The Ruling on Citing Divine Decree as an Excuse for Sin
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O Shaykh! May Allah reward you! Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned in *Shifa al-'Alil* the debate between Adam and Moses (peace be upon them both), and I found an issue in it which I present to you, O Shaykh: He mentioned the opinions regarding the interpretation of this hadith,Then he mentioned from these opinions: that Adam (peace be upon him) debated Moses because he repented from the sin and abandoned it, and whoever repents from a sin is like one who has no sin.
Then Ibn al-Qayyim refuted this opinion and said: This is an incorrect opinion.
It was refuted from three angles, then he mentioned the words of the Shaykh al-Islam on the issue,Then Ibn al-Qayyim said: and this applies in two answers: As for citing divine decree, it is beneficial at one time and harmful at another. It is beneficial when a person repents from it,Meaning: after repentance, and if a person cites divine decree, it is permissible. But while he is still committing the sin, it is not permissible.
So now, O Shaykh, Ibn al-Qayyim’s interpretation here seems to be that he fell into what the group he refuted fell into?
The hadith—May Allah reward you—People disagreed on it according to their schools and opinions: Among them: some rejected this hadith and said: It is not authentic; because it is a report with a limited chain and contradicts what they consider a principle of the Shari'ah: which is not citing divine decree.
And among them: He explained it in multiple ways,And the best of the interpretations are two: The first way: what Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah held, where he said: Moses did not argue with Adam regarding the sin, but rather he argued with him regarding the expulsion,And he said: "Did not You expel us and yourself from Paradise?"And he did not say: "Did not you disobey Allah?" So Adam (peace and blessings be upon him) argued that this was written for us,Meaning: It was written that he would do it and the result would be that he would be expelled from Paradise,And it seems he is saying: "If I had known this result, I would not have done it,"And this happens often: A person may travel to a certain country and then have an accident happen to him,So when it is said to him: "Why did you travel? If you had not traveled, this would not have happened."
He will say to himself and to the one who spoke to him: "If I had known this would happen, I would not have traveled, but this is a matter written for me to travel and for this accident to happen, and I did not travel for the sake of the accident."
So this is the case of Adam. Adam did not eat from the tree to be expelled from Paradise, but he did not know what would result from eating from this tree. So he ate from the tree, and the result was that Allah the Exalted expelled him from Paradise. This is a result that on the surface seems bad for the person, but upon reflection, you find the wisdom in it. Had this not happened, we would not have lived on earth and would have remained there, and the order of the world that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, intended would have been disrupted.
As for the second way: This is what Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) chose: that Adam did not argue regarding the sin to continue in it, as the polytheists did who said: [Al-An'am: 148] Rather, he cited divine decree regarding a matter that had passed, from which he had repented, and the effect of this sin was erased by Allah’s acceptance of his repentance, so it was as if it had not happened.
And it appears to me: The interpretation of Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) is closer to the truth; because it is unlikely that Moses (peace and blessings be upon him) would blame his father for a matter from which he had repented, and Allah the Exalted chose him and guided him afterwards. But the words of Ibn al-Qayyim have a point, and citing divine decree is not absolutely required,Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said: [Al-An'am: 107] So citing divine decree, if it is for the sake of continuing in sin, or committing what is forbidden, or leaving what is obligatory; is a false argument. And citing divine decree regarding a matter that has already occurred and from which a person cannot free himself, but between him and his Lord, and regarding what is obligatory upon him of repentance, he has repented; there is nothing wrong with this.
The questioner himself: O Shaykh! Is there not now a contradiction; because Ibn al-Qayyim chooses this opinion while he refuted the group in a similar manner?The Shaykh: I cannot say now, because I am far from having studied this recently. It requires reflection, and I fear that if we read this and discuss it, it will take up the brothers' time.
But give us the page and I will review it at another time.
Then Ibn al-Qayyim refuted this opinion and said: This is an incorrect opinion.
It was refuted from three angles, then he mentioned the words of the Shaykh al-Islam on the issue,Then Ibn al-Qayyim said: and this applies in two answers: As for citing divine decree, it is beneficial at one time and harmful at another. It is beneficial when a person repents from it,Meaning: after repentance, and if a person cites divine decree, it is permissible. But while he is still committing the sin, it is not permissible.
So now, O Shaykh, Ibn al-Qayyim’s interpretation here seems to be that he fell into what the group he refuted fell into?
The hadith—May Allah reward you—People disagreed on it according to their schools and opinions: Among them: some rejected this hadith and said: It is not authentic; because it is a report with a limited chain and contradicts what they consider a principle of the Shari'ah: which is not citing divine decree.
And among them: He explained it in multiple ways,And the best of the interpretations are two: The first way: what Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah held, where he said: Moses did not argue with Adam regarding the sin, but rather he argued with him regarding the expulsion,And he said: "Did not You expel us and yourself from Paradise?"And he did not say: "Did not you disobey Allah?" So Adam (peace and blessings be upon him) argued that this was written for us,Meaning: It was written that he would do it and the result would be that he would be expelled from Paradise,And it seems he is saying: "If I had known this result, I would not have done it,"And this happens often: A person may travel to a certain country and then have an accident happen to him,So when it is said to him: "Why did you travel? If you had not traveled, this would not have happened."
He will say to himself and to the one who spoke to him: "If I had known this would happen, I would not have traveled, but this is a matter written for me to travel and for this accident to happen, and I did not travel for the sake of the accident."
So this is the case of Adam. Adam did not eat from the tree to be expelled from Paradise, but he did not know what would result from eating from this tree. So he ate from the tree, and the result was that Allah the Exalted expelled him from Paradise. This is a result that on the surface seems bad for the person, but upon reflection, you find the wisdom in it. Had this not happened, we would not have lived on earth and would have remained there, and the order of the world that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, intended would have been disrupted.
As for the second way: This is what Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) chose: that Adam did not argue regarding the sin to continue in it, as the polytheists did who said:
If Allah had willed, we would not have associated [anything] and neither would our fathers, nor would we have prohibited anything.
لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا أَشْرَكْنَا وَلا آبَاؤُنَا وَلا حَرَّمْنَا مِنْ شَيْءٍAnd it appears to me: The interpretation of Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) is closer to the truth; because it is unlikely that Moses (peace and blessings be upon him) would blame his father for a matter from which he had repented, and Allah the Exalted chose him and guided him afterwards. But the words of Ibn al-Qayyim have a point, and citing divine decree is not absolutely required,Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said:
But if Allah had willed, they would not have associated. And We have not appointed you over them as a guardian, nor are you a manager over them.
وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا أَشْرَكُوا وَمَا جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظاً وَمَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِوَكِيلٍThe questioner himself: O Shaykh! Is there not now a contradiction; because Ibn al-Qayyim chooses this opinion while he refuted the group in a similar manner?The Shaykh: I cannot say now, because I am far from having studied this recently. It requires reflection, and I fear that if we read this and discuss it, it will take up the brothers' time.
But give us the page and I will review it at another time.