Summary of Sunni concepts | 13- Concepts about belief in destiny

0:00 A Summary of the Fundamentals of Ahl al-Sunnah

0:08 Belief in divine decree (al-Qadar) is the sixth pillar of faith,

0:19 as stated in the hadith of Jibril (peace be upon him),

0:22 when he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about faith,

0:26 and he replied:

0:28 "It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers,

0:32 the Last Day,

0:34 and to believe in divine decree, both its good and its evil."

0:37 Narrated by Muslim.

0:39 His saying, "both its good and its evil,"

0:41 means believing that both good and evil are entirely decreed by Allah, Mighty and Majestic,

0:47 as Allah Almighty said:

0:49 “He unto Whom belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, He hath chosen no son nor hath He any partner in the Sovereignty. He hath created everything and hath meted out for it a measure.” (25:2)

0:53 And He said:

0:55 “Wheresoever ye may be, death will overtake you, even though ye were in lofty towers. Yet if a happy thing befalleth them they say: This is from Allah; and if an evil thing befalleth them they say: This is of thy doing (O Muhammad). Say (unto them): All is from Allah. What is amiss with these people that they come not nigh to understand a happening?” (4:78)

1:01 “Wheresoever ye may be, death will overtake you, even though ye were in lofty towers. Yet if a happy thing befalleth them they say: This is from Allah; and if an evil thing befalleth them they say: This is of thy doing (O Muhammad). Say (unto them): All is from Allah. What is amiss with these people that they come not nigh to understand a happening?” (4:78)

1:06 “Wheresoever ye may be, death will overtake you, even though ye were in lofty towers. Yet if a happy thing befalleth them they say: This is from Allah; and if an evil thing befalleth them they say: This is of thy doing (O Muhammad). Say (unto them): All is from Allah. What is amiss with these people that they come not nigh to understand a happening?” (4:78)

1:09 "What is [the matter] with these people that they can hardly understand a statement?"

1:15 Therefore, it is obligatory to believe in the predetermination and decree of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, for all things.

1:21 None can repel His decree, and none can overturn His judgment.

1:26 Allah’s Qadar is that which He, Exalted is He, has decreed and judged regarding all matters.

1:31 And al-Qada' means settling, deciding, and judging.

1:35 For this reason, one of the two terms is frequently used to denote the other—

1:39 namely, al-Qada' and al-Qadar.

1:42 However, when the two terms are paired together,

1:45 as when it is said "al-Qada' wa-l-Qadar,"

1:47 a nuanced distinction is observed in al-Qadar:

1:50 it is the predetermination of things according to the knowledge and wisdom of Allah,

1:54 and their occurrence in a precise measure, without excess or deficiency.

1:59 For precise measure (miqdar) is among the core meanings of Qadar.

2:02 One says, "He measured the thing precisely," meaning he determined its exact quantity.

2:07 As for al-Qada', it is the actual execution and enactment of the decree.

2:11 The levels of divine decree are four:

2:16 Realizing faith in divine decree requires believing in its four levels:

2:22 divine knowledge, the writing, the divine will, and creation.

2:27 The first level is divine knowledge (al-'Ilm):

2:30 It means believing that Allah Almighty has knowledge of all things before they occur, both generally and in specific detail,

2:38 whether concerning His own actions, Exalted is He, such as creating and providing,

2:43 giving life, causing death, and so forth,

2:47 or concerning the actions of created beings.

2:51 "And Allah is ever Knower of all things."

2:55 His saying "all things" is general and encompasses everything knowable.

3:00 “Allah it is who hath created seven heavens, and of the earth the like thereof. The commandment cometh down among them slowly, that ye may know that Allah is Able to do all things, and that Allah surroundeth all things in knowledge.” (65:12)

3:06 This divine knowledge of Allah was never preceded by ignorance, nor is it followed by forgetfulness,

3:13 as Allah Almighty said: "[Pharaoh] said, 'What then was the case of the former generations?'"

3:18 “He said: The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a Record. My Lord neither erreth nor forgetteth,” (20:52)

3:25 His saying, "does not err," means He is never ignorant;

3:29 and His saying, "nor forgets," means He never forgets anything previously known.

3:35 This is unlike the created being, whose knowledge is preceded by ignorance

3:40 and afflicted by forgetfulness.

3:43 The second level is the writing (al-Kitabah):

3:47 It means believing that Allah Almighty recorded the destinies of all creation

3:53 fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.

3:58 Allah Almighty has said:

4:01 “Naught of disaster befalleth in the earth or in yourselves but it is in a Book before we bring it into being - Lo! that is easy for Allah -” (57:22)

4:06 “Naught of disaster befalleth in the earth or in yourselves but it is in a Book before we bring it into being - Lo! that is easy for Allah -” (57:22)

4:11 "Indeed, that is easy for Allah."

