Belief in Al-Qadar (Divine Pre-Ordainment)

The Definition of Al-Qadar:

What Allah decrees for all in existence, based on what has preceded in terms of His Knowledge and in accordance with His Wisdom.

Belief in Al-Qadar is the sixth pillar of faith: when Jibril (Alayhi Salam), asked the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) about Iman, he (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) answered:

To believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in divine Preordainment, both the good and bad of it.

Belief in Al-Qadar means believing with certainty that all that happens - good and bad - occurs according to Allah's divine Preordainment and Decree. Allah Almighty says:

No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but is in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz), before
bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah. In order that you may not be sad over matters that you fail to get, nor rejoice because of that which has been given to you. And Allah likes not prideful boasters. (Surah Al-Hadid 57: 22-23)

This verse indicates that all events in existence, and in the souls of men - both the good and bad of it - are divinely preordained by Allah and were written before the creation was created. Therefore one should not grieve for not having something he loves, nor should he rejoice over getting that which he wants.

Zaid bin Thabit (Radhi Allahu Anhu) narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) say:

If Allah were to punish the inhabitants of the heavens and the inhabitants of earth, He would not be doing them wrong by punishing them. And were He to have mercy on them, His mercy would be better than their deeds. And were you to have gold equal to Mount Uhud, or almost equal to Mount Uhud, and then you spent it in the way of Allah, He would not accept it from you until you believed in divine Preordainment - until you know that what befalls you wasn't meant to miss you, and that what misses you wasn't meant to strike you. If you die upon other than this (belief), you will enter the Hellfire. (Recorded by Imam Ahmad)

Everything that Allah decrees is by His Wisdom and Knowledge. He doesn't create pure evil in the sense that no good or benefit will result from that evil; therefore evil is not ascribed to Him in the sense that it is evil; rather, it comes under the general reality that Allah created all things. Justice, Wisdom, and Mercy - these are some of Allah's Qualities that we infer from His divine Decree. Allah is categorically perfect and complete, for He says:

Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allah, but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself. (Surah An-Nisa’ 4: 79)

The meaning of this verse is that whatever blessings and good things happen to man, then it is from Allah; and whatever evil befalls him, then it is because of his own evil deeds and sins. No one can flee from the divine Decree or from that which is decreed. Allah created His creatures; nothing occurs in His dominion except what He wishes, and He is not pleased with disbelief for His creatures. But Allah granted them the ability to choose: man's actions occur by his ability and will, yet Allah guides whomsoever He wishes by His Mercy, and He misguides whomsoever He wills by His Wisdom. And He is not asked about what He does, but they (mankind) will be asked.



There are four levels of belief in Al-Qadar:

1) Knowledge

Which means that we believe in Allah's Knowledge: that He knows all things and that His Knowledge encompasses all things. Even something as small as an ant - whether it is in the heavens or in the earth - is not hidden from His Knowledge. He indeed knew the entire creation before He even created them; He knew every situation they were in, regardless of whether it is something open or hidden. There are many proofs to support this - these are a few:

a) Allah Almighty says:



b) Allah Almighty says:

And with Him are the keys of the Ghaib (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in (or on) the earth and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but he knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record. (Surah Al-An’am 6: 59)


c) Ibn 'Abbas (Radhi Allahu Anhuma), said that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) was asked regarding those children (who die before they become adults) whose parents are disbelievers, and the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) answered:

Allah knows best what their deeds would be when He created them. (Recorded by Muslim)

Allah has knowledge of all things that are present and hidden, those have taken place and those that have not taken place; He even knows those things that haven't taken place, and how they would be were they to take place. There are many proofs that clearly indicate His All-Embracing Knowledge.

2) The Writing

We believe that Allah wrote the decrees regarding His creation in A1- Lawh Al-Mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet); nothing is left out of that record. The proofs for this level are many indeed, and here are some of them:

a) Allah Almighty says:

Know you not that Allah knows all that is in heaven and on earth? Verily, it is (all) in the Book (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz). Verily! That is easy for Allah. (Surah Al-Hajj 22: 70)

b) In a Hadith related by 'Ubadah bin Samit (Radhi Allahu Anhu), the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

The first thing that Allah created was the Pen. Then He said to it, "Write." The Pen said, ''What shall I write?" He said, "Write what will be and what will take place until the Hour arrives." (Recorded by Imam Ahmad)

The previous proofs clearly show that Allah wrote all things before creating the creation; He left nothing out of the Book - and that is easy for the One from Whom nothing is hidden.


3) His Will

We believe that Allah's Will is executed and that His Ability is All Embracing; whatever Allah wills to happen, necessarily occurs; whatever He doesn't will, does not occur. The proofs that establish this level of belief are many, from them are the following:

a) Allah Almighty says:

And you will not (will), unless (it be) that Allah wills, the Lord of all that exists. (Surah At-Takwir 81:29)

b) Allah Almighty says:

Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "Be" - and it is. (Surah Ya-Sin 36:82)


c) Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded that Mu'awiyah bin Abi Sufyan (Radhi Allahu Anhu) related that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

Whoever Allah wants good for, He makes him knowledgeable in the religion.

