|
![]()
|
BELIEF IN THE DIVINE DECREE
AND
THE ATTITUDE OF A MUSLIM
Shaikh Mohammad Al Uthaymeen
Belief in the Divine Decree of Allah is one of the pillars of
faith. The faith of a servant will be incomplete unless he believes in the
Divine Decree, whether good or bad. This belief cannot be completely fulfilled
unless the servant of Allah believes in four things:
First, that Allah’s knowledge is comprehensive, for Allah has full knowledge of
everything. He knows all things, significant or insignificant, public or
private. Nothing on the earth or in the heavens is hidden from Allah.
Second, that Allah has recorded in His Preserved Tablet the decree of everything
that will occur until the Day of Resurrection, fifty thousand years before the
creation of the heavens and the earth. The Prophet (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam)
said: “The first thing which Allah created was the Pen. Then He ordered it to
write. The Pen asked ‘What should I write?’ Allah said: ‘Write down everything
that will occur until the Day of Judgment.’”
What is ordained for man will definitely befall him, and that which is not
ordained for him shall never befall him. The records have dried and the pen has
been lifted after recording the destinies of humanity and the destinies have
begun to become realised. Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, said that which
translates as: “No disaster strikes upon the earth or within yourselves except
that it is in a register [i.e., The Preserved Tablet] before we bring it into
being - indeed that, for Allah, is easy. In order that you not despair over what
has eluded you and not exult [in pride] over what He has given you. And Allah
does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.” (Al Hadeed: 22-23)
Therefore, a servant should be content with Allah’s Decree, even if it goes
against his wishes, as Allah’s Decree can never be averted. Gratification lies
in receiving the decree of Allah with contentment whilst acknowledging that all
things come from Allah and that He has the ultimate command and absolute power
over His creatures.
When a person accepts Allah as his Lord and is content with Him, he gets an
immense reward in this life and the Hereafter. If a man observes patience during
afflictions, Allah will guide his heart and give him comfort and contentment. He
will alleviate the effect of the afflictions on him due to the man’s
anticipation of Allah’s reward for his patience. On the Day of Resurrection, he
will find the reward for his patience at a time when rewards are most
desperately needed. Allah says that which translates as: “…Indeed the patient
will be given their reward without account [i.e., limit].”
Just as Allah has recorded in the Preserved Tablet, or Al-Lawh Al- Mahfoodh, the
decree of all things, He as decreed that on Laylat Al-Qadr, or the Night of
Decree, all the decrees and events for the forthcoming year are determined.
Allah, the Exalted and Glorified says that which translates as: “Therein [i.e.,
on that night] is made apportioned every precise matter.” (Ad-Dukhaan: 4)
Allah also decrees the destiny of a person whilst they are in the womb of their
mother. Hadhrat ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood narrated that Allah’s Apostle (SallAllahu
‘alaihi wasallam), the truthful and truly inspired said: “(The matter of the
creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty
days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a
piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to
write four things. He is ordered to write down his (i.e. the new creature’s)
deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be blessed or
wretched (in the Hereafter). Then the soul is breathed into him. So a man
amongst you may do (good) deeds till there is only a cubit between him and
Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behaviour and he
starts doing (evil) deeds characteristic of the people of the Hellfire. And
similarly a man amongst you may do (evil) deeds till there is only a cubit
between him and the Hellfire, and then what has been written for him decides his
behaviour, and he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise.”
According to another Hadeeth which explains the previous one, it seems that the
man, who initially performed the deeds that are characteristic of the people of
Paradise, and ended up performing the deeds that are characteristic of the
people of the Hellfire, only performed those good deeds with the intention of
showing off. He was not sincere in doing such deeds purely for the sake of
Allah. Therefore, for this reason, the conclusion of his life was terrible.
Third, that Allah’s Will prevails over all others and that His Power is far
superior to all others. Nobody can will anything except that it is within the
overall Will of Allah; the Cherisher of the Worlds. Allah has full power and
control over His affairs; but most among humanity are ignorant of this.
