Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

RPE > Human destiny > Flashcards

Human destiny Flashcards

1
Q

Why do humans exist?

A
  1. From the creation of Adam - to make future generations to act as vice regent upon this earth, to know the truth
  2. Because our purpose is to discover truth/God
  3. To adore and worship God
  4. For self awakening
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the purposes of Adam?

A
  • When Allah created Adam he wanted humans to exist for generations and generations upon this earth.
  • to be a vice regent on this earth, to look after the earth.
  • Adam was created by Allah and his purpose is that the angels must prostrate (bow down) to him
  • to be free to love or disobey Allah.
  • to teach the angels the names of everything
  • to have knowledge and to be able to teach this knowledge through the generations on earth.
  • to seek spiritual self awareness
  • to know the creator
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What quote supports Adams purpose to exist for generations?

A

Remember when your Lord said to the angels: ‘Verily, I am going to place mankind generations after generations on earth.’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What quote supports Adam’s purpose to be a vice regent?

A

The Lord said, “ I will create a vice regent on earth…”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What does it mean to be a vice regent?

A

Humans have to be responsible for this earth and care for this. It is a reflection of Allah’s compassion for this earth. Part of being a vice regent on earth is to understand that all things on this earth are unified and this shows God’s unity. It is for humans to realise this and know it.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What 2 quotes support Adam’s purpose to have the angels prostate to him?

A
  • “And surely, We created you (your father Adam) and then gave you shape (the noble shape of a human being), then We told the angels, ‘Prostrate to Adam’, and they prostrated, except Iblis, he refused to be those who prostrate.
  • “Truly, I am going to create man from clay. So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him (his) soul created by Me, then you fall down prostrate to him.” 38:71
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What quote supports Adam’s purpose to be free to love or disobey Allah?

A

'’Shall I prostrate to one whom You created from clay?’ Iblis said: ‘See? those whom You have honoured above me, if You give me respite to the Day of Resurrection, I will surely seize and mislead his offspring all but a few!’” Qur’an 17:62

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What quote supports Adam’s purpose to teach the angels and have knowledge?

A

Allah the Exalted said “And He taught Adam the names - all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, “Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.” 2:31

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What quote supports Adam’s purpose to seek spiritual self awareness?

A

In the Qur’an Allah tells man that he has not given man two hearts in his breast. (33;4). We only have one heart with which to know God. The heart cannot be cluttered with material thoughts.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What 2 quotes support Adam’s purpose to know the creator?

A
  • “I was a hidden treasure and I loved to be known, therefore I created so that I might be known.”
  • “Wherever you turn there is the face of Allah.”
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Explain the purpose of humans to know God

A

IBADAH - Muslims must submit their will to God and Islam is a way of life. The purpose of humans is to submit and live the Islamic way of life through the worship of God. Muslims should not make a distinction between religious acts and secular acts. For the Qur’an all acts are sacred and must be undertaken for the sake of Allah. Islam
means submission in Arabic.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the 5 pillars of Islam?

A
  • Shahadah
  • Salah
  • Zakat
  • Sawm
  • Hajj
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the Shahadah?

A

“There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger”
- this ended polytheism
- maintains belief in tawhid and seal of prophets
- literally means testimony/evidence, referring to the act of bearing witness to God’s existence
- the Shahadah is recited 5 times a day from the minaret and whispered by the father into the ear of a new born baby and whispered by faithful Muslims as they die.
- it needs to be renewed throughout one’s life.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is salah?

A
  • 5 daily prayers - morning, midday, late afternoon, early evening and night
  • The Qur’an says “Set up regular prayers; for such prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times.”
  • the Adhan announces prayer time from the minaret
  • Wudu - washing ritual to be spiritually and physically pure
  • Taking ablution - those with sexual impurity must wash the whole body
  • Friday Jummah prayer for adult males
  • Du’a prayer - intimate conversation with God
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is Zakat?

A
  • duty tax to the poor
  • Muhammad was ending the greed of merchants and bringing about social reform. It was instituted after the Medina battles when widows and orphans needed care
  • “O ye who believe spend out of the bounties provided for you.” 2:254
  • Infaq means spending for the sake of God
  • Forms: Sadaqat - voluntary charitable giving; Zakat - 2.5% of net income given to community treasury
  • Derived from word Tazakka meaning purification
  • Khums - Shiite tax
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is Sawm?

