Calaf/Fate/Destiny...how does it work?

[- Femme -]

Whenever something bad happens or someone wants to reassure themselves of the future, ease themselves of worry, or explain a particular circumstance...'it's calaf' is always on their lips. I don't really get this whole calaf/destinty thing. I know that everything we are going to do is already written when we are in the womb...but does that mean that we have no control over the future...no responsibility for our actions? No power over our destiny? (Of course not, I would think)Then why is calaf used as an excuse for choosing bad partners, being in bad situations, or making bad mistakes? It almost seems as a way to deflect responsibiliy of their lives from themselves & their choices to Allah!

 

It's very confusing...and if our lives & actions from birth to death are already written & set...why are we being tested or punished for what we do?

 

*To the collective groan of SOL folks..Shuddup!* Let's use the marriage example. I've seen a couple of threads where people keep on repeating 'don't worry, it's calaf' or 'no one knows who they will end up with, waa calaf' Huh! or 'no one will have control of when or how they will marry, it depends on your calaf'...& a bunch more variations of that. What does that mean exactly?

 

I'm read over this and I don't think I got what's in my head across in this post...hope someone understood anyway.

 

Salaam

[Resistance]

Warsan we all ask this kind of questions in our head now and then. But 1st u need recoginse and appriacite the power of allah (swt) for Allah is all too aware of deepest feelings and thaughts and what our future holds for ourselves.

 

Take the example of crossing a road, we instictively check for traffic and make sure is reasonably safe b4 we attempt to cross but at the same time no matter how carefull one is u can still be run over by unsusbecting vehicles ( thats fate )

 

Also rememeber not only bad experiances are attributed to fate, say u acheive some success in this dunya thats also fate.

[Nur]

Warsan sis

 

Calaf is Somali analogue for Qadar in Arabic, it is one of the six pillars of iman, it comes in two flavors, Good and Bad.

 

If you take an internet Class with Proffessor Nur on Somalionline Open University, and pose this question to the Prof. He will explain as follows:

 

Miss Warsan, I have taught this class for five years, and explained many concepts to the best of my abilities, I have simplified complex concepts to make it a child play, but still a handful of my online students fail this class, not because i made them fail, but i can tell you who among my students is more likely to fail this course, and because its only five years, my prediction may not be that accurate, but its good enough for government work.

 

Now let us stretch this logic a lil further, say, you come back to this site as a grandmother some thrity years, and Prof Nur is still on Somaliaonline Islam boards, with residual experience of 35 years on likelyhood of Nomads passing the grade at the SOL Open Uni.

 

If you ask me again the same question, the Profs chances of accuracy increase.

 

Now, Allah SWT creates his creatures with a constant mix of intellectual, physiscal, spiritual capabilities, and against these capabilities he expects them to perform and deliver duties that are within their sphere of influence. ( Laa yukallifu Allahu nafsan illa wuscahaa) ( Allah does not demand from any soul to deliver more than its capacity)

 

Like the students analogy, Allah knows beforehand our choices and paths that we will take, and thus he records it in the Book of Qader, as the Book of Qadar is in a different domain of time-space than ours, the present, past and future in that book are contiuum with no breaks. ( The Quraan is a good example of a text treating the future as if happening now)

 

So Qadar in other words is Allahs knowledge of our choices.

 

Allah also interferes at times, we call them Miracles.

 

Allah does not on one hand make you responsible for your actions, and on the force you to do something, it beats the purpose of creation which is to test people of their response level for Allahs unrivalled surrender.

 

From Allah point of view, the past has already happened, its analogous to a movie that you have already seen, you pretty much know what is going to happen next, but that does mean that you have forced the events and actors.

 

 

Nur

[- Femme -]

Thanks for the reply Hizb & Nur, although I'm still confused about some parts, I think I get the big picture.

[Naasir]

Brothers I seccond that.

It is QADAR

It is comes with 2 differnt ways

1-Kheyr

2-Sharr

and we don't have a control, and should take it they way it comes to us.

Warsan I understand it may seem confusing but a good example is the traffic by Hizb-UK

[Johnny B]

Warsan, you've raised a fundamentally logical question , and for that i've to blame ya .

