Please explain this ayat and hadith to me

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Assalam walaikum. 

 

I have come to you with a question that is very worrysome for me.  Please allow me to explain as follows:

 

The following is an ayat from Surah-e-Araf (7.179):

Many are the Jinns and men we have made for Hell: They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle,- nay more misguided: for they are heedless (of warning).

 

This ayat is furthur cemented by the following  hadith from Sahih-al-Bukhari (book of Beginning of Creation):

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mus'ud: Allah's Apostle, the true and truly inspired said, "(The matter of the Creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his (i.e. the new creature's) deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in religion). Then the soul is breathed into him. So, a man amongst you may do (good deeds till there is only a cubit between him and Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behavior and he starts doing (evil) deeds characteristic of the people of the (Hell) Fire. And similarly a man amongst you may do (evil) deeds till there is only a cubit between him and the (Hell) Fire, and then what has been written for him decides his behavior, and he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise."  

 

This is a completely authentic hadith especially since the Holy Quran says essentially the same thing as you can see.  No doubt, this is true, it is a fact.  But it raises a worrysome question in my mind.  The question is that no man/woman can get salvation at all?  Even if they are doing good deeds and are living a pious life, they will automatically end up living a live of sin because his deeds have been pre-written even before he or she was born? 

 

Can someone with more knowledge and insight please explain to me what is Allah (swt) and Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) are trying to say?  What is the real message?  And how do I know what are my pre-written deeds (I can only pray that they are good ones)? 

 

Is there a scholar or a sheikh around who can answer this for me please?  I look forward to enlightening responses since, honestly, this ayat and hadith have scared me and shaken me down to my roots.

 

Jazakallah. :-)

 

Welcome to our boards of discussions brother aiqbal. Your question is very intresting and common as well. Most of us do get such doubts.

 

As you asked scholarly opinion, here is its commentary am pasting from Ibn Kathir. Before going into that, let me remind you that the verses being discussed beofre this ayah, is of disbeliever. And the same continues. Khayr, here is its tafseer

 

179. And surely, We have created many of the Jinn and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones.

 

Allah said, (And surely, We have created for Hell) We made a share in the Fire for

(many of the Jinn and mankind) We prepared them for it by their performance of the deeds of its people. When Allah intended to create the creation, He knew what their work will be before they existed. He wrote all this in a Book, kept with Him, fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and earth. Muslim recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr narrated that the Messenger of Allah said,

 

(Verily, Allah decided the destination and due measurement of the creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and earth, and His Throne was over the water.) There are many Hadiths on this subject, and certainly, the matter of Al-Qadar is of utmost importance, yet this is not where we should discuss it. Allah said,

 

(They have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not.) meaning, they do not benefit from these senses that Allah made for them as a means of gaining guidance. Similarly, Allah said,

 

(And We had assigned them the (faculties of) hearing, seeing, and hearts; but their hearing, seeing, and their hearts availed them nothing since they used to deny the Ayat.) 46:26. Allah also said about the hypocrites,

((They are) deaf, dumb, and blind, so they return not (to the right path)) ﴿2:18﴾, and about the disbelievers,

 

(They are) deaf, dumb and blind. So they do not understand.) 2:171﴾ However, they are not deaf, dumb or blind, except relation to the guidance. Allah said;

 

(Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen; and even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away with aversion (to the truth).) ﴿8:23

 

(Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind.) ﴿22:46﴾, and,

 

(And whosoever turns away blindly from the remembrance of the Most Gracious (Allah), We appoint for him Shaytan to be an intimate companion to him. And verily, they hinder them from the path, but they think that they are guided aright!)43:36-37, Allah's statement,

(They are like cattle), means, those who neither hear the truth, nor understand it, nor see the guidance, are just like grazing cattle that do not benefit from these senses, except for what sustains their life in this world. Allah said in a similar Ayah,

 

(And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of one who shouts to those who hear nothing but calls and cries.) 2:171﴾ meaning, their example, when they are called to the faith, is the example of cattle that hear only the voice of their shepherd, but cannot understand what he is saying. Allah further described them

 

(nay even more astray), than cattle, because cattle still respond to the call of their shepherd, even though they do not understand what he is saying. As for the people described here, they are unlike cattle, which fulfill the purpose and service they were created for. The disbeliever was created to worship Allah alone in Tawhid, but he disbelieved in Allah and associated others in His worship. Therefore, those people who obey Allah are more honorable than some angels, while cattle are better than those who disbelieve in Him. So Allah said;

 

(They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones.)

That was the commentary. Hope you now got it, that it described disbelievers. Regarding destiny, just read that which is highlighted in bold. Allah swt is the All-Knower. He knows what are we going to do. And that was writted. Yes, few aspects are being  ordained by Allah swt, like regarding our birth, death etc. But remember we are given free will and so are accountable for it. Anyways, let us concentrate on other important things like how to agree Allah swt with our ways by following Qur'an and sunnah.

 

Minuteman, kindly read these verses

 

" Verily, the criminals will be in the torment of Hell to abide therein forever. (That) will not be lightened for them, and they will be plunged into destruction with deep regrets, sorrows and in despair therein. "

 

" And they will cry (to the keeper of Hell): "O Malik! Let your Lord make an end of us.'' He will say: "Verily, you shall abide forever.'' (43:77"

 

" And on the Day when He will gather them together (and say): "O you assembly of Jinn! Many did you mislead of men," and their friends among the people will say: "Our Lord! We benefited one from the other, but now we have reached our appointed term which You did appoint for us. " He will say: "The Fire be your dwelling place, you will dwell therein forever, except as Allah may will. Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing."

 

Likewise there are many verses which say that disbelievers shall be in hell forever. I remember, you discussing, "khalideena fiha " once, which means, hamesha, hamesha ke liye. {Forever }.

 

 

Good and simple work - skr of knowledge. That example makes us  easy to understand the concept.

 

I totally agree with this

 

"So, I see it as combined with since Allah (SWT) know everything and has already knows the decisions you would pick, and that faith is like a tree implying that we do have free will."