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The Difference between Planning and
Reliance on Allah. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
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[Hassan Ilyaas] What is the essential
difference between
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using your intellect to plan versus
reliance in the divine will?
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We are often told to have faith, reliance
in Allah,
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but then we set about a plan,
we analyze the pros and cons,
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and limitations in order to
achieve the desired result.
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If we always end up planning everything,
where does reliance in God fit in?
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What is the difference
between the two?
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[Javed Ahmed Ghamidi] In this world,
do all the plans we undertake
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and opinions we form, lead to the
same uniform results as, say,
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like water, when it is split, maintains
the same level throughout.
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The way results come about
in moral affairs
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are not the same as the results which come
about due to physical laws.
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Often we end up putting in all our effort
and strength into something
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but we don't end up achieving
the desired result.
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Therefore, we have been taught that
all results in this world
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can only be achieved through
diligent planning.
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Therefore, one must plan and gain
worldly knowledge.
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If one wants to achieve something,
one must delve deep and obtain
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the requisite scientific knowledge to
achieve the correct results.
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Scientific knowledge refers
to obtaining knowledge through
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observations and experience of the
facts.
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One must not slack in one's effort
in planning.
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But since the outcomes of all our schemes
are not determinately correlated,
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one must be satisfied and have faith that
every outcome is by the Will of Allah.
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It is imperative for man to leave the
eventuality in the hands of Allah;
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this enables man to not lose hope
and move onwards to the next plan.
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[Hassan] We are told of this event
attributed to Syeda Ayesha;
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The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has
instructed us to ask Allah
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for something even as trivial as
a broken shoe lace.
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This means that while one has to make
an effort,
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one should also pray to Allah to give one
the fruit of one's labour and
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protection from any afflictions, whether
natural or human, on the way to the market
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[Ghamidi] One's stepping out, having the
will to do so, the money to buy the laces,
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the money being secure is, all of this,
by the permission of Allah.
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Man is dependent on Allah each
and every step of the way.
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Therefore, he (pbuh) had said, that
one must have faith in Allah when
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embarking for any task.
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He in no way told us to
just stay at home
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raising our hands in prayer,
hoping the laces would fall from the sky.
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No, one must leave go out for this,
one must have money for it,
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make a trip to the market,
and search for the laces.
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However, he said, that a devout Muslim
needs to understand that all this
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can be possible to attain only through
Allah's permission, and grace.