What does Islam say about destiny and fate?
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“Qadr” in terms of vocabulary refers to ‘estimation’, while in religious terminology, it refers to Allah’s knowledge and decision regarding events that have been determined before their occurrence in the universe and all its creations.
There are two types of “Qadr”:
1. Qadr Mubram (Decreed Fate): This is the final decision written by Allah’s command on the Preserved Tablet, and it cannot be changed.
2. Qadr Muallaq (Dependent Fate): This is a promise from Allah that if a person desires, through their good deeds and supplication, their fate can be changed.
Events such as divorce, marriage, children, death, and every moment of a person’s life are written in fate, and their details and qualities are a secret, forbidden to delve into according to Shariah. Hence, it’s obligatory for us to have faith that whatever good or evil exists, it’s all within Allah’s knowledge, and fate is from Allah alone. Therefore, we must continuously engage in righteous actions and strive for self-improvement.
There’s a Hadith stating that the fate of a person eventually prevails over them. The companions asked, “Shouldn’t we then rely solely on fate and not act?” The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) replied, “No, keep doing good deeds, for everyone will find it easy to do what they were created for.” This means to continue doing good deeds in the hope that death comes while one is in a state of goodness, thus ensuring salvation.
Although everything an individual does is according to divine fate, humans are not helpless like inanimate objects; therefore, we are obligated to strive and adopt good planning. Nonetheless, what actions a person will take, when, where, is all within Allah’s knowledge, but humans are not compelled by it, and they are obligated to strive.