Issues of Divine Decree and Fate

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that if Allah wills good for any of His believing servants, He afflicts him in himself and his property and family, as affliction makes a believer resort to Allah Almighty and turn to Him in supplication, which causes his sins to be eliminated and his rank elevated.

1. The believer is subject to all kinds of afflictions.
2. Affliction may signify Allah's love for His servant to raise his degree, elevate his rank, and expiate for his sin.
3. The Hadīth urges us to be patient during disasters and avoid impatience.

صحيح البخاري (7/ 115) (5645). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 509). بهجة الناظرين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 98). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص45). نزهة المتقين، مجموعة من المشايخ (1/ 71). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (1/ 244). مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، لعلي القاري (3/ 1127).

Abu Burdah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that his father, Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him), got severely sick and lost consciousness. His head was in the lap of a woman from his family, so she screamed and wailed, but he could not respond to her because of being unconscious. When he regained his consciousness, he said that: He dissociates himself from whoever the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) dissociated himself from, and he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) dissociated himself from the: Sāliqah: a woman who raises her voice in wailing upon calamity. Hāliqah: a woman who shaves her hair upon calamity. Shāqqah: a woman who tears her garment upon calamity. This is because they are from the practices of the pre-Islamic era of ignorance. Instead, one is commanded to be patient in times of calamity and to seek reward from Allah for it.

1. Tearing the clothes, shaving the hair, and raising the voice in wailing when calamities strike are prohibited and are considered major sins.
2. Grief and crying, without wailing and raising the voice, are not forbidden, as they do not contradict patience with the decree of Allah; rather, they are a form of mercy.
3. It is prohibited to express discontent with Allah's painful decrees through speech or actions.
4. Patience is obligatory in times of calamity.

صحيح البخاري (2/ 81) (1296). صحيح مسلم (1/ 100) (104). تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لعبد الله البسام (ص287). تنبيه الأفهام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لابن عثيمين (2/ 371).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarifies that the believer is good from all aspects; however, the believer who is strong in his faith, resolve, property, and other aspects of strength is better and dearer to Allah Almighty than the weak believer. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised the believer to utilize the available means in what brings him benefit in his worldly affairs and the affairs of the Hereafter, along with depending upon Allah Almighty, seeking His help, and relying upon Him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), then, forbids inability, indolence, and slackness in doing what brings benefit in both abodes. If the believer works hard and utilizes the available means while seeking Allah's help and asking Him for goodness, then he should do nothing but entrust all of his affairs to Allah while knowing that Allah's choice is the best. If some calamity befalls him after that, he should not say: "Had I done such-and-such, it would have been such-and-such." "Indeed, 'if' opens the way before the devil to act" in objecting to the divine decree and lamenting what has been missed. Instead, one should submissively and contentedly say: "Allah has decreed, and whatever He wills, He does." Everything happens in compliance with Allah's will, as He does what He wants and nothing can repel His predestination or reverse His decree.

1. People vary in faith.
2. Strength in deeds is recommended because it results in benefits that cannot be attained through weakness.
3. Man must adhere to what brings him benefit and avoid what brings him no benefit.
4. The believer must seek help from Allah in all his affairs and not depend on himself.
5. Establishing the divine decree and predestination and the fact that it does not contradict the pursuit of means and the endeavor to achieve good things.
6. It is prohibited to say "if" during calamities by way of indignation or objection to Allah's decree and predestination.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 2052) (2664). توضيح الأحكام من بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله البسام (7/ 492). منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله الفوزان (10/ 338). فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام، لابن عثيمين (6/ 430).

If a plague or epidemic breaks out in a part of the world that the person is not in, then it is not permissible for him to enter that plagued land so as to protect his health and the health of others. If the plague breaks out in a land that he is already in, then it is not permissible for him to leave that land, and he should be patient and accept whatever Allah decrees for him to receive the due reward for that.

