Why Should We Do Anything
It is authentically narrated that a Companion asked the Prophet (salla Allah alayhi wa sallam), "O Messenger of Allah! If everything has already been decreed, then why should anyone do anything?!"
To which he replied, "Go ahead and do [actions], for each person will find that whatever was decreed for him will be what is easiest for him to do" [Reported by al-Bukhari].
This beautiful and profound narration gives us many benefits, of which I'll only mention two for this post. Firstly, we see the Companions themselves asking deeply philosophical and theologically complex questions. In fact this question has troubled humanity from the most ancient of times! If everything has already been decreed then what is the point of doing anything? This exact question is still asked to this day.
Secondly, in the response of the Prophet (SAW) we find the perfect answer to this complex question. Notice that the answer did NOT attempt to give an abstract, theoretical response to the question. That is because the human mind can never grasp the reality of Allah's Power and Knowledge (which is what qadr is). Rather, it immediately moved to an action-based, practical response. In essence, it was as if the questioner was being told: don't get bogged down in all that theory, rather just DO what needs to be done. Pray, fast, give charity, be good to others, and so forth. And whether you understand it or not, what you end up doing will in fact be what Allah had predestined for you.
This beautiful and profound narration gives us many benefits, of which I'll only mention two for this post. Firstly, we see the Companions themselves asking deeply philosophical and theologically complex questions. In fact this question has troubled humanity from the most ancient of times! If everything has already been decreed then what is the point of doing anything? This exact question is still asked to this day.
Secondly, in the response of the Prophet (SAW) we find the perfect answer to this complex question. Notice that the answer did NOT attempt to give an abstract, theoretical response to the question. That is because the human mind can never grasp the reality of Allah's Power and Knowledge (which is what qadr is). Rather, it immediately moved to an action-based, practical response. In essence, it was as if the questioner was being told: don't get bogged down in all that theory, rather just DO what needs to be done. Pray, fast, give charity, be good to others, and so forth. And whether you understand it or not, what you end up doing will in fact be what Allah had predestined for you.
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