Qadar (Divine Decree)
Definition
Belief in Allah's foreordainment of good and evil, and contentment with His decree, presented as a pillar of sound creed
How the scholars use Qadar (Divine Decree).
-
"The Hereafter motivates believers to live righteously, knowing that their deeds will be rewarded or punished. It also provides comfort, assuring that justice will ultimately prevail. Chapter 4: Divine Decree Divine decree, or qadar, is the belief that Allah has predetermined everything that happens. This does not negate human free will but affirms that Allah's knowledge encompasses all events."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 2: The Book of Belief · playable in the free preview
-
"And the root of qadar is a secret of Allah, Most High, in His creation, which no angel brought near, nor any messenger sent, has been let into. And delving deeply and inquiring into that is the means of abandonment, the ladder of deprivation, and the degree of transgression. So beware, utterly beware, of that in reflection, thought, and doubt-whispering. For Allah, Most High, has folded away the knowledge of qadar from His creatures, and has forbidden them from seeking after it, as Allah, Most High, said in His Book: He will not be questioned as to that which He doeth, but they will be questioned. So whoever asks: why did He do it? has rejected the judgment of the Book, and whoever rejects the judgment of the Book is among the disbelievers."
— Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭaḥāwī, Al-ʿAqīda al-Ṭaḥāwiyya
-
"By the one in whose hand is my soul, if one of them had the weight of Uhud in gold and spent it in the way of Allah, it would not be accepted from him until he believes in divine decree, both its good and its evil. He then mentioned the Hadith of Jibril and his questioning of the Prophet, peace be upon him. He said, What is faith? The Prophet replied, To believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and to believe in divine decree, both its good and its evil. To believe in Allah means to affirm that He, glorified and exalted, exists and is described with attributes of majesty and perfection, free from attributes of deficiency. He is one, the"
— Imam al-Dhahabī, Al-Kabā'ir — The Major Sins
Appears in
1 book in the library
Hear the term in context.
Every book above uses Qadar (Divine Decree) the way the classical scholars meant it. Listen with the full Study Kit in the app.