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Assessing the Relationship between Interpretations of Shākilah in the Verse “Each Acts According to His Own Shākilah” and the Issue of Predestination and Free Will
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Vahid Vahedjavan *1   , Zahra Khobnezhad2 |
1- Associate Professor, Department of Theoretical Foundations and Islamic Ethics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran , vahedjavan@u.ac.ir
2- PhD Candidate in Islamic Ethics Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. |
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Abstract: (66 Views) |
The issue of predestination and free will is one of the fundamental issues in human thought and has continuously been the subject of debate among thinkers. The Qur’anic verse “Each acts according to his own shākilah” (Qur’an, al-Isrāʾ 17:84), as one of the significant verses of the Holy Qur’an, plays an important role in explaining the nature of human action. Various interpretations have been proposed for the term shākilah in this verse. This study aims to examine the relationship between interpretations of shākilah and the doctrines of determinism, delegation, and al-amr bayn al-amrayn-“the matter between the two matters.” The findings indicate that none of these interpretations necessarily and definitively entails the acceptance of either predestination or delegation. On the other hand, the doctrine of al-amr bayn al-amrayn, advanced by the Imāmiyyah on the basis of the guidance of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), especially when understood in its deeper sense, demonstrates greater compatibility with the interpretations of shākilah. This doctrine, through emphasis on a precise understanding, attributes human acts both to God and to the human agent. Accordingly, shākilah, as a set of innate and acquired characteristics of the human being, finds its meaning within the framework of al-amr bayn al-amrayn, demonstrating that human beings possess will and freedom in certain matters. Through a careful analysis of exegetical views and their comparison with philosophical and theological theories, this research offers a balanced solution for a better understanding of the verse in question. |
Article number: 7 |
| Keywords: Qur’an 17:84, Imāmī Theology, Shākilah, Predestination and Free Will, Al-Amr Bayn al-Amrayn, Qur’anic Anthropology. |
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Full-Text [PDF 670 kb]
(33 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/01/16 | Accepted: 2026/02/18 | Published: 2026/06/8
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