Advice to the one who says, "If Allah had willed, we would have been guided"
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Question:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. You also ask and say: I know that Allah is capable of all things, and that He the Exalted decrees for a person to be righteous or otherwise. Does the one who says, "If Allah had willed, we would have been guided," commit disbelief? And is a person given free will or compelled in the matter of guidance? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
I do not like for the questioner, nor for anyone else, to delve into these matters. Matters of divine decree and matters of destiny. However, we advise our Muslim brothers to do good deeds and perform acts of obedience, and this is within their ability and power. The servant is able to perform acts of obedience, and he is able to leave off forbidden things. Allah has given him the ability, and he knows that the outcome of acts of obedience is good, and that the outcome of sins is bad. This has been made clear to him, and he has been enabled to perform acts of obedience and leave off sins, so he has no excuse. As for divine decree, it is referred back to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). It is a secret belonging to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) in His creation.
So a person must do what is within his ability and what is beside him. As for what belongs to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), that is entrusted to Allah. Some people asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that they rely on their book, meaning on the divine decree and destiny that was decreed for them, and they leave off the deeds. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2136, and this is mentioned in the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Layl 92:5-10].
So He (Glorified and Exalted is He) informed that the servant does the causes, either causes of happiness, or causes of misery. The causes of happiness are acts of obedience, and the causes of misery are sins and violations. Everyone knows this from within himself. As for the matter of divine decree and destiny, we do not delve into it because it is of the affair of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). But what is required of us, and what is within our power, is deeds: good deeds, and avoiding bad deeds. Yes.
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. You also ask and say: I know that Allah is capable of all things, and that He the Exalted decrees for a person to be righteous or otherwise. Does the one who says, "If Allah had willed, we would have been guided," commit disbelief? And is a person given free will or compelled in the matter of guidance? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
I do not like for the questioner, nor for anyone else, to delve into these matters. Matters of divine decree and matters of destiny. However, we advise our Muslim brothers to do good deeds and perform acts of obedience, and this is within their ability and power. The servant is able to perform acts of obedience, and he is able to leave off forbidden things. Allah has given him the ability, and he knows that the outcome of acts of obedience is good, and that the outcome of sins is bad. This has been made clear to him, and he has been enabled to perform acts of obedience and leave off sins, so he has no excuse. As for divine decree, it is referred back to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). It is a secret belonging to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) in His creation.
So a person must do what is within his ability and what is beside him. As for what belongs to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), that is entrusted to Allah. Some people asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that they rely on their book, meaning on the divine decree and destiny that was decreed for them, and they leave off the deeds. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Work, for everyone is facilitated for what he was created.
اعملوا، فكل ميسر لما خلق له(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 لِلْعُسْرَىٰSo He (Glorified and Exalted is He) informed that the servant does the causes, either causes of happiness, or causes of misery. The causes of happiness are acts of obedience, and the causes of misery are sins and violations. Everyone knows this from within himself. As for the matter of divine decree and destiny, we do not delve into it because it is of the affair of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). But what is required of us, and what is within our power, is deeds: good deeds, and avoiding bad deeds. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 4260- نصيحة لمن يقول " لو شاء الله لاهتدينا " - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.