Planning from you, destiny from Me | Ali Reza Panahian
You plan, I determine.
Why should I even try?
The Holy Prophet of Islam said, “If the angel Gabriel, the angel Michael, the angel Israfil and I all pray for a blessed marriage for you, it won’t happen unless God wants it to happen.” One might say, “Sir, if you say this, we should just forget it and go. We shouldn’t work either; everything is in God’s hands. Or, a part is in God’s hands. We can’t have any effect. So leave us to believe in determinism. Whatever happens is not related to us. Let us roll down from a cliff like a rock.”
If we weren’t supposed to plan or pay attention to the result, but just pass divine tests and trust in God, it would have been very easy. The beauty of it is that God tells you to plan. He makes your deeds effective too. Then he ruins your mood and removes that effect. “I have known God through the dissolution of intentions,” Imam Ali (‘a) said. God shows He’s God when He ruins a person’s plans.
“Can we have an effect on our destiny?” Yes, for example, you can pray. But, if that determining factor allows, your prayer will be answered. If that determining factor doesn’t allow, your prayer won’t be answered, even if you’re a good person. “So our prayer can have an effect?” Yes, you can change your fixed destiny with your prayer! But, if the test allows it. All of your moments and your destiny - from any angle you look at it - are under the influence of testing, the determining factor.
Tests are the most determining factor in life. For example, “God, he prayed and You said his prayer will be answered. Because, his prayers are always answered, or he pleaded a lot or another reason. Or, his parents prayed for him to have a good spouse. You said the testing system won’t allow it, and he should be tested with a bad spouse. But God, he himself is very clever! He won’t easily accept that! He is very careful.” God says, “My tests determine this. I want to test him now. I won’t let his/her wisdom work right when choosing a spouse. When will I open his/her wisdom? After the honeymoon!” This is an example. “But… I!” “What?! Pass the test.”
When God ruins a person’s planning, He is showing Himself. Don’t be like a spoiled child and say, “God, since You interfere, I’ll drop it. I won’t work anymore.” His mother has raised him badly. He’s very selfish. He’s like Pharaoh! But, he is not a ruler. Fine, he’s a small Pharaoh. If he were a ruler, he would have acted worse than Pharaoh. He gets offended that God ruins his affairs! So he becomes disappointed and doesn’t plan, try or work! He says, “Since a corner of it is in God’s hands and He often ruins my affairs, I won’t try anymore.”
You’re so wrong not to try! You have been ordered to try! You have been ordered to plan! You have been ordered to get up, try and sometimes fail so that I see how you react! If a person doesn’t try, plan and fail, failure and victory will be meaningless. Do you want to mess up God’s tests? God ruins your plans. “I have known God through the dissolution of intentions,” Imam Ali (‘a) said. He ruins them with His decisions. God doesn’t let you get your wishes. He takes His tests. Sometimes you get your wishes, and that is another test. He let’s you get your wishes when the testing system lets you. Does this mean we shouldn’t do our duty or our work? You have been ordered to act and to plan! You have been ordered to get up, try, and sometimes fail!
[From the series of speeches under the topic of “The most determining factor in human destiny.”]
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