A
  • Fasting in Ramadan
  • The Qur’an “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that ye may learn self restraint, fasting for a fixed number of days. But if any of you is ill, or on a journey the prescribed period should be made up late “
  • Ramadan remembers when Muhammad received the Quran and meditated in the cave
  • Congregational prayer is important in this month
  • Fasting takes place in 9th month of lunar calendar, sunrise to sunset
  • The ill, menstruating and those under 12 are exempt
  • Fasting gives spiritual benefits, self knowledge, awareness of God, worship and love.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is Hajj?

A
  • Pilgrimage to Mecca
  • “for hajj are the months well known. If anyone undertakes that duty therein, let there be no obscenity or wickedness nor wrangling in the Hajj. And whatever good ye do be sure God knoweth it.” 2:197
  • The Kaaba is a building with the black stone
  • Pilgrims wear the Ihram to enter the sacred space
  • Pilgrims go to Arafat where a sermon is preached in memory of Muhammad’s farewell sermon, and pilgrims pray for forgiveness
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Explain moral tribulations

A

Moral tribulations means moral trials and suffering. It means the sense of moral responsibility that one has to do the right thing and that can be difficult - so life is a test for a Muslim. People must life their life the way God wants them to, as the purpose of human existence is to be a good Muslim and pass judgement, to do righteous deeds and keep the faith. On the last judgement day everyone will be given the book of their life and will have to read it out. Those given the book in their right hand will go to heaven and those in the left will go to hell. The basis of judgement will be a mixture of faith and action.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What quote supports moral tribulation?

A

“That day all men shall be sorted out. Then those who have believed and worked righteous deeds shall be made happy in a mead of delight….”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What name of Allah meant the judge, the arbitrator?

A

Al Hakam

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What does Akhirah mean and what is it?

A

Life after death - a shared belief amongst Sunni and Shia Muslims. The Day of Judgement is one of the 6 articles of faith for Sunni Muslims and belief in resurrection is one of the Usul al-din, the 5 roots of religion for Shi’a Muslims.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What happens at death?

A

At death the person enters the intermediate stage of Barzakh between death and resurrection.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What happens in the last days?

A

There will be a Day of judgement and people will be sent to either Heaven - al-Jannah or Hell - al-Jahannam in their resurrected body.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is the Muslim view on death?

A

It comes to all and is part of life - “every soul shall have a taste of death”.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is Barzarkh?

A
  • The human soul resides here between death and resurrection. A person will be questioned about their deeds. If you answer with the shahadah then you will be shown your place in heaven but if you fail then you will go to hell and beaten with clubs.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What happens at final judgement?

A

Humanity will be led to the plain of resurrection. People will be sorted into two groups, companions of the right hand are those who have submitted to god and are destined for heaven. Companions of the left hand are those who have denied God and will go to hell.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What happens at the end of the world?

A

The end of the world will be brought in by a trumpet blast at which point all living things will die. Then there will be a second trumpet blast and this will summon the dead back to life and bring on the resurrection. The graves will open and the dead will rise up. “AH! Woe unto us! Who has raised us from our beds of repose?” 36;52

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What happens on judgement day?

A

All stand naked before God. They are given the book of their life to read out to everyone there and to God. If given the book in the right hand they go to heaven and if given the book in their left hand then they will go to Hell.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What quote supports resurrection?

A

“Travel through the earth and see how God did originate creation; so will God produce a later creation; for God has power over all things.” (29;9-20)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What quote describes heaven?

A

“here is a parable of a garden which the righteous are promised. In it are rivers of water incorruptible rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine…rivers of honey….47;15

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What happens in heaven?m

A

Here the regenerate soul lives out eternity, timeless realm. Here the divine attributes show themselves and there is no sorrow. The limitations of the world are gone. The garden of bliss represents peace (Salam) that comes from submission (Islam) to Allah

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What is Hell like?

A

The will be a fire of “men and stones” and they will be given to eat from the accursed tree of Zaqqum which grows in hell and embodies all that is “other than God” These people in hell will be consumed with regret. There will be continuous torture of the most unimaginable kind - boiling water, blazing fire, darkness and incessant screams of the damned

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What are the benefits of belief in Akhirah?

