Is Free Will Real or Just an Illusion?

What is Free Will?

Free will means we can choose our will. It means we have control over what we think, say, and do. For example, when we choose our lunch or decide whether or not to be nice or rude to someone, we believe this is our choice to make, not a choice we are being forced to make.

Read more: what is the soul? an overall inquiry

The Case for Free Will

While many profess that free will is a gift, some deny its existence. Some believe that our choices come from our brains, our past, or other external things. These folks will ask, “Are we really free, or are we just responding?” Even still, most people see free will as valuable. Free will make it possible for us to grow, to gain, and to become. Even when constraints exist, being able to choose—however small, grants meaning and purpose to our lives.

What Science Says About Free Will

There are a lot of studies in psychology and neuroscience that present a different idea. Some researchers believe that the brain decides our conscious awareness.

For example, scientist Benjamin Libet conducted a famous experiment in which people were instructed to move their fingers whenever they felt like it. Brain activity found that the decision to move was initiated a few milliseconds before the conscious person felt they made a choice. Thus, some scientists were making statements like, “Maybe the brain makes the decision, and we only think we are the ones in control. Other scientists argue that the influence of our environment, genes, and past experiences affect the choices we make.

Not all scientists view willpower as an illusion. Some say the brain preps you for action, but you get the last word before you decide to act. In this sense, we can inhibit our impulses, and take ownership of our decisions.
Again, debate rages on and science does not have an absolute conclusion yet. But scientists do agree on one point it is complicated, and both inner and outer influences contribute to our behaviours.

What Islam says about free will?

Islam teaches that human beings do have Free Will, but it also teaches that Allah (God) knows everything, including the past, present, and future.
In the Quran, Allah says:
“Indeed, We guided him to the path, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.” (Quran 76:3) This means that humans have been shown the right and wrong paths, and the choice is ours. This means humans are to be responsible for their actions and will be judged according to what they do.

Islam teaches also that Allah has full knowledge and power over everything. This fact is not contradictory. Scholars explain it this way:
Allah knows what we will choose.
But it is also us who are making the choice.
It is like a teacher that knows a student will fail if they do not study. The teacher knows but does not force a student to fail. Allah knows but does not force us.

Why It Matters

If we think we don’t have free will then we may not even want to consider improving ourselves at all by saying “It’s not my fault, I was born this way”. Both science and religion warn against such thinking. Even with our choices being influenced by factors, we still can grow, learn, and change. We can choose to be kind.

Final Thoughts

So, is free will an illusion? Some scientists would say yes, whereas others would say no, but Islam offers us a balanced view: we are given the ability to choose and are obliged to do so—and should feel secure in the knowledge that Allah’s wisdom and knowledge are perfect.
It is not about whether free will is an illusion; it is simply how we use our freedom. Let’s commit to using our freedom to do good, seek knowledge, and live a purpose-driven life.