The Nature and Boundaries of Human Will

This is a principle of creed:

“The condition of responsibility is according to the capacity of the responsible one. Otherwise, it would be making someone responsible for things that he cannot bear.

In other words, the condition for Allah to consider His servants responsible and liable for religious orders and prohibitions is having the ability to do them. Allah Almighty doesn’t put a burden on any of His servants above their strength.

For example, if God Almighty gave us the strength to lift 25 kilograms, we will be responsible when we lift less. On the other hand, our Lord does not require us to lift 50 kilograms as it will exceed our strength.

As a matter of fact, Allah Almighty makes clear that certain deprivations will make the servant exempt from certain responsibilities:

“There is no constraint on the blind, nor the lame, nor the sick” (Al-Fath, 17; An-Noor, 61)

Allah Almighty also says:

“Allah does not impose on any self any more than it can stand.” (Al-Baqara, 286)

If a person has been given divine aid through destiny that facilitated his obligations, he will be taken into account in the hereafter according to his thankfulness for these blessings. On the other hand, if he is exposed to conditions that make his obligation difficult, these will also be taken into account in favor of the servant in the hereafter.

Let’s explain with an example:

The child of a non-Muslim parent who is born and raised in an environment of wrongdoing people will not be taken into the same account with the person who grows up in a religious environment and under the discipline of devoted parents.

It’s just like this:

A teacher in a village school in a remote corner of the Northern Nigeria can give a good grade to even a small success of his students due to their lack of facilities.

However, if the same teacher was appointed to Abuja, he would give an “intermediate” grade to his students at the level of the student, whom he gave a “good” grade in the village school. This is a necessity of justice arising from taking account the ease or difficulty of the situation.

Therefore, there is no equality in the conditions of the servants’ worldly test. However, there is a justice in taking into account the blessings and deprivations in the hereafter.

In other words, the more difficult and arduous the conditions are, the higher the reward for success and the narrower the scope of responsibility will be. On the other hand, the easier and more favorable the conditions are, the reward of success will be kept at a level accordingly, and the scope of responsibility will expand to that extent.

Allah Almighty will take into account the strength that He has given to His servants and everyone will be responsible due to his strength. For example, the responsibility of the person who has ten Naira is according to the amount that he has, while the person who has millions is responsible for how he spends what he has.

As Prophet PBUH said:

“A Dirham surpassed a hundred thousand Dirhams.”

The Blessed Companions said: “How?”

He PBUH said: “A man had two Dirhams and gave one in charity (half of his wealth), and another man (who is very rich) went to his wealth and took out a hundred thousand Dirhams and gave them in charity.” (An-Nasai, Zakah, 49)

The responsibility of wealth is indeed heavy. Just as you have to give to the one who comes forward and asks, you also have to seek and find the deprived people who are shy about asking due to their high sense of decency and modesty. Allah Almighty say; “...You will know them by their mark…” (Al-Baqara,273).

Everyone thinks that wealth is very good and comfortable. However, the poor are only responsible for themselves while the rich are responsible for wherever they can reach. He is in charge of protecting the strangers, lonely, destitute, orphans and widows wherever they are.

Allah will not question the person whose sustenance is only sufficient for himself while He holds those to whom He has given wealth responsible for the poor that they can reach. 

We can apply the example we gave from wealth to the fields of physical strength, knowledge and education, rank and authority.

For example, Allah gave you knowledge. But the people around you don’t even know the Fatiha (the opening chapter of the Qur’an), they are unaware of wudu and prayer. In such cases, you are responsible for teaching them. If you don’t teach you will be held to account. For this reason, it is necessary to understand properly the truth that “Allah does not request more than the capacity of someone, but He wants us to fulfill our highest capacity.” As the believer must use his will to the full extent and force the limits of his strength.

In short; some commandments in Islam are clearly defined, like we know the times of prayer and fasting; the amounts and percentages of zakat (wealth tax) are known. However, duties such as serving Islam, jihad and conveying the message of Islam are open-ended orders. The amount of spiritual blessings and opportunities is not defined.

The companions lived in this concern. They considered themselves responsible for the whole world and the conduct of society, this is due to theirs elf-sacrifice and selflessness inculcated by Islam. They worked very hard with great enthusiasm in the way of Allah in order to be able to express gratitude for the blessing of their faith be it the greatest or the smallest of the obligations.

Some of them went as far as China, some went to Samarkand, some came to Africa, some to Spain and some reached all the way to the borders of Istanbul with this consciousness.