4:14 And He said:

4:16 “Hast thou not known that Allah knoweth all that is in the heaven and the earth? Lo! it is in a record. Lo! that is easy for Allah.” (22:70)

4:21 “Hast thou not known that Allah knoweth all that is in the heaven and the earth? Lo! it is in a record. Lo! that is easy for Allah.” (22:70)

4:27 The third level is the divine will (al-Mashi'ah):

4:31 It means believing that everything that was, and everything that will be,

4:36 occurs solely by the will of Allah, Mighty and Majestic,

4:40 just as Muslims say:

4:42 "Whatever Allah wills occurs, and whatever He does not will does not occur."

4:47 This applies equally to what is an act of Allah, Mighty and Majestic,

4:52 and to what is an act of the creation,

4:54 as Allah Almighty said:

4:56 “Of those messengers, some of whom We have caused to excel others, and of whom there are some unto whom Allah spake, while some of them He exalted (above others) in degree; and We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty) and We supported him with the holy Spirit. And if Allah had so wiled it, those who followed after them would not have fought one with another after the clear proofs had come unto them. But they differed, some of them believing and some disbelieving. And if Allah had so willed it, they would not have fought one with another; but Allah doeth what He will.” (2:253)

5:02 Fighting is an action performed by the servants,

5:05 yet Allah, Mighty and Majestic, brought it about through His will.

5:09 And He said:

5:11 “Thus have We appointed unto every prophet an adversary - devils of humankind and jinn who inspire in one another plausible discourse through guile. If thy Lord willed, they would not do so; so leave them alone with their devising;” (6:112)

5:14 "So leave them and what they invent."

5:17 The fourth level is creation (al-Khalq):

5:20 It means believing that Allah Almighty

5:24 is the One Who created what He knew, recorded, and willed.

5:29 For He is the Creator of all things,

5:31 and the verses testifying to this are numerous,

5:34 among them the words of the Almighty:

5:36 "Allah is the Creator of all things,

5:39 and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs."

5:43 And His saying, Mighty and Majestic:

5:45 “Lo! We have created every thing by measure.” (54:49)

5:49 This also includes the actions of the servants;

5:53 their actions are created by Allah, Mighty and Majestic,

5:57 as He said:

5:59 “When Allah hath created you and what ye make?” (37:96)

6:04 Allah, Exalted is He, has two types of will:

6:07 First:

6:10 The legislative will (al-Iradah al-Shar'iyyah),

6:12 which consists of His commands, Mighty and Majestic,

6:14 and His religious obligations that He loves and is pleased with for His servants;

6:19 it is described as being ease-giving,

6:21 as Allah Almighty said:

6:23 “The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful.” (2:185)

6:27 Second:

6:29 The universal, determinative will (al-Iradah al-Kawniyyah al-Qadariyyah),

6:32 which is Allah's decree and predetermination that He brings to pass in the universe.

6:36 What Allah decrees universally may sometimes be legislatively desired by Him,

6:40 and sometimes it may not,

6:43 as in the real-world existence of disbelief.

6:46 Allah Almighty said:

6:48 “If ye are thankless, yet Allah is Independent of you, though He is not pleased with thanklessness for His bondmen; and if ye are thankful He is pleased therewith for you. No laden soul will bear another's load. Then unto your Lord is your return; and He will tell you what ye used to do. Lo! He knoweth what is in the breasts (of men).” (39:7)

6:52 “If ye are thankless, yet Allah is Independent of you, though He is not pleased with thanklessness for His bondmen; and if ye are thankful He is pleased therewith for you. No laden soul will bear another's load. Then unto your Lord is your return; and He will tell you what ye used to do. Lo! He knoweth what is in the breasts (of men).” (39:7)

6:55 In summary:

6:57 The legislative will

6:59 is what Allah wills from us,

7:01 which He loves and is pleased with;

7:03 while the universal will

7:05 is what Allah wills upon us,

7:07 which He does not necessarily love or approve of religiously.

7:11 Rather, He may forbid it and hate it in terms of religion and legislation,

7:15 yet He willed its existence according to His wisdom and justice for the purpose of testing,

7:19 and for beneficial reasons unknown to us but known to Him.

7:23 This is encapsulated in a famous allegorical exchange

7:27 that took place between a Mu'tazili who denied divine decree

7:30 and a Sunni who affirmed Allah's decree.

7:34 The Mu'tazili said:

7:36 "Exalted is He Who is above committing wickedness!"—

7:39 hinting that Allah does not decree evil and sins.

7:44 The Sunni replied:

7:46 "Exalted is He in Whose dominion nothing occurs except what He wills!"—

7:50 indicating that both good and evil occur by the decree of Allah.

7:55 The Mu'tazili then asked:

7:57 "Does our Lord love to be disobeyed?"

8:00 So the Sunni silenced him, saying:

8:03 "Is our Lord disobeyed against His will?"

8:06 The legislative will and the universal will: convergence and divergence.

8:12 The legislative will and the universal will have several scenarios:

8:19 First:

8:20 Both wills may converge,

8:22 as in the case of the obedient person—

8:25 the faith of the believer:

8:27 Allah, Mighty and Majestic, legislatively wills faith from him,

8:31 and He decrees it for him universally.

8:34 Second:

8:35 Both wills may be absent,

8:38 as in the absence of disbelief from a believer:

8:41 Allah, Mighty and Majestic, does not legislatively will that the believer disbelieve,

8:46 nor did He decree or determine it upon him universally.

