Question: The Prophet says that at the sixth week of an embryo's development. God sends an angel to write whether it will be righteous and prosperous or wicked and condemned. What does this mean. and how can we reconcile it with human free will?

Answer: In addition to what has been said above. we will make the following comments.

Destiny is a title of Divine Knowledge. It does not cancel our free will or force us to behave in a preordained way. Since God knows beforehand what we will do and say (as He is not constrained by our concept of time). He has an angel write down our life-history. We behave according to the dictates of our free will. not because God wrote down our future life.

Destiny is related both to the cause and the effect. There are not two separate destinies. one for the cause. the other for the effect. God knows beforehand how we will behave in a given circumstance. and His preknowledge does not negate our free will.

Only God knows whether we will go to Paradise or Hell. Although unbelief deserves eternal punishment. we may not say that unbelievers are going to Hell. for one day they might accept belief and go to Paradise. Many atheists have become Muslims. Islam came to guide unbelievers to faith and worship. and to eternal happiness in Paradise.