The Divine Providence from the Viewpoint of Narrations (with an Emphasis on al-Kafi and its Commentators)

The “divine providence” is an attribute paid less attention by philosophers and theologians, while it has a prominent place in the Qur’anic verses and narrations. In this article, documenting to the narrations of the book Al-Kafi in this topic and using its commentators, the divine providence has been explained in a descriptive-analytic way and its place in procession of God’s act and also its impact on the human volitional act have been examined. According to these narrations, the existence of all things in the existing system, even the human volitional acts, are based on the divine providence so that, for their occurrence, all the divine providence stages even creation and giving existence to the act most be considered. On the other hand, the divine providence in relation to the human volitional act is not autonomous in effect, but the human will is the last stage of his act’s occurrence; because by the expediency of religious obligation, God does not compel anyone to obey his orders and prohibitions. Therefore, this stage of providence may be in contrast to the divine order and prohibition and even divine love and pleasure. Furthermore, the human being also is affected in his volitional act by the divine providence. Thus neither the free will is complete nor the determination.