101 Reasons Why We Left Islam – Chapter 6: Afterlife in Islam – Reason 62
Chapter 6: Afterlife in Islam
The afterlife in Islam is probably the most unique among all faiths. It does not match the earlier Abrahamic faiths, and it does not relate to any other faiths found around the world. Islam claims that Allah sent the message to everyone, see reason 54, yet no other place on planet Earth can we see the description of Paradise like Islam. What is more, we see yet very shocking facts about the afterlife that have made many people question the faith and the religion itself.
Allah supposedly has predetermined everything from the start of time (14.6 billion years ago), including when we die and who will believe and who will not believe. This is what you get from a faith that insists that Allah knows everything and controls everything.
There are many verses in the Quran where you get a clear indication that Allah predetermined who believes and who won’t before we were born:
Quran 37:96 “While Allah created you and that which you do.”
Quran 17:13 “And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck….”
Quran 10:100 “And it is not for a soul to believe except by permission of Allah….”
Quran 76:29-30:
“Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way. And you do not will except that Allah wills….”
Quran 7:178-179: “Whoever Allah guides – he is the guided; and whoever He sends astray – it is those who are the losers…. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.”
Quran 32:13 “And if We had willed, We could have given every soul its guidance, but the word from Me will come into effect [that]. I will surely fill Hell with jinn and people all together.”
In fact, according to Quran 6:59, Allah knows absolutely everything that happens, and nothing happens without his permission:
“With Him are the keys of the Unseen. No one knows them but He. He knows what is in the land and the sea. No leaf ever falls but that He knows about it, and there is no grain in the dark layers of the earth, or anything fresh or dry that is not recorded in a manifest book.”
So, as you can see, it seems Allah has made some people predestined to sin and end up in hell. Then you get Islamic scholars calling Allah all-merciful, all-loving, all-fair, and all-wise!
Of course, this issue created arguments for centuries among Islamic scholars such as Ash’ari and Mu’tazili. The Islamic counterargument for human ‘free will’ emphasises that while Allah has ultimate knowledge and authority, humans are granted the ability to choose their actions. Quranic verses like 18:29 (“Whoever wills, let him believe, and whoever wills, let him disbelieve”) suggest that there is human agency. Islamic scholars had to be creative to explain how the divine will of Allah can coexist with human choice:
Ash’ari school of thought: Emphasises divine knowledge of Allah. Humans have free will to act, but their choices are ultimately within Allah’s divine decree. Allah creates human actions, and individuals acquire them, balancing divine predestination with human responsibility. This reconciles Quranic verses on predetermination with accountability.
Mu’tazili school of thought: Stresses human free will and responsibility. Humans have full autonomy to choose their actions, and Allah’s justice requires that He does not predetermine sin or disbelief. Divine foreknowledge does not negate human agency, ensuring accountability aligns with free choice.
The contradiction between Allah’s predetermination and human free will is inconsistent when considering real world complexities like brainwashing, coercion, social background, mental health, and impaired judgment. If Allah predetermines belief, how can individuals with compromised backgrounds—due to trauma, indoctrination, cycle of violence, or mental illness—be justly accountable? These factors, unaddressed in the simplistic divine plan, muddle the concept of free choice. A divine, all-knowing Allah that knows every outcome yet holds humans responsible ignores how external influences shape human decisions. This framework simplifies the realities of human vulnerability, making the coexistence of predestination and free will a contradiction and incomplete.
Here is what I think happened. The Prophet had already set the stage for Allah to be the most powerful and can do anything. Challenged by people who asked the Prophet, “If your Allah is all-powerful, ask Him to convince us.” How would the Prophet respond to that? How do YOU respond to that? I’ll tell you how. Several verses say Allah does not care, Allah has already determined who will believe, Allah can make everyone believe but does not care, and finally, Allah needs to fill up hell with people to keep the fire burning.
Final thoughts:
Historical tensions between Ash’ari and Mu’tazili followers led to accusations of blasphemy and violence. During the Abbasid era (8th-10th centuries), theological disputes over free will, divine attributes, and other issues fuelled hostility. Mu’tazilis, dominant under Caliph al-Ma’mun, enforced their views through inquisition, persecuting opponents like Ahmad ibn Hanbal, an early influence on Ash’arism. Later, as Ash’arism gained prominence, Mu’tazilis faced marginalisation and accusations of heresy for their rationalist approach. While intellectual debates were common, political rivalries and state backing escalated into violence, including imprisonments and executions. So, any Islamist who tries to trivialise this argument with “it is obvious what Allah means” is deceitful, not least to their Islamic history, which shows it was not a simple matter.