Bab al-Iman bil-Qadar
Belief in Taqdeer
[Header] Kitab al-Iman
*بَابُ الْإِيْمَانِ بِالْقَدَرِ* This chapter is in the declaration of having belief in Taqdeer.
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ قَدَرًا مَّقْدُورًا ۔ (آیت ۳۸۔ الاحزاب) *And Allah Ta'ala says: "And ever is the command of Allah a destiny decreed." (Verse 38 - Al-Ahzab)*
Translation: Allah Ta'ala says, "And the command of Allah is a destiny that is fixed (beforehand) with a measure."
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَهُ بِقَدَرٍ ۔ (آیت ۴۹۔ القمر) *And Allah Ta'ala says: "Indeed, all things We created with predestination." (Verse 49 - Al-Qamar)*
Translation: And Allah Ta'ala also says, "Indeed, We have created everything with a precise measure, establishing a divine system of operation."
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا ۔ (آیت ۳۔ الطلاق) *And Allah Ta'ala says: "Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent." (Verse 3 - At-Talaq)*
Translation: And the statement of Allah Ta'ala is also thus: "Indeed, We have set a system of operation, a program, for everything."
عَنْ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ قَالَ : سُئِلَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ عَنْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ - وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَنِيْ اٰدَمَ مِنْ ظُهُوْرِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ - الْآيَةَ - قَالَ عُمَرُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُسْأَلُ عَنْهَا - فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ اٰدَمَ ثُمَّ مَسَحَ ظَهْرَهُ بِيَمِيْنِهِ فَاسْتَخْرَجَ مِنْهُ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ فَقَالَ "خَلَقْتُ هٰؤُلَاءِ لِلْجَنَّةِ وَبِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ يَعْمَلُوْنَ "- ثُمَّ مَسَحَ ظَهْرَهُ بِيَمِيْنِهِ فَاسْتَخْرَجَ مِنْهُ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ فَقَالَ "خَلَقْتُ هٰؤُلَاءِ لِلنَّارِ وَ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ يَعْمَلُوْنَ "- فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ فَفِيْمَا الْعَمَلُ يَا رَسُوْلَ اللَّهِ! فَقَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا خَلَقَ الْعَبْدَ لِلْجَنَّةِ اِسْتَعْمَلَهُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتّٰى يَمُوْتَ عَلٰى عَمَلٍ مِّنْ أَعْمَالِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيُدْخِلَهُ بِهِ الْجَنَّةَ ، وَإِذَا خَلَقَ الْعَبْدَ لِلنَّارِ اِسْتَعْمَلَهُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ حَتّٰى يَمُوْتَ عَلٰى عَمَلٍ مِّنْ أَعْمَالِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَيُدْخِلَهُ بِهِ النَّارَ "۔ (رَوَاهُ مَالِكٌ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَ اَبُودَاوُدَ) *It is narrated from Muslim bin Yasar who said: Umar bin al-Khattab was asked about this verse: "And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants" - until the end of the verse. Umar said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ being asked about it. So he said, 'Indeed, Allah created Adam, then He rubbed his back with His Right Hand, and brought forth from him his progeny, and He said: "I have created these for Paradise, and they will do the deeds of the people of Paradise." Then He rubbed his back with His Right Hand, and brought forth from him his progeny, and He said: "I have created these for the Fire, and they will do the deeds of the people of the Fire."' A man said: 'Then what is the purpose of deeds, O Messenger of Allah?' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Indeed, when Allah creates a servant for Paradise, He employs him in the deeds of the people of Paradise until he dies upon a deed from the deeds of the people of Paradise, so He admits him into Paradise by it. And when He creates a servant for the Fire, He employs him in the deeds of the people of the Fire until he dies upon a deed from the deeds of the people of the Fire, so He admits him into the Fire by it.'" (Narrated by Malik, Tirmidhi, and Abu Dawud)*
Vocabulary: سُئِلَ (Su'ila): Was asked. مَسَحَ (Masaha): Touched, rubbed the hand over. In Wudu, Masah means exactly this, that wet hands be passed over the head or neck etc. Tayammum or Masah on leather socks also means the same. Hazrat Isa (AS), by the command of God, used to pass his hand over any sick person, the blind from birth, the leper, and the person with vitiligo, and they would become completely healed. That is why your title became "Masih". Later, this name was given to physicians
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[Header] Kitab al-Iman
for this very reason that they too would place their hand on the patient's hand, check the pulse, diagnose the disease from it, and remove it. ظَهْرَ (Zahr): Back, rear part, back. ظَهْرَ يَظْهَرُ ظُهُوْرًا (Zahara Yazharu Zuhuran): To become manifest. يَمِيْنِ (Yameen): Right. Its opposite is يَسَار (Yasar), meaning left. اِسْتَخْرَجَ (Istakhraja): Extracted, took out. ذُرِّيَّةُ (Dhurriyyah): Progeny. فَفِيْمَ الْعَمَلُ (Fa-feemal 'Amal): So why do deeds? What is the benefit of acting then? حَتّٰى (Hatta): Until. يَمُوْتَ (Yamoota): He dies. مَاتَ يَمُوْتُ مَوْتًا (Maata Yamootu Mawtan): To die.