8:49 Third:

8:51 One of the two wills may be present while the other is absent,

8:54 and this occurs in two scenarios:

8:56 The first:

8:57 The absence of faith in a disbeliever:

9:00 Allah, Mighty and Majestic, legislatively wills faith from the disbeliever,

9:04 yet He did not decree it for him universally,

9:07 as Nuh (peace be upon him) said to his people:

9:11 “My counsel will not profit you if I were minded to advise you, if Allah's will is to keep you astray. He is your Lord and unto Him ye will be brought back.” (11:34)

9:19 “My counsel will not profit you if I were minded to advise you, if Allah's will is to keep you astray. He is your Lord and unto Him ye will be brought back.” (11:34)

9:23 The second:

9:24 The disbelief of the disbeliever:

9:26 Allah, Mighty and Majestic, does not legislatively will disbelief from the disbeliever,

9:31 yet He decrees it upon him universally.

9:35 The will of the servant is subject to the will of Allah:

9:40 Allah Almighty said:

9:43 “Unto whomsoever of you willeth to walk straight.” (81:28)

9:48 “And ye will not, unless (it be) that Allah willeth, the Lord of Creation.” (81:29)

9:55 And Allah said:

9:57 "So whoever wills may remember it."

10:00 “And they will not heed unless Allah willeth (it). He is the fount of fear. He is the fount of Mercy.” (74:56)

10:05 Thus, He, Exalted is He, affirmed a real will and volition for the servant,

10:10 but made it subordinate to and beneath His own will, Mighty and Majestic;

10:15 it cannot come into effect unless Allah wills and intends it,

10:19 because He, Exalted is He, is the Creator of the servant and the Creator of his will.

10:23 The root of misguidance regarding free will and predestination

10:27 is the failure to differentiate between the two types of will,

10:30 and the failure to grasp this relationship between them.

10:34 Whoever understands this,

10:36 his heart finds peace, and he is not bewildered by this issue.

10:40 The will of Allah is inextricably linked to His knowledge and wisdom, Mighty and Majestic:

10:45 Every believer must be certain that the will of Allah Almighty contains no injustice;

10:54 rather, Allah wills and decrees for each individual what He knows they deserve of guidance or misguidance,

11:02 executing that upon them in accordance with His wisdom and justice, Mighty and Majestic.

11:07 For the words of Allah Almighty:

11:09 “And We never sent a messenger save with the language of his folk, that he might make (the message) clear for them. Then Allah sendeth whom He will astray, and guideth whom He will. He is the Mighty, the Wise.” (14:4)

11:15 "and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise,"

11:17 just as they affirm that the will of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, can never be overcome—

11:22 which is signified by His saying:

11:25 "and He is the Exalted in Might"—

11:27 they also affirm that this will is executed in accordance with His wisdom,

11:32 which is signified by His saying, "the Wise."

11:36 Likewise, the unrestricted mention of will in the verse must be interpreted

11:40 in light of other verses that qualify it.

11:43 His saying, "Allah sends astray whom He wills,"

11:47 is explained and qualified by His words:

11:51 "and Allah sends astray the wrongdoers."

11:54 “Allah confirmeth those who believe by a firm saying in the life of the world and in the Hereafter, and Allah sendeth wrong-doers astray. And Allah doeth what He will.” (14:27)

11:57 His will, Exalted is He, is to misguide those whom He knows to be wrongdoers deserving of that,

12:03 just as Allah Almighty also said:

12:06 “And (remember) when Moses said unto his people: O my people! Why persecute ye me, when ye well know that I am Allah's messenger unto you? So when they went astray Allah sent their hearts astray. And Allah guideth not the evil-living folk.” (61:5)

12:10 The same applies regarding guidance:

12:13 His saying, Exalted is He:

12:15 "and guides whom He wills,"

12:19 is explained by His words, Mighty and Majestic:

12:21 “Those who disbelieve say: If only a portent were sent down upon him from his Lord! Say: Lo! Allah sendeth whom He will astray, and guideth unto Himself all who turn (unto Him),” (13:27)

12:24 In conclusion:

12:26 Allah, Exalted is He, is All-Wise and All-Knowing;

12:29 He does not decree upon anyone

12:31 except what was already established in His knowledge, Exalted is He,

12:33 that they deserve what He decreed for them of guidance or misguidance.

12:38 Through this, the believer remains safe from futile debate

12:41 regarding the issue of predestination and free will—

12:44 that ancient question

12:46 that has been endlessly debated by philosophers in every age.

12:51 Divine decree and predestination

12:53 is the secret of Allah Almighty within His creation.

12:56 The tree of faith in divine decree cannot stand

13:00 within the heart of a believing servant

13:02 except upon the trunk of total submission

13:04 to the fact that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is the Just Judge

13:07 Who wrongs no one,

13:09 and that His is the profound wisdom

13:11 in whatever He decrees within His creation.

13:14 And whenever His wisdom is not apparent to us

13:16 in what He, Exalted is He, decrees,

13:18 it is solely due to our intellects' deficiency in grasping the secrets of His divine decree.

