GOOD AND EVIL OF DESTINY

Belief in Qadar is obligatory and it is one of the six pillars of faith (Refer Sahih Muslim hadeeth # 1). 

Nothing takes place in the universe without His permission. No good can be obtained nor harm avoided unless Allah decrees it. Although both good and evil are parts of Allaah’s creation, i.e., He is the creator of both good and evil, Allah does not attribute evil directly to Himself, because He is Good and all which comes from Him is Good. In the Qur’aan Allah enjoins humans to “… seek refuge in the Lord of the Dawn from the evil of what He created.” (Soorah al-Falaq, [113]: 1-2). He does not say: “from the evil He created”, instead He attributes the evil to His creation and not directly to Himself.

Furthermore, ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib related that in the Tahajjud prayer Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to say:

“…I hear Your call and am following Your religion, and all good is in Your two hands and the evil is not attributable to You…”

(Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, pp. 373, no. 1695)

The evil that comes from Allah is relative evil. It may be evil in one perspective but good from other perspectives.

Ibn al-Qayyim said regarding this concept:

“Allaah does not create anything purely evil from all perspectives. His wisdom rejects that. Creation may be evil and corruptive from some respects, yet in it are benefits, wisdom, and greater considerations than its corrupt aspects. Existence of evil is limited to that. It is not possible from the Lord’s perspective for Him to want something which is corrupt in all respects, there being absolutely no benefit in its creation. This concept is among the most obvious impossibilities. For good is in Allah’s hand and evil is not His, instead all that is His is good. Evil only exists due to the absence of its being related to Him. For if it was His it would not be evil.” (Madaarij as-Saalikeen, pp. 199-200)

For example, sunshine is essential for plants to grow and synthesize chlorophyll, yet in some places it causes the rivers and lakes to dry up leading to drought, famine and death. Rain is also essential for plants to grow; yet on some occasions it also causes floods, drowning and death.

Pure evil, on the other hand, is a result of human activity.

Humans think evil and, if Allah permits it, they do evil. However, if Allah permits them to do evil, there must be a beneficial side to it known to Allaah. Allaah has informed His creatures that He does not oppress anyone.

“Your Lord does no wrong to anyone.”

Soorah al-Kahf, (18): 49

Human beings often do things which would be considered evil, not for the evil itself but for the expected good to come from the evil. For example, the act of slashing open someone’s chest and extracting his heart would be considered evil and cruel, however, when done as a heart operation it is considered a great good. Human beings are responsible for their evil because it is a product of their choice.

Regarding God’s permission, Muslim scholars of the past have distinguished between God’s wish and His will.

• His wish is sometimes referred to as His Legal Wish, meaning that He wishes for humans Islaam; the right way of life consisting of submission to whatever God has instructed. However, He also gave humans the ability to accept His wish or reject it. Consequently, humans may go against God’s Legal Wish.

• His will, on theother hand, is referred to as His Creational Will, meaning that what takes place is by his permission alone. Among the things which take place are events beyond human will and events which are in accordance with human will.  For example, humans are governed by the laws of “nature” which they cannot escape. If one jumps up, he or she must fall back down. If one’s knee is struck by the doctor, the foot kicks out, no matter how hard the mind fights the reaction. Humans cannot go against Allah’s Creational Will.

Shaykh Al-‘Uthaymeen stated regarding the good and evil of destiny,

“Its good and evil is relative to the final consequence. The good of destiny is what is beneficial and its evil is what is harmful or hurtful. Its good and evil is relative to the one for whom it is destined and the final result. Some of it is good like acts of worship, good health, wealth and some of it is evil like acts of disobedience, sickness, poverty. Relative to Allaah’s action it cannot be said to be evil based on the Prophet’s supplication in Qunoot which he taught al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali, “Protect me from the evil of what You have destined.” He attributed evil to what Allaah destined and not to Allaah’s destiny.”

=====================================================

Taken from the commentary on the book  “Lum‘atul-I‘tiqaad’ (Radiance of Faith) written by Imam Ibn Qudamah Al Maqdisi and commentary by Imam Ibn Uthaymeen and Dr. Bilal Philips.