A
  • Gives them incentive to always do good and not be materialistic in order to be judged well and get into heaven.
    • Shows God’s omniscient nature as he knows everything in order to judge people fairly
    • Shows Allah is loving and merciful and just
    • Shows belief in tawhid
    • Shows that this life is a test for muslims to prepare them for the afterlife
34
Q

What do Modernists believe on life after death?

A

They want to understand in the light of science, the possibility of a continuum between his life and the next and stress on the Qur’an on ethical responsibility. They are concerned with stressing human responsibility.

35
Q

How do Modernists such as Mawdudi help people deal with the question of the afterlife?

A

The question of death is becoming increasingly isolated from our every day life in the modern world. However, in dealing with the death of a loved one we come face to face with our own death and mortality. To help with this modernists discuss the qur’anic analogy between sleep and death. Helps us understand that death is as natural as sleep in our every day lives and we can understand something of the after life condition by considering what occurs in sleep.

36
Q

Why did Mahmud believe our ethical behaviour affects our afterlife?

A

The body may disintegrate at death but the soul does not. This is characterised by continuity and awareness. Brain cells die and disintegrate but the memory continues and remains alive, constantly reminding us of every deed we have done in this life.

37
Q

Why did Nawfal stress that we have free will??

A

Science has shown that we are all individuals with our own fingerprints and DNA. In the same way we are all responsible for our own ethical behaviour and have the free will to make decisions for ourselves, the consequences of which people have to bear. In his justice God has given man free will. Intuitively we know that justice leads to order and injustice to disorder and this should not be disrupted by individuals behaving unethically.

38
Q

How do Modernists understand Barzarkh?

A

In barzakh clothing and comfort are important just as they are in this earthly life, for the modernists there is continuity between life and death but not so much in this sense. The ideas of time and space in the life after are VERY different from life in this world and people cannot really conceive of the next life in the way that they conceive of this life.

39
Q

How does Sayyid Qutb understand punishment of individuals if there is no physical body in the afterlife?

A

There will be some kind of punishment or reward that takes place in the afterlife for the modernists and this will depend upon the quality of one’s life on earth they do not talk about angels, the gates of paradise or hell wrapping the body etc. In fact for Qutb the suffering in the grave can be understood as a psychological condition as physical punishment can be impossible after death. He argues that the “fear and awesomeness “ of the life after death and the sense of aloneness is a kind of suffering.

40
Q

How does Awwad understand the resurrected body?

A

For Awaad the body is resurrected to its same frame as it bore in this life.

41
Q

How does Nawfal? understand the resurrected body?

A

awfal suggests that on the day of resurrection each cell will know the body it came from and no cell will find itself in a strange body just as an organ will be rejected from a body it is foreign to.

42
Q

How does Mawdudi understand the resurrected body?

A

Mawdudi thinks that on the Day of resurrection the dead will receive a different body and this must be the case as sometimes the body is devoured by fish or animal i.e it is destroyed. However, God could reassemble the old body if he wished!

43
Q

How does Mahmud understand the resurrected body?

A

Mahmud claims that the resurrected body is made up of different matter to the earthly body.

44
Q

What s Iqbal’s view on heaven and hell?

A

For Iqbal he denies that these are physical places but instead hell is “…the painful realisation of one’s failure as a man. The descriptions of Heaven and hell in the Qur’an are visual representations of inner fact i.e of character.

45
Q

Why is Barzakh an important time?

A
  • Journeying through the 7 heavens is following the example of Muhammad
  • Knowing in our earthly life that we may face a waiting time with hell as our destination may encourage muslims to live a better life
46
Q

Why did Al Ghazali believe Bazakh is important?

A

To show Muslims their final destiny to heaven
It gives the people a chance to redeem themselves and to be totally purified which would suggest that God is a just and merciful God
To stress that even the pious of people can sin.
To change the mental attitude of the deceased who may be experiencing pride
To warn the living
To realise that there is continuity between Barzakh and our current Iives.

47
Q

Which names of Allah suggest he may predestine humans?

