The Illusion of Power

In the following verses from the Quran, we have the promise that the Day of Judgement will come.  However, at the end of the first part, God says: “Your Lord creates what He pleases and chooses those He will– they have no choice– so glory be to God, and may He be exalted above the partners they ascribe to Him!” (28:68)  This might seem puzzling to our ears, because if we have no choice, what is the Day of Judgement about?   First, in the above verse God chooses what to create—they have no choice, means nothing has any power of its own. 

Also, pay attention to this point: in the Quran, it is said that Mohammad is the last prophet of God. And this has been verified: since Mohammad and Islam we don’t have any new religion in the tradition of Ibrahimic Religions of the Book.  In the Quran, it has repeatedly said that the Quran is the book of warning and good news, similar to the previous scriptures.  With one major difference: this is the last one!  It is a call to surrender to the Truth, after God’s messages has come to us throughout history.  The major theme of the Quran is that “all power belongs to God” لا قوه الا بالله.  Anyone who thinks they have any power in any respect: wealth, health, beauty, intelligence, social, political, personal power,  vital energy, and breathe of air and being able to live and be and move around, everything has come from God.  There is no power but God.  Now, this message is the message of “surrender” to the Truth that is, at the same time, “Absolute Power”.  In the Quran, God reminds us repeatedly that we have no power of our own.  “Everything will perish but the Face of God.”  And if good and bad people can move, it is because God gave them the power, and there is a wisdom in this respite to those who seek (choose) superiority and power on the earth.  It is a story of growth and education.  Now the freedom of the will is given to us to choose between the delusion of Nietzschean Will to Power, and the Power of God, between those who seek superiority and power on the earth—with the idolatrous delusion that it is “theirs”, and those who realize that there is no Power but God: this is our choice and this is the measure based upon which we will be judged on the Day of Judgment.  

“Can the person who will see the fulfilment of the good promise We gave him be compared to someone We have given some enjoyments for this worldly life but who, on the Day of Resurrection, will be summoned?  The Day will come when God will call them, saying, ‘Where now are those you allege are My partners?’ and those [ringleaders] against whom the verdict will be passed will say, ‘Our Lord, these are the ones we caused to deviate. We caused them to deviate as we ourselves deviated, but now we disown them before You: they did not really serve us.’  It will then be said to them, ‘Now call those you worshipped as partners,’ and they will call them but receive no answer. They will see the suffering and wish they had followed guidance.  On that Day He will call them, saying, ‘How did you respond to My messengers?’  All arguments will seem obscure to them on that Day; they will not be able to consult one another.  Yet anyone who has repented, believed, and done good deeds can hope to find himself among the successful.  Your Lord creates what He pleases and chooses those He will– they have no choice– so glory be to God, and may He be exalted above the partners they ascribe to Him!” (28:61-68)

“We grant the Home in the Hereafter to those who do not seek superiority on earth or spread corruption: the happy ending is awarded to those who are mindful of God.  Whoever comes before God with a good deed will receive a better reward; whoever comes with an evil deed will be punished only for what he has done.  He who has made the Quran binding on you [Prophet] will bring you back home.  So say, ‘My Lord knows best who has brought true guidance and who is blatantly astray.’  You yourself could not have expected the Scripture to be sent to you; it came only as a mercy from your Lord. So, give no help to the disbelievers.  Do not let them turn you away from God’s revelations after they have been revealed to you. Call people to your Lord. Never become one of those who ascribe partners to God.  Do not call out to any other god beside God, for there is no god but Him. Everything will perish except His Face. His is the Judgement and to Him you shall all be brought back.” (28:83-88)