Different views on human freedom 鈥 惭耻鈥檛补锄颈濒颈迟别蝉 and Asharites
All Muslims believe that God has given human beings free willThe idea that humans are free to make their own moral choices., but different Muslims have different beliefs about the limits of free will.
惭耻鈥檛补锄颈濒颈迟别蝉
The 惭耻鈥檛补锄颈濒颈迟别蝉 were a group that was most active in the 8th and 10th centuries AD. Their ideas have lasted and have had a particular impact on Shi'aMuslims, or Shi鈥檌tes, who believe in the Imamah, leadership of Ali and his descendants after the Prophet Muhammad. theology. The 惭耻鈥檛补锄颈濒颈迟别蝉 argued that:
- Humans must have total free will as God, who is perfectly wise and good, cannot cause evil, yet evil exists.
- God allows human suffering in order to test people鈥檚 faith, which is evidence of complete freedom of action.
- Moral actions are either good or evil, and humans should use their reason to work out which is which.
- God must stand by his promise to reward the righteous with Paradise and punish the wicked with Hell.
- The reward or punishment that God gives out can only be just if it is given to creatures who truly have free will.
Although the Qur示an (Koran)The Recitation or Reading. Allah鈥檚 eternal utterance revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Jibril as his final revelation to humankind. teaches that God guides and leads astray whoever he wants to (Surah 14:4), for Mu鈥檛azilite Muslims this does not mean that people are subject to predestinationThe idea that Allah already knows one's destiny and it is already written. . Rather, 惭耻鈥檛补锄颈濒颈迟别蝉 believe that such passages in the 蚕耻谤鈥檃苍 refer to what will happen after death, at judgement, when the righteous will be guided to Paradise and the wicked will be caused to stray far from it.
Asharites
Asharism is the main theological school of SunniMuslims who believe in the successorship of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali as leaders of the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad. Islam. It was founded by the theologian Abu al-Hasan al-Ash鈥檃ri early in the 10th century when he broke away from the Mu鈥檛azilite thinkers who had been his teachers and companions. Followers of these teachings are known as Asharites. Asharites reject the 惭耻鈥檛补锄颈濒颈迟别蝉鈥 views about free will. Instead, they argue:
- Humans have some freedom of action and total freedom of thought, but only God has the power to create actions 鈥 humans do not have this power.
- Humans cannot truly understand ideas about freedom and justice, which are the domain of God alone.
- God may send a person to Hell or Heaven even though it seems unfair to human beings. Ultimately, everything God does is fair, but much of it is beyond human understanding.
- God may forgive the sins of the people in Hell.