Is a person held accountable and punished for sins and mistakes that Allah has decreed for him in the Preserved Tablet?
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The questioner : A group of female questioners, who used a code for their names, said: “O honorable Shaykh, we are the female questioners from the high school in Jeddah. We have this question: Is a person held accountable and punished for mistakes and sins that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has decreed for him in the Preserved Tablet? We ask for your guidance, may you be rewarded.”
The Shaykh : Yes, a person is punished for sins, except if they are less than shirk (associating partners with Allah), in which case they fall under the will of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). There is no doubt that these sins occur.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : They occur with the knowledge of Allah and the will of Allah, and they are written for the servant in the Preserved Tablet, and written for the servant while he is in his mother’s womb. But this writing is not known, so that a person would build his actions upon it.
If he knew it and built his actions upon it, we would say he has an excuse. But he did not know it. Who knows that Allah the Exalted has decreed for him to disobey Allah, while he has not disobeyed Him until now?[Luqman 31:34] Therefore, the sinner’s rushing into sin is a rush without knowing that Allah has decreed it for him until it happens from him. And an excuse is not an excuse unless it precedes the action for which it is cited as an excuse. For this reason, some scholars said that divine decree is a hidden secret that is not known until it occurs. And this is correct. Who knows that Allah has decreed that rain will fall tomorrow, until it falls tomorrow, and we know that Allah has decreed it? Who knows that so-and-so will disobey Allah tomorrow, until this man disobeys Allah, so we know that Allah has decreed it? Therefore, the disobedient person has no excuse by the divine decree against the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law). The Shari'ah is never excused by the divine decree. Allah the Exalted said, invalidating this claim, namely the claim of the divine decree: [Al-An'am 6:148] And if the excuse were valid, they would not have deserved to taste the wrath of Allah. And Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nisa 4:165] And if the divine decree were an excuse, the sending of the messengers would not have removed it. And when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed them that there is no one whose place in Paradise or in the Fire has not been written, they said: “O Messenger of Allah, should we then leave off our actions and rely [on the decree]?” He said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2136 Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited: [Al-Layl 92:5-9] So we say to the person: The knowledge of the divine decree is with Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and it is a hidden secret. And you are commanded to do good deeds and to avoid bad deeds. So do what you are commanded to do. Do good deeds and avoid bad deeds. This is what is required of you. And Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Yes, a person is punished for sins, except if they are less than shirk (associating partners with Allah), in which case they fall under the will of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). There is no doubt that these sins occur.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : They occur with the knowledge of Allah and the will of Allah, and they are written for the servant in the Preserved Tablet, and written for the servant while he is in his mother’s womb. But this writing is not known, so that a person would build his actions upon it.
If he knew it and built his actions upon it, we would say he has an excuse. But he did not know it. Who knows that Allah the Exalted has decreed for him to disobey Allah, while he has not disobeyed Him until now?
no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow
وما تدري نفس ماذا تكسب غداThose who associated with Allah will say, "If Allah had willed, we would not have associated [anything] and neither would our fathers, nor would we have prohibited anything." Likewise did those before deny until they tasted Our punishment.
سَيَقولُ الَّذينَ أَشرَكوا لَو شاءَ اللَّهُ ما أَشرَكنا وَلا ءاباؤُنا وَلا حَرَّمنا مِن شَيءٍ كَذلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم حَتّى ذاقوا بَأسَنا[We sent] messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners so that mankind will have no argument against Allah after the messengers
رُسُلًا مُبَشِّرينَ وَمُنذِرينَ لِئَلّا يَكونَ لِلنّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعدَ الرُّسُلِWork, 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],
فَأَمّا مَن أَعطى وَاتَّقى * وَصَدَّقَ بِالحُسنى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِليُسرى * وَأَمّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاستَغنى * وَكَذَّبَ بِالحُسنى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلعُسرىThe questioner : May Allah bless you.