Ikhtiar

Ikhtiar, from the Arabic root kh-y-r (اختيار), denotes the act of choosing: selection, option, decision. In Urdu, Persian, and many Muslim-majority literary traditions, ikhtiyar is used as both a noun and a verb (ikhtiyar karna) to express personal choice, autonomy, and the exercise of will. The term can refer to a specific option as well as to the broader capacity to decide a course of action.

In Islamic thought, ikhtiyar is central to debates about human agency and predestination. While God is described as the creator of all things, many scholars affirm that humans possess ikhtiyar—the ability to choose and to be morally responsible—often framed through conceptual tools such as kasb (acquisition) to reconcile divine predestination with free will. Different theological schools emphasize varying balances between divine decree and human choice, influencing ethical doctrine, accountability, and legal rulings.

In modern usage, ikhtiyar appears in legal, administrative, and political language to denote discretionary authority or option. It also persists in ordinary speech to express preference, for example choosing between alternatives, or indicating one’s will to act. Outside the religious sphere, the term is common in South Asian languages as a general word for choice and decision.

Overall, ikhtiyar captures the idea of volition, discretion, and selection, whether in everyday decision-making, ethical theory, or discussions of divine action and human responsibility.