The
Meaning of Qadar (Predestination)
the Most High:
“Allaah’s command is a determined decree.” (Soorah
al-Ahzaab, 33: 38)
“Indeed, I have
created all things according to predestined proportions [Qadar].” (Soorah al-Qamar, 54:
49)
Also derived from the same root is the
word Qadr (amount) from which Laylatul-Qadr (the night in which
Allaah sends down His annual decree and decides the amounts of all things
relating to His creation) comes.
It is synonymous to Qadar in
this context. The Divine Names al-Qaadir
(Most Able), al-Qadeer (All-Powerful)
and al-Muqtadir (Omnipotent) are all derived from the root.
Qadaa (decision) is the
implementation of Allaah’s decree (Al-Mufradaat, p. 406) as in the
verse:
“When He decrees a
matter, He only says to it: ‘Be!’ - and it is.” (Soorah
al-Baqarah, 2: 117)
Some scholars like Ibn Hajar
al-‘Asqalaanee held the opposite view. He said, “The scholars say that Qadaa
is the general decree from eternity, and Qadar refers to the details
of that decree and how they are implemented.” (Fat’hul-Baaree, vol. 11,
p. 477 & 149) The overwhelmingly accepted position makes Qadaa the
universal, general eternal decree, and Qadar the individual development
or application of that in time. (The Encyclopedia of Islam, p. 199)
When the terms Qadar and Qadaa
are mentioned separately they are synonymous but when mentioned together, Qadar
means the predestination and when what is predestined occurs it is called Qadaa.
(Majmoo‘ al-Fataawaa, vol. 2, pp. 79-80)
“That Allaah might
accomplish a matter already ordained (in His Knowledge).” (Soorah al-Anfaal,
8: 42)
“Allaah’s command
must be fulfilled.” (Soorah
al-Ahzaab, 33: 37)
“No calamity befalls
but by the decision of Allaah. And Allaah will guide the
heart of whoever
believes in Him.” (Soorah
at-Taghaabun, 64: 11)
“He has not made your
adopted sons your real sons.” (33:4)
The marriage to Zaynab further
confirmed and clarified the implications. The interpretation of “Allaah’s
command must be fulfilled,” is that the divorce and subsequent marriage was
predestined and decreed by Allaah and was, therefore, inevitable.
Allaah knew that Zaynab would become
one of the Prophet’s wives and had destined it. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol.
7, p. 699)
Another similar verse also addresses
the issue of destiny:
“What you suffered on
the day the two armies met was by the leave of
Allaah.” (Soorah Aal
‘Imraan, 3: 166)
“Those who when
afflicted with calamity, say: ‘Indeed! To Allaah we belong
and to Him we will
return.’ They are those on whom are the praises from
their Lord, and
receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones.”
(Soorah al-Baqarah, 2: 156-7)
“Every calamity which
strikes on the earth or in yourselves is inscribed in the Book of Decrees
before I bring it into existence. Indeed, that is easy for Allaah.” (Soorah al-Hadeed,
57: 22)
In this case, “No calamity befalls
but by the decision of Allaah. And Allaah will guide the heart of whoever
believes in Him,” means that whoever suffered an affliction and knew that
it occurred by Allaah’s judgment and decree, and he patiently abides, awaiting
Allaah’s reward, then Allaah will guide his heart, and will compensate him for
his loss in this life by granting guidance to his heart and certainty in faith.
Allaah will replace whatever he lost with something similar or something
better. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol. 10, pp. 24-5)
The verse: “What you suffered on
the day the two armies met was by the leave of Allaah [in order that He might
test the believers,]” is in reference to the Battle of Uhud when the
archers disobeyed the Messenger’s instructions and abandoned their positions in
a scramble for the booty.
Khaalid ibn al-Waleed led a pagan
counter-attack from the rear which caught the Muslims by surprise and they ran.
Many were killed and injured. The dead included the Prophet’s uncle Hamzah and
the injured included the Prophet (saw) himself whose tooth was knocked out. All
of this occurred by Allaah’s will and decree based on His perfect wisdom. (Tafsir
Ibn Kathir, vol. 2, pp. 315-6)
“Those who when
afflicted with calamity, say: ‘Indeed! To Allaah we belong and to Him we will
return.’ They are those on whom are the praises from their Lord, and receive
His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones,”
meaning that those who recite this
statement to
comfort themselves in the face of
their loss, know that they belong to Allaah and that He does.
