Quran Garden

Session 412

Chapter 3

Verse 83

A continuation

Do they seek a religion other than God's, while to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and on the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned?! (Chapter 3: Verse 83)

Let's start by exploring the meaning of the phrase "willingly or unwillingly." "Willingly" refers to obedience and humility.  God says:

Then He turned to the sky, which was smoke, He said to it and the earth, "Come into being, willingly or not," and they said, "We come willingly." (41:11)

"willingly" applies to all creations that have no freedom of choice; each follows Allah, the Creator, with obedience and humility.  Some scholars specified that "willingly" includes the angels, inanimate objects, plants, and animals because they all perform their duties and do not possess the ability to disobey. 

But when it came to "unwillingly," translated from the Arabic كرها (Kurhan), the same scholars explained that it refers to people who were slaves or forced into Islam.  We answer that this understanding is neither correct nor appropriate because it allows the opponents of Islam to label it as a violent religion imposed by force or claim that it allowed the subjugation of humans.  Allah answers:

There is no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error, so whoever rejects false gods and believes in God has grasped the firmest hand-hold, one that will never break. God is all-hearing and all-knowing. (2:256)

Since God never forces anyone to believe in Him, why would He allow humans to do it to others?  Thus, we must understand the word "unwillingly" in its true sense.

God informed us that the entire universe is subjugated to Him because He is the One Who created it; there are no other gods but Him.  He says:

God has never had a child. Nor is there any god besides Him - if there were, each god would have taken his creation aside and tried to overcome the others. May God be exalted above what they describe! (23:91)

And, since He is the only Creator, no one will ever be able to rebel against His will.  Allah granted you the immense blessing and responsibility of freedom of will.  All other creations, from the sun to the grain of sand, have no choice.  Thus, Allah did not command them with 'do' or 'do not do.'  Religious instructions are part of the blessings of your freedom of choice.  Allah granted you autonomy and guidance on how to best exercise your freedom.  When He commands you to 'do,' He knows that you have the option not to. 

Take your hand, for example.  Allah created it and put it at your service so you can move it any way you like.  But always remember that your hand is a gift not inherent to you because, at any time, it may be paralyzed through an accident or disease.  Allah also sent you guidance on how to best use your hand for good.  He instructed you not to steal or strike an innocent person with it.   

By following God's teachings, you can be in perfect harmony with all other creations because they, too, act according to God's will.  He says:

Do you ever consider that all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth prostrate themselves to God, and so do the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, and the beasts, and so do many among human beings? Whereas many others are deservedly condemned to punishment. Whoever God humiliates can have none to give him honor. Assuredly, God does whatever He wills. (22:18)

All creations are humble before the Almighty, from the sun and moon to the mountains, trees, and animals.  Many people also recognize God as their Creator and Lord, and they prostrate to Him in gratitude.  Sadly, there are just as many who do not and believe they are self-sufficient.  In fact, we, as humans, often glorify our intelligence and overestimate our abilities.  Take, for example, how we marvel at scientific advancements such as the internal combustion engine.  It is a great invention that allowed us to travel from one place to another, have great cars, and even fly.  The scientists who developed the engine had the best intentions, but they did not have full knowledge.  The internal combustion engine is perhaps the biggest polluter of air and water, and it has caused great harm to the environment.  Now the same scientists are searching for ways to clean the mess.  Similar was the case for pesticides.  We solved one problem but created many more down the road, including a rise in cancer.  Many pesticides that were hailed as great inventions are now banned.   God says:

We offered the Trust to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, but they refrained from bearing it and were fearful of it.  But man undertook it. He is indeed prone to misjudging and acting out of ignorance.  (33:72)

The point is that we often fail to see the big picture.  Whether in science or in government, people have tried over and over only to end in corruption and ruin.  God says:

Say: "Shall We inform you who are the greatest losers in respect of their deeds? They are those whose efforts in this world are misguided, even when they think they are doing good work.  It is those who disbelieve in their Lord's messages and deny that they will meet Him. Their deeds come to nothing: on the Day of Resurrection, We shall give them no weight." (18:103-105)

So how do we understand God's words that there are those who submit to him unwillingly? We answer that God did not grant us freedom in all matters.  He kept many in His hand.  For example, you have no control over the time of your birth, nor over accidents or diseases that may befall you, whether you like it or not. 

Our life in this world is like a sentence between two parentheses.  The first parenthesis is God bringing us into existence, and the second parenthesis is our death.  The journey of life is what we have between these two boundaries.  The beginning and end belong to Allah.

Allah could have subjugated you in matters of faith, just like He subjugated you in matters of life and death.  The intelligent person recognizes these facts and lives his or her life according to the guidance of the Creator.  That is the secret behind the phrase "to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and on the earth, willingly or unwillingly." If you disbelieve in God, then do not challenge Him only in matters of faith! Rebel and prove that you are in control of every little detail in your life and destiny: Stop yourself from dying, falling ill, or try controlling the function of your kidneys or spleen.  No one can escape God.  The believer takes this point and says, "I want to be in harmony with the universe and follow God's teachings even in matters where I have free will.  I know that I will stand before Him on the Day of Judgment." God says, "and to Him they will be returned."

In the preceding verses of Al-Imran, Allah presented you with a perfectly logical argument.  He began by informing you that His messengers –who were sent to serve you- are honest and trustworthy.  Then He told you that all the heavenly messages are complementary building blocks for the betterment of the human race.  There is no disagreement or competition.  These facts were sealed by a covenant between God, the messengers and humanity.  Isn't that a Lord and a system of living worth following?  God says: 

No person to whom God has given the scripture, wise judgment, and prophethood would ever say to people, "Be my servants, not God's."  Rather, "You should be devoted to the Lord because you have taught the Scripture and studied it closely."  He would never command you to take angels and prophets as lords. How could he command you to be disbelievers after you have devoted yourselves to God? God took a pledge from the prophets, saying, "If, after I have bestowed scripture and wisdom upon you, a messenger comes confirming what you have been given, you must believe in him and support him.  Do you affirm this and accept My pledge as binding on you?"  They said, "We do."  He said, "Then bear witness, and I too will bear witness."  Then, whoever after this turns away, those are the transgressors.  Do they seek a religion other than God's, while to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and on the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned?! (Chapter 3: Verses 79-83)