M6:404 — ورنه آدم کی بگفتی با خدا / ربنا انا ظلمنا نفسنا

Translation: Otherwise, how would Adam have said to God, "Our Lord, innā ẓalamnā anfusana (we have wronged ourselves)"? Meaning: This verse presents a strong argument for human free will; for if humans were compelled in their actions, Adam would never have confessed to wrongdoing and blamed himself, but rather attributed his actions to divine decree.

This verse, without a shadow of a doubt, stands as one of Mawlana's most decisive arguments for affirming human free will against determinism. Here, Mawlana leverages the story of Adam's repentance to illuminate how the very act of confessing sin and accepting responsibility serves as clear testimony to humanity's freedom of will. The viziers, in their defense before the Sultan, argued that Ayaz's cleverness was a divine gift, not the result of his own effort, thus implicitly appealing to predestination. The Sultan, however, retorts that everything emanating from the human self is either 'the fruit of our shortcomings' (rīʿ-i taʾthīr) or 'the income of our effort' (dakhl-i ijtihād).

Mawlana, speaking through the Sultan, then poses the rhetorical question: 'Otherwise, how would Adam have said to God, Rabbanā innā ẓalamnā anfusana (Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves)?' This implies that if humans were compelled in their actions, and everything was pre-ordained by destiny, how could Adam possibly have uttered those words? This Quranic phrase (Surah Al-A'raf, verse 23), part of Adam's prayer of repentance, represents the zenith of accountability and acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Had Adam been coerced, he would have instead proclaimed: 'This sin was due to fate; since this was the divine decree, what use was our prudence?' Meaning, what foresight could I have exercised when destiny had already ordained it?

Mawlana here draws a fundamental distinction between Adam and Iblis. In the Quran, Iblis declares, 'Rabbī bimā aghwaytanī' (My Lord, because You have misguided me...), thereby shifting blame to God and evading responsibility. Adam, conversely, with humility and self-awareness, accepts responsibility for his actions and confesses to having wronged himself. This confession not only attests to his free choice but also paves the path for return and salvation. From Mawlana's perspective, a human who attributes their sin to fate aligns with Iblis, who audaciously declared God to be the cause of his misguidance. This verse teaches us that we must always consider the 'fruit of effect' and 'income of effort' of our actions, and beware of determinism that obstructs the path to repentance and responsibility.

Key takeaways

• The verse is a decisive argument for human free will and accountability.
• Adam's confession of sin unequivocally testifies to his free will.
• Our actions are either the fruit of our shortcomings or the outcome of our efforts; neither is predetermined.
• Mawlana draws a fundamental distinction between Adam's acceptance of responsibility and Iblis's defiance.
• Attributing sin to fate hinders repentance and leads to Iblis-like arrogance.