Al-Qadr [Predestination]

Destiny

• Misunderstood the concept of destiny and its implication in life

• Justify whatever circumstances they have beyond their power to stop leads to undesirable fate known Fatalism

• Must happen despite our best actions

• Ancient Greek philosopher claimed that good comes from God and Evil comes from other beside him.

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• According to Greek philosophy all things are good and evil in relative sense

• According to Islam good deeds are the actions which pleases God

• All evil actions displeases God all comes from God according to his divine will

• Some believe that destiny in stars/horoscope E.g. Psychics and astrologist and fortune tellers all are forbidden in Islam

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• In Pre-Islamic Era, the Arab used to believe superstition related to astrology

• Mohammad PBUH when infant son died an eclipse of the sun occurred they thought the eclipse happened due to the son death.

• Muhammad PBUH said, “Sun and Moon are two signs of God; they are not eclipses on account of anyone's death or account of anyone's birth.”

Islamic Belief in Al-Qadr

• Definition- Al-Qadr is an arabic word means Allah's predestination of measurements and sustenance of everything according to his knowledge and wisdom

Islamic Belief in Al-Qadr

• Al-Qadr comprises of the following four aspects:

A. Knowledge

B. Pre-Recording

C. The will of Allah

D. Creation

Knowledge

• Knowledge - The belief that Allaah’s knowledge encompasses everything, every matter, major or minor, and the time frame of everything that happens in this universe. Allaah’s Knowledge encompasses all of His actions and actions taken by His slaves.– Further Explanation

Allah's knowledge encompasses all affairs. He knew that which was, He knows what is, and He knows what will be. He knows that which we hide in the midst of our souls and He knows that which we publicize to all of mankind. He knows when we were born, how we will live, and where and when we will die. He knows which of us will be in Jannah (Paradise) and which of us will be in the Nar(Hell-Fire). He is the all knowing and the all aware.

Pre-Recording

• Pre-Recording - The belief that Allaah recorded everything in a Tablet that He kept with Himself, called 'Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooth' (The Preserved Tablet). AllaahSays ((what means)): “Do you not know that Allaahknows what is in the heaven and earth? Indeed that is in a Record [i.e., Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooth]. Indeed that, for Allaah, is easy.” *Quran 22:70+ Abdullaah bin 'Amrbin Al-'Aas said that he heard the Messenger of Allaahsay: “Allaah recorded the measurement of all matters pertaining to creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and earth.” *Muslim+

The Will of Allah

• The Will of Allaah - The belief that nothing, whether related to Allaah’s actions or actions taken by His slaves, can occur without His permission. Allaah Says (what means): “And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses...” *Quran 28:68+ And (what means): “…And Allaah does what He wills.” *Quran 14:27+ And (what means) “It is He who forms you in the wombs however He wills…” *Quran 3:6+ As for actions taken by His creation, Allaah Says (what means): “…And if Allaah had willed, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you.” *Quran 4:90+ And (what means): “…And if Allaah had willed, they would not have done so. So leave them and that which they invent.” *Quran 6:137+

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• Allah's Will here is of two types, al-Kawni and ash-Shari'. Al-Kawni is all that Allah wills and hasn't given man total control over, the likes of the orbiting of the earth around the sun, the appearance of the stars at night, the waves in the ocean, the ability to ride a bicycle, and kick a football, etc. [Note that the all events are not necessarily pleasing to Allah yet he still allows them to occur.

• Ash-Shari' is all that Allah is pleased with and has ordered mankind with. It is in the hands of mankind to fulfill. Such as praying five times a day, fasting in Ramadhan, not associating partners with Him, being obedient to our parents etc.

Creation

• Creation - The belief that Allaah created all creation, all what they possess of attributes, and all their actions. Allaah Says (what means): “Allaah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs.” *Quran 39:62+ And (what means): “…He has created each thing and determined it with [precise] determination.” [Quran: 25:2] Also, Ibrahim said to his people (what means): “While Allaahcreated you and that which you do?” *Quran 37:96]

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• Believing in Al-Qadr, as described above, does not mean that people have no power over the actions they choose to take. The Sharee’ah (Islamic Law) as well as reality, confirm man has a will of his own:

• As for the Sharee’ah, Allaah Says about one’s own will (what means): “…So he who wills may take to his Lord a *way of+ return *by obeying his commandments+.” *Quran 78:39+ And (what means): “So come to your place of cultivation however you wish …” *Quran 2:223+ As for one’s own power over his actions, Allaah Says (what means): “So fear Allaah as much as you are able and listen and obey…” *Quran 64:16+ And (what means): “Allaah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of+ what *evil+ it has earned…” *Quran 2:286+

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• As for reality, every human knows that he has a power and a will of his own. He uses his power and will to indulge in or avoid actions of his choice. People distinguish between what they do by their own power and between what they have no power over, like shivering due to illness or the extreme cold. However, the power and will of mankind is under the control of Allaah’s Will and Power; Allaah Says (what means): “For whoever wills among you to take a right course. And you do not will except that Allaah wills – Lord of the worlds.” *Quran 81:28-29]. The universe is Allaah’sproperty and nothing happens in His Kingdom without His Knowledge and Permission.