Evidence can also be found in the hadeeth
of Gabriel in which the Prophet (saw)
said:
“And you believe in the divine
decree, its good and bad.”8
The Prophet (r) also said:
“Know that whatever has befallen
you could never have missed you, and that
which missed you
could never have befallen you.”
what He wills with His servants. They
also know that nothing and not deed, even if it was the weight of an atom, will
be lost with Allaah on the Day of Resurrection. These facts thus compel them to
admit that they are Allaah’s servants and that their return will be to Him in
the Hereafter.
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir, vol. 1, pp.
445-6)
The evidence for Qadar in this
verse is in the recognition of Allaah’s will and wish. Those promised Paradise
are patient in times of calamity
Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, pp. 1-3, no.
1. The complete English text of the hadeeth is as follows:
Aboo Hurayrah related that on one
occasion while they were sitting with the Messenger of Allaah, he said to them,
“Ask me anything,” but they were too overawed out of profound respect to ask him
anything.8 ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab said, “While we were sitting with the
Messenger of Allaah (saw) a man came among us whose clothes were exceedingly
white and whose hair was jet black.
No signs of journeying were to be seen
on him and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the Prophet (saw).
Resting his knees against his and
placing the palms of his hands on his
thighs, he said: O Muhammad, tell me
about Islam. The Messenger of Allaah (saw) said:
Islam is to testify that there is no
god but Allaah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, to perform the prayers,
to pay the zakaah, to fast in Ramadaan, and to make the pilgrimage to
the House if you are able to do so. He said: You have spoken rightly, and we
were amazed at him asking him and
saying that he had spoken rightly. He
said: Then tell me about eemaan. He said: It is to believe in Allaah,
His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in
divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof. He said: You have spoken
rightly. He said: Then tell me about ihsaan. He said: It is to worship
Allaah as though you are seeing Him, and while you see Him not yet truly He
sees you. He said: Then tell me about the Hour8. He said: The one questioned about
it knows no better than the questioner. He said: Then tell me about its signs.
He said: That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and that you will
see the barefooted, naked, destitute herdsmen competing in constructing lofty
buildings. Then he took himself off and I stayed for a time. Then he said: O
‘Umar, do you know who the questioner was? I said: Allaah and His Messenger
know best. He said: It was Gabriel, who came to you to teach you your
religion.”
Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 3, p. 1317, no.
4682 and Sunan Ibn-i-Majah, vol. 1, pp. 44-6, no. 77 and authenticated
in Saheeh al-Jaami‘ as-Sagheer, no. 5130. The complete text from Sunan
Abee
Daawood is as follows:
Ibn ad-Daylamee said: I went to Ubayy
ibn Ka‘b and said to him, “Some doubt about Qadar has occurred in my mind, so relate
something to me, that perhaps Allaah will remove it from my heart.” He said to
me, “If Allaah punished the people of the heavens and earth; He would not do any
wrong to them. If He had mercy on them, His mercy would be better for them than
their deeds. And if you spent in the cause of Allaah the equivalent of Mount
Uhud in gold, Allaah would not accept it from you until you believe in Qadar
and know that what has befallen you was never going to miss you, and that which
missed you was never going to befall you and if you died believing other than
this, you would enter the fire.”
Then I went to ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood
and he said something similar to that and I went to Huthayfah ibn al-Yamaan and
he also said something similar. Then I went to Zayd ibn Thaabit and he narrated
to me from the Prophet (saw) something similar to that.
Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillaah also reported
that the Prophet (saw) said,
“No servant of Allaah will truly
believe until he believes in the good and evil of Qadar and until he knows
that what has befallen him could not have missed him, and what missed him could
not have befallen him.” (Saheeh Sunan at-Tirmithee, no. 1743 and Silsalah
al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah, no. 2439)
“If something befalls you do not
say, ‘If only I had done this, such and such would
have happened.’
Instead say, ‘It is the decree of Allaah and He does whatever He wills.’ ”
The Prophet (saw) was also reported to
have said:
“Everything occurs by decree, even
inability and capability.”
And there are many other similar
narrations.
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