Belief in the divine decree

In a minute

Muslims believe that nothing happens outside God's knowledge and will: not a leaf falls without His knowing it (6:59). Everything, joy and hardship alike, unfolds within His wise plan. At the same time, people truly choose and are truly responsible for their choices. Qadar is not fatalism ("whatever will be, will be, so why try?"). It is trust: do your very best, then leave the outcome to God, and meet whatever comes with patience or thankfulness.

What it is and how it's lived

Four aspects

Sunni scholars commonly teach belief in Qadar as four connected truths:

Knowledge ('ilm): God knows everything, past, present and future, before it happens.
Writing (kitabah): He has recorded it in a Book with Him (57:22).
Will (mashi'ah): nothing happens unless He wills it (76:30).
Creation (khalq): He creates all things, including the actions people choose (54:49).

Choice and responsibility

God's knowing what we will choose does not force our choice. Muslims believe people have real choice and are accountable for it: "Lo! Allah changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts" (13:11). God does not burden any soul beyond what it can bear (2:286). How God's will and human freedom fit together exactly is, scholars say, one of the deep mysteries. Muslims are taught to believe it and act on it rather than argue it into knots.

How it's lived

Tie your camel, then trust. A man asked the Prophet whether he should tie his camel and trust God, or leave it loose and trust God. The Prophet said: tie it, and trust (paraphrased; Jami' al-Tirmidhi 2517). Effort and trust go together.
In sha' Allah, "if God wills", is said about future plans: not as a polite "maybe", but as a reminder that plans are in God's hands (18:23–24).
Qaddara'llahu wa ma sha'a fa'al, "God has decreed, and He does what He wills", is said when something goes wrong, instead of tormenting yourself with "if only…" (paraphrased from Sahih Muslim 2664).
Patience and gratitude. Hardship is met with patience (sabr), blessing with thankfulness (shukr).

Its inner meaning

Belief in Qadar is meant to bring peace, not passivity. The Qur'an explains that everything is decreed "That ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which hath been given" (57:23). It frees a believer from crushing regret over the past and from arrogance about success. What reached you was never going to miss you, and what missed you was never going to reach you (paraphrased; Sunan Abi Dawud 4700).

Key verses

"Lo! We have created every thing by measure." (Qur'an 54:49, Pickthall)

Arabic: إِنَّا كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَٰهُ بِقَدَرٍۢ

"Naught of disaster befalleth in the earth or in yourselves but it is in a Book before we bring it into being - Lo! that is easy for Allah - That ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which hath been given." (Qur'an 57:22–23, Pickthall)

"No calamity befalleth save by Allah's leave. And whosoever believeth in Allah, He guideth his heart." (Qur'an 64:11, Pickthall)

"Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope." (Qur'an 2:286, Pickthall)

From the Prophet (peace be upon him)

How wonderful is the affair of the believer: all of it is good. If something good happens, they give thanks, and that is good for them; if hardship strikes, they are patient, and that is good for them (paraphrased; Sahih Muslim 2999).
To a young companion, Ibn 'Abbas: be mindful of God and He will protect you. If the whole world gathered to benefit you, it could only benefit you with what God had already written for you; and if it gathered to harm you, it could only harm you with what God had written. The pens have been lifted and the pages are dry (paraphrased; Jami' al-Tirmidhi 2516).
The strong believer is better and more beloved to God than the weak, though there is good in both. Strive for what benefits you, seek God's help and do not give up. If something befalls you, do not say "if only I had…", but say: God decreed, and He does what He wills (paraphrased; Sahih Muslim 2664).

Common misunderstandings, answered gently

"Muslims are fatalists." Islam insists on effort: tie the camel, seek medicine, work, plan. Qadar is about how you hold the result, not an excuse to stop trying.
"If it's all decreed, nobody is responsible." The Qur'an holds every person responsible for what they choose (99:7–8). God's knowledge is not compulsion.
"Bad things mean God doesn't care." Muslims believe hardship can carry hidden good, purification or growth, even when we cannot see it. Grief is still allowed: the Prophet himself wept at the death of his son.

Sunni and Shia

Shia theology places strong emphasis on God's justice ('Adl). Its teaching on human action is summed up in a saying of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq: "neither compulsion nor total delegation, but a matter between the two" (amr bayn al-amrayn). People act freely, but always by the power God gives them.

Reflection

Think of something that "missed" you, a plan that fell through. Looking back, did anything good grow in its place?

In the other traditions

Judaism: Rabbi Akiva taught, "All is foreseen, yet freedom of choice is given" (Pirkei Avot 3:15), holding God's knowledge and human choice together; Jews also speak of trust in God (bitachon).
Christianity: Christians speak of God's providence, his care and purpose in all things, and many pray "your will be done" (Matthew 6:10). Churches have long discussed how grace and free will meet.

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