THE CHOICE IS YOURS

 FAJR REMINDER: THE CHOICE IS YOURS

By: Umm Affān

Muḥarram 24, 1448 (9-July-2026)

One of the greatest gifts Allāh has bestowed upon us is guidance. He did not create us aimlessly, nor did He abandon us to confusion. He created us, created our abilities, created our actions, and then showed us the path that leads to His Pleasure and the path that leads to His Anger. Every day we stand at a crossroads, making choices that will either profit our Hereafter or fill it with regret. How Merciful is our Lord that He did not leave us without direction.

Allāh is the Creator of our actions. He (ﷻ) says: “While Allāh has created you and what you make (i.e. your actions)!” [Sūrah Aṣ-Ṣāffāt (37): 96] Yet, despite the clarity of this truth, there emerged a deviant sect known as the Qadariyyah, who claimed that Allāh is not the Creator of our actions. They argued that man independently creates and carries out his own deeds, thereby denying a fundamental aspect of Tawḥīd and disbelieving in Allāh.

Such a belief is not a minor mistake; it is a dangerous corruption of one's creed. This is why the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) spoke so sternly regarding them. ‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Umar reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The Qadariyyah are the Magians (Zoroastrians) of this Ummah. If they are ill, do not pay a sick visit to them, and if they die, do not attend their funerals.” [Sunan Abī Dāwūd 4691]

Imām Al-Bayhaqī (Raḥimahullāh) explained the reason behind this description. He said: “They are called Qadariyyah because they affirmed Al-Qadar (power of decree) for themselves but they denied it for Allāh, may He be glorified and exalted. They denied that He created their deeds and affirmed that for themselves. By attributing some acts of creation to Him but not others they became like the Magians in their belief in the two principles of light and darkness and that good is the action of light and evil is the action of darkness.” [al-I‘tiqād, p. 245]

On the opposite side of the spectrum, another sect known as the Jabariyyah (Necessitarians) also lost the straight path. They claimed that human beings have no free will at all—that we are merely like feathers blown helplessly by the wind, compelled over every action we perform. According to them, Allāh is responsible for the implementation of our actions, leaving mankind with no real choice and, consequently, no accountability. What a tremendous falsehood! If this were true, why would Allāh send Prophets? Why would He reveal Books? Why would He command, forbid, reward, or punish? Such a belief strips Divine Wisdom from the very purpose of our existence.

The beautiful balance lies in the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamā‘ah. We affirm everything that Allāh and His Messenger (ﷺ) affirmed without exaggeration or denial. We believe that Allāh created us and created our actions. He informed us of what is good and encouraged us toward it. He warned us about what is evil and prohibited us from it. Yet, in His Perfect Justice, He granted us the ability to choose. We possess a will, but it exists under the Perfect Will of Allāh. 

Therefore, our choices are real, our accountability is real, and the Hereafter is real. Allāh (ﷻ) says: “And says: ‘The truth is from your Lord.’ Then, whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve. Verily, We have prepared for the Ẓālimūn (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.), a Fire whose wall will be surrounding them (disbelievers in the Oneness of Allāh)…” [Sūrah Al-Kahf (18): 29]

Dear brethren! Pause for a moment and reflect. Every word you utter, every glance you cast, every prayer you establish, every temptation you resist, every charity you give, every sin you conceal from people but not from Allāh—these are all choices. They are choices that will one day stand before you when neither wealth nor children will avail anyone except the one who comes to Allāh with a sound heart.

How often do we blame destiny for sins that we willingly chose? How often do we excuse our shortcomings while ignoring the countless opportunities Allāh gave us to repent, return, and reform? Our Lord has never wronged us. He clarified the truth, sent His Messengers, revealed His Books, and opened the door of repentance until our final breath. The responsibility now rests with us.

That is why there is recompense. Paradise is not attained by mere wishes, nor is Hell entered without justice. Every soul shall reap exactly what it sowed. Allāh (ﷻ) says: “And that man has nothing but what he does (good or bad). And that his deeds will be seen. Then he will be recompensed with a full and the best recompense.” [Sūrah An-Najm (53): 39-41]

Dear brethren! We are writing the story of our eternal abode with every decision we make. Every act of obedience is a step toward Jannah. Every sincere repentance erases pages of sin. Every act of disobedience that remains unrepented from is a danger to the soul. Before the pages of our deeds are sealed forever, let us choose faith over disbelief, obedience over disobedience, sincerity over showing off, and the Pleasure of Allāh over the fleeting attractions of this temporary world.

I beseech Allāh (ﷻ) to make us among those who choose His Guidance over misguidance, obedience over sin, and truth over falsehood, and keep our hearts firm upon the correct creed until we meet Him, and admit us into His Eternal Paradise without reckoning. Aameen.