Fourth, that Allah is the Creator, ruler and regulator of everything that
exists. There is nothing in the universe, big or small, in motion or stationary
except that it is subject to Allah’s Will and creation. As human beings,
sometimes we can appreciate the wisdom behind some of His creations, and at
other times we cannot, but this does not have any bearing on the fact that Allah
created each and everything.
So the one among those who are patients; for these are the people who will
receive a reward without measure.
The true meaning of patience is to observe obedience to Allah and to refrain
from all those things which displease Him as well as refraining from feeling
desperation or dissatisfaction with His decree.
There is no bounty that can compare to that of patience. If one persists in
patience with regard to the obligations of Allah, it will eventually become part
of their instinct and nature. Through this patience, a person will always feel
deep satisfaction and contentment with life, and in its absence; they will
always feel dissatisfaction and discontentment. Also, those who can accustom
themselves to beware of and stay far from evil will find that this will become
inculcated into their character and form part of their natural instinct. Such
people will feel immense happiness when avoiding that which Allah dislikes and
deep sorrow when they commit sins until they are guided by Allah to sincerely
repent from them.
When a person avoids discontentment with the destiny of Allah, he becomes
satisfied with everything that Allah has destined for him; when evil afflicts
him, he observes patience which is good for him; and when he is granted
goodness, he offers praise to Allah which is also good for him.
Man is susceptible to afflictions which may affect himself, his family, his
wealth, his friends and others around him. Therefore, if he can remain patient
through these, awaiting a release from Allah, then all of these afflictions will
be reasons for the forgiveness of his sins and the elevation of his rank in the
sight of Allah. There are numerous verses in the Quraan and Ahaadeeth regarding
this. Almighty Allah says that which translates as: “And we will surely test you
with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but
give glad tidings to the patients. Who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed
we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we will return.’” (Al-Baqarah: 155-156)
The Prophet (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “No Muslim is afflicted with
harm such as disease or anything else except that Allah will cause his sins to
be removed, as a tree sheds its leaves, as a consequence.”
In another incident, he addressed a female companion saying: “Have glad tidings,
for Allah will cause the sins of a Muslim to be wiped out due to sickness just
as fire removes the impurities from iron and silver.”
He also said: “The believing man or woman will continue to be afflicted by
hardships in themselves and their families until they meet Allah with absolutely
no sins.”
On another occasion, he said: “No Muslim is afflicted with any harm, even if it
was (as minor as) the prick of a thorn, except that Allah will grant him (a
higher) rank and wipe out a sin due to this.”
He also said: “If a Muslim is afflicted by a headache or a prick of a thorn or
any other harm, Allah will elevate him on the Day of Judgement one rank and
expiate his sins due to this.”
The Prophet (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said in a Hadeeth Qudsi: “Almighty
Allah says ‘If I afflict my servant in his two dearest bounties (i.e., if his
eyes go blind) and he is patient with this, then I shall reward him with
paradise in return (for his loss).’”
He (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam) also said: “A Muslim who loses three children
before the age of puberty will be granted Paradise by Allah due to His mercy
upon the children.”
On another occasion, he addressed a group of women saying: þ“There is no woman
among you who has lost three children (i.e., that they died) except that they
will screen her from the Hellfire.”
A woman among the group asked: “O Allah’s Apostle! What if she (only) lost two
children?” Thereupon, the Prophet (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied: “Even
(if it was only) two.”
These sayings of the Prophet (SallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and many others bear
glad tidings for any Muslim and helps him to observe patience when he is
afflicted by calamities seeking the reward from Allah. Such a person is firm in
his belief that all hardships are decreed by Allah and were a result of what his
own hands earned. In this regard Almighty Allah says that which translates as:
“And whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned;
but He pardons much.” (Ash-Shuraa: 30)
Back
|
