Free will means to do thing out of own choice without any external pressure to choose a particular entry. Take this life as a big programming manual. You are the one who will accountable for your life. Whatever commands you write will make your program run one way or other. So just like a programmer, who chooses a particular set of instructions for his program, we are all free o make choices to do what we like to do at particular times.
We are created as crown of creatures because of the knowledge we are given and because of the free will that we have. Still, there is a concept in islam, the core concept which makes people doubt about this free will thing. That core concept is the pre-destination. Or the pre-determined set of events. Again, think about a computer game with known levels. Every time when you win a level, another level appears, with more upgrades and more and more skills. But think about the way you complete it. It may be that you choose to complete one objective before you want to complete the other objective within the same level. This is upto your will. But you are limited to the level completion.
Just like this game example, our life is a set of pre determined events and free will choices. Allah swt say in Quran;
If we read surah kahaf, the mystry Is solved. This surah of Quran contains the meeting of hazrat musa a.s. And hazrat khizar a.s. Hazrat khizar a.s. Was given the knowledge which hazrat musa a.s. Could not comprehend. And that was the knowledge about the predestination of the things and living beings. Every even had a wisdom behind it. The control is always in Allah's hand. Just like a game, we can choose to complete a level whatever way we want, but we cannot jump ahead without following an order. This is why a game looks so amazing. Same rule should be applied to life. Life only becomes good if we do not try to mess with it.
Just like this game example, our life is a set of pre determined events and free will choices. Allah swt say in Quran;
“Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation as written in the Book of Decrees ___ Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz)” [54:49]And
“No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz) before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allaah” [57:22].Prophet Muhammad pbuh said on this topic;
“Allah decided the decrees of creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth. He said: And His Throne is above the water.” Muslim (2653).The verses and the hadith indicated that all the information is already coded in a book much prior to the creation. Then the verses given below indicate a very different thing;
“And say: ‘The truth is from your Lord.’ Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve” [18:29]
“Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful” [76:3]This is what non believers most often raise as objection. But they fail to understand that one simple thing, which they also do in their lives. It is the choice limitation. We are all free to choose within our controllable life events. But somethings are beyond our control. Just like a new life. We cannot create a new life if it is not the will of Allah. Similarly, we cannot make a person end his life if it is not his end.
If we read surah kahaf, the mystry Is solved. This surah of Quran contains the meeting of hazrat musa a.s. And hazrat khizar a.s. Hazrat khizar a.s. Was given the knowledge which hazrat musa a.s. Could not comprehend. And that was the knowledge about the predestination of the things and living beings. Every even had a wisdom behind it. The control is always in Allah's hand. Just like a game, we can choose to complete a level whatever way we want, but we cannot jump ahead without following an order. This is why a game looks so amazing. Same rule should be applied to life. Life only becomes good if we do not try to mess with it.