A
  • Ar-rahim - the most merciful
    • Al-Azeez - The All Mighty
    • Al-Khaaliq - The Creator, The Maker
    • Al-Quahhar - The Subduer, The Ever-Dominating
48
Q

Which names of Allah suggest he may give people free will?

A
  • Al-Wahhab - The Giver of Gifts
    • Al-Wadood - The Most Loving
    • Al-Wakeel - The Trustee, The Disposer of Affairs
49
Q

What does the Quran say on determinism?

A

According to the Qur’an everything in the cosmic scheme of things is ordered and structured in accordance with a “predetermined measure”. Nothing in the physical world exists randomly, by chance or as a result of an accident. Everything is measured, planned and determined and decreed by God. Everything is Divine decree and determination is the sixth article of faith. Sunni Muslims adopted this view.

50
Q

What did the Jahmites believe?

A

Very traditional Muslim scholars such as the radical Jahmites maintained that all human activities were predetermined by God.

51
Q

What quote suggests Allah is omniscient?

A

“No one knows what he will earn tomorrow. Nor does anyone know in what land he will die. But Allah has full knowledge.”

52
Q

What quotes suggest that everything happens because Allah wills it to?

A

“You shall not will except as Allah wills- The cherisher of the worlds.”
“Only what God has decreed will happen to us.”

53
Q

What is the Jerusalem treatise?

A

This is a piece of writing written by al- Ghazali. In it he sets out his deterministic position - that Allah wills and determines all things and he conveys his ideas about the nature of God.

54
Q

What in the Jerusalem treatise supports Ghazali’s idea that everything Allah wills for us is just?

A

His justice is not comparable to the justice of His servants, since injustice may only be imagined from a servant through his disposal of what belongs to another, while this is inconceivable from Allah Most High, since nothing belongs to anyone besides Him that He should unjustly dispose of it.

55
Q

What in the Jerusalem treatise supports Ghazali’s idea that acts of obedience are rewarded because of Allah’s generosity not because humans deserve it?

A

He Mighty and Majestic rewards His servants, the believers, for their acts of obedience because of His generosity and in fulfilment of His word, not because of their deserving it or His owing it to them. He is not obliged to anyone to do anything, nor is injustice on His part conceivable.

56
Q

What in the Jerusalem treatise supports Ghazali’s idea that Allah alone is creator and has infinite knowledge?

A

He creates all beings and their acts

The amount He knows is infinite.

57
Q

What in the Jerusalem treatise supports Ghazali’s idea that Allah commands all things in a timeless act of will?

A

What He wills is, and what He does not will is not.
He directs events without successive thoughts or waiting for time to elapse, which is why nothing diverts Him from anything else.

58
Q

What in the Jerusalem treatise supports Ghazali’s idea that Allah wills for everything to happen and directs all events and we cannot not do as He wills?

A

If all mankind, jinn, angels, and devils combined their efforts to move or to still a single particle of the universe without His will and choice, they would be unable to. His will, like His other attributes, exists in His entity and He ever possesses it

59
Q

What in the Jerusalem treatise supports Ghazali’s idea that Allah is all powerful, transcendent, all knowing and has existed eternally?

A
  • All knowing- He has knowledge of everything.
  • nearer to a servant than his own jugular vein,
  • He knows the creeping of a black ant across a great stone on a lightless night, and the motion in the air of a particle of dust on a windy day.
  • Transcendant- He is not a body with a form- He is beyond change and motion:
  • Has existed eternally -unceasingly existent,
60
Q

What in the Jerusalem treatise supports Ghazali’s idea that we have no freedom to act?

A

He has destined from beginningless eternity, occurring neither before nor after, but taking place in accordance with His knowledge and will, without substitution or alteration.

61
Q

Strengths of Al-Ghazali/Later Asharite view of God and determinism?

A
  • Maintains God’s omnipotence - important as he is the creator (al-Malik - sovereign), and no one can be compared to him.
  • Allah is fully Just and therefore he will direct acts in a way that conforms to what is Just.
  • Maintains omniscience - Allah alone knows the fate of humans so humans must see life as a test of trust in Allah and be obedient.
  • Allah is eternal/transcendent and can therefore direct humans
  • Human reason is fallible and therefore untrustworthy. Humans must trust in the all powerful and just nature of Allah.
  • The Qur’an – the direct word of Allah - bears testament to these ideas and is the eternal Word of God.
  • Allah loves humans and hence he knows the human heart intimately and rewards their good acts. Humans should therefore rely on Him and trust in Allah.
62
Q

Weaknesses of Al-Ghazali/later Asharite view of God and determinism?

