The Four Levels of Qadar

Belief in Allah's qadar — divine decree and predestination — is the sixth and final pillar of Islamic faith (arkan al-iman). The Prophet defined it as 'believing in Allah's decree, both the good of it and the bitter of it.' Al-Ashqar's comprehensive treatment of this subject begins with the four foundational levels of qadar that Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah affirm, which together constitute a complete and internally consistent theology of divine omniscience and sovereignty.

The first level is Al-'Ilm — Divine Knowledge. Allah knows everything that has occurred, is occurring, and will occur until the Day of Judgment. He knows the actions of every created being, every event, every thought, every subatomic movement with absolute completeness and perfect clarity. This knowledge is eternal, preceding the creation of time itself. The Quran states: 'And you are not, whatever you do, but that We are Witness over you when you are engaged in it.' Divine knowledge is the epistemological foundation upon which all other levels of qadar rest.

The second level is Al-Kitabah — The Writing. Allah recorded all that He knew in Al-Lawh al-Mahfudh (the Preserved Tablet) fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earth. The Prophet said: 'Allah recorded the decrees of creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, while His Throne was upon water.' This writing does not itself cause events — it is the divine record of what will occur, analogous to a perfect historical record written in advance.

The third level is Al-Mashi'ah — The Will. Nothing occurs in the universe except by Allah's will (irada). What He wills occurs; what He does not will does not occur. This is an absolute statement of divine sovereignty: there is no corner of the universe, no event however small, no choice however seemingly insignificant, that falls outside the scope of Allah's will. The Quran affirms: 'Truly, you do not will unless Allah wills.'

The fourth level is Al-Khalq — Creation. Allah is the Creator (Al-Khaliq) of all things that exist, including the actions of human beings. While human beings perform their actions through genuine free will, those actions — as created events in the universe — are created by Allah. This is the most philosophically complex level and the one most directly related to the question of human free will and divine justice. Al-Ashqar addresses this directly, emphasizing that acknowledging Allah's creation of human actions does not negate human responsibility — as will be explored in subsequent chapters. Together, these four levels form the complete Sunni understanding of divine decree.