Page 112 - The Evil Called Mockery

110 THE EVIL CALLED MOCKERY

sometimes that people can change these destinies. For instance,
speaking of a patient who's recovered from a fatal disease, people
make superficial statements like, "He defeated his destiny." Yet no
one is able to change his destiny. The person who recovers is des-
tined not to die then. Again, it's the destiny of those people to de-
ceive 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 account that people are to
give to Allah in the hereafter is related as 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 second 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 witnesses are brought, and it is judged between them
with truth, and they are not wronged... And those who dis-
believe 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)