13:23 Imam al-Tahawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

13:26 "The origin of divine decree

13:28 is the secret of Allah Almighty within His creation;

13:31 no angel brought near has been granted access to it,

13:34 nor any prophet sent.

13:36 Delving deeply into it and obsessively probing it

13:38 a cause of abandonment,

13:40 a ladder to deprivation,

13:42 and a step toward transgression.

13:44 Therefore, beware, beware of doing so—

13:46 whether through speculation, contemplation, or whispered doubts.

13:49 For Allah Almighty has hidden the knowledge of destiny

13:52 from His creation,

13:53 and forbidden them from seeking it out,

13:55 just as He, Exalted is He, said in His Book:

13:58 "He is not questioned about what He does,

14:00 but they will be questioned."

14:02 So whoever asks, "Why did He do [that]?"

14:04 has rejected the judgment of the Book,

14:06 and whoever rejects the judgment of the Book

14:08 is among the disbelievers.

14:10 And Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He,

14:12 is not questioned about what He does,

14:14 because He does not act

14:16 except with ultimate wisdom.

14:18 Transmitted traditions

14:21 on contentment with destiny:

14:23 On the authority of Muhammad ibn Ka'b,

14:25 he said

14:26 that Moses, peace be upon him, said:

14:28 "O my Lord,

14:30 which of Your creation commits the greatest sin?"

14:32 He said:

14:33 "The one who doubts Me."

14:35 Moses said:

14:37 "O my Lord,

14:38 does anyone doubt You?"

14:40 He said: "Yes,

14:41 the one who seeks My guidance (Istikharah),

14:43 yet is not pleased with My decree."

14:45 Sufyan al-Thawri and

14:48 Yusuf ibn Asbat differed

14:50 regarding what they would wish for

14:52 during times of tribulation.

14:54 Sufyan al-Thawri wished

14:56 for death to flee from it,

14:58 while Yusuf ibn Asbat responded

15:00 that he did not dislike a long life,

15:02 in the hope that he might be granted success

15:04 in repenting or performing righteous deeds.

15:06 Thereupon,

15:08 Wuhayb ibn al-Ward said:

15:10 "I choose nothing;

15:12 the dearest of that to me

15:14 is whichever is dearest to Allah."

15:16 So al-Thawri kissed him between

15:18 his eyes and said:

15:20 "True spirituality, by the Lord of the Ka'bah!"

15:22 And among the sayings

15:25 of contemporary scholars,

15:27 Mustafa al-Siba'i said:

15:29 "Perhaps that relief from pain and sickness

15:31 which you are hasty to seek

15:33 would only expose you to a trial

15:35 that is harsher and an affliction that is more severe.

15:37 So do not deem

15:39 your Lord slow in granting mercy,

15:41 for He has promised you what He sees

15:43 as a mercy for you,

15:45 not what you perceive

15:47 to be a mercy; and Allah

15:49 knows, while you know not."

15:51 Knowing

15:53 the Most Beautiful Names of Allah and worshiping Him

15:55 through them aids in achieving

15:57 contentment with destiny.

16:00 Indeed, knowing the Most Beautiful Names of Allah,

16:02 their effects,

16:04 and their implications in both creation and command,

16:06 and worshiping Allah,

16:08 Glorified is He, accordingly,

16:10 assists a person in being content

16:12 with the decree and destiny of Allah Almighty,

16:14 especially His Most Beautiful

16:16 Names: the All-Knowing (al-'Alim),

16:18 the All-Wise (al-Hakim),

16:20 the Most Subtle (al-Latif), the All-Aware (al-Khabir),

16:22 the Entirely Merciful (al-Rahman), the Especially Merciful (al-Rahim),

16:24 the Most Kind (al-Ra'uf),

16:26 and the Most Loving (al-Wadud).

16:28 The necessity of keeping the heart free

16:30 from objection against those calamities

16:32 that cannot be averted:

16:34 When calamities and decreed hardships

16:37 befall a person

16:39 that cannot be repelled,

16:41 despite exhausting all possible means,

16:43 it is incumbent upon him at that point

16:45 to submit to the decree

16:47 and destiny of Allah, to bear patiently

16:49 what was ordained, and to possess certainty

16:51 in His wisdom regarding whatever He ordained and decreed.

16:53 People vary

16:55 in their response to calamities,

16:57 and regarding this, they fall into

16:59 four states:

17:01 The first is a prohibited

17:03 state, which is panic,

17:05 discontent, and lack of patience;

17:07 this contradicts faith in divine destiny.

17:09 The second

17:11 is an obligatory state,

17:13 which is exercising patience over what has been decreed.

17:15 The third

17:17 is a recommended state,

17:19 which is contentment with this decreed

17:21 occurrence and harboring no resentment toward it.

17:23 This differs

17:25 from being content with the act of decreeing itself,

17:27 which is obligatory.

17:30 The fourth is the state of perfection,

17:32 which is showing gratitude to Allah

17:34 for His decree

17:36 and what He has decreed.

17:38 Contentment with the decree of Allah

17:40 which the soul may dislike:

17:42 That which the human soul

17:45 may dislike

17:47 is either a legal obligation

17:49 or an ordained destiny.