Correct me if i'm wrong but the reason why you raise the question is obviously that a conclusion you so often hear around you doesen't just add up.

 

well, i'm not capable of viewing things from Allah's perspective as Sheikh Nur does, but what people reffer to as ' calaf ' or destiny can be simply rationally understood and naturally explained, but not always.

 

Firstly, the concept of 'Calaf' is based on our need to know and explain things, you might have heard phrases like ' clafkeda maheyn', or that her marriage prospects were doomed etc etc.

 

Simply what people are trying to say is " what happened happened ", meaning , what took place took place even though a diffrent outcome was more likely becouse rationally the circumstances in place should entail a diffrent outcome.

 

Actually that is not often the case,hence the lunacy and the confusion, what happens happens becouse of different reasons, and hardly becouse of ' Calaf'. now this might sound like ' calaf majiro ' or nothing is an absolute destiny, but that is not the point, becouse if ' Calaf ' is the result of any given course then everything is ' Calaf ' , but if 'Calaf ' is only the odd result of any given course then ' calaf wa jira '.

 

Simply put, Odd results are reffered to as ' calaf ' more often then not, and normal ( expected ) results are often reffered to as the obvious.

 

Now having understood ' Calaf ' in that light ,we can understand the logical fallacy in the examples given by the abouve posters.

 

As for crossing roads, it simply is impossible to be run over, given that you absolutely possitively made sure that no vehicle was moving towards you from any direction and any near distance.

if you get run over then it is not ' Calaf ' or Fate / destiny, unless we somehow deny the fact that we underestimated or overlooked an approching vehicle. Actually very often people blame on 'Calaf' for their misacheivements and thus take the easy way out apeasing their ego.

 

As for the Students , actually the professor's chances of accuracy doesn't necessarily increase or decrease for that matter , given that the circumstances around the Students including the variations in their capabilities are cosntant, what increases or decreases is relative to those other factors including the professor himself.

 

in some contexts people reffer to 'calaf ' as luck , you sure have heard phrases likes ' Calaf uma lahayn ', again ,people are trying to rationalize an unreasonable outcome of a probably reasonable course.

Most of the time luck is considered as a must have ingredience to any endeavour, and that might or might not necessarily be the case, depending often on the complexity of the task at hand.

 

Trying to answer your main question i'd say , There're different reasons as to why people blame ' Calaf ' for choosing the wrong partner etc etc , one is human beeings are not always rational in their thinking let alone critical, more often than not we get carried away by our emotions , and inso doing we stop thinking critically and instead think wishfully, thus we distance ourselves from undisered facts and realities, hence the blame on calaf ' for our own shortcommings , which is sometimes to prefer for spycological reasons.

 

As for the notion " I know that everything we are going to do is already written when we are in the womb" ,

mind sharing with us , how do you know?

[Nephissa]

It's very confusing...and if our lives & actions from birth to death are already written & set...why are we being tested or punished for what we do?

^ That is so confusing to me aswell. If it was all written down from birth and Allah knows it from the start what is going to become of this "saqiir" he created, why are some chosen to suffer in a hellish place or end up being a junkie? Illaahoow i cafi for asking this, but why why would a loving creator, do that to an innocent child knowing the outcome is going to be bad? Then they get punished in the hereafter eventhough the outcome of their lives was already decided? Confusing indeed, but Allaahu yaclam!

[Viking]

Originally posted by Tyjwania:

Then they get punished in the hereafter eventhough the outcome of their lives was already decided? Confusing indeed, but Allaahu yaclam!

It is not confusing Tyj; you have free-will to do what you want. You are told what is right and what is wrong (through Prophets, Messengers and Scripture), and Allah SWT being the All-knowing, knows what choice you will make. He doesn't make you choose one or the other. You are a human being equipped with an intellect and ability to reason (to know right from wrong). If a human being becomes psychologically ill and unable to know right from wrong, they are not held responsible for their actions as they lack the faculty of reason. Equally, if you are sane and choose to do wrong, you have to face the consequences of your action. Pretty much like western secular legal system; a crazy man who kills is sentenced to be treated and a sane person is locked up for life or sentenced to death. Unlike the 'long arm of the law', Allah SWT sees what is hidden and what is manifest.

