Title: The Creator of Events and Fate Question/Comments: Thank you for your answer posted in your site under discussion about fate on Feb.17 2005. Hope you will clear a little more. If Allah does not create the events then how can He be called the Creator? What I thought was that when a person makes a choice, Allah by His Divine Will creates the actions and circumstances that allows the persons intention to be carried out. For example if a person decides to drink alcohol then the events that follow should be created by Allah. Otherwise it would mean that man because of his choice leads to the event which would indicate that, it is man's choice that lead to creation of events. Wouldn't it be Shirk as this would indicate that man also plays a part along with Allah in the creation of events? Also when the Muzzin in Azan says "Hayya Ala Salaah" we are asked to say nothing happens except the Will of Allah. Hope you will clarify. Thank you. Was Salaam. Answer: The title "Creator" refers to God's faculty to produce by bringing something into existence. It is not in reference to fate. Your example refutes your own position because the element of "choice" negates fate. Even if God "creates" conditions the fact is these conditions do not infringe upon a person's choice and free will. Besides would that not imply that we are orchestrating God's will rather than the other way around? No matter what choice we have it never implies that we share in God's power of "creating" or otherwise. Even our free wills have limitation to the conditions and environments that we live in. Just because we have intentions to do something does not mean that circumstances will go according to what we had intended. I do not think it is realistic to consider having a choice, or free will, as the producer of events. Surely things occur but in no way do we develop those events with any prior knowledge. It is safe to say this is far from shirk (i.e. associating equals with God). As for the athan (i.e. call to prayer) and what we say it is simply a matter of recognizing God's Omnipotence and Control over our carrying out our intentions and plans; it does not, in the least, refute the fact that we are indeed free to intend and plan to carryout these intentions. I hope I have clarified the issue. God knows best. Ronnie Hassan February 26, 2005