17:51 Believers ought

17:53 to know that whatever Allah wills

17:55 for them, whether by legislation or destiny,

17:57 is better for them than if He had not

17:59 sent it upon them,

18:01 and it is a subtle kindness and benevolence toward them.

18:03 For Allah, Glorified is He, is All-Knowing,

18:05 All-Aware,

18:07 and He is the Most Just of judges

18:09 and the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

18:11 Among what Allah has prescribed for the believers,

18:13 which they might dislike,

18:15 or some of them might dislike,

18:17 is jihad in the cause of Allah.

18:19 He, Exalted is He, said:

18:21 "Fighting has been enjoined upon you

18:23 while it is hateful to you.

18:25 “Warfare is ordained for you, though it is hateful unto you; but it may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not.” (2:216)

18:27 But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you;

18:29 and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you.

18:31 And Allah knows,

18:33 while you know not."

18:35 And the expression of hope ('asa) from Allah

18:37 denotes certainty.

18:39 So the intended meaning

18:41 is that what you dislike

18:43 of the hardship of jihad

18:45 results in what is good for you,

18:47 as you will be victorious, gain spoils,

18:49 be rewarded, make the truth prevail,

18:51 aid it,

18:53 and subdue falsehood and its faction;

18:55 and whoever among you is killed

18:57 is a martyr.

18:59 Conversely,

19:01 what you love of ease

19:03 and abandoning fighting

19:05 results in evil for you,

19:07 in that you would be defeated and humiliated,

19:09 and your power would vanish.

19:11 Contentment with divine legislation

19:13 and submission to it is an obligation;

19:15 faith cannot be complete without it,

19:17 and a believer has no choice in the matter.

19:19 He, Exalted is He, said:

19:21 "It is not for a believing man

19:23 or a believing woman..."

19:25 “And it becometh not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair; and whoso is rebellious to Allah and His messenger, he verily goeth astray in error manifest.” (33:36)

19:27 “And it becometh not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair; and whoso is rebellious to Allah and His messenger, he verily goeth astray in error manifest.” (33:36)

19:29 As for innate, instinctive dislike,

19:32 coupled with the heart's submission

19:34 and obedience to the command,

19:36 a person is not held accountable

19:38 for it.

19:40 And among what Allah may decree

19:42 for a believer that he dislikes

19:44 is marrying a woman who displays

19:46 toward him traits he finds distasteful.

19:48 Allah Almighty said regarding that:

19:50 "And live with them

19:52 in kindness.

19:54 For if you dislike them—

19:56 perhaps you dislike a thing

19:58 “O ye who believe! It is not lawful for you forcibly to inherit the women (of your deceased kinsmen), nor (that) ye should put constraint upon them that ye may take away a part of that which ye have given them, unless they be guilty of flagrant lewdness. But consort with them in kindness, for if ye hate them it may happen that ye hate a thing wherein Allah hath placed much good.” (4:19)

20:00 and Allah makes therein much good."

20:02 Thus He said,

20:04 "perhaps you dislike a thing,"

20:06 and He did not say,

20:08 "perhaps you dislike a woman."

20:10 This generalization guides us

20:12 to a universal rule

20:14 that holds true for all things,

20:16 not women alone.

20:18 This rule

20:20 is that some of what a human being dislikes

20:22 may contain good for him.

20:24 Wise people recognize

20:26 the truth of this from life's experiences.

20:28 For the Noble Qur'an

20:30 It captivates the human soul.

20:32 so that you may believe.

20:34 and to submit concerning matters of the unseen that remain hidden,

20:36 after you have exerted every effort

20:38 Whatever you are able to do within your capacity.

20:40 The open, undisguised endeavor

20:42 Belief in divine decree (Qadar)

20:44 And adopting the necessary means.

20:47 It is among the established patterns of Allah, Almighty and Glorious,

20:49 In terms of his being

20:51 Linking effects to their causes

20:53 Whatever decrees unfold upon the earth

20:55 In origin, it is

20:57 And generally speaking,

20:59 It is bound to the causes that necessitate it.

21:01 For this reason, he guided us.

21:03 Allah commands us to utilize the appropriate means.

21:05 In our worldly affairs

21:07 And the affairs of our Hereafter.

21:09 Just as Allah Almighty says:

21:11 to Mary, peace be upon her, when the labor pains drove her.

21:13 And shake toward yourself

21:15 by the trunk of the palm tree

21:17 “And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward thee, thou wilt cause ripe dates to fall upon thee.” (19:25)

21:19 And indeed, it was

21:21 Able to send down upon her

21:23 Fresh dates without any processing

21:25 Among them is:

21:27 And He commanded us to take precautions against the enemy.

21:29 So he said,

21:31 O you who have believed,

21:33 "Take your precautions and advance..."

21:35 “O ye who believe! Take your precautions, then advance the proven ones, or advance all together.” (4:71)

21:37 and He is fully capable.

21:39 on the condition that he deal with him on our behalf.

21:41 without any effort on our part.

21:43 And this applies to our worldly affairs.