These evidences prove that Allah's Will is manifest over all things, everything that happens in the universe happens by Allah's Will, for He is the sole Creator, King, Planner, and Sustainer of the universe. Nothing occurs in His dominion that He doesn't wish: His Decree cannot be prevented and there is none to counter His Ruling. Whatever Allah doesn't will, then it doesn't happen, because He doesn't will for it to happen, not because of a lack of ability. There is nothing that escapes Allah:

Allah is not such that anything in the heavens or in the earth escapes Him. Verily, He is All-Knowing, All-Capable. (Surah Fatir 35:44)


4) The Creation

We must believe that Allah created everything, there is no creator or Lord other than Him. The following two proofs support this belief:

a) Allah Almighty says:

Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Wakil (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian, etc.) over all things. (Surah Az-Zumar 39: 62)

b) The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

Indeed, Allah is the Creator of all makers and that which they make.

These two proofs plainly show that Allah decreed and created all things and that He encompasses all things with His care and protection. He created all things without having a previous example to base their creation upon. He granted some of His creation both ability and action; He is the Creator of the doer and his action; He is the All-Knowing and the Creator of all things.



To continue Insha Allah

The Effects of Iman on the Individual and on Society

Iman or faith, with all of its pillars makes up one complete unit, meaning that each component is related to the other, and no single component is sufficient in itself, it needs all of the other components as well. Believing in all of the pillars of Iman results in having Iman in each of the individual pillars, so in reality, they cannot be separated from one another. The same can be said for its effects on the individual and on society, for the individual is the first brick from which society is comprised. The Messages were addressed to individuals because if they are upright, the society becomes upright. Here are some of the effects of Iman:

1) Belief in Allah Almighty is life for the hearts; it strengthens hearts as they climb to levels of completeness. Iman encourages man to take on good and noble characteristics, to stay away from evil and base characteristics, for Allah Almighty says:

Is he who was dead (without faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and faith) and set for him a light (of faith) whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out? Thus it is made fair-seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to. (Surah Al-An’am 6: 122)


2) Because Iman conforms to the inborn nature of man, it is the source of comfort and peace for individuals; meanwhile, it is also the source of bliss and happiness for society: it strengthens the ties of one member of society to another. With faith in one's heart, one is satisfied and contented in all situations - when he is rich or poor, when he is in comfort or difficulty, when he is happy or sad, but only because he believes in Allah's divine Preordainment and Wisdom, for Allah Almighty says:

And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know. (Surah Al-Baqarah 2: 216)

Imam Muslim recorded that Suhaib (Radhi Allahu Anhu), narrated that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

Wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affair in its entirety is good, and that is for no one except the believer. If a good thing befalls him, he is thankful, and that is good for him; if a harmful thing befalls him, he is patient, and that is good for him.

The believer who has these qualities feels tranquility in his heart and calmness in his limbs and soul; those qualities fill his life with happiness and peace, and thus he becomes serene with Allah's mercy and justice, serene because Allah is his sanctuary that he seeks refuge in.

3) With Iman, souls are purified and cleansed; this means that faith purifies souls from false beliefs and delusions, thus making the soul pure by what it believes in. When souls truly believe and feel that Allah created them and that He guarantees their provision, the chains are broken that make one fear and hope from creation, regardless of whether it is a real man that one fears or an illusion in the mind. Therefore one ceases to believe that planets, stars, trees, rocks, graves, or the dead can cause harm or bring benefit. One then clings to the truth, leaving all else. When many people have such faith, they will become united in their goal and objective, and they will no longer have motives to compete or fight with other members of that group.


4) Strength and honor abound when people believe that this world is a planting-ground for the Hereafter, as Allah Almighty says:

And perform As-Sa/at and give Zakat, and whatever of good you send forth for yourselves before you, you shall find it with Allah. Certainly, Allah is All-Seer of what you do. (Surah Al-Baqarah 2: 110)

And Allah Almighty says:

So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it. ( Surah Az-Zalzalah 99:7-8)

One who has true Iman believes that whatever he missed out on in life was not meant for him and that whatever he did achieve was meant for him all along. With such a belief, one has no reason to fear, and so one stays away from humiliating or debasing himself. When we understand the points just men¬tioned, we should plainly see how the Muslim nation advanced as prodigiously as it did at the hands of the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) and his Companions (Radhi Allahu Anhum). The strength and power of all of the earth cannot stand before those whose hearts are filled with faith, those who are righteous because they know that Allah is aware of all of their deeds, those whose goal is the Hereafter; just as we should appreciate how individual Prophets stood, challenging their people, without worrying about their great numbers and power. Two wonderful examples of the great power of faith are Ibrahim and Hud (Alayhuma Salam)


5) When one believes in a life after this life, and when one believes that he will be rewarded for his deeds, he will feel that his life has a noble purpose, a feeling that will urge him on in performing good deeds, in having good manners, and in staying away from sins. His goal is to develop himself into a noble individual, his community into a prosperous society, and his people into a productive nation.


6) When one has a correct belief in Allah's divine Preordainment, a belief that includes knowledge in causes and their effects, one will strive and work hard in his life; moreover, one will realize the many virtues of good works. One will also appreciate that when Allah grants guidance and success to one of His worshippers, that worshipper will take all the appropriate steps to reach his goal, without allowing hopelessness to find a way into his heart when he misses out on something, and without allowing pride or haughtiness to find a way into his heart if he achieves something in this world. For Allah Almighty says:

No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz), before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah. In order that you may not be sad over matters that you fail to get, nor rejoice because of that which has been given to you. And Allah likes not prideful boasters. (Surah Al-Hadid 57: 22-23)