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Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2025 11:58 am
rightly, well. But the factor of chance the Chinese do not connect with fate at all, denoting it with a separate word 偶 ǒu, literally: ‘accidental, unexpected.’”
Fate among the Arabs. “Among the pre-Islamic Arabs there were two conceptions of fate: mana — the concrete portion, the personal lot of each, and dahrun — the impersonal time ruling entirely over the world. In the Quran they are mostly rejected in favor of the new concept of fate — qadar — the divine predestination, the absolute will of Allah. Replacing blind pagan fate, Allah, in the understanding of Muslims, embodies supreme justice, though not always comprehensible to man. To endure the turns of the unknown will of the deity and to await His just mercy, one is aided by sabr — courageous, pious patience.” Now, fate in the Christian world — this is the most interesting. “In Ecclesiastes (Old Testament) 3:1, 2 it is said that there is ‘a time to die.’ However, further in Ecclesiastes 7:17 is written the following advice: ‘Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?’ This shows that the time of a person’s death is not predetermined.
In Proverbs 10:27 it says: “The years of the wicked will be shortened.” And in Psalm 55:23 (both Old Testament) it says: “Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days.” So what then do the words from Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2 mean? They simply describe the continuous cycle of life and death in this imperfect system of things. There is a time when people are born, and a time when they die. Some leave life earlier than their time, and others later (Ps. 90:10; see also Ecclesiastes 9:11). The Psalm expresses the believer’s view of fate as God’s judgment: “Let my vindication come from Your presence...” in the Church Slavonic translation: “From Your presence shall my fate come forth...” (Ps. 17:2).”
Fate among the Arabs. “Among the pre-Islamic Arabs there were two conceptions of fate: mana — the concrete portion, the personal lot of each, and dahrun — the impersonal time ruling entirely over the world. In the Quran they are mostly rejected in favor of the new concept of fate — qadar — the divine predestination, the absolute will of Allah. Replacing blind pagan fate, Allah, in the understanding of Muslims, embodies supreme justice, though not always comprehensible to man. To endure the turns of the unknown will of the deity and to await His just mercy, one is aided by sabr — courageous, pious patience.” Now, fate in the Christian world — this is the most interesting. “In Ecclesiastes (Old Testament) 3:1, 2 it is said that there is ‘a time to die.’ However, further in Ecclesiastes 7:17 is written the following advice: ‘Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?’ This shows that the time of a person’s death is not predetermined.
In Proverbs 10:27 it says: “The years of the wicked will be shortened.” And in Psalm 55:23 (both Old Testament) it says: “Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days.” So what then do the words from Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2 mean? They simply describe the continuous cycle of life and death in this imperfect system of things. There is a time when people are born, and a time when they die. Some leave life earlier than their time, and others later (Ps. 90:10; see also Ecclesiastes 9:11). The Psalm expresses the believer’s view of fate as God’s judgment: “Let my vindication come from Your presence...” in the Church Slavonic translation: “From Your presence shall my fate come forth...” (Ps. 17:2).”