A
  • The idea of Judgement is meaningless if humans cannot act out of free will. It does not show a just god.
  • Terrible human acts e.g. murder do not show a just God if he ordains these acts.
  • Allah should use his power to give humans power to make free choices (Al-Ashari).
  • Why did Allah create humans with reason if we cannot use it to make free choices?
  • Choice becomes a meaningless concept in a predetermined world and yet we fell ourselves to make free choices.
  • It doesn’t make sense for Allah to reward/punish acts that he directed. It is unjust and unloving.
  • Modern physics suggests randomness at the subatomic level and this suggests a lack of order. Our lives may not be as determined and ordered by Allah as some think
  • Ghazali uses the term Acts of obedience. Often the word act is associated with having an intention to act and intention might suggest a desire or will to act that comes from humans.
63
Q

Who were the Mutazalites?

A
  • An Islamic school of thinking who stressed reason.
  • They succeeded the Khadarites. They were prevalent in the C8-10 and were found in Baghdad and Basr (present day Iraq)
64
Q

What problem did the Mutazilites recognise with the view of Al-Ghazali?

A

God punishes people for sin which they do not choose out of free will in the afterlife if god predestines their actions, but still sending them to hell shows unjust, unloving god

65
Q

The Mutazalites believe man creates his own volitional acts using mubasharah and taulid. What does this mean?

A

Mubasharah - we create guidance or misguidance for ourselves, we choose our volitional acts, choice
Taulid - the doer does an act from which a necessary occurrence comes from the original act

66
Q

What al-Shahrastani quote sums up the purpose of free will?

A

“The Mu’tazilites unanimously maintain, that man decides upon and creates his acts, both good and evil; that he deserves reward or punishment in the next world for what he does. In this way the Lord is safe­guarded from association with any evil or wrong or any act of unbelief or transgression. For if He created the wrong, He would be wrong, and if He created justice, He would be just.”

67
Q

What do Mutazalites believe on human actions?

A

Acts are good or bad inherently and not because God wills them to be good or bad. They believe that God is absolutely just and that man has been given free will to choose between doing good and bad. God does not force man to do anything. God is just and would not punish a person for sins which he did not choose freely to commit.

68
Q

How do Mutazalites explain natural evil?

A

If there is natural evil that does not come from man- then Mutazilites explain this by claiming that although this comes from God and His power he does not give man more suffering than he can bear and this is supported by the Qur’an — “God does not order/give the soul of any of his creation, that which is beyond its capacity.” [Qur’an 2:286]. In this way life is fair. This is known as TAQLIF.

69
Q

What Qur’anic passage supports the free will argument?

A

“God will not change the condition of his people until they change the condition of themselves.”

70
Q

Strengths of the Mutazalite view on free will?

A
  • God is just and only punishes human sins chosen with free will in the after life.
  • God does not command or will evil acts so cannot be held responsible for evil in the world so God is loving.
  • God isn’t using His power in the wrong way, he uses his power for the best because he uses it to judge whether people, using their free will, have chosen to turn to His way or not. Also, Allah doesn’t abuse power- when there is any suffering as a consequence of natural evil then he does not give humans more than they can cope with.
  • Shows that God is compassionate and loving and wants humans to be free autonomous agents.
  • In line with modern scientific thinking which shows evidence that there is randomness at the sub atomic level and not everything is as determined as we might think in the universe.
71
Q

Weaknesses of the Mutazalite view on free will?

A
  • It limits God’s power as God does not use his power to intervene and stop human evil acts that are freely chosen. This could also indicate that God is not compassionate or merciful.
  • If God gives us the power to perform an act he should have the power to give us the choice between different good acts.
  • Could indicate that God is not just because if he was then he would have created people to use their free will to always choose good decisions.
  • It also commits the act of shirk, because it suggests that God must act in a rational human manner. This is because he has to reason that an act is good or bad and then act accordingly. Allah cannot be like this if he is the omnipotent creator.
  • It may limit God’s knowledge. God should be able to see in advance, even timelessly and know the evil acts that will be freely chosen but perhaps he can’t or perhaps God can but chooses not to do anything.
  • If God knows in advance that Muslims will choose to make the type of bad decisions that means they will go to hell then why did he create us in the first place. It seems uncompassionate.
72
Q

Who were the Asharites?

