Does supplication change what is decreed?
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Question:
He has another section in which he says, "O Shaykh: Does supplication change what is decreed by Allah the Exalted?"
Answer:
Supplication is part of the divine decree, and what is written does not change. The divine decree is of two kinds: a decree that is fixed and cannot be altered, and a decree that is suspended. Some of the decree is suspended by supplication, so when one supplicates, the suspended matter is removed. It may be suspended in the sense that Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) will accept his repentance if he prays... if he fasts... if he does such and such. This is a suspended decree, and Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) removes it from him through the acts of obedience, righteous deeds, and repentance that he performs.
Thus, decrees are treated by decrees, just as 'Umar said when the Companions advised him regarding his expeditions to the Levant and the plague broke out. They advised him to return, while some advised against returning. Then his decision settled on returning from Madinah and not advancing to the plague. They said, "Are you fleeing from the decree of Allah?" He said (peace and blessings be upon him) : "We flee from the decree of Allah to His decree." Allah has commanded us not to advance upon it, not to advance upon this disease. If we refrain from advancing upon it, we have fled from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah.
Then 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) came and informed 'Umar that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had ordered that they not advance upon it. 'Umar rejoiced at this, and that Allah had guided him to what the text brought after he had consulted the Companions.
Likewise, a person may be struck by a fever, so he takes the means, fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. He may be hungry, so he eats until the hunger is gone, fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. He may be struck by heat, so he drinks cold water or takes a bath, fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. He may be struck by an eye disease, so he treats it with various treatments, fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. And so on; all types of treatment are fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
He has another section in which he says, "O Shaykh: Does supplication change what is decreed by Allah the Exalted?"
Answer:
Supplication is part of the divine decree, and what is written does not change. The divine decree is of two kinds: a decree that is fixed and cannot be altered, and a decree that is suspended. Some of the decree is suspended by supplication, so when one supplicates, the suspended matter is removed. It may be suspended in the sense that Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) will accept his repentance if he prays... if he fasts... if he does such and such. This is a suspended decree, and Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) removes it from him through the acts of obedience, righteous deeds, and repentance that he performs.
Thus, decrees are treated by decrees, just as 'Umar said when the Companions advised him regarding his expeditions to the Levant and the plague broke out. They advised him to return, while some advised against returning. Then his decision settled on returning from Madinah and not advancing to the plague. They said, "Are you fleeing from the decree of Allah?" He said (peace and blessings be upon him) : "We flee from the decree of Allah to His decree." Allah has commanded us not to advance upon it, not to advance upon this disease. If we refrain from advancing upon it, we have fled from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah.
Then 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) came and informed 'Umar that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had ordered that they not advance upon it. 'Umar rejoiced at this, and that Allah had guided him to what the text brought after he had consulted the Companions.
Likewise, a person may be struck by a fever, so he takes the means, fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. He may be hungry, so he eats until the hunger is gone, fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. He may be struck by heat, so he drinks cold water or takes a bath, fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. He may be struck by an eye disease, so he treats it with various treatments, fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. And so on; all types of treatment are fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.