What is the role of free will in Islam?

Question

The laws of Islam seem sufficiently detailed so as to preclude any possibility of "bad behavior," assuming that a person has made the "first choice" to follow Islam and live their life by the ways of Islam.

So how does choice fit into that equation? Is there enough latitude within the laws of Islam that a person can choose the shape of his or her life within the Islamic framework? Or does the framework itself more or less dictate the shape of one's life?

Note: I am not Muslim, so if you're going to quote scripture, please explain what that scripture means in layman's terms. Also note that I'm not looking simply for opinions, but also reasoning.

Answer 1

The islamic commandments can be divided into several categories in this aspect:

• Obligatory: No scope of choice in Islam. These are- Fardh(mandatory/ implies greater obligation), Wajib(obligatory), Haram(strictly prohibited).
• Recommended: Little scope of choice. Like- Sunnah(practices of our prophet, peace be upon him, and graetly recommended), Mustahab(recommended), Makhruh(abstaining is recommended).
• Mubah or neither obligatory nor recommended- doing or abstaining. These are normally not included directly in commandments. Mubah is the status of all other actions.

Though the first two, specially the second covers a large area, there are many other things that fall in the last category which is done according to individual free will.

Answer 2

The following is a rough outline (lacking details and several degrees in-between), just to give you a basic idea.

Islam is:

• At zero degree, learning about Islam.
• At first degree, fulfilling your servitude by obedience to all requirements set by your Lord. So that you may be free from everlasting Hell fire and enter Paradise.
• At second degree, desiring entry to Paradise and working towards it (by doing good deeds). Here, you are trying to guarantee your reward.
• At third degree, losing interest in the material world. Now you realize that what you gain here will stay here, so you focus on afterlife.
• At fourth degree, working on your spiritual development and Enlightenment. Here you want to develop the one and only thing that you will carry with yourself to the afterlife: Divine Knowledge.
• At fifth degree, becoming a good servant. Here all your actions are bounded by the love bond between you and your Creator. Everything you do is to strengthen this bond.
• At sixth degree, realizing your servitude. Here you have realized that there is no free will; it is all His will. So you move with the flow willingly and submit completely.
• At seventh degree, living as a true servant. So that what is expected of you (serving God as stated in Quran) is achieved and you are successful.

Every degree encompasses the others before it. So the more you enter Islam the more you lose from what you value now. But the real question is, "Do things you value are in fact worthy?" Knowledge makes difference by defining values. And what book may be more accurate on that than the book of God?

Answer 3

Well yes, Islam does give you choices to make, for instance if you want to work as an employee instead of owning a business that is your choice. If you prefer to be a teacher instead of a physician that is your free will etc.
Up to four wives are allowed, but if you prefer to keep only one or none for that matter, chances are Islam is ok with that.
I think the most interesting one is about the death penalty i.e if someone close to you has been murdered by a person, you can either seek death penalty, make a financial arrangement, or simply forgive (it is a detailed topic I must warn).
However in some cases there are no choices when it comes to praying, fasting unless genuine health concerns are there.

Answer 4

According to some sufist, one should give up his/her own will in order to fill your hearth with gods will. Here are some quotes from different writings of Rumi

If they ask what Love is,
say: the sacrifice of will.
If you have not left your will behind,
you have no will at all.

(Masnavi)

I am the lover of Love, and Love is my lover as well.
The body has become the lover of the soul, and the soul
the lover of the body.
Sometimes I embrace its neck with my two arms,
and sometimes it pulls me by the hem of my robe, like beloveds will

(Quatrain)

More info on Mevlevi Order.

PS: Tasawwuf is inner dimension of Islam. It is about your personal journey to reach God. Islam doesn't require you to give up your free will as long as you do your obligatory ibadah and stay away from unlawfull acts.