ESCAPING PERSONAL PERSPONSIBILITY WITH THE EXCUSE OF FATALISM (VERSE NO. 148)

      When they failed in their arguments, to bring a conclusive reasoning for their notions of polytheism, and their disbelief in the life to come, they adhered to Fatalism, with the opinion that events are decided by fate. This means that there is a determining power superior to, and independent of rational control, and hence the verse:

      ``Soon the polytheists will say: `Had Allah willed, we would not have been polytheists, neither our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything.''

      They thus, deny man's Free- Will and personal responsibility, and pretend that they are victims of a determinism against which they can do nothing; and that, they may go on doing whatever they like! In many examples, Islam and Quran reject Fatalism, as it is commonly believed, as well as unlimited Free Will; enjoining a third matter, medium in between the two.

      There are so many reasons and evidences that man has a Free- Will to some reasonable extent. So if man thinks that, deeds are obligatory and imposed, and are inevitable to be done, why should he then repent of his bad behaviour, and decide to take benefit of his former experience? Why should we then condemn the evil doer, and if they were obliged to do so, why should they be scorned for what they have done?

      If so, why should we train our children to gain felicity? We had better leave them to their fate. If there is no Free- Will, accident prevention in the plants has no meaning, and why should the workers observe the rules and regulations of SAFETY? Or why should criminals and evil doers all over the world be interrogated and tried in the courts?

      Therefore adhering to Fatalism, is to escape from personal responsibilities, or to use the idea as a covering for the defeats and failures resulting from the negligence and carelessness we have shown in our carrier.

      This, in fact is an old, broken and worn out weapon that has been used throughout the history of man, against the sharp and keen logic of the apostles and men of God:

      ``And so did those before them say such lies until they tasted our punishment. If they indeed have any knowledge to prove what they say, then let them bring it forth. But they follow nothing except their conjectures and they do nothing but guess work.''