A question for those versed in the Quran

Some texts in the Quran are ambiguous and downright contradictory, very much along the lines of the Christian bible.   Even Islamic spiritual scholars struggle and debate over the exact meaning of certain texts.

Ibn Arabi speaks of the muhkam and mutashabih verses sometimes directly and at other times metaphorically as representing respectively, the face of God and the multiplicity of his characteristic. He says �the {the clear and decisive verses} are exalted beyond being touched by probability and ambiguity. They admit of only one meaning.� Ibn Arabi agrees with other commentators regarding the phrase �they are the mother of the book �as meaning they are the �essence �of the book. He likewise interprets the phrase �and others multivalent �to mean �they are capable of two or more meanings. �

He continues :

�In them truth and error become confused. This is because the truth exalted be, He has one face, which is the absolute and everlasting face after all creation would have perished. This face does not admit of multiplicity and number. God has also other numerous additional faces in accordance with the mirrors of outward appearances. They are appearances of that one face in the accordance of POTENTIALITY inherent in every manifestation ( mazhar ). In these manifestations, truth and error are confused. This is what this verse indicates. The multivalent verses are referred to the various dimensions or potentiality. Every person would then hold fast to what suits him, and thus trial ( ibtila ) and testing ( imtihan ) would appear. As for the Gnostics, those who recognise the everlasting face in whatever image or form it may appear, they recognise the right dimension among all other dimensions of which the multivalent verses are capable. They are able then to refer these back to the clear and decisive verses, accepting the saying of a poet, �The face is only one, if you enumerate the characteristics, it appears as though it is many�.

The Qur'an and Its Interpreters: Volume 2: Surah 3 - By Mahmoud M. Ayoub

The beautiful spiritual poetry of the Sufi Mystic Rumi drew me to Islam because his words made a connection with my heart and my soul � but for me the Christian bible and the Quran are more like judicial books that lay down laws, rules and consequences � that talk about heaven, hell and damnation. So what ultimately ends up motivating a followers behaviour? Fear and reward ! But this truly is the worst way to teach or instruct an individual to make the right moral choice because their response is automated rather than one that comes from the heart � God gave us a conscience for that very purpose ! He gave us the right to choose ! Do you not think God in all his vastness and greatness � In all his wisdom - Would fear the outcome to grant us some degree of FREEDOM over our own destiny ? Why would God be that limiting ? God gifted us with consciousness so we could move beyond the bounds of our reptilian brain but unfortunately our EGO�s took reign.

And regarding the Aborigines of Australia they will enter their dreamtime and return to their ancestors and so too will the Native American Indians. God loves us all EQUALLY no race or religion is superior. Don�t you marvel at the fact that all people from around the globe have had a similar belief system to yours some existing long before the Islamic religion? God the creator knows the good seeds from the bad but we ourselves are the ones that reap what we sow � And I can ASSURE YOU the religious texts we are discussing in terms of Gods processes and dealings with mankind are lacking in detailed explanations - I wish you all the best - May God Bless you on your life journey

When dissecting religious / spiritual text please use your own discretion and more importantly read / learn with a pure heart.

Peace be upon you

Abu Loren wrote: Those who will go to heaven and hell have already been pre-destined.

Why would God create such an unfair playing field ? And what becomes of children that die before they have time to change their pre-determined destiny through dua ?

And what would become of a man that always lived a good virtuous life but then through no fault of his own was diagnosed with a brain tumour, which caused mood swings and violent, aggressive, outbursts that led to an assault / murder. What if this man never heard of dua - what would happen to him ?

Allah in ch 13 v 11 of Quran says Allah will not change the situation of those who don't want to change themselves.take my eg, I was just a namesake muslim till age of 21 but since then till now I m 24, Alhamdulillah I perform my salaah regularly, I read Quran regularly,so yes it was Allah who showed me the way but unless and until if you don't want to beat your nafs and move towards Allah, you can't change yourself.yes events are preordained in life but our response is ours but Allah knows this for eg last yr a tragedy I happened in my life I could have quit life or carry on,but with help of Allah I moved forward,so this event was preordained but my response was upto my free will but Allah knows this also because Allah in ch 50 v 16 of Quran says Allah is more closer to us than our jugular vein.

I'm not well versed in the Qur'an but to answer your question to the best of my ability the answer is YES.

Those who will go to heaven and hell have already been pre-destined. However, those who are destined to go to hell can change this by making dua and obeying Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala and His final messenger and prophet Muhammad (SalAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam).