SURRENDER BY CHOICE
Freedom and Compulsion
GOD Almighty created the universe. In its vast space there are stars, galaxies, planets, the solar system, countless other Celestial bodies. All these are in total surrender to God, without the slightest deviation. It is this surrender to God that makes our universe a totally zero-defect universe. This fact is mentioned in the Quran in these words: “God created seven heavens one above the other in layers. You will not find any flaw in the creation of the Gracious One. Then look once again: can you see any flaw?” (67: 3)
However, there was a “missing link” in this universe. The universe, with all its vastness, has surrendered to God under compulsion. Now, there was a vacant room for a creature that surrenders to God by choice. God Almighty created human beings to fill in this gap. Man was given total freedom. At the same time, he was given a thinking mind. It was required that man utilize this mind and surrender before God by choice rather than as a matter of compulsion.
When such a human being surrenders to God this way, it is as if he is saying, ‘O God, You are great and I am not great. I am accepting this fact as a reality, without the slightest compulsion.’
The universe, with all its vastness, has surrendered to God under compulsion. It was required that man utilizes his mind and surrenders before God as a reality rather than as a matter of compulsion.
The fact is that man is the only creature throughout the universe who has been endowed with a mind. Although man has no power, as regards freedom, he is totally free without any restrictions. In other words, God is All-powerful while man is all powerless in spite of having complete freedom. When man says: ‘O God Almighty, You are my Lord!’ he says this consciously, without any compulsion. This phenomenon is the greatest moment in the entire universe.
He who is most in error is one who
cannot say 'I have erred.