Do Not Contend with God
In your kitchen, you may have all the ingredients for biryani—meat, rice, oil, onions, salt, spices, and so on—but the biryani will not cook itself. It is your will that unites these components into a whole, transforming them from individual ingredients into a composite dish. This will is the driving force that sets things into motion, brings about change, and enables progress.
You may have a computer and a library at your disposal, but no essay or article will come into being unless you intend to write it. The construction of homes, cultivation of fields, and the rise of industries and commerce—all are subject to human will.
Likewise, in this vast universe, the creation of all things and the transformations they undergo depend on God’s will. God not only creates the composite but also the individual elements. He makes things as He wishes, and everything remains under His command. Even the human will is subordinate to His will.
When God wills good, goodness comes into existence; when He wills evil, evil takes form. Honour, disgrace, wealth, and poverty—all are decreed by Him. He elevates whomever He wishes and brings down whomever He wills.
God’s will is absolute. His power is boundless and ultimate. His knowledge is infinite and unmatched. No one can challenge the real Master of all wills. Humanity has but one choice before Him: to submit completely, which is called Islam. This submission is the natural order of the universe. It is the voice of the innate nature of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). The earth, heavens, moon, sun, stars, mountains, trees, plants, and animals all conform to this Abrahamic nature.
God has not given humans the capacity to challenge Him. However, He has granted them the limited freedom to choose not to submit to Him. Yet, the consequences of not submitting are severe and unchangeable.
The Renaissance in Europe was founded on the misguided belief that God hinders human progress and places obstacles in their path to success. Thus, they argued that humans must forcibly seize the means to success from God. This belief is rooted in the power of knowledge, wealth, and authority.
Western civilisation has lived with this arrogance for centuries, and Eastern societies have emulated it. However, neither realise that even their rebellion is subject to God’s will: “Whoever wills—let him believe; and whoever wills—let him disbelieve” (Qur’an 18:29). Humans may rebel, but they cannot alter the outcome of their rebellion.
Today, Muslims, too, imitate these rebellious individuals, despite the fact that the essence of their religion is “Islam”—voluntary submission to God. Muslims claim allegiance to Ibrahim (peace be upon him), the great leader of submission, yet they are far removed from his reality. The universe is aligned with the Abrahamic nature, and hence it succeeds, while humanity rebels against it, and failure becomes its destiny.
O Muslim, understand well that God has willed good for you, but He has not compelled you. He has informed you of His will, so recognise it and bow in submission to Him. If Satan deceives you into thinking that you can create a will to counter God’s, you are deeply mistaken.
God’s will is that you prostrate, bow, stand in prayer, declare lawful what He has made lawful, and declare unlawful what He has made unlawful. His will is for you to reflect on His Book, follow it, affirm His Messenger, and act upon the Sunnah of the prophets. His will is that you do not become overly attached to this world but prepare for the Hereafter, walking the path of gratitude, piety, and patience. In doing so, you will find success.
O human, if you think that, like Iblis, you can deny prostration and still succeed, it will never happen. Your will cannot contend with God’s will. Your will was created solely for you to comprehend the will of the Almighty and align your own with His.
You were created from clay; your origin is a drop of fluid. You owned nothing, nor did you even exist, until God brought you into being as He desired. Shed the cloak of delusion, embrace servitude to God, and be assured that this servitude is the guarantee of your happiness.
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*This article was translated by AI.*
*Source: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/5815*
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