21:45 The same principle applies to matters of

21:47 Our religion.

21:49 The Almighty says:

21:51 And as for those who have accepted guidance

21:53 He increased them in guidance.

21:55 And He granted them their piety.

21:57 And the Almighty also says:

21:59 So when they deviated,

22:01 Allah has caused their hearts to deviate.

22:03 Then Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, decreed it.

22:05 Indeed, among the rewards for a good deed

22:07 A good deed is followed by another.

22:09 Just as one of the punishments for disobedience

22:11 The sin that follows it.

22:13 It is for this very reason that

22:15 Thus, taking the necessary means is essential.

22:17 Or the warding off of harm.

22:19 This does not contradict belief in the divine decree.

22:21 Rather, it is also a matter of divine decree (qadar).

22:23 As 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

22:25 May Allah be pleased with him.

22:27 At the time he refrained from entering the Levant.

22:29 When he learned of the spread

22:31 The plague within it.

22:33 And it was said to him, "Are you fleeing?"

22:35 From the decree of Allah

22:37 He said, "Yes."

22:39 We flee from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah.

22:41 to the decree of Allah

22:43 Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

22:46 Taking the necessary means.

22:48 This does not mean becoming attached to them.

22:50 Taking the necessary means.

22:52 Based on the fact that one of the established ways of Allah

22:54 The connection of effects to their causes.

22:56 This does not mean attachment.

22:58 through it, and by dedicating oneself entirely to Him.

23:00 without the belief that

23:02 The realization of the matter is by the will of Allah.

23:04 Allah and His wisdom.

23:06 That is to say, one should not believe

23:08 Someone might say that as long as he has already

23:10 He took the necessary means.

23:12 It is inevitable that what He has willed must come to pass.

23:14 without any need for the will of Allah

23:16 In that regard

23:18 This state of being preoccupied with worldly means

23:20 In that form, it is considered shirk.

23:22 Just as turning away

23:24 regarding the causes in their entirety.

23:26 It is a disparagement of the Shari'ah.

23:28 And to deny their influence is contrary to the truth.

23:30 For the intellect

23:32 For causes have an effect upon their consequences.

23:34 However, from that point onward

23:36 The will and decree of Allah.

23:38 Just as the servant has

23:40 Divine will and decree.

23:42 After the will of Allah.

23:44 And His will.

23:47 The absolute freedom of the Divine Will.

23:49 And the stability of the universal laws established by Allah.

23:51 Taking the necessary means.

23:54 While remaining unattached to them.

23:56 It is built upon the realization

23:58 The absolute freedom of the Divine Will.

24:00 Which may tear through.

24:02 The constancy of the universal laws established by Allah.

24:04 For a wisdom known only to Allah.

24:06 Allah, glorified and exalted is He, is All-Powerful.

24:08 Whenever He wills and however He wills.

24:10 That he should violate these established practices of the Sunnah.

24:12 For He is the Accomplisher of whatever He wills.

24:14 And He is over all things capable.

24:16 He is capable of all things.

24:18 For Allah has forbidden the Fire.

24:20 That the fire should burn Ibrahim, peace be upon him.

24:22 Contrary to the established consensus.

24:24 This is the universal law of Allah.

24:26 Allah the Exalted says:

24:28 “We said: O fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham,” (21:69)

24:30 A coolness and peace upon

24:32 Ibrahim

24:34 And Allah granted provision to Zakariyya, peace be upon him.

24:36 Yahya, peace be upon him.

24:38 Despite his advanced age.

24:41 Allah the Almighty says:

24:55 In summary,

24:57 The believer ought to take

24:59 by whatever means he is able to employ.

25:01 And he attaches his hope thereafter

25:03 That is by Allah alone.

25:05 Thus, he becomes balanced in that regard.

25:07 Between those who are excessive in their scrutiny

25:09 regarding the constancy of the universal laws established by Allah.

25:11 And its inevitability.

25:13 And its inherent inability to fail or be left unfulfilled.

25:15 in any state, and whoever is negligent

25:17 Regarding the necessity of taking practical means.

25:19 claiming that he relies upon

25:21 The will of Allah and its absolute freedom.

25:23 An example of that moderation

25:25 What the Muslims accomplished.

25:27 During the Battle of Badr

25:29 Where they adopted what they were capable of.

25:31 by means of the causes available to him.

25:33 They exhausted all their efforts in that regard.

25:35 And they attached their hope to Allah.

25:37 So He, glory be to Him, reinforced them with the angels.

25:39 Those whom He established.

25:41 From the victory, despite

25:43 Their limited numbers and meager equipment.

25:45 He is the one who opposes.

25:47 According to what is customary in the view of people.

25:49 Allah the Almighty says:

25:51 When you were calling upon your Lord for help

25:53 So He answered you.

25:55 I will reinforce you with a thousand.

25:57 with the angels arriving in succession

25:59 Two forms.

26:02 regarding the deviation in understanding

26:04 The Divine Decree

26:07 Firstly,

26:09 Using the divine decree as an excuse for one's actions.

26:11 Acts of disobedience and disbelief.

