Page 183 - The Truth of the Life of This World

Allah has created for them.
It is also important to consider society's distorted understanding of des-
tiny. This distorted conviction presents the superstitious belief that Allah
has determined a "destiny" for every man, but sometimes that people can
change these destinies. For instance, speaking of a patient who's returned
from death's door, people make superficial statements like, "He defeated
his destiny." Yet no one is able to change his destiny. The person who
turns from death's door is destined not to die then. Again, it's the destiny
of those people to deceive themselves by saying, "I defeated my destiny"
and maintain such a mindset.
Destiny is the eternal knowledge of Allah. And for Allah, Who knows

the whole time as a single moment and Who prevails over the whole time
and space, everything is determined and finished in its destiny.
We also understand from what is related in the Qur'an that time is one
for Allah: some incidents that appear to happen to us in the future are
related in the Qur'an in such a way that they already took place long
before. For instance, the verses that describe the account that people are
to give to Allah in the hereafter are related as events which already
occurred long ago:
And the trumpet is blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are in
the earth swoon away, save him whom Allah willeth. Then it is blown a sec-
ond time, and behold them standing waiting! And the earth shineth with the
light of her Lord, and the Book is set up, and the prophets and the witness-
es are brought, and it is judged between them with truth, and they are not
wronged... And those who disbelieve are driven unto hell in troops... And
those who keep their duty to their Lord are driven unto the Garden in
troops..." (Surat az-Zumar: 68-73)
Some other verses on this subject are:
And every soul came, along with it a driver and a witness. (Surah Qaf: 21)
And the heaven is cloven asunder, so that on that day it is frail. (Surat al-
Haqqa: 16)
And because they were patient and constant, He rewarded them with a
Garden and [garments of] silk. Reclining in the [Garden] on raised thrones,
they saw there neither the sun's [excessive heat] nor excessive cold. (Surat al-
Insan: 12-13)

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