Destiny, Free Will, and Divine Justice: An Analysis of the Concept of Trial and the Metaphysics of Oppression through a Qur’anic Perspective

This study aims to re-examine the concepts of Destiny (Qadar), Free Will (Iradah), and Trial (Imtihan)—which are frequently misinterpreted in both the history of Islamic thought and contemporary social perception—through an interdisciplinary lens within the framework of the Qur’an’s system of universal laws (Sunnatullah). The primary problematic of this article is the concealment of human responsibility by shrouding oppressions, grave crimes, and biological negligences resulting from human volition in a metaphysical veil of “fate” or “trial.” Grounded in the principles of determinism and causality, this research elucidates the ontological distinctions between “active agency” and “passive fatalism” through striking cases such as the condition of children born with disabilities due to parental substance abuse, instances of sexual violence, and systemic social injustices. The fundamental findings demonstrate that oppression is not a divine decree but a human violation of the Sunnatullah; that victimhood is not a “predestined lot” but an “injustice” necessitating the pursuit of justice; and that a true trial is the process of an individual constructing their own destiny through their choices. Ultimately, the study proposes a “Revolution of Volition” centered on reason, science, and moral responsibility to liberate Islamic societies from the spiral of inertia and fatalistic resignation.