The Video Tape*
[17:13] We have recorded the fate of every human being; it is tied to his neck. On the Day of Resurrection we will hand him a record that is accessible.
*17:13 Your life is already recorded, as if on a video tape, from birth to death. This same record will be made accessible to us upon resurrection. See 57:22 & Appendix 14.
[17:14] Read your own record. Today, you suffice as your own reckoner.
[17:15] Whoever is guided, is guided for his own good, and whoever goes astray does so to his own detriment. No sinner will bear the sins of anyone else. We never punish without first sending a messenger.
[17:16] If we are to annihilate any community, we let the leaders commit vast corruption therein. Once they deserve retribution, we annihilate it completely.
[17:17] Many a generation have we annihilated after Noah. Your Lord is most efficient in dealing with the sins of His servants; He is fully Cognizant, Seer
[18:49] The record will be shown, and you will see the guilty fearful of its contents. They will say, “Woe to us. How come this book leaves nothing, small or large, without counting it?” They will find everything they had done brought forth. Your Lord is never unjust towards anyone.
[54:53] Everything, small or large, is written down.
Was the sin recorded before or after it was committed?
Appendix 14 – Predestination
(from: Quran The Final Testament, by Rashad Khalifa, PhD.)
We are absolutely free to believe or disbelieve in God. It is God’s will that we will freely (18:29, 25:57, 73:19, 74:37, 76:29, 78:39, 80:12).
After committing our original sin (Appendix 7), God gave us a chance to denounce our crime and accept His absolute authority (33:72). But we decided that we wanted to see a demonstration of Satan’s competence as a god. Many people protest the fact that God has created them, to put them through this gruesome test. Obviously, such people are not aware that [1] they have committed a horrendous crime (Introduction & Appendix 7), and [2] that they were given a chance to denounce their crime and redeem themselves, but they chose to go through the test.
We learn from 57:22 that our lives, along with everything else around us, are pre-recorded on something like a videotape. God fully knows what kind of decision each of us is destined to make; He knows which of us are going to Heaven and which are going to Hell. Even before we were born into this world, God knew which souls are good and which souls are evil. As far as God’s omniscience is concerned, we can imagine a stamp on everyone’s forehead that says “Heaven” or “Hell.” Yet, as far as we are concerned, we are totally free to side with God’s absolute authority, or Satan’s polytheistic views. Predestination, therefore, is a fact as far as God is concerned, not as far as we are concerned.
This understanding explains the numerous verses stating that “God guides whomever He wills, and misleads whomever He wills.” Based on His knowledge, God assigns our souls to the circumstances that we deserve. When God said to the angels, “I know what you do not know” (2:30), this meant that some of us deserved a chance to redeem ourselves. One example of God’s guidance for those who deserve guidance is found in 21:51: “We granted Abraham his guidance, for we were fully aware of him.” In other words, God knew that Abraham was a good soul who deserved to be guided, and God granted him his guidance and understanding. Another good example is stated in 12:24. Joseph fell for the Egyptian nobleman’s wife, and almost committed adultery “if it were not that he saw a sign from his Lord.” God teaches us in 12:24 that He “diverted evil and sin from Joseph, for he was one of My devoted worshipers.” Was it Joseph who controlled his lust? Or, was it God’s protection from sin that rendered him chaste? Such is predestination.
http://www.masjidtucson.org/quran/appendices/appendix14.html
[57:22] Anything that happens on earth, or to you, has already been recorded, even before the creation. This is easy for GOD to do.
*57:22 We are absolutely free to side with God, or with Satan. God happens to know precisely what kind of decision each of us will make. The video tape of your life, from birth to death, is already recorded. See Appendix 14.
[16:1] GOD’s command has already been issued (and everything has already been written), so do not rush it.* Be He glorified; the Most High, far above any idols they set up.
[36:65] On that day we will seal their mouths; their hands and feet will bear witness to everything they had done.
[3:83] Are they seeking other than GOD’s religion, when everything in the heavens and the earth has submitted to Him, willingly and unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned?
[28:59] For your Lord never annihilates any community without sending a messenger in the midst thereof, to recite our revelations to them. We never annihilate any community, unless its people are wicked.
Quran Talk Blog 