 

You do your utmost best to achieve something and whether you fail or succeed, it is calaf.

[Nephissa]

Yes, I can make choices as to what paths I may choose follow during my life, but what if the choice I make in free will is the choice I am supposed to make anyway? Right, I'm a human being equipped with an intellect, and Allah created my mind to determine right from wrong. Does Allah not have a responsibility for his action of creating our mind, that we use to determine the actions we choose to take? Why do some choose to live being a junkie or alcoholic? Would anyone really choose so, unless it wasn't pre-determined? I'm now more confused.

[Viking]

Originally posted by Tyjwania:

Yes, I can make choices as to what paths I may choose follow during my life, but what if the choice I make in free will is the choice I am supposed to make anyway?...Why do some choose to live being a junkie or alcoholic? Would anyone really choose so unless it was pre-determined? I'm now more confused.

You are not supposed to make any choices, except those that are of benefit to you, for your soul's sake (these choices are there for you to make and are not predetermined). Alcoholism and drug abuse are not pre-determined, taking of these harmful substances are choices people make (they are not forced or pre-determined to take them) and the Deen warns us about taking harmful substances.

 

For example, some people get lung cancer as a result of smoking for many years and some get the disease without ever smoking a cigarette their entire lives. One is a choice while the other can be called 'calaf'. But if there is knowledge (technology) available that can help can enable you to combat this particular ilness then it is incumbent upon you to seek this solution. What we call 'calaf' is usually that which is beyond our control.

 

Pre-determination and free-will do not go together; if Allah SWT pre-determined you to be a killer (meaning He has mad you a killer and not you who made the choice) then it would be unfair for you to be punished for your actions. But Allah is Just and would not punish you for something you didn't do out of your free-will.

 

Allah's SWT knowledge of future events does not necessarily mean that [His Knowledge] causes it to happen. If you [for example] know that the children of the school near you go to lunch at noon, that doesn't mean that your knowledge (or expectation) makes them go for lunch at noon. Allah SWT knows what YOU will do out of YOUR OWN FREE-WILL.

[Johnny B]

Originally posted by Viking:

Pre-determination and free-will do not go together; if Allah SWT pre-determined you to be a killer (meaning He has mad you a killer and not you who made the choice) then it would be unfair for you to be punished for your actions. But Allah is Just and would not punish you for something you didn't do out of your free-will.

Originally posted by Nur:

...Allah knows beforehand our choices and paths that we will take, and thus he records it in the Book of Qader, as the Book of Qadar is in a different domain of time-space than ours, ....Nur

This reminds me of The Problem of Evil !

 

If God exists, then he is an omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect.

[Edit] It sure was becouse of ' Calaf ' i wrote this post ! :rolleyes:

[Socod_badne]

Originally posted by Viking:

You are not supposed to make any choices, except those that are of benefit to you,

 

Viking, I don't understand the above. My question is: are we or are we not free to make choices? By choices I mean those concerning our fate in the afterlife. If no, then how could we possibly be responsible for the choices we make? Surely, this is source of confusion for many.

 

The whole Islamic predestination business drove me to chain smoking. Still reeling from it!

 

 

Alcoholism and drug abuse are not pre-determined, taking of these harmful substances are choices people make (they are not forced or pre-determined to take them)

 

I don't know what you mean by predetermined but we're genetically pre-wired to substance abuse. Ditto to spirituality (read The God Gene).

 

 

Allah SWT knows what YOU will do out of YOUR OWN FREE-WILL.

Before he created you, right?

[Viking]

Socod_badne,

That was a response to Tyjwania after she said "but what if the choice I make in free will is the choice I am supposed to make anyway?" There is nothing one is 'supposed' to do as man does things out of free-will. I was telling her that what she is 'supposed' to do is that which is of benefit to her (as stated in the Qur'an and Sunnah and by all previous Prophets and Messengers) in this world and the hereafter.

 

The issue of predestination/free-will is clear; is it predetermined meaning the choices have been made for you? No! Allah SWT is JUST and that means that everyone will be judged according to their deeds. A clinically insane person will not be held accountable, even he commits genocide, becuase he is lacking the ability to tell right from weong. This shows you the Mercy Allah has, then why would he predetermine people to be sinners and some to be pious? That would defeat the who idea of reward and punishment according to your deeds. It would make seeking [or aiming at] perfection futile.

