What is the belief of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding divine decree?
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Question:
I love you for the sake of Allah, so what is your esteemed opinion on the belief of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding divine decree? Is a human being given a choice or is he compelled? Please advise us, and may Allah reward you.
Answer:
As for your love for the sake of Allah: May Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) reward you for it with good. We say: May Allah love you, for whom you loved us. The discussion on this has already been mentioned, and that loving for the sake of Allah and hating for the sake of Allah are the strongest ties of faith. The Messenger (peace be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 13, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2624Sahih (Darussalam).
As for what concerns divine decree: The explanation of the levels of divine decree was already presented in the lecture that took place last week at the Guard. The people of the Sunnah and the community believe in divine decree, that it is the truth, and that the servants proceed within the decree of Allah. It is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that they asked him—the Companions asked him—saying: O Messenger of Allah, do you think that what we work and toil in is in a matter that has already passed and been completed and written, or is it in a matter that is newly begun? He said:. They said: O Messenger of Allah, then for what is the work? He said: Sahih al-Bukhari 4948. Then he recited His saying, the Exalted: AND HE BELIEVED IN THE BEST THEN WE WILL MAKE EASY FOR HIM THE EASY PATH AND AS FOR HE WHO WAS CHURLISH AND SELF-SUFFICIENT AND DENIED THE BEST THEN WE WILL MAKE EASY FOR HIM THE DIFFICULT PATH [Al-Layl: 5-10].
So belief in divine decree has four levels; whoever gathers them has gathered belief in divine decree:
The first is: belief in the knowledge of Allah regarding things, and that He knows everything of our deeds, our lifespans, our provisions, and other things.
The second level is: writing, and that He, the Exalted and Glorified, has written it with Him, as He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Hajj: 70], and He said: [Al-Anfal: 75], and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: : [Al-Talaq: 12].
The third is: that what Allah willed came to be, and what He did not will did not come to be, so nothing occurs in His dominion that He does not intend. He, the Exalted, said: [Al-An'am: 112], and He said: [At-Takwir 81:28] AND YOU DO NOT WILL EXCEPT THAT ALLAH, THE LORD OF THE WORLDS, WILLS [At-Takwir: 28-29], and He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Muddaththir 74:55] AND THEY DO NOT REMEMBER EXCEPT THAT ALLAH WILLS [Al-Muddaththir: 55-56]. So it is necessary to believe in the will of Allah, and that nothing occurs in the dominion of Allah without His will (peace and blessings be upon him) . So our deeds and all our movements and stillnesses are by the will of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) , and we do not will anything except after the will of Him, the Exalted and Majestic.
The fourth is: belief that He is the Creator of things and their Determiner. Allah is the Creator of everything (peace and blessings be upon him) . He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Hadid: 22].
These are the levels of divine decree: knowledge, writing, belief that what Allah willed came to be and what He did not will did not come to be, and belief that He is the Creator of things and their Bringer into existence. These are four levels that the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah pointed out in "Al-Wasitiyyah," and the scholars pointed out in their books, and the scholar Ibn al-Qayyim pointed out in his book "Shifa al-'Alil."
So the human being is given a choice and is compelled. Allah gave him intellect, and Allah gave him will, and He gave him choice, so he is given a choice from this aspect; he acts by will and by desire, as He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Anfal: 67], and He said: [At-Takwir 81:28] AND YOU DO NOT WILL EXCEPT THAT ALLAH WILLS , and He said: [An-Nur: 30], [Aal 'Imran: 153], [Yunus: 36]. So they have action, and they have will, and they have choice, but they do not will except what Allah willed, as He, the Exalted, said: [At-Takwir: 29], [Yunus: 22].
So he is given a choice from the aspect that he has will, and he has choice, and he has selection; he knows the harmful from the beneficial, and the good from the bad. He eats and drinks by his choice, he visits his brothers by his choice, he sleeps by his choice, he gets up by his choice; he has choice. He commits obedience by his choice, and he commits disobedience by his choice, but this has a prior will from him, and he has a prior decree from Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) , which does not go out from the dominion of Allah, nor from His will, the Exalted and Majestic: [Ya-Sin: 82] (peace and blessings be upon him) .
So he is given a choice from the aspect of what Allah gave him of will, power, choice, and understanding, and he is compelled from the aspect that he does not go out from the decree of Allah.
I love you for the sake of Allah, so what is your esteemed opinion on the belief of the people of the Sunnah and the community regarding divine decree? Is a human being given a choice or is he compelled? Please advise us, and may Allah reward you.
Answer:
As for your love for the sake of Allah: May Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) reward you for it with good. We say: May Allah love you, for whom you loved us. The discussion on this has already been mentioned, and that loving for the sake of Allah and hating for the sake of Allah are the strongest ties of faith. The Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself.
