Predestination

Predestination, in theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, usually with reference to the eventual fate of the individual soul. Explanations of predestination often seek to address the "paradox of free will", whereby God's omniscience seems incompatible with human free will. In this usage, predestination can be regarded as a form of religious determinism; and usually predeterminism.

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Death . God (Allah) . Predestination

Can a person die as a result of someone else’s mistake, even though Allah knows everything about our birth and death? Is it predetermined that their death could occur due to another person's error?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

Yes. It can be full or part of the reason if the death which is pre determined on every one.

'Wassalam.

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Predestination . Surah . Destiny . Sunni-Shi'a . Qur'an . God (Allah) . Meaning

What does Surah 65:3 in the Quran imply when it states that Allah has predetermined the destiny of everything, even though as Shia we don't believe in predestination?

Predestination is everything in life which is out of our will or control like our creation, our birth place,v our family,our skin color, or height, our eyes color , our body functioning etc. every predestined matter is never part of our our responsibility. Our faith and deeds are our responsibility and every one with be questioned about his faith and deeds. Allah (ASWT) Says in Quran :And stop them, verily they will be questioned. Sura Saffar, verse 24.

Sura 65:3 says that everything created by Allah has a discipline and order. It never says that our deeds are destined or I forced in us. Allah Says in Quran ( We Have guided him ( human being) the way, and he decides to be grateful of disgraceful) Sura Al-Insaan, verse 3.

Wassalam.

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Predestination . Fate . God (Allah)

How can we reconcile the concept of free will with the idea of predestination and fate, where all our choices are already known by God before we are even born?

We should not mix between free will which covers our behaviour and destiny which covers other sides of our life which are out of our choice. Everything which out of our choice like our parents, our place of birth, our gender, our ethnic background , our skin color, our language, our body etc are destined, hence no question will be raised on any destined matter. Our faith and acts and morals are not destined on us but left to us to chose and decide, that is why we are fully responsible of our faith, acts and morals.

Wassalam.

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Parents . Education . Predestination . Marriage

My parents are forcing me to get married to someone I don't want to marry. They say they will no longer pay for my education if I don't get married. What should I do?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 2 years ago

Bismihi ta'ala

Your parents cannot force you to marry anyone. Islamically, it will not be a valid nikah marriage as well.

If they are threatening you with such things like not funding your education, then let it be, but you should not give in to marrying someone you do not wish to marry.

Speak to an elder in your family, or your local scholar, so they are able to address this with your parents, as long as you are safe. If you feel unsafe, then you must make measures to secure your safety.

This kind of behaviour from parents is completely unacceptable, oppressive, and anyone around you who knows of it must help you.

With prayers for your success.

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Marriage . God (Allah) . Du'a (Supplication) . Predestination

If everything is already written in our Naseeb by Allah (swt) who made us in pairs then why should we make any Dua about finding a good marriage partner?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 4 years ago

By making us in pairs, the Qur'an is saying that we are pair-able, not that we are specifically created for one other person.

Some people marry many times, some marry none, the Prophet had quite a few wives, so it isn't appropriate to say there is a single pair that is written.

Predestination and free will is a blurry area. Perhaps sometimes marriage is predestined and sometimes it isn't.

In any case, it is wrong to say that it is wholly written because there is at least the appearance of free will when we choose to marry someone or not to marry someone.

Sometimes the argument that marriage is predestined is used to justify other wrongs such as cultural taboos on marriage or wrong reasons for rejecting someone.

Also, our understanding of destiny is that there are two types of destiny, things that are absolutely fixed and things that are changeable. So even if we are destined to marry someone, we don't know for sure whether this is fixed or changeable. Allah, as the all-powerful, has the option to change destiny in any way. Prayer is said to change destiny.

Plus it is always good manners to pray to Allah and acknowledge Allah as the source of all things.

So it is always good to pray!

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Marriage . Laylat al-Qadr . Predestination . Du'a (Supplication) . God (Allah)

Is there such a thing as Qadr for marriage where it is predestined who one will get married to? Can I make Dua to get married to a specific person and can I tell Allah to make that person good for me?

Predestined matters are things which human beings have no option at all in it e.g. your parents, your place of birth, your skin color, your height etc.

Marriage is not predestined because it must have your own option and approval not be valid. Man and woman choose and decide whom they marry and accordingly they meet the results of their own decision.

You can pray to Allah (SWT) to make a specific person good for being your spouse. Allah (SWT) knows everything including the unseen and the future, and He grants whatever is good according to the reality and not necessarily as we think and imagine. Many things we wish and seek from Allah, can be harmful in the future, that is we should always submit to the Will, Wisdom and Mercy of Allah in seeking from Him. We should seek from Him to grant us whatever He knows good for us, not what we think good.

Wassalam

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Ibn Muljam . Imam Husayn . Yazid b. Mu'awiya . Predestination

Was it written for Ibn Muljam to kill Imam Ali and Imam Hussain to be killed by the order of Yazid in Karbala since both events were foretold by Prophet Muhammad (s)? Should we believe that a person may die prematurely?