Belief in Qadr

• Al-Qadr is mandatory upon every muslim those who reject it are out of Islam – The proofs of this are many in the Qur'an and the Sunnah.– "We have created all things according to a measure." [Al-

Qur'an 54:49]

• The famous hadith of Jibril (Gabriel), where he came to the Prophet, upon whom be peace, and asked him, “What is iman (belief)?”, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, replied:

• "Iman is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Day of Judgment and al-Qadr, the good of it and the evil of it."

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• The hadith of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with him:

• "No slave of Allah will truly believe until he believes in al-Qadr its good and evil, and until he realizes that what has befallen him was not going to miss him and that which missed him was not going to befall him." [Sahih at-Tirmidhi and it was authenticated by Shaykhal-Albani]

Free Will of Human Being

• According to Islam every Muslims has free will to choose between right and wrong

• We will be accountable for the use of our free will to choose between good/bad

• Humans free will does not contradict the fact that God knows everything that will ever occur in creation

• God knows the action of the human beings to commit sins in the future past and present

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• Allah says:

• "Those who ascribe partners [to Allah] will say: 'If Allah had wished, we would not have ascribed partners to Him, nor would our fathers, nor we have forbidden anything.' Thus did those who came before them argue falsely, until they tasted of Our wrath. Say: 'Have you any [certain] knowledge that you can produce before us? You follow nothing but conjecture. You do nothing but guess." [Al-Qur'an 6:148]

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• In another ayah (verse) Allah warns those who took Qadr as their reason for falling into shirk(polytheism) when He says:

• "Messengers of good news and of warning, in order that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the Messengers. And Allah was August, Wise." [Al-Qur'an 4:165]

• Such that they cannot say that it was Allah's Will that we committed shirk with Him.

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• God does not force the human being to commit a sin

• Human beings free will does not contradict the fact that nothing happens in creation except with the will of Allah. Therefore it doesn’t mean that I have no free will, but an illusion

• God gave us the power and intention to make our own choices

• When a person makes a choice by his divine will create the action and circumstances that allows the person intention to be carried out

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• It is God’s will that human beings have a free will

• God is not always pleased with the decisions people make

• He wants them to be able to make these decisions from their own free choice.

Example

• If a person has an intention to do a good deed and they actually do the good deed you will be rewarded for your both you good intention and action. And If you didn’t do the good deed, but you will STILL be rewarded for your intention.

• When you have intention to commit sin you will be only be punished if you act upon it but you will not be punished for your intention.

IF QADR HAS ALREADY BEEN PRESCRIBED FOR US WHY DO WE NEED TO MAKE DU'A

(SUPPLICATION)?

• Some people misunderstand that Qadr has been already written for us.

• Why we have to make a supplication?

– we know that Allah is in charge of all affairs and is able to do all things, He is the one we ask when we are in need. He already knew we were going to ask him, but waited till we actually do the act of asking before he answers our du'a

HOW TO REACT TO THAT WHICH HAS BEEN DECREED FOR YOU

• Allah tells us in many places through out the Qur'an that man will be tested and tried, and will face tribulations that man thinks he will never be able to over come. On the other hand Allah, the Most High, also puts us in times of ease where we think that there isn’t a problem in the world. So how is the Muslim to react in these scenarios?

• Allah says:

• "We shall surely test you with fear and hunger, and loss of property and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to those who have fortitude. Who when struck by misfortune, say: 'We belong to Allah, and surely to Him we shall return.' " [Al-Qur'an 2:155-156]

• Allah also says previous to these two ayat:

• "O Believers, seek help in patience and in the ritual prayer. Allah is with those that are patient." [Al-Qur'an 2:154]

Conclusion

• SUPPLICATIONS TO MAKE WHEN STRUCK BY DIFFICULTY AND HARDSHIP

– “O Allah, there is no ease except by that which you have made easy, and you are able to make to change difficulty into ease if you wish."

– "Allah has decreed and He does what He wills."

– "Allah is sufficient for me and is the best trustee of affairs.“

– "We belong to Allah, and surely to Him we shall return."

• "Truly to Allah we belong and verily to Him we shall return. O Allah, reward me in this calamity and compensate me with something better than it." [SahihMuslim]

• Likewise when one is in times of ease and relaxation he should thank Allah for his blessings and glorify and praise Him for the good that he was granted.

BENEFITS OF BELIEVING IN QADR

• 1) It grants its believer the peace of mind and sense of relaxation to know, that which has befallen him, was never meant to pass him by and that which has passed him was never meant to befall him.

• 2) It gives its believer the will and determination to do righteous deeds and grants him the knowledge of the fact that nothing can harm him or stop him except that which Allah has willed

• 3) Teaches its believer not to be arrogant and vain but rather to be modest and humble because he realizes that his actions are created by Allah and that such and such an event occurred, not because he was rich or was given beauty and good lineage but rather because it was the Will of Allah.

• 4) Teaches its believer to do as much as is in his capability and then leave the rest up to Allah, and then to be satisfied with the result as he did as much as his ability permitted him to do so.

Conclusion

• Allah guides us to those actions that should be performed, when faced with trials and tribulations:

• Firstly, we should be patient.

• Secondly, we should not get over emotional and forget who created us but rather we should remember that to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.

• Lastly, we should seek assistance in as-Salah, which when referred to linguistically means du'a, and ask Allah to relieve us of this trial and reward us for our patience.