 

Just because Allah SWT knows what you will do throughout your life doesn't necessarily mean that He makes you do those things.

 

I don't know what you mean by predetermined but we're genetically

pre-wired

to substance abuse. Ditto to spirituality (read

The God Gene

).

What are you really saying here? I said that those who become drug addicts and alcoholics abuse substances and were not made into this by The Almighty. Are you claiming otherwise? 'Spiritual awareness' is present in all humans and that is stated in the Qur'an, all souls were created and made a covenant with the Al-Mighty. What has innate spirtualism got to do with drugs and alcohol abuse?

 

 

Before

he created you, right?

His knowledge is not limited by time. Do you believe that Allah SWT is All-Knowing?

[Socod_badne]

Originally posted by Viking:

The issue of predestination/free-will is clear; is it predetermined meaning the choices have been made for you? No! Allah SWT is JUST and that means that everyone will be judged according to their deeds.

 

I can't agree with you here. And I'm not the only one who finds the concepts of free will and predestination easily digestable. Here is why:

 

1. Allah is omnisceint (all-knowing), is free to create who ever he likes and can not make mistakes.

 

2. Because he is omniscient, before he creates us he knows our ultimate fate: hell or heaven.

 

3. His creation can not alter their ultimate fate that Allah was already privy to as that would negate his omniscience.

 

 

Can you now see the source of the confusion?

 

 

 

What are you really saying here? I said that those who become drug addicts and alcoholics abuse substances and were not made into this by The Almighty. Are you claiming otherwise?

 

 

Obviously I'm saying otherwise. Humans have genetic predisposition to substance abuse; not all humans but majority. From the outset not everyone is at level playing field. SOme are more disadvanteged than others due to how they're wired; more prone to fall through the cracks so to speak.

 

Now, most people avoid succumbing to their innate urgings. Needless to say not all for variegated reasons. Do they bear full responsibility for being drug addicts?

 

 

What has innate spirtualism got to do with drugs and alcohol abuse?

 

Religiosity. Spiritualism and religiosity are linked although not irrevocably. I admit spiritualism is extraneous to this discussion. Floated it in as worthy to know bit of information.

[Viking]

Socod_badne,

You are the MASTER OF YOUR OWN DESTINY, if you are righteous and treat others kindly then you will get your reward. Allah SWT knowing about your destiny doesn't mean that He has chosen it for you. What you are doing here in your deduction is that you are anthropomorphizing Allah. He doesn't change His mind, make mistakes or act unjustly, these are human characteristics. Perhaps a paradigm shift would enable you ro understand this issue.

 

 

Originally posted by Socod_badne:

Obviously I'm saying otherwise. Humans have genetic predisposition to substance abuse; not all humans but majority. From the outset not everyone is at level playing field. SOme are more disadvanteged than others due to how they're

wired

; more prone to fall through the cracks so to speak.

Some physiological factors does put certain people in "disadvantage". If the three previous generations that preceeded you were alcoholics perhaps you have genetic predesposition to alcoholism. This doesn't mean that you are born with a bottle of lager in your hand or a syringe filled with heroin; you still have to consume these substances for you to become an addict (obviously of free-will). Equally, those who have for generations not consumed alcohol (like Arabs and Somalis, who have been Muslim for over 1400 years) can have difficulty with alcohol because their liver can not break down the alcohol with ease (unlike their western counterparts) and therefore get drunk faster and can easily become alcoholics. This by no means relinquishes you from your responsibilties or choices and therefore become a substance abuser by choice.

 

 

Now, most people avoid succumbing to their innate urgings. Needless to say not all for variegated reasons. Do they bear full responsibility for being drug addicts?

Every sane person bears responsibilty for their actions. Obese people nowadays would like to free themselves from any blame and point the finger at their genes (they blame the malfunction of the protein Sar1b). Fifty years ago, most westerners were not as obese as today, it is their diet that has put their health in risk. People in Asia and Africa probably have this "gene malfunction" that makes you store lipids, but since they are'nt over consuming food, the gene doesn't seem to be an issue.