- صحيح البخاري ،للإمام محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، عناية محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة الأولى، 1422هـ. - صحيح مسلم؛ للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار عالم الكتب-الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ. - كنوز رياض الصالحين»،لحمد بن ناصر العمار،دار كنوز إشبيليا- الطبعة الأولى1430ه. - شرح رياض الصالحين؛ للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن، الرياض، 1426هـ. - منار القاري شرح مختصر صحيح البخاري تأليف- حمزة محمد قاسم مكتبة دار البيان، دمشق - الجمهورية العربية السورية، مكتبة المؤيد، الطائف - المملكة العربية السعودية-1410 هـ - 1990 م. -دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين/محمد علي بن محمد بن علان البكري -اعتنى بها: خليل مأمون شيحا- دار المعرفة للطباعة والنشر والتوزيع، بيروت – لبنان- الطبعة: الرابعة، 1425 هـ - 2004 م. - بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين؛ تأليف سليم بن عيد الهلالي، دار ابن الجوزي- الطبعة الأولى1418ه. - نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين؛ تأليف د. مصطفى الخِن وغيره، مؤسسة الرسالة-بيروت، الطبعة الرابعة عشرة، 1407هـ.

‘Abdullāh ibn Fayrūz Ad-Daylami (may Allah have mercy upon him) said that he had some doubts about predestination and feared that he would end up denying it. Therefore, he asked some scholars from among the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about it in order to solve this problem. This shows that a believer ought to ask scholars about things that are confusing him, as Allah, the Almighty, says: {So ask the people of the message [i.e., former scriptures] if you do not know} [Sūrat An-Nahl: 43]. All the scholars told him that he must believe in the Divine Decree and predestination. They also told him that spending a great amount of wealth would not be accepted from anyone who does not believe in predestination, and that anyone who dies without believing in it will be one of the denizens of the Hellfire.

- سنن أبي داود, أبو داود سليمان بن الأشعث الأزدي السِّجِسْتاني, المحقق: محمد محيي الدين عبد الحميد, المكتبة العصرية، صيدا – بيروت. - سنن ابن ماجه, ابن ماجه أبو عبد الله محمد بن يزيد القزويني، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي, الناشر: دار إحياء الكتب العربية - فيصل عيسى البابي الحلبي. - مسند الإمام أحمد بن حنبل، تحقيق: شعيب الأرنؤوط - عادل مرشد، وآخرون، نشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة: الأولى، 1421هـ - 2001م. - مشكاة المصابيح، تأليف: محمد بن عبد الله، التبريزي، تحقيق : محمد ناصر الدين الألباني، الناشر: المكتب الإسلامي، الطبعة: الثالثة، 1985م. - الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، دار العاصمة الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ- 2001م. - الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، مكتبة السوادي، جدة، المملكة العربية السعودية، الطبعة: الخامسة، 1424هـ/2003م.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to take a vow from the female companions when giving him the pledge of allegiance, that they should not disobey him. He forbade them, for instance, from scratching their faces or slapping their cheeks; from wailing which is prohibited; from tearing their clothes; and from disheveling and tearing up their hair. All these acts are forbidden to be done when calamities occur.

نزهة المتقين، تأليف: جمعٌ من المشايخ، الناشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة الأولى: 1397 هـ الطبعة الرابعة عشر 1407هـ. كنوز رياض الصالحين، تأليف: حمد بن ناصر بن العمار، الناشر: دار كنوز أشبيليا، الطبعة الأولى: 1430هـ. بهجة الناظرين، تأليف: سليم بن عيد الهلالي، الناشر: دار ابن الجوزي، سنة النشر: 1418هـ- 1997م. سنن أبي داود، تأليف: سليمان بن الأشعث السِّجِسْتاني، تحقيق: محمد محيي الدين عبد الحميد، الناشر: المكتبة العصرية، صيدا. صحيح الترغيب والترهيب، تأليف: محمد ناصر الدين الألباني، الناشر: مكتبة المعارف، الطبعة: الخامسة. رياض الصالحين، تأليف: محيي الدين يحيى بن شرف النووي ، تحقيق: د. ماهر بن ياسين الفحل، الطبعة: الأولى، 1428هـ.

