this way, the Divine Will is seen to be organically and vitally related
to the world which literally exists and lives in God, the source of all
being and the fountainhead of all life. The world, therefore, and all
things in it are in direct and intimate contact with the Will every
moment of their existence. The world contains two different
categories of beings – the impersonal inanimate objects and the
conscious and self determining egos. The Divine Will is related in
different ways to the two classes of beings, as each needs a different
kind of support. The Qur'an sets out these relations in clear terms.
In Iqbal, we find a lucid exposition of the Qur'anic distinction
between khalq and amr. The following quotation from him throws
valuable light on this point:
In order to understand the meaning of the word 'Amr,' we must
remember the distinction which the Qur'an draws between 'Amr' and
'Khalq.' Pringle-Pattison deplores that the English language possesses
only one word-'creation' to express the relation of God and the
universe of extension on the one hand, and the relation of God and
the human ego on the other. The Arabic language is, however, more
fortunate in this respect. It has two words –'Khalq' and 'Amr - to
express the two ways in which the creative activity of God reveals itself
to us, 'Khalq' is creation and 'Amr' is direction.(1)
Let us look at these relations a little more closely:
(i) The Divine Will and the Phenomenal World. The dependence of
nature on the Divine Will is absolute and unconditional.
Determinism prevails throughout nature. Every physical object has
been created with certain properties which condition its movements
and its relations to other objects. Moreover, all material things are
held in the firm grip of inexorable natural laws. These laws flow
from the Divine Will and are at the bottom of the immutable order
we find in nature. It is an orderly world because the Divine Will
manifests itself in it as a controlling and regulating agency. Nothing
can overstep the limits set by the natural laws. The behaviour of
every thing is rigidly determined by the laws. Defiance is impossible.
These laws are predetermined and unalterable. It is a world in which
freedom has no meaning. It is a world which is ruled by an
unconditional "must." Everything behaves in conformity with its
natural properties and in obedience to the laws which govern it. Left
to itself, water must flow downwards and warm air rise. Planets must
The Working of the Divine Law 142