Chiang in Relation to Time

 Chiang in Relation to Time

            As I was reading Chiang, I found it interesting that there seemed to be an understanding of fate as well as karma agreed upon within the Muslim story. Multiple times throughout the tales from both Fuwaad and Bashaarat specifically they mention the ways and the wills of Allah in relation to their understanding of how time works. The prevalent quote throughout Fuwaad’s story that he heard from Bashaarat is “The past and the future are the same; we cannot change either, but we can know both more fully.” (35) Both characters agree through the evidence of the Gate of Years that time is fixed, and Fuwaad remarks that “nothing erases the past, there is atonement and there is forgiveness. That is all, but that is enough.” (51)

            While we have discussed the possibility of a fixed timeline versus something that we can define personally, as well as the possibility of multiple realities, I think this story aligns more with the idea of Karma, or the similar belief in Islam, Kifarah, which is the belief that Allah rewards as well as punishes us for our actions. Bashaarat reminds Fuwaad of this by saying “Allah rewards those he wishes to reward and chastises those he wishes to chastise. The Gate does not change how he regards you.” (19) and “You cannot avoid the ordeals that are assigned to you. What Allah gives you, you must accept.” (38) This belief creates a new perspective on our discussions about reincarnation and time. It brings into consideration the possibility that there are multiple lifetimes granted to people, for them to learn lessons and be rewarded by Allah.

This absolutely hurts my head to think about, because if our lives are fixed, and our futures already set, is our learning also fixed, and if so, what does that yield? Fuwaad sums up this idea by saying “If our lives are tales that Allah tells, then we are the audience as well as the players, and it is by living these tales that we receive their lessons.” So to look at it through the lens of time, Allah has written the past, present, and future, and while there is no way for us to change it with our own actions, there are still things to be learned by following through on the character and story that were created for us. 

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