26:13 And the Almighty has said concerning them:

26:15 Those who associated partners with Allah will say

26:17 “They who are idolaters will say: Had Allah willed, we had not ascribed (unto Him) partners neither had our fathers, nor had we forbidden aught. Thus did those who were before them give the lie (to Allah's messengers) till they tasted of the fear of Us. Say: Have ye any knowledge that ye can adduce for Us? Lo! ye follow naught but an opinion, Lo! ye do but guess.” (6:148)

26:19 Nor our forefathers.

26:21 “They who are idolaters will say: Had Allah willed, we had not ascribed (unto Him) partners neither had our fathers, nor had we forbidden aught. Thus did those who were before them give the lie (to Allah's messengers) till they tasted of the fear of Us. Say: Have ye any knowledge that ye can adduce for Us? Lo! ye follow naught but an opinion, Lo! ye do but guess.” (6:148)

26:23 Likewise, they denied.

26:25 those who were before them

26:27 until they tasted Our might.

26:29 Say, "Do you have any [proof]?"

26:31 “They who are idolaters will say: Had Allah willed, we had not ascribed (unto Him) partners neither had our fathers, nor had we forbidden aught. Thus did those who were before them give the lie (to Allah's messengers) till they tasted of the fear of Us. Say: Have ye any knowledge that ye can adduce for Us? Lo! ye follow naught but an opinion, Lo! ye do but guess.” (6:148)

26:33 You are only following

26:35 except for conjecture.

26:37 “They who are idolaters will say: Had Allah willed, we had not ascribed (unto Him) partners neither had our fathers, nor had we forbidden aught. Thus did those who were before them give the lie (to Allah's messengers) till they tasted of the fear of Us. Say: Have ye any knowledge that ye can adduce for Us? Lo! ye follow naught but an opinion, Lo! ye do but guess.” (6:148)

26:39 Then Allah proved them to be liars.

26:41 regarding that claim of theirs

26:43 These individuals and those like them.

26:45 They are arrogant and contradictory.

26:47 regarding their claim

26:49 And they are unable to apply it consistently in every case.

26:51 He commanded, so if

26:53 Someone among them committed an offense against them by striking them.

26:55 Or the usurpation of a right.

26:57 Then he presented as an argument against them that this was indeed the case.

26:59 The necessity of belief in divine decree and predestination.

27:01 They did not accept that from him.

27:03 Rather, they will be even more angered by him.

27:05 Anger, and they will defend [the truth].

27:07 Regarding their usurped rights.

27:09 How truly astonishing it is!

27:11 How can they use the concept of divine decree as an argument to justify their acts of disobedience?

27:13 And that which incurs the displeasure of Allah.

27:15 And they are not satisfied with anyone

27:17 That it be used as evidence in opposition to

27:19 Their displeasure with him for what he errs in.

27:21 upon them.

27:23 Secondly, intellectual stagnation.

27:25 And the false reliance upon Allah (tawakkul).

27:27 Where some of the Muslims adopted

27:29 In the later eras.

27:31 a flimsy justification

27:33 due to their incapacity and collapse.

27:35 And their acceptance of corruption.

27:37 and humiliation,

27:39 forgetting that the decrees of Allah

27:41 are fundamentally operative upon them

27:43 in accordance with the established Sunnah of Allah,

27:45 which links outcomes

27:47 to their causes.

27:49 Thus, this helplessness and fatalism

27:51 became the primary gateway

27:53 for secular thought to infiltrate

27:55 the reality of the Ummah

27:57 and seize control of its

27:59 affairs.

28:01 Malik Ibn Nabi termed

28:03 this helplessness and acceptance of subjugation

28:05 "colonizability,"

28:07 while Mawdudi termed it

28:09 "enslavability."

28:11 There is no doubt that the truth

28:13 in this matter

28:15 is as we mentioned before:

28:17 a balance between working

28:19 with all one's might to avert what is feared,

28:21 until we reach

28:23 the limit of our capacity,

28:25 and then submitting to what

28:27 Allah decrees, out of our faith in Him.

28:29 This means employing

28:31 the causes that Allah has harnessed for us,

28:33 and warding off

28:35 the decrees of Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, with His other decrees,

28:37 as long as there is

28:39 a possibility of warding them off,

28:41 just as the Almighty said:

28:43 "And were it not for Allah checking the people,

28:45 some by means of others,

28:47 the earth would surely be corrupted,"

28:49 “So they routed them by Allah's leave and David slew Goliath; and Allah gave him the kingdom and wisdom, and taught him of that which He willeth. And if Allah had not repelled some men by others the earth would have been corrupted. But Allah is a Lord of Kindness to (His) creatures.” (2:251)

28:51 for the worlds.