When Allah created Adam, He wiped his back and all his human offspring that Allah would create until the Day of Judgment came out of his back. This wiping and coming out should be understood literally, and it is not permissible to interpret it beyond the apparent meaning, as this is the methodology of Ahl As-Sunnah. When Allah took them out of his back, He placed a glimmering light between each person's eyes, then he showed them to Adam. Adam said: "O my Lord, who are these?" Allah, the Almighty, said: "They are your offspring." He saw a man among them whose light between his eyes amazed him, so he said: "O my Lord, who is this?" Allah, the Almighty, said: "He is Dawūd." Adam said: "My Lord, how long would he live?" He said: "Sixty years." Adam said: "My Lord, add forty years from my lifespan to his." When Adam had lived all his lifespan minus forty years, the angel of death came to him to take his soul. Adam said: "There are forty years remaining in my life." He said to him: "You gave them to your son Dawūd." Adam denied it because that was in the unknown world of progenies, and he did not remember it upon arrival of the angel of death. As a result, his offspring also denied. Likewise, Adam forgot, so his offspring forget; Adam disobeyed, so his offspring disobey, because the child resembles his father. Dawūd's lifespan was forty years and Allah made it sixty. Allah, may He be glorified, is All-Knowing of what happened, what will happen, and what did not happen if it happened how it would be. He knows what He wrote for him and what increase He would grant him later. The angels have no knowledge except what Allah informs them. Allah knows things before they happen and after they happen. For this reason, scholars said that erasing and affirming occur in the sheets of the angels; but knowledge of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, never changes, nor does He become aware of anything He does not know before. Therefore, there is no erasing or affirmation in His knowledge.

سنن الترمذي، نشر: شركة مكتبة ومطبعة مصطفى البابي الحلبي – مصر، الطبعة: الثانية، 1395هـ - 1975م. صحيح الجامع الصغير وزياداته، للألباني، نشر: المكتب الإسلامي. المصباح المنير في غريب الشرح الكبير، لأحمد بن محمد بن علي الفيومي، الناشر: المكتبة العلمية – بيروت. مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، لعلي بن سلطان الملا الهروي القاري، الناشر: دار الفكر، بيروت – لبنان، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ - 2002م. مجموع الفتاوى، لتقي الدين أحمد بن عبد الحليم بن تيمية الحراني، المحقق: عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن قاسم، الناشر: مجمع الملك فهد لطباعة المصحف الشريف، المدينة النبوية، المملكة العربية السعودية، عام النشر: 1416هـ/1995م. صفات الله عز وجل الواردة في الكتاب والسنة- علوي بن عبد القادر السَّقَّاف- الناشر: الدرر السنية - دار الهجرة-الطبعة: الثالثة، 1426 هـ - 2006م. قصص الأنبياء-أبو الفداء إسماعيل بن عمر بن كثير -تحقيق: مصطفى عبد الواحد -الناشر: مطبعة دار التأليف - القاهرة-الطبعة: الأولى، 1388 هـ - 1968 م.

When Allah, the Exalted, intends for one of His slaves to die in a particular land other than the one he is in, He gives him a reason to go there. So when he goes to fulfill his need in that land, Allah, the Exalted, takes his soul. Anything Allah, Glorified and Exalted, decreed and wrote must happen exactly as He decreed it. This is a part of believing in the Divine Decree and Preordainment.

سنن الترمذي، محمد بن عيسى الترمذي، تحقيق وتعليق: أحمد محمد شاكر، ومحمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، وإبراهيم عطوة عوض، شركة مكتبة ومطبعة مصطفى البابي الحلبي، مصر، الطبعة: الثانية، 1395هـ، 1975م. مسند الإمام أحمد بن حنبل، أحمد بن حنبل أبو عبدالله الشيباني، تحقيق: شعيب الأرنؤوط و عادل مرشد، وآخرون، تحت إشراف: عبد الله بن عبد المحسن التركي، مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة: الأولى1421هـ. مسند أبي داود الطيالسي، أبو داود سليمان بن داود الطيالسي، تحقيق: محمد بن عبد المحسن التركي، الناشر: دار هجر، مصر، الطبعة: الأولى، 1419هـ، 1999م. سلسلة الأحاديث الصحيحة وشيء من فقهها وفوائدها، محمد ناصر الدين الألباني، مكتبة المعارف للنشر والتوزيع، الرياض، الطبعة الأولى لمكتبة المعارف، 1422هـ. الصحاح تاج اللغة وصحاح العربية، إسماعيل بن حماد الجوهري الفارابي، تحقيق: أحمد عبد الغفور عطار، دار العلم للملايين، بيروت، الطبعة: الرابعة 1407هـ، 1987م. فيض القدير شرح الجامع الصغير، زين الدين محمد عبد الرؤوف المناوي، المكتبة التجارية الكبرى، مصر، الطبعة: الأولى 1356هـ.