God and His Creation Plan

In this world, hardship is part of a law of nature. According to past historical records, punishment was inflicted upon some contemporaries of various prophets, but that was limited to the prophetic age and is not applicable anymore. Hardship is a test for the person who experiences it. In Islam, what makes an individual eligible for salvation? T he Islamic concept of salvation is based on tazkiya, or purification of soul. In other words, salvation in Islam is dependent on the process of purifying one’s personality and only such purified personalities shall find entry to Paradise. A purified personality is free of hate and violence and is devoid of malice. The Quran says, ‘God guides whoever He wants, and misguides whoever He wants.’ (35:8). What makes God want to guide or misguide someone? T his is a matter of expression in language. It simply conveys that a person who wants to be guided will be able to draw guidance from the Book of God, whereas one who does not want to seek guidance will not receive it. The Creator revealed the Quran so that it serves as a Book of Guidance for mankind. The responsibility of extracting wisdom and guidance lies with those who read it. There is a verse in the Quran which states: This is the truth from your Lord. Let him who will, believe in it, and him who will, deny it. (Quran 18:29) If God knows and controls everything, is the concept of ‘freewill in religion’ valid? T here is no doubt that God is all-powerful and all-knowing. However, since He has decided to put human beings to the test, He has given them the freedom to do as whatever they wish. If there were no free will, there would have been no test. So, in order to test people, God has withheld His power when it comes to man and given him freedom to respond in any way that he wants. In granting freedom to man, God has chosen to not enforce His Power on him. God is all knowing, but He has not fixed people’s destinies. Justice is meted out on the basis of evidence, which in this case would be the record of use or misuse of freedom that a person is