Combining: {Indeed, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves} and what has been decreed for them
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Question:
What is the interpretation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Surat al-Ra'd: 11]? The questioner says: Since Allah is the One who created souls and is the One who controls their change, how can people change what is in themselves and change what has been decreed for them? I ask you to please provide a comprehensive explanation of this topic, and may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is the Manager of affairs, and He directs the servants as He wills . He possesses perfect wisdom and compelling proof. He, Glorified and Exalted is He, has explained to His servants the means that bring them closer to Him and cause His mercy and favor to be bestowed upon them. He has forbidden them the means that cause His anger toward them, their distance from Him, and the descent of punishment upon them. Yet, in doing so, they do not step outside His decree; whether by acting upon the means He prescribed for them or by acting upon those He forbade, they do not step outside the decree of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
So Allah has given them minds, and He has given them tools, and He has given them means by which they can control what they desire, whether bringing about good or repelling evil. And by doing so, they do not step outside His will, as He, the Exalted, said:[At-Takwir 81:28] AND YOU DO NOT WILL EXCEPT THAT ALLAH, THE LORD OF THE WORLDS, WILLS [Surat al-Takwir: 28-29].
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about this. They said to him: O Messenger of Allah, if what we do has been written for us and completed, then what is the point of working? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2136.
As for the people of happiness, they are facilitated for the work of happiness, and as for the people of misery, they are facilitated for the work of the people of misery. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) recited the saying of Allah the Exalted: AND VERIFIED IN THE BEST THEN WE WILL FACILITATE FOR HIM THE EASY PATH AND AS FOR HE WHO WAS CHURLISH AND SELF-SUFFICIENT AND LIED ABOUT THE BEST THEN WE WILL FACILITATE FOR HIM THE DIFFICULT PATH [Surat al-Layl: 5-10].
And so is His saying, Exalted and Majestic is He: [Surat al-Ra'd: 11].
His command is effective , but He, (Exalted and Majestic is He), changes the condition of people when they change. If they are in obedience and uprightness and then change to sins, Allah changes their state from tranquility, happiness, ease, and prosperity to something else.
And He may, Glorified and Exalted is He, be lenient with them and leave them in their state as a trial, then take them by surprise—there is no power nor strength except by Allah—as He, the Exalted, said: [Surat Ibrahim: 42], and He, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: [Surat al-An'am: 44].
So it is obligatory to be cautious, and the believer should fear Allah, strive in truth, and remain upright upon it, and not deviate from it to falsehood. For whenever he deviates from it to falsehood, he exposes himself to the anger of Allah, that He may change his heart, and that He may change the blessing he has to its opposite, such as barrenness, drought, poverty, and need, and so on. And so, after health comes illness, and so, after security comes fear, and so on, by the means of sins and disobedience.
And so the reverse: if they are in sins, evils, and deviation, then they turn to the truth, repent to Allah, return to Him, and remain upright upon His religion, then Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, changes what is with them, such as fear, poverty, discord, and animosity, to security, well-being, uprightness, prosperity, love, cooperation, and closeness, by His grace, Glorified and Exalted is He. And of this is the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Surat al-Anfal: 53]. So the servant has means and deeds, and he has desire and will, but by that, he does not step outside the decree and will of Allah.
It is obligatory for him to use whatever he is able to in the obedience of Allah and His Messenger, to be upright in what Allah has commanded him, to beware of what Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) have forbidden, and to ask his Lord for help and success. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is the Bestower of favor and the Grantor of success. He is the Guide, (Exalted and Majestic is He). To Him belongs the favor, to Him belongs the blessing, and to Him belongs the kindness . In His hand is the favor, in His hand is the success of the servants, by Him is their guidance, and in His hand is their misguidance. He guides whom He wills and misguides whom He wills, Glorified is He.
The summary is that the servant has means and deeds, and Allah has given him the tools to know what is harmful and beneficial, and what is good and evil. If he uses his intellect and his means in good, Allah rewards him for that with great good, showers His blessings upon him, and places him in blessing and well-being after he was in badness and evil. If he then repents to Allah, turns back, and is upright, Allah, (Exalted and Majestic is He), by His generosity and nobility, changes his bad state to a good one. Likewise, if the servant is in comfort, uprightness, and guidance, and then he deviates and strays from the path, following his desires and Satan, Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, may hasten the punishment for him, or He, (Glorified and Exalted is He), may change his condition. He should beware and not be deluded by the blessings of Allah the Exalted upon him .
