Belief in destiny (Qadr)
The sixth article of faith: that Allah has written all that happens, while people still choose and are answerable for their own actions.
The sixth thing every Muslim believes in is qadr, meaning fate or destiny: everything that has happened, is happening, and will ever happen was already written by Allah from the very beginning. Nothing can change it.
Every Muslim must believe in destiny: everything that has happened, is happening, and will ever happen was already written by Allah from the very beginning, and nothing can change it.
123456What we believe about qadr
- Allah creates both the good things and the bad things that happen in the world. He is pleased with good actions and dislikes bad ones.
- People cannot create anything by themselves, but Allah gave them understanding and the will to choose. So people can choose to do good or bad, and that is why they earn a reward or a punishment. When someone does something good, Allah is pleased and rewards them; when someone does something bad, Allah is displeased and punishes them.
- Allah has already decided when each person will die. When that time comes, nothing can stop it. And before that time comes, nothing, not even sickness or danger, can make them die.
Every Muslim must believe that Allah creates both the good and the bad that happen, while people cannot create anything themselves; but Allah gave people understanding and the will to choose, so they earn reward for choosing good and punishment for choosing bad. Allah has also already fixed when each person will die: when that time comes nothing can stop it, and before it comes nothing can bring death.
12345The sixth article of faith is belief in qadr (destiny): everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen is already written by Allah from the very beginning, and nothing can change it.
It is obligatory (fard) to believe in destiny (qadr): everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen was written by Allah from the very beginning, and nothing can change it.
123456How qadr and human choice fit together
- Allah creates both good and bad actions in the world; He is pleased with good actions and dislikes bad ones.
- People do not have the power to create things on their own, but Allah has given them understanding and willpower, so that they can choose to do good or bad. Because of this choice, they earn reward or punishment: when people do good, Allah is pleased and gives reward; when they do bad, He is displeased and punishes them.
- The time of death for every person is already decided by Allah. When that time comes, no one can stop it; and when it is not yet time, nothing, illness or danger included, can cause death.
It is obligatory (fard) to believe that Allah creates both good and bad actions, being pleased with good and displeased with bad, and that people, though unable to create anything on their own, have been given understanding and willpower with which they choose, so that reward and punishment follow their choice. It is likewise obligatory to believe that every person's time of death is fixed by Allah: when it comes nothing can stop it, and before it nothing, illness or danger included, can cause death.
12345The sixth article of belief is īmān bi'l-qadr: everything that has occurred, is occurring, and will occur was written by Allah from eternity (azal), and nothing alters it.
Īmān bi'l-qadr is obligatory (farḍ): everything that has occurred, is occurring, and will occur was written by Allah from eternity (azal), and nothing alters it.
123456Qadr and human responsibility together
- Allah is the Creator of both good and evil acts occurring in the world; He is pleased (rāḍī) with good and displeased with evil.
- Creation possesses no independent power to originate (khalq) anything, yet Allah has endowed people with understanding and irādah (will), by which they choose between good and evil, and it is on this choice, not on the qadr itself, that thawāb (reward) and ʿiqāb (punishment) turn: Allah is pleased and rewards the doer of good, and is displeased and punishes the doer of evil.
- The ajal (appointed term of life) of every person is fixed by Allah in advance; when it arrives nothing forestalls it, and before it arrives no cause whatsoever, illness or danger included, can bring death about.
It is obligatory (farḍ) to believe that Allah is the Creator of both good and evil acts, rāḍī with good and displeased with evil; that creation has no independent power of khalq, yet is endowed with understanding and irādah by which it chooses, so that thawāb and ʿiqāb turn on that choice and not on the qadr itself; and that the ajal of every person is fixed in advance, nothing forestalling it when it arrives and no cause whatsoever bringing death before it.
12345This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 161 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
(6) Belief in Fate (Qadr)
1. Everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen is already written by Allah from the very beginning. Nothing can change it; this is called “Qadr” or “fate.”
2. Allah creates both good and bad actions in the world. He is pleased with good actions and dislikes bad actions.
3. People don’t have the power to create things on their own, but Allah has given them understanding and willpower. This means they can choose to do good or bad things. Because of this, they earn reward or punishment. When people do good things, Allah is pleased and gives rewards; when they do bad things, He is unhappy and punishes them.
4. The time of death for every person is already decided by Allah. When that time comes, no one can stop it, and when it’s not time, nothing like illness or danger can cause them to die.
(6) Belief in Fate (Qadr) (Note)
The explanations of the attribute of detailed faith (Imaan Mufassal) have ended here.
Terms on this page
Related
- What faith means, and the words that carry it What faith (iman) is, its two parts, who a believer is, and the declarations of faith said with the tongue.
- Belief in Allah The first article of faith: what a Muslim believes about who Allah is and the qualities that belong to Him alone.
- The categories of Islamic rulings, and the meaning of religion (din) The eight categories Islamic rulings fall into, from obligatory (fard) to permitted (mubah), and how belief (iman) and practice (Islam) together make up religion (din).
- Belief in the Last Day What happens from the questioning in the grave through the signs of the Last Day (Qiyamah), the Scale, the reckoning, the Bridge, and the Prophet's intercession.