Questioned about clarifying a statement in the book *The Creed of the People of the Sunnah and the Community* by Shaykh al-Uthaymeen: (And I see that the sinner has no argument for his sin by the decree of Allah.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner: Oh Shaykh! I have a book in front of me right now, a booklet titled: "The Creed of the People of the Sunnah and the Community"; by our Shaykh: Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen. There is a paragraph; the book is good, first of all, right?
The Shaykh: I have not seen it, I just hear it like this.
The questioner: Yes, there is a paragraph here in front of me, frankly, I do not understand it. I will read it to you, if Allah wills, okay?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He saysThe Shaykh: "And we see that the sinner has no argument for his sin by the decree of Allah the Exalted; because the sinner commits the sin by his own choice, without knowing that Allah the Exalted has decreed it upon him; since no one knows the decree of Allah the Exalted except after what He has decreed occurs[Luqman 31:34] So how is it valid to argue with an argument that the one arguing with it does not know at the time he commits what he excused himself with?" What does this statement mean? I do not understand it!
The Shaykh: The statement is clear.
The questioner : How?
The Shaykh: So when a person wants to steal, did he know before he stole that Allah decreed the theft upon him?
The questioner: No, of course not.
The Shaykh: Okay, and when he stole and found out, what is the benefit of this argument?
The questioner: This does not negate that it is the decree of Allah.
The Shaykh: It does not negate it; but we add to the statementThe Shaykh : a phrase, which may be the clarifying phrase that refutes the doubt. There is no doubt that every person's action is either done by his choice or done under compulsion, and you do not dispute this classification, is that not so?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: I mean, a person may do something by his choice, and may do the same thing against his will, clear?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: I mean, for example, clear examples: intentional killing, and accidental killing, okay?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: Okay, so when the killer kills intentionally and deliberately; first: he does not know that this is recorded against him or not, except after it occurs? Likewise, the one who kills accidentally does not know that it was recorded against him except after it occurs. So the one who argues with the decree while he is a sinner, and he is the intentional killer in our example, we say to him: Our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, has decreed upon you; meaning: He knew, He knew that you would kill intentionally and deliberately, and this is what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, knew, and He wrote it in the Preserved Tablet; and that is the decree. This divine knowledge, and the divine writing, and the divine decree is a revealer of what will occur with all its details. And our discussion now is the intentional killer, so Allah, Mighty and Majestic, knew that he would kill by his choice; and therefore He holds him accountable. And the one who kills accidentally, likewise, He wrote in the Tablet that he kills accidentally; and therefore He does not hold him accountable. So arguing with the decree is invalid; except if he was compelled, in which case there is no prevention from it. Perhaps the matter has become clear to you?
The questioner: I understood very well; I mean, now the decree -the decree of Allah- means His knowledge does not contradict, I mean?
The Shaykh: Absolutely not, it is a revealer of reality before it occurs.
The questioner: Yes, this does not mean that we do not.
The Shaykh : Yes! Yes.
The questioner: I mean, we choose our actions.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: I understood, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And you likewise.
The questioner: Do not forget us in your supplication -Oh Shaykh!-.
The Shaykh: Welcome, may you be successful, if Allah wills, peace be upon you.
The Shaykh: I have not seen it, I just hear it like this.
The questioner: Yes, there is a paragraph here in front of me, frankly, I do not understand it. I will read it to you, if Allah wills, okay?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He saysThe Shaykh: "And we see that the sinner has no argument for his sin by the decree of Allah the Exalted; because the sinner commits the sin by his own choice, without knowing that Allah the Exalted has decreed it upon him; since no one knows the decree of Allah the Exalted except after what He has decreed occurs
no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow
وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًاThe Shaykh: The statement is clear.
The questioner : How?
The Shaykh: So when a person wants to steal, did he know before he stole that Allah decreed the theft upon him?
The questioner: No, of course not.
The Shaykh: Okay, and when he stole and found out, what is the benefit of this argument?
The questioner: This does not negate that it is the decree of Allah.
The Shaykh: It does not negate it; but we add to the statementThe Shaykh : a phrase, which may be the clarifying phrase that refutes the doubt. There is no doubt that every person's action is either done by his choice or done under compulsion, and you do not dispute this classification, is that not so?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: I mean, a person may do something by his choice, and may do the same thing against his will, clear?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: I mean, for example, clear examples: intentional killing, and accidental killing, okay?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: Okay, so when the killer kills intentionally and deliberately; first: he does not know that this is recorded against him or not, except after it occurs? Likewise, the one who kills accidentally does not know that it was recorded against him except after it occurs. So the one who argues with the decree while he is a sinner, and he is the intentional killer in our example, we say to him: Our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, has decreed upon you; meaning: He knew, He knew that you would kill intentionally and deliberately, and this is what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, knew, and He wrote it in the Preserved Tablet; and that is the decree. This divine knowledge, and the divine writing, and the divine decree is a revealer of what will occur with all its details. And our discussion now is the intentional killer, so Allah, Mighty and Majestic, knew that he would kill by his choice; and therefore He holds him accountable. And the one who kills accidentally, likewise, He wrote in the Tablet that he kills accidentally; and therefore He does not hold him accountable. So arguing with the decree is invalid; except if he was compelled, in which case there is no prevention from it. Perhaps the matter has become clear to you?
The questioner: I understood very well; I mean, now the decree -the decree of Allah- means His knowledge does not contradict, I mean?
The Shaykh: Absolutely not, it is a revealer of reality before it occurs.
The questioner: Yes, this does not mean that we do not.
The Shaykh : Yes! Yes.
The questioner: I mean, we choose our actions.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: I understood, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And you likewise.
The questioner: Do not forget us in your supplication -Oh Shaykh!-.
The Shaykh: Welcome, may you be successful, if Allah wills, peace be upon you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.