Translation: It is narrated from Hazrat Muslim bin Yasar (RH), he said that when Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattab (RA) was asked regarding this verse, Hazrat Sayyiduna Umar (RA) said, I have heard that Hazrat Rasulullah ﷺ was asked about this verse, so the Prophet ﷺ said that "Allah Ta'ala created Adam, then He rubbed His Right Hand on Adam's back and from it extracted Adam's progeny (children). Then Allah Ta'ala said, "I have created these people for Paradise and these people will do the deeds of the people of Paradise." Then He rubbed His hand on Adam's back and from it extracted his children. Then He said thus: "I have created these people for Hell, and these people will do the deeds of the people of Hell." (Hearing this) a person submitted, then what is the benefit from deeds? Why should deeds be done, O Messenger of Allah? (In reply) the Messenger of God ﷺ said, "When Allah Ta'ala creates a servant for Paradise (as a Jannati), He takes the deeds of the people of Paradise from him. Until he dies, doing the deeds of the people of Paradise. Thus, based on this deed, He admits him into Paradise. And when He creates a servant for Hell, He makes him do the deeds of the people of Hell, until when a person dies while doing the deeds of a Jahannami, He admits him into Hell." (This Hadith was narrated by Hazrat Imam Malik (RH), Tirmidhi (RH) and Abu Dawud (RH), and this Hadith is also in Mishkat)
وَعَنْ اَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُوْلُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَنَحْنُ نَتَنَازَعُ فِي الْقَدَرِ فَغَضِبَ حَتّٰى احْمَرَّ وَجْهُهُ حَتّٰى كَاَنَّمَا فُقِئَ فِيْ وَجْنَتَيْهِ حَبُّ الرُّمَّانِ ، فَقَالَ "أَبِهٰذَا أُمِرْتُمْ أَمْ بِهٰذَا أُرْسِلْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ - إِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ حِيْنَ تَنَازَعُوْا فِيْ هٰذَا الْأَمْرِ عَزَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَزَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ لَّا تَنَازَعُوْا فِيْهِ۔ (رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَرَوَى ابْنُ مَاجَةَ نحوه ۔ مشکوٰۃ) *And from Abu Hurairah (RA), he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out to us while we were arguing about Al-Qadar (Destiny). So he became angry until his face turned red, until it was as if pomegranate seeds had been burst upon his cheeks. So he said: "Is this what you have been commanded with, or is this what I was sent to you with? Verily, those before you were destroyed when they argued about this matter. I am giving you a firm command, I am giving you a firm command, that you do not argue about it." (Narrated by Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah narrated similar to it - Mishkat)*
Vocabulary: خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا (Kharaja 'Alayna): Came to us, honored us with his presence. نَتَنَازَعُ (Natanaza'u): (First-person plural form) We were disputing, we were arguing amongst ourselves. فِی الْقَدَرِ (Fi al-Qadar): Regarding the issue of Qadar. اِحْمَرَّ (Ihmarra): Became red. وَجْهُ (Wajhu): Mouth, face. كَاَنَّمَا (Ka'annama): As if. فُقِئَ فِيْ وَجْنَتَيْهِ (Fuqi'a fi Wajnataih): As if squeezed on his face. حَبُّ الرُّمَّانِ (Habb ur-Rumman): Pomegranate seeds. وَجْنَة (Wajnah): The upper part of the cheek. اَبِهٰذَا أُمِرْتُمْ (A-Bihaza Umirtum): Were you commanded with this? أَمْ بِهٰذَا (Am Bihaza): Or with this? اُرْسِلْتُ (Ursiltu): I have been sent. اِلَیْکُمْ (Ilaikum): Towards you,
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[Header] Kitab al-Iman
to you. اِنَّمَا (Innama): Nothing except this, nothing more than this. هَلَكَ (Halaka): Was destroyed. تَنَازَعُوْا (Tanaza'u): They argued. عَزَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ (Azamtu 'Alaykum): I give you a firm command (I give you an oath). أَنْ لَّا تَنَازَعُوْا (An La Tanaza'u): That do not create a dispute.
