Purple Noor

 When the world cup final was on, I was hoping praying desperately that Argentina wins. In the first half it seemed the easy outcome. But as things took different turn in the second half of the match I became so consternated... the suspense seemed to be too much. I wished it wasnt so. I even lost a bit of courage to pray because I thought Allah intended to make Argentina lose. What is the purpose of prayer I thought in such a scenario. But towards the penalty I was praying again and finally Argentina did win! The outcome of the game was just as I wished - Argentina's win.. But the way Allah maximised the game as an event where the best skills of so many people could be stimulated and exhibited - made me feel that Allah is the master scriptsman. He knows how to pen an exhilarating masterpiece.. While those faint of heart like me was praying for a simple, straightforward, placid victory scenario to be painted.. I use this as a metaphor for many events that happen in life. Each time,

Is the essence of human life to only obey what has been revealed to the Prophet PBUH and the Quran? What about diversities of ways of being and ways of living?   If a woman who lives in a tribal context who has to climb trees to seek food for herself doesnt dress in a hijab, is she a sinner? Doesn’t her immediate context justify her way of dressing? Or should she strive to go beyond her immediate context upon her contact with Islam and give up her livelihood, immediate community, ease and relatedness and be a woman   who covers herself up and secludes herself from the men in her community? Let me think through this… i imagine her coming to contact with Islam.. she progressively becomes attracted to it’s principles… she starts practicing the religion little by little. some of her family and community members supports, some resists. she engages in constant dialogue with her community about why she is changing. the dialogue sometimes validates her decisions to be Muslim and sometimes unse

 Here is how I see Divine will in operation. Penning it down just so that I can come back to reading it when I need a "theory" on how things are determined. I take from Islam that Allah the All Knowing, knowing of the subtle and the explicit, knows clearly what is to happen in every creature's life- down to the minutest detail. I personally believe that All is All Knowing. But he has given Choice to us humans atleast to choose our course of action. These two statements are compatible. Allah's knowledge and ability is so all encompassing and intimate that He is aware of every swerve, turn, move we make with our "free will"- a gift from Allah. This notion I hold is influenced by the book Ra Contact. There is a lot of freedom that we have to choose our life's course. I even believe that the life we lead was a choice/tryst we made with Allah before we were born. The exact nature of that tryst I don't know.. But a hint i get is from the literature that ta