1. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims
  2. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

7 Questions

Is Takdir or fate changeable? If so, how can we change our destiny?
Amina Inloes

It is really difficult for us human beings to know what aspects of fate are unchangeable and which are changeable as this knowledge belongs to Allah. However, hadith say that some unwanted things which are fated can be changed by prayer (du'a) or good acts (such as charity). God knows best.

Here are some thoughts on that: https://www.al-islam.org/ask/can-dua-change-your-taqdeer-and-fate
Is the person you marry due to fate or free will? I know it is our own choice but is Allah involved in that process and in what way? How do we relate it to the many verses in the Quran that speak about us being created in pairs?
Zoheir Ali Esmail

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. For many issues of fate and free will, it is useful to see the circumstances as fate and the choices we make as being of our own volition. That is that we cannot control the time we are born in, the circumstances we are brought up in, the country we live in, and so on, and as such the person we marry will be connected to these circumstances in some way and we cannot control that. On the other hand, the choice of who we marry is our own, even if God has pre-eternal knowledge of that choice, and has put us in the best situation. It is important for us to truly make choices for ourselves as that is what meaningful free will is. 

As for the verses speaking about the humans being created in pairs, this is to do with the human race as a whole (i.e there being males and females) rather than as soul mates. As you are aware Islam allows for polygyny as well as multiple temporary and permanent marriages depending on which marriages work out and for what purpose they are contracted. The concept of soul mates is somewhat alien to the Islamic perspective on marriage as far as I am aware.

May you always be successful
Can Du'a change your Taqdeer and fate?
Amina Inloes

Yes, of course.

It is narrated that the Prophet (S) said, "Nothing wards off fate except supplication."

It is narrated that Imam al-Kazim (A) said, "I urge you to supplicate, for verily supplication to Allah and seeking from Allah repels calamity which may have been destined and decreed with just the execution remaining, so if Allah is supplicated and is asked to avert a calamity, it is averted."

The Qur'an also strongly encourages us to call to God and seek what we want or need from Him.

Also, certain acts, such as giving charity, can change aspects of our fate that have been decreed.

Of course, sometimes Allah does not grant our requests, out of His wisdom or as part of a greater plan.

There are some things in our fate that are fixed and unchangeable, and some things that are changeable; we don't know which are which, so we can do du'a regarding all of them, and leave the response to Allah.