We need first to define the meaning of Premature death. Because no one dies before his time. That does not mean that every death is Natural. Those who are killed have died in their own time of death. Those who died as victims of a crime of killing, died in their own time of death. We differ with some Non-Muslims who claim that there is a Premature death which means as they claim, that a person who is killed has died before his time of death. They Think that the age which is for certain age group is the maturity for death. Anyone dies before that maturity age as they claim has died Prematurely. This is their own opinion which does not come along with what we read in Quran and Authentic Hadeeths. “Wa Ma Kana Le Nafsin An Tamouta Ella Bi ‘ithnillah Kitaaban Mo’ajjala” ( 3:145)– No one dies but only by permission of Allah, according to written time”
The way of dying can be Natural, and can be a Crime, and can be any other way. Time is written by Allah on everyone from us. Prophet Yahya (AS) was killed by a tyrant of His time instigated by a bad woman from Bani Israeel. Allah knew that such crime will happen, but the knowledge of Allah about a Crime which is to take place does not mean that Allah has permitted the killing. Allah (SWT) informed the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and His Holy Progeny) that His grandson Hussain will be killed in Karbala. Also informed him that Ameerul Mo'mineen Ali (A.S.) will be killed by Ibne Muljim in Kufa. That does not mean that Allah has permitted the Crime at all.
Wassalam.

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Husband . Hereafter . Predestination

It is mentioned in Quran that the living creatures are created in pairs. Does that mean marrying my husband was predefined and that I will be reunited with the same person in the hereafter?

The general understanding of this verse is that things are generally created in pairs (for instance, positive and negative, matter and antimatter, light and dark, or male and female), and that one of the signs of Allah is that human beings marry and form a pair in order to become more whole than they would be individually.

However, it is not usually taken to mean that all human beings are specifically created with a soulmate or "pair" whom they marry in this world. Indeed, some people have more than one happy marriage in their lifetimes; others are miserable in their marriages!

Marriage can be destined and can be a matter of free choice; matters of destiny are not usually clear. Some people misuse the idea of destiny and marriage to cover up socially unjust practices (for instance, not allowing their children to marry someone of a certain race, culture, family, or profession) and then saying these restrictions are "destiny". At the same time, it does seem that sometimes some people are destined to be together or destined not to be together.

However if you are happy with your husband, I hope you will be able to be together in the Hereafter!

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God (Allah) . Dunya . Predestination

If Allah has sent us to the world to live without asking our permission, isn't He forcing us to live our lives in roles that we might not want to?

Our existence itself is a great bounty from Allah who created us, out of His Mercy and Grace on us. He created us after we were nothing ( Has here not been over man a time, when he was not a thing worth mentioning?) (Sura 76, Verse 1).

He provided us not only with life but also with all what require to live a decent life e.g. He gifted us with the intellect and reason and ability to listen, see, and distinguish good from bad. He gifted us will all sense which make us enjoy our life and be away from danger. He showed us the best way to live our life with harmony and peace between ourselves and our desires and wishes, and between ourselves and our Creator, and between ourselves and the Universe.

What ever bounty we have is from Him, and what ever suffering we may have is from ourselves.(Whatever good reaches you is from Allah, and whatever bad comes to ou is from yourself). (Sura 4, Verse 79).

He guided us to live in the best way away from evil and sinful desires. Those who follow the way of Allah (SWT) enjoy life in the best way as that achieve the Peace of Mind and Tranquility which is lost in he life of millions who are away from Allah.

We are unable to thank Him enough but when we try to thank Allah for His countless bounties, we feel the taste of life and feel more peace in our hearts.

Wassalam.

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God (Allah) . Predestination

How do we understand the idea that whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He misguides none can guide? Why would Allah not want somebody to get on the right path?

Allah guides every one who wants to be guided, and when Allah guides some one, no one will be able to misguide him.

Those who reject and insist on rejecting the truth, will leave them to themselves with out guidance from Allah, because they insisted on rejecting. This is the meaning of misguiding. Allah does not misguide any one, but leaves the tyrant sinners with out guiding as they have insisted on rejecting His guidance, and that situation of leaving them to themselves is called misguiding. It means leaving them to what they wanted , with out guidance of Allah.

Such tyrant sinners will never be guided unless they change their minds and selves.

Wassalam.

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Free Will . Predestination

If Allah can guide whom He pleases and lead astray whom He pleases then how do we have free will?

When Allah says that He will guide whom He wills, it reminds us to be humble. We cannot consciously choose guidance in the same way that we might go to a shop and buy bread. Nor do we deserve it automatically.

Rather, guidance - like faith, wisdom, and other intangibles - is a gift bestowed upon us by the divine, and is something we should be grateful for, rather than arrogantly thinking that we determined it on our own.

However, these intangibles - like guidance, faith, and wisdom - are not bestowed on people randomly. They are similar to plants growing from a seed. A person can prepare the ground, plant the seed, water the plant, and so on, but after they have done everything they can, all they can do is pray that the plant will grow well. However, that person will have a much better chance of the plant growing than someone who simply throws a seed on the ground in the desert and ignores it.

Similarly, we can prepare the ground of our hearts to receive guidance, etc, by sincerely seeking the truth; acting honestly, genuinely, and humbly; putting forth eforts to seek knowledge, and the like. Thus we "earn" guidance - but, of course, we are reminded that we cannot force it through our actions.

Conversely, some people disqualify themselves from guidance by indulging in evil, destroying their souls, being arrogant, or doing other things which seal their hearts. They would not benefit from the guidance even if a tablet descended to them from the heavens because they are not ready to receive it.

Allah is just, merciful, and all-knowing and would not deprive someone of guidance unjustly.

It is an excellent question to ponder however!

You can find more discussions of this question in the tafsir of the relevant ayat.

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Prophets . God (Allah) . Predestination

Were Prophets predestined by God to be so, or were they chosen conditional on their own merit? And has it been possible for ordinary people to reach the level of Prophets? If not, how is that fair?

Prophets were selected by Allah The Glorious, according to His Absolute Knowledge about every thing including the future of every creature. He knows who will be among all humans the most humble and who will not commit sins and who will be suitable to guide people. All Prophets were ordinary persons but Allah selected them because of the top piousness from all people to guide people. (Aal Imran: 33).

Wassalam