Related articles

• Principle of Qadar As Summed Up by Imam Ibn Al-izz & Refutation of Those Who Erred in Qadar (mohammedirfan.wordpress.com)
• FOUR PILLARS / LEVELS OF QADAR (Pre-Destiny) (mohammedirfan.wordpress.com)
• [Audio] Nothing occurs except what Allaah Wills (asmawasifaat.wordpress.com)
• Only Allaah Can Remove Harm (asmawasifaat.wordpress.com)
• http://mohammedirfan.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/changing-the-destinyqadar/

PRINCIPLE OF QADAR AS SUMMED UP BY IMAM IBN AL-IZZ & REFUTATION OF THOSE WHO ERRED IN QADAR

Also read - http://mohammedirfan.wordpress.com/2011/10/01/four-pillars-levels-of-qadar-pre-destiny/

Qadr is the ordaining of things according to the knowledge Allah has of them.

It involves the following principles:

1. Allah knows things before they come into existence. This means that His knowledge is eternal. This statement is a refutation of those who deny that His knowledge is eternal.

2. Fore-ordainment (taqdeer ) is to fix the measures of things, namely the properties and attributes that they will have.

Allah has said:

“He created everything and destined its measure.” (Soorah al-Furqaan, [25]: 2)

This means that creation involves two kinds of pre-measurement: ordaining things as such or fixing their measures, and doing so before they come into existence. Since Allah has fixed the measures of things in all their details, qualitative and quantitative, His knowledge of each and every individual thing is perfect. Hence, those who think that Allah knows only the generalities and not the particulars are wrong. Qadr involves eternal knowledge as it involves the knowledge of each and every individual thing. [In trying to reconcile Allaah’s knowledge of the future and human free will, Allamah Muhammad Iqbal fell into this pit of denying an aspect of Allaah’s knowledge. He stated in his book Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, (p. 79) that “The future certainly pre-exists in the organic whole of God’s creative life, but it pre-exists as an open possibility not as a fixed order of events with definite outlines … No doubt the emergence of egos endowed with the power to spontaneous and hence unforeseeable action is, in a sense, a limitation on the freedom of the all-inclusive Ego (i.e., Allah). But this limitation is not externally imposed. It is born out of His own creative freedom whereby He has chosen finite egos to be participators of His life power and freedom.”]

3. Qadr means that Allah reveals detailed information about things before their creation.

Therefore, it is not ruled out that some of His servants may know about various things before they are brought into existence – if Allah chooses to inform them. This further enforces the truth that their Creator must be even more knowledgeable about them. If He has informed His servants about them, He cannot Himself lack that knowledge.

4. Allah is free to decide what to do, or to create what He wills, and nothing is incumbent or obligatory upon Him.

5. Finally, it means that the things that He ordains are contingent, i.e., that they come into being after they were not there. He first determines their measures and then creates them.”

(Commentary on the Creed of at-Tahawi, pp. 219-220)

__________________________________________________________________________

There are two main groups who erred in Qadaa and Qadr.

1. The Jabrites who claimed that the creature is forced to do its acts without any choice on its part.

They are refuted by two points:

 

a) Allah attributed human acts to them and made them earning for which they are rewarded or punished. If they were forced to do them, the attribution of the acts to them would not be correct and punishment for them would be oppression.

 

b) Everyone knows the difference between an act of choice and a forced act in reality and in judgment. So if someone transgressed against another and claimed that he was forced to do it by Allaah’s Qadaa and Qadr it would be considered stupidity, contradicting what is known by necessity.

2. The Qadrites who claim that the creature is independent in its actions and that Allah has no will or power or creation in it.

Their claim is also refuted by two points:

 

a) Their claim contradicts Allaah’s statements:

“Allaah is the creator of everything.” (Soorah az-Zumar, [39]: 62)

“And Allah created you and what you do.” (Soorah as-Saaffaat, [37]: 96)

 

b) Allah is the owner of the heavens and earth. How is it possible that there be in His dominion things which are not dependent on His will and creation? (Sharh Lum‘atul-I‘tiqaad, pp. 96-7)

ALLAH KNOWS THE BEST

=====================================================

Taken the book  “Lum‘atul-I‘tiqaad’ (Radiance of Faith) written by Imam Ibn Qudamah Al Maqdisi and commentary by Imam Ibn Uthaymeen and Dr. Bilal Philips.

Related articles

• 150. Destiny (Qadaa and Qadr) (islaamiccreed.wordpress.com)
• 153. Levels of belief in Qadar (islaamiccreed.wordpress.com)
• The Supplication and Al-Qadar (xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)
• http://mohammedirfan.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/changing-the-destinyqadar/

FOUR PILLARS / LEVELS OF QADAR (Pre-Destiny)

Alhamdulillah, Praise be of Allah, Lord of the worlds

In one of session of Aqeedah (3rd Sem) in Islamic Studies, our Ustad Rasheed Ahmed shared with us Four Pillars/levels of Qadar which AHLE SUNNAH WAL JAMAAH agrees on. I am not able to stop myself from copy-pasting this. Following was shared by our Ustad,

 

Faith in al-Qadar has four pillars:

1- ilm: Allaah knows everything before they happen.