Translation: It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA), he said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived at a time when we people were arguing and engaging in stubborn dispute regarding the issue of Taqdeer. So the Holy Prophet ﷺ became angry. To the extent that his radiant face turned red. In fact, to the extent that it was as if pomegranate seeds were squeezed onto his luminous face (the color of his cheeks became red like pomegranate seeds). Then he said: "Were you commanded to do this? Or was I sent to you with such a command? It is nothing but this (Beware! Remember!) those who were before you, when they disputed in this matter, they were destroyed. I give you an oath, I give you an oath upon this that you do not quarrel, argue, and dispute in this matter." (This Hadith was narrated by Tirmidhi (RH) and Ibn Majah (RH) and is also in Mishkat)
O friends! Taqdeer is the name of the system of the universe and its program. The system of operation, the program which is in the special knowledge of Allah Ta'ala, is fixed, unchangeable, and immutable. No one can change it, nor can it be averted in any way. Such a command is called a "definitive command" (*Hukm-e-Qat'i*), and in the terminology of the Sufis, it is called Taqdeer-e-Mubram. However, Allah Ta'ala reveals the Realm of Examples (*Alam-e-Mithal*) to some of His servants. Such gentlemen also see this program, and this seeing is also "according to ranks" (*Ala qadr-e-maratib*) (according to the rank of each one). Sometimes these events appear to them openly, and sometimes they come to know of them through signs and allegories. Every person understands allegories and symbols according to his own understanding. Therefore, sometimes someone may make a mistake in understanding a sign. This mistake occurs consequently due to lack of understanding. It cannot have any effect on the authenticity of the core event itself. It would be better to understand this matter in this way that the "Ahl-e-Mukashafa" (people of unveiling), meaning those gentlemen to whom Kashf (spiritual unveiling) occurs, are of two types: (1) Ahl-e-Ta'aqqul (People of Intellect) (2) Ahl-e-Takhayyul (People of Imagination)
Ahl-e-Ta'aqqul: Such gentlemen who, along with Kashf, begin to see the things of the Realm of Examples, are generally brief (concise). Those gentlemen elaborate on it based on their intellect and understanding.
Ahl-e-Takhayyul: These gentlemen expand a thing of the Realm of Examples considerably according to the flight of their imagination and, by analyzing it thoroughly, make a mountain out of a molehill. Generally, the vision of the Ahl-e-Takhayyul is lower (superficial), and the vision of the Ahl-e-Ta'aqqul is relatively broader.
It should also be remembered that man keeps hovering around his own thoughts. That is, one whose intention is upon goodness and in whose heart is the passion for virtue, he will direct his attention towards the good aspect of every side. Even upon seeing a bad thing, he will become occupied with its goodness. Bad
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[Header] Kitab al-Iman
His gaze and thoughts do not fall upon its bad aspects. Opposite to this is the state of a person of bad disposition. Therefore, among the "Ahl-e-Mukashafa" gentlemen as well, those whose vision is directed towards base matters, they get engaged in "Kashf-e-Khatir" (unveiling of thoughts), probing into people's hearts, or they get involved in showing off and ostentation. In the eyes of the Sufis, "Kashf-e-Khatir" has no more worth than juggling, and knowing the matter of someone's heart is a kind of "unjustifiable interference in others' affairs" (i.e., intruding into someone else's house), which has been strictly prohibited. As stated above, the explanation and interpretation of signs and allegories are given and done by every person according to their own understanding and insight, and sometimes the same state overtakes two different individuals, but the effects are completely disparate. An example of this is that: Once, a person presented himself before Hazrat Ibn Sirin (RH) and narrated his dream. "Hazrat! I gave the Adhan in my dream." Upon hearing this, Hazrat said, "You will perform Hajj." Coincidentally, a second person who was there also submitted, "Hazrat, I too gave the Adhan in my dream." You said to him, "You are a thief, your theft will be exposed." In short, all these matters are truly in secrets and allegories. If there is even a slight mistake in understanding or explaining them, their consequences are sometimes dangerous. Satan is the open enemy of man. Allah Ta'ala Himself says: اِنَّہٗ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِيْنٌ (آیت ۶۰۔ یٰس) *Innahu lakum 'aduwwun mubeen* (Verse 60 - Ya-Sin) (Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy). This cruel one has ultimately deceived and trapped even some of the greatest ascetics. The point to remember is that Satan is a very great scholar. That is why he was made the teacher of the angels. Generally, he gives these scholarly fallacies to scholars and Mashaikh with such subtleties that unless the grace of Allah is included, escaping is not possible. The details of this issue will be told in the coming chapters. This matter must be kept well in mind that the issue of Jabr and Qadar is very complex; stepping into it is not appropriate, as is evident from the aforementioned Hadith itself that the Holy Prophet ﷺ forbade Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA) and other Sahaba from talking and arguing about this issue, and even gave them an oath. Its sole purpose is this, that this matter is not for every Tom, Dick, and Harry to ponder over. Some matters are related to the common people and some affairs are only related to the elite. If an ignorant person entangles himself in the affairs of the elite, what else will he achieve except distress? And where argumentation and dispute begin, stubbornness and the passion to make one's own word accepted emerge in a person. And along with this, instead of pondering over the true aspect of the issue, one thinks of convincing others of one's own opinion. However, those respected scholars whom nature has given understanding (Tafaqquh) and the power of legal deduction (Istidlal-e-Shar'i), they ponder over every aspect of the issue with a cool heart and reach a conclusion. Since they have no personal interest in deriving the conclusion, therefore, if they derive a wrong conclusion in some issue, that mistake becomes negligible because they gave their opinion to the best of their ability. Provided that the thought of their own desires, their personal motives, or deriving a conclusion based on just one specific aspect was not present in them at that time. In the aforementioned Hadith, regarding the Prophet ﷺ, "Faghadhiba", meaning the state of his becoming angry, has been manifested. The Prophet ﷺ is the embodiment of Mercy for the Worlds. In worldly matters, the Prophet ﷺ was subjected to the severest of torments. He was pelted with stones, kept hungry,
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