Is misery or happiness written for a person while he is in his mother's womb, so how does Allah hold a person accountable for something that has been written for him?
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The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good. The listener, Yusuf al-Ibrahim from Unaizah, sent a question saying: Honorable Shaykh, in the chapter of faith in divine decree and destiny, Allah the Mighty and Majestic clarifies for us, and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) clarifies for us, that a person has misery or happiness written for him while he is in his mother's womb. So how is there a reconciliation between that and holding a person accountable for something that Allah has written for him? And is a person compelled or given a choice? We want this in detail. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
Delving into the matters of divine decree and inquiring into them is something a Muslim is in no need of.
The presenter:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
Because the divine decree is the secret of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and the human being is only commanded to do good deeds, to perform acts of obedience, and to avoid what is forbidden, and he has the ability and capacity to do so, and praise be to Allah.
And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) does not punish him for the divine decree or what He has decreed for him, but rather He punishes him for his own actions. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Layl 92:5-10], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2136. So it is obligatory for a person to utilize his energy, his ability, his capacity, his life, and his strength in what benefits him with Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and to leave off the questioning and inquiry about the divine decree. This is a matter that returns to Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He). As for whether a person is compelled or given a choice, a person is not absolutely compelled, nor is he absolutely given a choice. From the aspect of Allah's decrees upon him, such as health and illness, wealth and poverty, death and life, he is compelled in this; he has no say in it, and this is only according to what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has decreed for him. But from the aspect of actions, doing acts of obedience and leaving off what is forbidden, or falling into sins and following desires, he is given a choice in this, because he is able to do it and able to leave it off, and he knows the harmful from the beneficial, and he is capable of it. If he utilizes his capacity and energy in the obedience of Allah, it becomes good for him, and if he utilizes it in the disobedience of Allah, it becomes evil for him, and he is the one to be blamed, or he is the one to be rewarded for his good deeds. Everyone is able to pray, to fast, to perform Hajj, to give charity, to do good deeds, and to leave off forbidden deeds, except for one who is unable to do so with an apparent inability and has no capacity. Then this person is not held accountable. [Al-Baqarah 2:286], [At-Talaq 65:7], or a person who does not have intellect; the pen is lifted from him, or a small child who does not distinguish between the harmful and the beneficial; the pen is lifted from him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lifted the pen from three: the small child until he reaches puberty, the insane person until he regains his sanity, and the sleeping person until he wakes up. Likewise, the one who is coerced: if a person is coerced into something without his ability, then the blame is lifted from him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan ad-Daraqutni 23:30. He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: [An-Nahl 16:106]. He the Exalted said: [Ali 'Imran 3:28] fighting, and they fear Allah Himself.
So coercion has a state with a ruling, and the lack of ability has a ruling. As for the person who is given a choice, he has no excuse for disobeying Allah. And he has no excuse for leaving off the obedience of Allah the Mighty and Majestic. Because he left it off by his own choice and will, and he is capable of it. A person has a will and a desire by which he is able to do or leave off. Allah the Exalted said:[At-Takwir 81:28-29] Lord of the worlds. So He informed that the servant has a will, and that Allah has a will, and that the will of the servant is subordinate to the will of Allah. And whoever Allah knows from him a desire for good and a will for good, He helps him with it and makes it easy for him. And whoever Allah knows from him a bad intention, an ugly disposition, and wickedness, then Allah leaves him alone with what he intended as a punishment for him, as in the verses we heard, [Al-Layl 92:5-6] [Al-Layl 92:7-10]. So it is upon the servant to do the causes, and he
May Allah reward you with good. The listener, Yusuf al-Ibrahim from Unaizah, sent a question saying: Honorable Shaykh, in the chapter of faith in divine decree and destiny, Allah the Mighty and Majestic clarifies for us, and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) clarifies for us, that a person has misery or happiness written for him while he is in his mother's womb. So how is there a reconciliation between that and holding a person accountable for something that Allah has written for him? And is a person compelled or given a choice? We want this in detail. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
Delving into the matters of divine decree and inquiring into them is something a Muslim is in no need of.
The presenter:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
Because the divine decree is the secret of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and the human being is only commanded to do good deeds, to perform acts of obedience, and to avoid what is forbidden, and he has the ability and capacity to do so, and praise be to Allah.
And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) does not punish him for the divine decree or what He has decreed for him, but rather He punishes him for his own actions. Allah the Exalted said:
(5) As for he who gives and fears Allah (6) And believes in the best [reward], (7) We will ease him toward ease. (8) But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need (9) And denies the best [reward], (10) We will ease him toward difficulty.
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَىٰ وَاتَّقَىٰ وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ وَأَمَّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَىٰ وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَىٰWork, for everyone is facilitated for what he was created.
اعملوا، فكل ميسر لما خلق لهAllah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَاAllah does not charge a soul except [according to] what He has given it.
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَا آتَاهَاI have lifted for my Ummah (community) the error, forgetfulness, and what they are coerced into.
عفن لأمتي عن الخطأ والنسيان وما استكرهوا عليهexcept for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith
إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِيمَانِexcept when taking precaution against them
إِلَّا أَن تَتَّقُوا مِنْهُمْSo coercion has a state with a ruling, and the lack of ability has a ruling. As for the person who is given a choice, he has no excuse for disobeying Allah. And he has no excuse for leaving off the obedience of Allah the Mighty and Majestic. Because he left it off by his own choice and will, and he is capable of it. A person has a will and a desire by which he is able to do or leave off. Allah the Exalted said:
(28) For whoever wills among you to take a right course. (29) And you do not will except that Allah wills
لِمَن شَاءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ(5) As for he who gives and fears Allah (6) And believes in the best [reward],
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَىٰ وَاتَّقَىٰ وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ(7) We will ease him toward ease. (8) But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need (9) And denies the best [reward], (10) We will ease him toward difficulty.
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ وَأَمَّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَىٰ وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَىٰ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، يكتب على الإنسان الشقاء أو السعادة وهو في بطن أمه، فكيف يحاسب الله الإنسان على شيء قد كتب عليه؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.