Responding Correctly to Qadar

Belief in divine qadar is not a passive intellectual position but a practice — a way of relating to events, both pleasant and difficult, with specific psychological and spiritual responses that the prophetic tradition models and prescribes. Al-Ashqar's discussion of the correct response to qadar addresses both the positive (what the believer should do) and the negative (what they should avoid) in how they experience and relate to the divine decree.

When what is decreed is pleasant — success, provision, health, safety — the correct response is shukr (gratitude). The believer recognizes that the blessing came from Allah, not from their own cleverness or effort alone, and responds with verbal praise (alhamdulillah), with increased acts of worship, and with generosity to others from the blessing received. Gratitude directed to Allah for His blessings is itself an act of worship and is among the most important spiritual disciplines.

When what is decreed is difficult — hardship, loss, illness, failure — the correct response is sabr (patience). This has been described extensively in earlier chapters of Islamic spiritual literature and involves restraining the soul from impatient complaint, the tongue from saying what displeases Allah, and the limbs from actions that express rejection of the decree. The Quran promises: 'Truly, Allah is with the patient.'

The Prophet provided specific formulas for different encounters with the decree. When experiencing loss or calamity: 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un' — We belong to Allah and to Him we return. When experiencing pain or difficulty: 'La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah' — There is no power or strength except through Allah. When something unpleasant occurs: 'Allahumma ajirni fi musibati wa akhlif li khayran minha' — O Allah, reward me for this calamity and replace it with something better. Each of these formulas represents a correct theological orientation toward the decree — not resignation but faithful trust.

Critically, the Prophet identified a specific error to be avoided: saying 'If only I had done X, then Y would not have happened' in a context of regret over what was decreed. The Prophet said: 'Be eager for what benefits you, seek Allah's help, and do not feel incapacitated. If something happens to you, do not say If only I had done such and such — rather say: Allah decreed, and what He willed He did. For if only opens the door to Shaytan's work.' The distinction is important: planning for the future using 'if' is positive and encouraged; dwelling in regretful 'if only' about the past opens a door to despair and Satanic whispering.

The ultimate correct response to qadar is rida — contentment with and acceptance of what Allah decrees. This is the highest station in the believer's relationship with the divine decree, described by some scholars as a station beyond sabr. Where sabr endures the decree, rida embraces it — finding in it the evidence of divine wisdom and love even when the wisdom is not visible. This is the station of those most intimate with Allah: 'Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him.'