28:53 So, if warding off the harm

28:55 is not possible,

28:57 then the duty is to be patient with the decree of Allah

28:59 and His predestination, with the certainty

29:01 that behind it lies goodness,

29:03 benefit, and mercy,

29:05 which one should strive to seek out,

29:07 harness for goodness and reform,

29:09 and change the conditions of

29:11 people by holding one's own soul to account,

29:13 and removing the causes of the calamity,

29:15 in belief of the statement of

29:17 Allah the Almighty:

29:19 “For him are angels ranged before him and behind him, who guard him by Allah's command. Lo! Allah changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts; and if Allah willeth misfortune for a folk there is none that can repel it, nor have they a defender beside Him.” (13:11)

29:21 “For him are angels ranged before him and behind him, who guard him by Allah's command. Lo! Allah changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts; and if Allah willeth misfortune for a folk there is none that can repel it, nor have they a defender beside Him.” (13:11)

29:23 what is within themselves.

29:25 Thus, it becomes clearly evident

29:27 the difference between reliance (tawakkul)

29:29 and fatalism (tawakul).

29:31 For reliance

29:33 is the action of the heart and its servitude,

29:35 depending on Allah, trusting

29:37 in Him, turning

29:39 to Him, delegating matters

29:41 to Him, and being content with what He decrees,

29:43 while the person still performs the causes

29:45 that have been commanded.

29:47 Fatalism is helplessness,

29:49 the abandonment of causes,

29:51 and negligence regarding them,

29:53 under the pretense that it is reliance

29:55 and belief in the divine decree.

29:57 The nullifiers of

30:00 belief in the divine decree:

30:03 First:

30:05 Denying the decree and disbelieving in it,

30:07 by denying that Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He,

30:09 knew things before they occurred,

30:11 or that He recorded them.

30:13 Second:

30:15 Treating the decree lightly,

30:17 mocking it,

30:19 or ridiculing it, even if one does not deny it.

30:21 Third:

30:23 Opposing Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He,

30:25 in His decrees,

30:27 or believing that they are in vain

30:29 and purposeless.

30:31 Fourth:

30:33 Believing that the decreeing of calamities

30:35 by Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, upon His servants

30:37 is an injustice to them;

30:39 exalted is Allah far above that.

30:41 Fifth:

30:43 Believing that Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He,

30:45 is pleased with the acts of disobedience and polytheism

30:47 that occur from the servant,

30:49 which He has decreed upon me.

30:52 Regarding the fruits of belief in the divine decree:

30:54 The most important fruits of belief

30:57 in the divine decree

30:59 are summarized as follows:

31:01 First:

31:03 Magnifying Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He,

31:05 and revering Him,

31:07 because belief in the decree manifests

31:09 the Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes of Allah,

31:11 such as Knowledge, Wisdom,

31:13 Creation, Power,

31:15 Might, and the subjugation of all things.

31:17 Second:

31:19 Contentment when calamities befall,

31:21 because when the servant knows

31:23 that what struck him could not

31:25 have missed him, and what missed him

31:27 could not have struck him,

31:29 he is content and submits.

31:31 Third:

31:33 Tranquility of the soul and its peace

31:35 when facing events,

31:37 both good and bad,

31:39 so it does not panic with the kind of panic

31:41 that leads to regret

31:43 in times of distress,

31:45 nor does it rejoice with arrogant joy.

31:47 The Almighty said:

31:49 "No calamity befalls

31:51 “Naught of disaster befalleth in the earth or in yourselves but it is in a Book before we bring it into being - Lo! that is easy for Allah -” (57:22)

31:53 except it is in a Book

31:55 before We

31:57 bring it into being;

31:59 indeed, that is easy for Allah.

32:01 In order that you may not despair

32:03 over what has escaped you,

32:05 “That ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which hath been given. Allah loveth not all prideful boasters,” (57:23)

32:07 and Allah does not

32:09 love every self-deluded

32:11 boaster."

32:13 Fourth: Proceeding

32:15 on the path to Allah

32:17 without confusion, anxiety,

32:19 resentment toward obstacles,

32:21 hardships,

32:23 despair of Allah's aid,

32:25 or His support,

32:27 nor fear of losing one's way

32:29 or the loss of one's reward.

32:31 Fifth:

32:33 The soundness of the heart from hatred and envy,

32:35 for they are, in reality,

32:37 an opposition to the decree of Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He,

32:39 regarding the blessings He decrees

32:41 for His servants.

32:43 6.

32:45 Safety from the misguidance

32:47 that has afflicted some

32:49 deviant sects regarding the issue of the divine decree,

32:51 such as the Qadariyyah and the Jabriyyah,

32:53 those misguidances

32:55 that negatively affect

32:57 the deeds of their followers

32:59 and their conduct.

33:01 7.

33:03 Exerting effort in righteous deeds

33:05 and fleeing from the decrees of Allah

33:07 that He is not pleased with,

33:09 toward the decrees that He is pleased with.

33:11 8.

33:14 Asking Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He,

33:16 for guidance and steadfastness,

33:18 and fearing the deviation of the heart

33:20 and the slipping of the foot,

33:22 for no one is infallible from that.

33:24 “Save him on whom Allah hath mercy. Lo! He is the Mighty, the Merciful.” (44:42)

33:26 So He guided him and made him steadfast.

33:28 9.

33:30 Sincere reliance upon Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He,

33:32 and turning to Him alone.

33:34 Summary of the concepts of

33:37 Ahl al-Sunnah.

Summary of Sunni concepts | 13- Concepts about belief in destiny | Concepts (188-204)

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