THE CREATION PLAN OF GOD — Discover Meaning

history is not the correct one, for it has been formulated by human beings. The only valid criterion, in the light of which we should study human history, is that laid down by our Creator. The right way to understand this matter is, therefore, to discover the creation plan of the creator and then attempt to study history within its framework. The only valid criterion, in the light of which we should study human history, is that laid down by our Creator — the creation plan of God. From a study of the Quran, we learn that for a proper understanding of human society the central idea is not an ideal society, it is human freedom. Man has been granted full freedom of speech and action in this life — the reason being that he has been placed in this world by the Almighty for the purpose of being tested. As a prerequisite for this test, man is at liberty to deny God, to kill prophets and to oppose the messengers of truth. Given such a state of affairs, human freedom would have to be withdrawn altogether in order to bring an ideal society into existence. And God, in accordance with His plan of creation, would never under any circumstances abrogate human freedom. The particular nature of human existence on earth has been thus explained in the Quran: We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it, because they were afraid of it. But man bore it: he surely proved unjust and ignorant. THE QURAN 33: 72 ‘Trust’ in the above verses refers to the freedom of choice with which man has been entrusted. The earth and the heavens have neither such freedom nor any will-power of their own. They are compelled to adhere to the laws of nature laid down by God for all eternity. But man has no such compulsion. He is totally free in word and deed. From other verses in the Quran, we learn that, according to the creation plan of God, what is of actual importance in this world is the building, not of an ideal society, but of ideal individuals (67: 2). The ideal human society will, therefore, come into existence not in this world, but in the world Hereafter — referred to in the Quran as Dar us Salam (the Home of Peace). The actual obstacle to the building of the ideal society