What is the interpretation of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves
إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْAnswer:
Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is the Manager of affairs, and He directs the servants as He wills . He possesses perfect wisdom and compelling proof. He, Glorified and Exalted is He, has explained to His servants the means that bring them closer to Him and cause His mercy and favor to be bestowed upon them. He has forbidden them the means that cause His anger toward them, their distance from Him, and the descent of punishment upon them. Yet, in doing so, they do not step outside His decree; whether by acting upon the means He prescribed for them or by acting upon those He forbade, they do not step outside the decree of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
So Allah has given them minds, and He has given them tools, and He has given them means by which they can control what they desire, whether bringing about good or repelling evil. And by doing so, they do not step outside His will, as He, the Exalted, said:
For whoever wills among you to take a right course.
لِمَن شَاء مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about this. They said to him: O Messenger of Allah, if what we do has been written for us and completed, then what is the point of working? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Work, for everyone is facilitated for what he was created.
اعملوا؛ فكل ميسر لما خلق لهAs for the people of happiness, they are facilitated for the work of happiness, and as for the people of misery, they are facilitated for the work of the people of misery. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) recited the saying of Allah the Exalted:
As for he who gives and fears
فَأَمَّا مَن أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى And so is His saying, Exalted and Majestic is He:
Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron.
إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا فَلاَ مَرَدَّ لَهُ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِ مِن وَالٍHis command is effective , but He, (Exalted and Majestic is He), changes the condition of people when they change. If they are in obedience and uprightness and then change to sins, Allah changes their state from tranquility, happiness, ease, and prosperity to something else.
And He may, Glorified and Exalted is He, be lenient with them and leave them in their state as a trial, then take them by surprise—there is no power nor strength except by Allah—as He, the Exalted, said:
And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare [in horror].
وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ اللّهَ غَافِلًا عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ الظَّالِمُونَ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الأَبْصَارُSo when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened to them the doors of every [good] thing until, when they rejoiced in that which they were given, We seized them suddenly, and they were [then] in despair.
فَلَمَّا نَسُواْ مَا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى إِذَا فَرِحُواْ بِمَا أُوتُواْ أَخَذْنَاهُم بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْلِسُونَSo it is obligatory to be cautious, and the believer should fear Allah, strive in truth, and remain upright upon it, and not deviate from it to falsehood. For whenever he deviates from it to falsehood, he exposes himself to the anger of Allah, that He may change his heart, and that He may change the blessing he has to its opposite, such as barrenness, drought, poverty, and need, and so on. And so, after health comes illness, and so, after security comes fear, and so on, by the means of sins and disobedience.
And so the reverse: if they are in sins, evils, and deviation, then they turn to the truth, repent to Allah, return to Him, and remain upright upon His religion, then Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, changes what is with them, such as fear, poverty, discord, and animosity, to security, well-being, uprightness, prosperity, love, cooperation, and closeness, by His grace, Glorified and Exalted is He. And of this is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللّهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِّعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلَى قَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْIt is obligatory for him to use whatever he is able to in the obedience of Allah and His Messenger, to be upright in what Allah has commanded him, to beware of what Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) have forbidden, and to ask his Lord for help and success. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is the Bestower of favor and the Grantor of success. He is the Guide, (Exalted and Majestic is He). To Him belongs the favor, to Him belongs the blessing, and to Him belongs the kindness . In His hand is the favor, in His hand is the success of the servants, by Him is their guidance, and in His hand is their misguidance. He guides whom He wills and misguides whom He wills, Glorified is He.
The summary is that the servant has means and deeds, and Allah has given him the tools to know what is harmful and beneficial, and what is good and evil. If he uses his intellect and his means in good, Allah rewards him for that with great good, showers His blessings upon him, and places him in blessing and well-being after he was in badness and evil. If he then repents to Allah, turns back, and is upright, Allah, (Exalted and Majestic is He), by His generosity and nobility, changes his bad state to a good one. Likewise, if the servant is in comfort, uprightness, and guidance, and then he deviates and strays from the path, following his desires and Satan, Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, may hasten the punishment for him, or He, (Glorified and Exalted is He), may change his condition. He should beware and not be deluded by the blessings of Allah the Exalted upon him .
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.