Islams Reformers

âyat of the sûrat al-Hadîd says, “Everything that would happen in
the world was written in Lawh al-mahfûz and predestined in
eternity before the world was created. We tell this to you so that
you would not be sorry for the opportunities you have missed, nor
should you feel arrogant for your good deeds and for the blessings
Allâhu ta’âlâ has given you. Allâhu ta’âlâ dislikes the arrogant.”
This âyat shows that a person who believes in qadâ and qadar will
never fall into despair, hopelessness or self-esteem. Belief in qadâ’
and qadar does not prevent man from working. It encourages him
to work. The hadîth, “Work! Everybody will find himself attracted
to what has been predestined from him,” tells that man’s work will
show how qadâ’ and qadar will happen, that there is a strong
relation between work and qadâ’ and qadar. A man’s working for
goodness shows that goodness has been predestined in eternity for
him, since everybody is attracted towards doing the actions which
have been predestined for him in eternity.
As it is an obligation for Muslims to believe in qadâ’ and qadar
and to know that all the good and evils are from Allâhu ta’âlâ, so
it is their duty to do good and strive to abstain from bad behaviour.
That Allâhu ta’âlâ knows how something will happen before it
happens or that He destines and decrees according to this
knowledge of His is not a compulsion over man. Because He knew
in eternity also how man would use his will and option. This
knowledge or predestination is not contrary to the wish and will of
men. Allah’s knowing in eternity does not influence the happening
or not happening of actions. “Knowledge is dependent upon the
known,” has been said in order to show that knowledge would not
affect actions.
A person does some good or bad thing, and Allâhu ta’âlâ knew
in eternity that that thing would be done, and predestined it
according to His knowledge. Allâhu ta’âlâ’s predestining will
come true and His knowledge, which caused this predestination,
will not prove wrong. It is seen that man is not compelled to do
this work. Allâhu ta’âlâ knew in eternity that this person would do
that work with his own will and wish. Man’s option or will is the
cause of qadâ’ and qadar in eternity. That is, man will wish to do
that work not because Allâhu ta’âlâ knew and predestined in
eternity that work to be done so. Allâhu ta’âlâ has predestined it
so, because He knew in eternity that man would use his will to do
so.
The first cause in man’s doing something is his own will and
option. Though Allâhu ta’âlâ predestined in eternity an action
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