لا يؤمن أحدُكم حتى يُحبَّ لأخيه ما يُحبُّ لنفسهThere are three things for which whomever has them, then he has tasted the sweetness of faith: The one for whom Allah and His Messenger are more beloved than anything else; whoever loves someone and he does not love him except for the sake of Allah, and whoever hates to return to disbelief after Allah has saved him from it, just as he hates to be thrown into fire.
ثلاثٌ مَن كنَّ فيه وجد حلاوةَ الإيمان: أن يكون الله ورسوله أحبَّ إليه مما سواهما، وأن يُحبَّ المرء لا يُحبُّه إلا لله، وأن يكره أن يعود في الكفر بعد إذ أنقذه الله منه، كما يكره أن يُقذف في النارAs for what concerns divine decree: The explanation of the levels of divine decree was already presented in the lecture that took place last week at the Guard. The people of the Sunnah and the community believe in divine decree, that it is the truth, and that the servants proceed within the decree of Allah. It is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that they asked him—the Companions asked him—saying: O Messenger of Allah, do you think that what we work and toil in is in a matter that has already passed and been completed and written, or is it in a matter that is newly begun? He said:
Rather, it is in a matter that has already passed and been completed
بل في أمرٍ قد مضى وفُرغ منهThose who are destined to be happy (in the Hereafter) will find it easy and pleasant to do the deeds characteristic of those destined to happiness, while those who are to be among the miserable (in the Hereafter), will find it easy to do the deeds characteristic of those destined to misery.
اعملوا فكلٌّ مُيَسَّرٌ لما خُلِقَ له: أما أهل السَّعادة فيُيَسَّرون لعمل أهل السَّعادة، وأما أهل الشَّقاوة فيُيَسَّرون لعمل أهل الشَّقاوةAs for he who gave and feared Allah
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى So belief in divine decree has four levels; whoever gathers them has gathered belief in divine decree:
The first is: belief in the knowledge of Allah regarding things, and that He knows everything of our deeds, our lifespans, our provisions, and other things.
The second level is: writing, and that He, the Exalted and Glorified, has written it with Him, as He, the Exalted, said:
Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and earth? Indeed, that is in a Record
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ فِي كِتَابٍAllah is Knowing of all things.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌso you may know that Allah is over all things competent and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge.
لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًاThe third is: that what Allah willed came to be, and what He did not will did not come to be, so nothing occurs in His dominion that He does not intend. He, the Exalted, said:
But if your Lord had willed, they would not have done it
وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُFor whoever wills among you to take a right course.
لِمَنْ شَاءَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَقِيمَ Then whoever wills will remember it.
فَمَنْ شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ The fourth is: belief that He is the Creator of things and their Determiner. Allah is the Creator of everything (peace and blessings be upon him) . He, the Exalted, said:
No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being
مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَبْرَأَهَاThese are the levels of divine decree: knowledge, writing, belief that what Allah willed came to be and what He did not will did not come to be, and belief that He is the Creator of things and their Bringer into existence. These are four levels that the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah pointed out in "Al-Wasitiyyah," and the scholars pointed out in their books, and the scholar Ibn al-Qayyim pointed out in his book "Shifa al-'Alil."
So the human being is given a choice and is compelled. Allah gave him intellect, and Allah gave him will, and He gave him choice, so he is given a choice from this aspect; he acts by will and by desire, as He, the Exalted, said:
Some Muslims desire the commodities of this world, but Allah desires [for you] the Hereafter
تُرِيدُونَ عَرَضَ الدُّنْيَا وَاللَّهُ يُرِيدُ الْآخِرَةَFor whoever wills among you to take a right course.
لِمَنْ شَاءَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَقِيمَ Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ[fully] Acquainted with what you do.
خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَof what they do
بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَAnd you do not will except that Allah wills
وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُIt is He who enables you to travel on land and sea
هُوَ الَّذِي يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِSo he is given a choice from the aspect that he has will, and he has choice, and he has selection; he knows the harmful from the beneficial, and the good from the bad. He eats and drinks by his choice, he visits his brothers by his choice, he sleeps by his choice, he gets up by his choice; he has choice. He commits obedience by his choice, and he commits disobedience by his choice, but this has a prior will from him, and he has a prior decree from Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) , which does not go out from the dominion of Allah, nor from His will, the Exalted and Majestic:
His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, "Be," and it is.
إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُSo he is given a choice from the aspect of what Allah gave him of will, power, choice, and understanding, and he is compelled from the aspect that he does not go out from the decree of Allah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.