وأن الله قد أحاط بكل شيء علماً

“And that Allaah’s knowledge encompasses all things.” (65:12)

يعلم ما بين أيديهم وما خلفهم

“He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them.” (2:255 aayat-ul-kursee)

 

2- kitaabah: Allaah has written down everything that will ever happen.

وكل شيء أحصيناه في إمام مبين

“And I have recorded the numbers of all things in a Clear Book.” (36:12)

“Allaah wrote the Decree of the creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and His Throne was upon water.” (Saheeh Muslim #6416)

 

3- mashee’ah: Nothing happens without Allaah’s permission.

وما تشاؤون إلا أن يشاء الله

“But you cannot will, unless Allaah wills.” (76:30)

ولا تقولن لشيء إني فاعل ذلك غذاً. إلا أن يشاء الله

“And never say of anything, ‘I shall do such and such thing tomorrow,’ except (with the saying): If Allaah willsز” (18:23-24)

“Know that if the whole world combines to do you any good, they will not be able to do it unless Allaah has decreed it for you. And if they all combine to cause you harm, they will not be able to do anything except what Allaah has ordained for you. ” [Reported by at-Tirmidhee, #2516, who graded it authentic]

 

4- khalq: Allaah has given us the will to choose our actions, but it is He who creates them when we do them.

الله خالق كل شيء

“Allaah is the Creator of all things and He is the Guardian over all.” (39:62)

والله خلقكم وما تعملون

“While Allaah has created you and what you do!” (37:96)

CHANGING THE DESTINY(QADAR)??

It is reported from Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, p. 139-40, number 416.

‘Aa’ishah reported that she said: “O Messenger of Allah, Ibn Jud‘aan established family ties and fed the poor. Would that be of any benefit to him?” He replied, “It would be of no avail to him as he never once said: O my Lord, pardon my sins on the Day of Resurrection.”

In another hadith from Sahih Muslim, Bk 35, Number 6542:

Khaula bint Hakim Sulamiyya reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: “When any one of you stays at a place, he should say:” I seek refuge in the Perfect Word of Allah from the evil of that He created.” Nothing would then do him any harm until he moves from that place. Abu Huraira reported that a person came to Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said:” Allah’s Messenger, I was stung by a scorpion during the night. Thereupon he said: Had you recited these words in the evening:” I seek refuge in the Perfect Word of Allah from the evil of what He created,” it would not have done any harm to you.”

 

Further in ‘Commentary on Ibn Qudaamah’s RADIANCE OF FAITH by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips’, author states …

 Among the supplications of the Prophet (r) which he taught al-Hasan Ibn ‘Alee to pray with in qunoot of Witr was:

  “Wa qinee sharra maa qadayt” [Protect me from the evil which You have destined].”

 Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 1, pp. 373-4, no. 1420, and Sunan Ibn-i-Majah, vol. 2, pp. 199-200, no. 1178, and authenticated by Ahmad Shaakir in his footnotes on the Sunan at-Tirmithee and by al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan Abee Daawood, vol. 1, p. 392, no. 1425 [new ed.]. The whole text is as follows:

Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee said: Allaah’s Messenger (r) taught me some words which I say during Witr: O Allaah, guide me among those whom You guided, grant me security among those You grant security, take me into Your charge among those You have taken into Your charge, bless me in what You have given, guard me from the evil of what You have decreed, for You decree and nothing is decreed for You. Whoever You have befriended is not humbled. Our Lord, You are blessed and exalted.”

 

DU’AA CHANGES QADAR

 This phrase from the du‘aa Qunoot implies that Qadar can be changed by du‘aa and this is further strengthened by the Prophet’s statement:

 “Nothing increases age except righteousness and nothing repels predestination except du‘aa.” (Sunan Ibn-I-Majah, vol. 1, p. 53, no. 90, and authenticated in Saheeh Sunan Ibn-i-Maajah, no. 73)

  It is possible that a certain misfortune has been decreed for a person, yet, because of the sincerity and quality of his du‘aa, Allaah will repel that misfortune from him, and change this decree. Not only does du‘aa repel a future misfortune that might befall a person, it also changes and removes a current calamity and misfortune as indicated by the following hadeeth:

