Introduction to Divine Decree
The concept of Qadar (Divine Decree) is one of the greatest and most profound aspects of Islamic belief. It is a secret of Allah in the universe, which neither a prophet nor an angel can fully comprehend. Therefore, it is crucial for a believer to understand the definitions, significance, and levels of Qadar, and how to worship Allah through faith in it. A solid understanding of this will protect one from misinterpretations and misconceptions of misguided individuals.
Opening Praise
All praise is due to Allah, we seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and the consequences of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can misguide, and whomever He misguides, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, with no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and messenger.
Relevant Quranic Verses
"O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims."
— [Al Imran: 102]
"O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women."
— [An-Nisa: 1]
"O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will then amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins."
— [Al-Ahzab: 70-71]
Allah loves those who remain constant in their worship. Both the Quran and the Prophet ﷺ emphasized the importance of perseverance in performing acts of worship.
"And in that let the competitors compete."
— [Al-Mutaffifin: 26]
"And race to forgiveness from your Lord and a paradise as wide as the heavens and earth."
— [Aali Imran: 133]
Rejection of Inconsistency
Allah reproached those who performed acts of worship but then abandoned them, as He said:
"Do not be like she who unraveled her spun thread after it was strong."
— [An-Nahl: 92]
Allah also rebuked certain sects who invented worship practices that were not decreed by Allah, only to abandon them later. An example is the monks of Christianity, who invented asceticism but did not maintain it properly.