah and becomes faithful and suppresses his wrongful desires he can become better than angels. If he follows his base desires and stays aloof from the guidance of intellect and also dissociates from truth, goodness and faith he becomes worse than animals.

This is the reason that we read in the Quran that when the Almighty Allah created Adam (‘a). He commanded all the angels to prostrate before him and ordered Adam (‘a) to tell the angels what he knew and in other words Allah made Adam (‘a) the teacher of the angels.

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Ref: Ayt. Makarim Shirazi and Ayt. Ja'far Subhani., Religious questions answered: Logic for Islamic rules, Published by: Ansariyan Publications  Qum, The Islamic Republic of Iran