Do we leave off working because everything is decreed?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. I am confused about the working of the causes that the Shari'ah encourages and the submission to divine decree. For example, if a person goes to fulfill a need or to achieve something and then encounters an obstacle. He is required to work the causes and strive, like a student who studies and then fails. Do we say, "Do not study, because Allah has decreed that you will fail"? Or, for example, if a person's car breaks down.
The Shaykh : No, Allah has decreed the failure that occurred.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But we do not know the future. Therefore, we never know that Allah has decreed a thing until after? After it happens. But when it happens, we do not say: "We and Allah, we took it upon ourselves." We say: "We are certain that Allah willed it beforehand."
The questioner : Shaykh, this happens to a person in daily affairs. Sometimes he goes to a doctor.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Then he does not find the doctor.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The questioner : He goes and comes back, and the doctor did not come.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Okay, so does he keep trying, or does he say that Allah has decreed it?
The Shaykh : No, no, he keeps trying, he keeps trying.
The questioner : Okay, where is the submission to divine decree?
The Shaykh : The causes are part of the divine decree. That is why, when Abdullah ibn Rawahah came to the Commander of the Faithful, yes, Abu Ubaydah 'Amir ibn al-Jarrah, regarding the issue of the plague, and I think it is known to you.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is it known?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : The Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), traveled from Madinah to Sham. While on the road, news reached him that the plague had broken out in Sham. The plague is a deadly contagious disease. So he stopped, stopped and consulted the Companions, bringing them individually by type, and bringing them all together, and consulting them. The opinion settled on returning and not throwing themselves into destruction. So Abu Ubaydah 'Amir ibn al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him), about whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 7255, and about whom 'Umar said when he was martyred: , because the Messenger said: , came to 'Umar and said: "O Commander of the Faithful, how do we return? Are we fleeing from the decree of Allah?" He said: Sahih al-Bukhari 5729.
So working the causes is from the decree of Allah, leaving off work is from the decree of Allah, and the ineffectiveness of the causes is from the decree of Allah. Everything is from the decree of Allah.
Then he gave him an example, saying:.
The Shaykh : No, Allah has decreed the failure that occurred.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But we do not know the future. Therefore, we never know that Allah has decreed a thing until after? After it happens. But when it happens, we do not say: "We and Allah, we took it upon ourselves." We say: "We are certain that Allah willed it beforehand."
The questioner : Shaykh, this happens to a person in daily affairs. Sometimes he goes to a doctor.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Then he does not find the doctor.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The questioner : He goes and comes back, and the doctor did not come.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Okay, so does he keep trying, or does he say that Allah has decreed it?
The Shaykh : No, no, he keeps trying, he keeps trying.
The questioner : Okay, where is the submission to divine decree?
The Shaykh : The causes are part of the divine decree. That is why, when Abdullah ibn Rawahah came to the Commander of the Faithful, yes, Abu Ubaydah 'Amir ibn al-Jarrah, regarding the issue of the plague, and I think it is known to you.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is it known?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : The Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), traveled from Madinah to Sham. While on the road, news reached him that the plague had broken out in Sham. The plague is a deadly contagious disease. So he stopped, stopped and consulted the Companions, bringing them individually by type, and bringing them all together, and consulting them. The opinion settled on returning and not throwing themselves into destruction. So Abu Ubaydah 'Amir ibn al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him), about whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
the Amin of this nation is Abu 'Ubaida.
أمين هذه الأمة أبو عبيدة عامر بن الجراحIf Abu Ubaydah were alive, I would have appointed him as my successor
لو كان أبو عبيدة حيا لجعلته خليفهHe is the trustworthy one of this Ummah
إنه أمين هذه الأمةYes, we are running from what Allah had ordained to what Allah has ordained
نعم، نفر من قدر الله إلى قدرSo working the causes is from the decree of Allah, leaving off work is from the decree of Allah, and the ineffectiveness of the causes is from the decree of Allah. Everything is from the decree of Allah.
Then he gave him an example, saying: