Belief in al-Qadr (Fate)

The Saved Group-the people of the Sunnah and of the Community- believe in Qadar (Divine Decree) whether good or bad. It is the belief that everything that happens was predistined by Allah and that only He has the power to bring good fortune of bad fortune into one's life. Belief that fate has two parts, each part includes two things: The first part is belief that Allah ,The Exalted, knows what the creatures will do in accordance with His Knowledge, which He described as being of Eternity; He has known all their states of obedience and disobedience, all their sustenance and their life span.

Allah wrote in al-Lawhal-Mahfuz (the Preserved Tablet) the fate of creatures:

"The first thing He created is the pen (al-qalam), He said to it: 'Write'. It said: 'What shall I write?' He said: 'Write what will take place until the Day of Judgment.' Whatever is to strike a human being will never miss him, and whatever is to miss him will never strike him. The pens had been dried and the scrolls had been folded as Allah, The Glorified, The Exalted, said: "Did you not know that Allah knows (all) what in heaven and earth? Verily, all put down in a record. Indeed, that is very easy of Allah." (Surah al-Hajj 22:70)

And He said:

"No disaster befalls earth but it is in a record before We created it. Indeed, it is easy of Allah." (Surah al-Hadeed 57:22)

This predestination which belongs to His Knowledge--may He be Glorified--is in some places summarized and in others detailed. He has written in the Preserved Tablet whatever He has willed: When He creates the body of the fetus and before blowing the soul into it, He sends an angel to it and orders him to write four words, his livelihood, his life span, his deeds, and if he is happy or miserable and so forth. This kind of predestination was rejected by extremist Qadariyah of the past. But these days very few reject it.

The second step is the executed Will of Allah and His Inclusive Ability. The belief in that whatever Allah wills, will come to pass and whatever He does not will, will never occur, that whatever motion or silence is in heaven or earth is by the will of Allah, The Glorified. Nothing takes place in His dominion except what He wills, and He, The Glorified, The Exalted, is capable of all that exists and all that does not exist.

There is no creature on earth or in heaven except Allah The Glorified, is his Creator. There is no creator beside Him and there is no Lord other than Him.

With all that, He ordered the creatures to obey Him and His messengers, and He forbade them to disobey Him.

He, The Glorified, loves the pious, the doers of good and the just. He is pleased with those who believe and do good deeds; He does not like unbelievers; He is displeased with transgressors; He does not ordain immorality; He does not wish disbelief for His creatures; And He does not like corruption.

Creatures are the performers in reality, but Allah is the Creator of their deeds; The 'abd (human being) is the believer and the unbeliever, the righteous and the wicked, the praying and the fasting; The 'ibad (human beings) have power over their actions and they have their own will; But Allah is their Creator and the Creator of their power and their will, as He, The Exalted, has said:

"To whomever of you wills it, follow the Straight Path. You have no will unless Allah ,The Lord of the Universe, so wills." (Surah at-Takwir 81:28-29)

This degree of predestination is rejected by most of the Qadariyah - those whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) called the Fire Worshipers (Majus) of this Ummah (Islam). Others who affirm this Attribute of Allah exaggerate it to the extent of stripping the human being of his power and his choice, taking the wisdom and advantage from Allah's acts and rules.