A

Al- Ashari lived in C8-9 Ad and lived in Baghdad. He was a leading scholar and was opposed to the Mutazilite school of thinking. Some sunni Muslims accept his thinking today but many do not and nor do shi’a Muslims.

73
Q

What are the early Asharite views on free will and determinism?

A
  • God alone can create, so he creates the power in humans to carry out acts.
  • This is original power - QADAMAH - the power of God.
  • God creates in people the power to make a free choice - IKHTIYAR - between two alternatives (right and wrong).
  • This is derived power - HADITHA
  • God creates acts which are thought of as sinful but humans choose to carry out these acts with an intention and so they must take full responsibility for having chosen them in the first instant.
  • God completes the act with his power once man has intentionally chosen between two alternatives.
74
Q

What quote explains the early Asharite view?

A

“God creates, in man, the power, ability, choice, and will to perform an act, and man, endowed with this derived power, chooses freely one of the alternatives and intends or wills to do the action, and, corresponding to this intention, God creates and completes the action.”

75
Q

Strengths of the early Asharite view?

A

· God is all powerful as he creates and completes evil and good acts in accordance with human intention and he gives us the power to do acts and to intentionally choose whether to do them or not.
· God is all powerful because he gives humans derived power to share in the production of an act (by making an intention and willing an act, making a free choice.)
· Humans have moral responsibility and can be judged on their deeds by God. This shows Allah is a Just God who takes into account intentional acts and human responsibility for our actions/deeds.
· God is all loving and compassionate as he has given humans free will and does not compel us to act in certain ways.

76
Q

Weaknesses of the early Asharite view?

A

· If God creates evil acts then God is not all loving or Just. God in his divine wisdom and compassion could choose not to create evil acts and only choose to create good acts.
· God is not all powerful because he does not intervene to stop humans choosing evil acts even though he knows in advance the destruction these can cause and the suffering. This also shows he is not all loving or just. Allah cannot intervene to change our intentional acts either which would indicate that Allah is not all powerful.
Allah is not fully omniscient because He cannot know our intentional acts/deeds and only knows after the deed is intended.

77
Q

What is the later deterministic view of Al-Ashari and Al- Razi?

A

Al-Ash’ari also appears to have held the view in his later life of determinism - the same as al-Ghazali.
His argument is as follows:
A. Allah has determined all things including human actions
B. Humans do not really act, they do not make intentional choices. Just as we might say only metaphorically “a tree moves” “ the sun rises” (they don’t make the choice to do this) so we can say the same of human actions - there is no intentional choice behind the act.
C. Acts as well as their effects are created by Allah
D. Nothing can change what is already written for someone so their actions are futile

78
Q

What quote did Al-Ashari give on his later view?

A

“Allah alone is the doer-whereas human beings are attributed with acting in a metaphorical sense e.g as in when it is said that “a tree moves or the sphere rotates or the sun rises.” It is really Allah who acts through them. Moreover humans are created with a power to act as well as a unique will and choice to act in the same way Allah has made him with a height by which he is tall and a colouring by which he has colour. “

79
Q

Strengths of the later Asharite view?

A

· God is absolutely just. Good and evil are determined by God. We as humans know Good and Evil because of the revelations from God and this shows the justice of Allah and not through the use of human reason.
· God makes the rules and whatever God declares is just. If God wanted to he could punish the righteous and bring the wicked to Paradise! ( God cannot be anything other than just by Allah’s very nature - al Ghazali)
· God creates good and allows evil in order to test mankind. If an act is declared evil then this is because God has declared it to be evil and not because it is devoid of good. To claim that humans have free will is to limit God’s power and sovereignty so God is omnipotent .
God has original power and gives humans derived power so God is omnipotent and he creates and completes intentional acts which maintains the power of god so Muslims can trust in his power and sovereignty.

80
Q

Weaknesses of the later Asharite view?

A

Same as weaknesses of Ghazali!!

RPE (32 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions