Spiritual Enlightenment, Perdition and Moulavi's Preoccupation with Forbearance and Tolerance

The miracles in the Quran in which some find spiritual enlightenment and some go to perdition have given rise to controversies among determinists and the proponents of free will. In the Quran, God frequently attributes these two tendencies to His own will. Thus, there have been different readings regarding these miracles. Some Islamic sects, for example, ash’arrites, have concluded that man's fate in doing good or evil is predetermined; some others, for example, shi’ites and mu’tazilites, have propounded free will. This article discusses Moulavi's (1207–73 A. D.) stance in the above arguments. It elucidates Moulavi's intellectual belief in humankind as a potentially 'open' system capable of both good and evil. The writer further argues that, since Moulavi believes nothing is certain in human affairs, even believers should not see themselves superior to infidels. Nor should they see themselves safe and free from sin and perdition. Forbearance and tolerance, the writer contends, are Moulavi's two major principles that pave the way to a more flexible world.