Is Servitude a Voluntary Choice?

A human being differs from other creatures by being a wise and perceptive creature. He has the will and ability to choose through the great mental strength that God almighty has bestowed him with. He is given the right to choose his behaviors and actions. Through that, he can prepare himself either for doing good deeds or choosing the path of the devil. He has the ability to choose between being connected to God and obeying his commands, or rebel against God’s commands and law, to cross the path of deviation and disobedience.

Such a relation with God is totally different from the formative relationship that we have already talked about. In the formative relationship, he is forced and driven; he neither has a will nor an ability to choose.

But in the second relation, the behavioral relationship between a man and God is managed. In this case, he is a wise man who can choose the divine path that leads him to God’s satisfaction. He chooses the path of servitude to God. He can also choose the path of delusion which means servitude and submission for other than God. In this case, a man worships himself and his desires, so he surrenders for them or takes tyrants as Gods to be worshiped. He obeys them and his will, and subjects himself for them.

This servitude that a man chooses, whether for God or other than Him, is a voluntary servitude. A man chooses it with his complete will. That’s why he will be responsible for being accounted for on the Day of Judgment.

God almighty says:” And hold them up for a while for they have to be questioned” (Surah Al Saffat verse 42.

“We have bound every human’s destiny to their neck. And on the Day of Judgment We will bring forth to each ?person? a record which they will find laid open, ?And it will be said,? “Read your record. You ?alone? are sufficient this Day to take account of yourself. Whoever chooses to be guided, it is only for their own good. And whoever chooses to stray, it is only to their own loss. No soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another. And We would never punish ?a people? until We have sent a messenger ?to warn them?” (Surah Al Isra’ verses 13 to 15)

Servitude is a Must:
“Everyone turns to their own direction ?of prayer?. So compete with one another in doing good. Wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together ?for judgment?. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything” (Surah Al Baqarah verse 148)

A person must have an idol in his life, to whom his self is subjected and turns towards him by his will. This is because every person must have a motive for the actions and behaviors that he chooses in life. He must have a goal to which he is directed. Then this end is the motivating force to do actions and activities and the starting point for every action he chooses or rejects. So that principle and that goal are his idol and his God – even if he does not say it is my God – to whom he directs all his actions..

The goals and starting points differ according to a man’s awareness and choices. So God almighty or his desires may be a man’s idol.
God almighty says:” Have you seen ?O Prophet? the one who has taken their own desires as their god? Will you then be a keeper over them” (Surah Al Furqan verse 43)

A tyrant may be a human being. So if a man’s goal and motive to behave is God almighty, then his servitude is only to God almighty. On the other hand, if the goal and motive is other than God, then his servitude is for someone who controls his thinking, feelings and behaviors.

Depending on this, we can categorize a man’s servitude into two types.

source: english.almaaref