If a person has only a nominal share in his/her acts because his/her free
will does not possess creative ability, why do we read in the holy Qur'an that
the creator of the heavens and the earth takes humanity's rebellion so seriously?
Unbelief, rebellion and sinfulness mean destruction, and complete destruction
can result from an act of disobedience of a most nominal weight. Just as a vessel
may sink due to the helmsman�s negligence, whilst the efforts of the whole crew
can achieve nothing to save it, man�s free will can cause great depredations
as a result of unbelief and sinfulness, no matter how insignificant a share
it actually has in the performance of acts. Unbelief is so great a sin by its
nature that it reduces the whole universe to something of no value, and contradicts
the witnessing to the Oneness of God by the whole of creation, and denies the
manifestations of the Divine Names. It is, therefore, entirely proper that God
should take unbelief so seriously and threaten unbelievers so severely in the
name of the whole of creation and the Divine Names, and it is absolutely just
to condemn them to the eternal torment of Hell. Since rebellious men cause vast
corruption through unbelief and sinfulness, the believers are in great need
of God�s succor against them. A mischievous boy can set a whole house on fire
although it is guarded by ten strong men, and those guards may need to apply
to the parents of that boy to prevent him from committing such a crime. So too
do believers need the help of God against rebellious and sinful men.
|