Explaining Predestination for Kids
Question:
My children usually ask me lot of questions to understand our religion. One of their recent questions has forced me to seek your help.
We Muslims believe that Allah has written in the Book (Taqdeer) all that we are going to do in our life, even before our birth. We cannot do anything outside what has already been decided by Him as our fate. We are like "actors" who are following the directions of the director, the "GOD". Then if we do wrong things in our life, or commit sins etc., that too is as per our fate. Then why will He be punishing us on the Day of Judgment.
Kindly help me answer this question in a way that is understandable for kids.
Answer:
You wrote: "We cannot do anything outside what has already been decided by Him as our fate".
This is true, and the main thing that already has been decided by God for all human beings is their freedom of choice. Based on this we are free to do what we want to do. This is why God in the Qur'an advises people to do good, otherwise, there was no point advising them to anything.
The point however is that God already knows what we are going to do. This however does not mean that He makes us do these things, it is just that He already knows them. A good teacher knows whether his student passes the exam or not even before the exam. Does that mean if the student fails the exam then it is not fair?
God knows what we will do but we are still responsible for what we are doing as it is us who have decided to do it.
My children usually ask me lot of questions to understand our religion. One of their recent questions has forced me to seek your help.
We Muslims believe that Allah has written in the Book (Taqdeer) all that we are going to do in our life, even before our birth. We cannot do anything outside what has already been decided by Him as our fate. We are like "actors" who are following the directions of the director, the "GOD". Then if we do wrong things in our life, or commit sins etc., that too is as per our fate. Then why will He be punishing us on the Day of Judgment.
Kindly help me answer this question in a way that is understandable for kids.
Answer:
You wrote: "We cannot do anything outside what has already been decided by Him as our fate".
This is true, and the main thing that already has been decided by God for all human beings is their freedom of choice. Based on this we are free to do what we want to do. This is why God in the Qur'an advises people to do good, otherwise, there was no point advising them to anything.
The point however is that God already knows what we are going to do. This however does not mean that He makes us do these things, it is just that He already knows them. A good teacher knows whether his student passes the exam or not even before the exam. Does that mean if the student fails the exam then it is not fair?
God knows what we will do but we are still responsible for what we are doing as it is us who have decided to do it.