 Ibn ‘Umar quoted Allaah’s Messenger (r) as saying, “Whoever the door of du‘aa has been opened for, then all the doors of mercy have been opened for him. And nothing asked of Allaah is more pleasing to Him than that He be asked for good health. Du‘aa is of benefit to matters that have occurred and that are yet to occur. So I advise you, O servants of Allaah, to make du‘aa!” (Collected by at-Tirmithee and rated inauthentic in Da’eef at-Targheeb, no. 1013 & Da’eef al-Jaami‘, no. 5720)

 

 

On the same topic, Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned that there are three possibilities with regards to du‘aa and Qadar: 

1. That the du‘aa is stronger than the Qadar and it repels it permanently.
2. That the Qadar is stronger and the du‘aa softens its impact.
3. That they are equal in strength so they cancel out each other. (ad-Daa wad-Dawaa, p. 42)

In the book, ‘THE DIVINE PRE-DECREE & ORDAINMENT OF ALLAH  by Imam Muhammad bin Saalih Al’ Uthaimeen, the author says,

 There are five Decrees on this level, all of which are related to Knowledge: 

• First: The writing fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earth, when Allaah created the Pen, this is the Eternal Decree.
• Second: The Life-time Decree, when He took the Covenant when He said to them, “Am I not your Lord?”
• Third: The Life-time Decree, when the mixed drop of male and female sexual discharge is given life inside the womb.
• Fourth: The Annual Decree, on the Night of Power (Laylatul-Qadr).
• Fifth: The Daily Decree, which is carrying out all of the above decrees at their proper times and places.

In the notes prepared on the teaching of Sheikh Waleed Basyouni, titled ‘RAYS OF FAITH – FUNDAMENTAL OF FAITHS NOTES’, It is given that decrees, i.e. Writing of al-Qadar, are in two different types of books:

 1. Al-Lawh Al-Mahfoodh: The Safe Tablet, a.k.a Umm Al-Kitab: Mother of All Books 

 a. “Allâh blots out what He wills and confirms (what He wills). And with Him is the Mother of the Book (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz)” [Quran - 13:39] 

b. Every single thing is written in this book. Nothing will be changed. 

c. Other than this book, the items in other books can be affirmed or erased.

  

2. The Tablets with the Angels. There are three different tablets:

  a. The Taqdeer ‘Umari: Covering the person’s life span. The persons livelihood, life term, deeds and his status in the Hereafter (wretched or blessed) are written while in the mothers womb at an early stage of his development.

  b. The Annual Taqdeer, which occurs in the night of decree (lailatul-qadar in the month of Ramadan). “Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainment.”[Quran - 44:4]. This tablet writes who is going for hajj, who is dying etc.

  c. Daily: Taqdeer Yawmi: Allah SWT says “Whosoever in the Heavens and the Earth asks of Him (for their needs). Everyday He has a matter to bring forth.” [Quran - 55:29]

The prophet explained the above ayat, “Everyday He has a matter to bring forth“ that He may forgive a sin for someone, lifts in honor some, relief the hardship of someone, lifts in honor some and lowers some. [Ibn Maajah and Abee Aasim in As Sunnah]

 

With regard to the effect of obedience and sin on changing the divine decree, that which is in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz can never be changed.

 

The Prophet (SAW) said: “The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.”  [Narrated and classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi, from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas.]

 

 

Opinions about change in life span through upholding the ties of kinship and righteousness:

First Opinion:

As for the pages which are in the hands of the angels, Allaah SWT may command His angels to change it because of an act of worship that a Muslim does or because of a sin that he commits, but in the end it will not be anything other than that which was decreed from eternity in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz. This is indicated by the verse in which Allaah says:

 “Allaah blots out what He wills and confirms (what He wills). And with Him is the Mother of the Book (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz)”[Quran - 13:39]

 Ibn ‘Abbas (RA) explained it this way. Scholars supporting this view point include Ibn  Maswood (RA), Ibn Umar (RA), Malik ibn Dinar, Hassan al-Basri, Ibnul Qayyim and others.

 

 Second opinion:

 This refers to an increase of blessing during one’s lifetime, being guided to do good deeds and to make use of one’s times in ways that will be of benefit in the Hereafter and to make the most of his time for the sake of Allah.

 

 Third Opinion:

 Extension of life means the person will be mentioned even after his death. His name will be alive. As we talk about Imam Bukhari as if he is still living. Like was even though Imam Nawawi died in his thirties (30’s) his contributions are still effecting people. Again, the changes only happen in the tablets that are with the angels. And all these changes have already been written in the Safe Tablet.

ALLAH KNOWS THE BEST.