Part 55

He will certainly take the second road to the land of order and security. It is not possible that any sane person would take the road to the land of anarchy and fear and then use predecree as his excuse. So why with regard to the affairs of the Hereafter does he take the road to the Fire and not the road to Paradise and seek to use pre-decree as his excuse?! Another example is that of a sick person who is told to take a medicine that he does no like or desire so he drinks it; and he is told to refrain from some food that he likes to avoid its harm, so he refrains from it. He does all of this hoping to be cured and restored to wellbeing. It is not possible that he will abstain from drinking the medicine, and will eat the harmful food, and then seek to use pre-decree as his excuse in this. So why does a person leave that which Allaah and His Messenger have commanded, or do that which Allaah forbade and His Messenger forbade and then seek to use pre-decree as an excuse?! (vii) That the one who seeks to use Pre-Decree as an excuse for abandoning the obligatory duties or for committing sins, if a person were to transgress against him - either stealing his wealth or violating his rights, and then sought to use Pre-Decree as an excuse for his actions, saying: 'Don't blame me since my transgression was something decreed by Allaah' - then he would not accept this excuse from him. So how is it that he will not accept Pre-Decree as an excuse for someone who transgresses against him, yet he himself seeks to use it as an excuse for himself when he transgresses against that which is the right of Allaah, the Most High?! In this regard it is mentioned that a thief who deserved the punishment of having his hand amputated was brought before Ameer ul-Mumineen 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab, radiyallaahu 'anhu, so he ordered that his hand be amputated, so he said: "Wait. O chief of the Believers, I only stole by the pre-decree of Allaah." So 'Umar replied: "And we only amputate by the pre-decree of Allaah." Belief in pre-decree produces very great fruits, from them:- (i) Dependence upon Allaah, the Most High, after having carried out the necessary means to an end; so he does not depend upon the means itself, since everything occurs by the pre-decree of Allaah, the Most High, (ii) That the person is not amazed with himself when that which he wants is attained. Its attainment is a blessing granted by Allaah, the Most High, and came about through the means to good and success which Allaah decreed. So being amazed with his own self will cause him to forget to give thanks for this blessing. (iii) Peace of mind and being at ease with whatever occurs with him from that which Allaah, the Most High, has decreed for him. So he does not become disturbed by the fact that something he loves does not come to him, nor by something he dislikes coming to him. All of this occurs by the pre-decree of Allaah, to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. It was something that was going to happen and could not be avoided. Concerning this Allaah, the Most High, Says, "No calamity befalls you in the earth or in your selves except that it was written in the Preserved Tablet before We created the souls. Indeed creating the souls and recording all the calamities that will befall them is something easy for Allaah. We have informed you of this so that you should not grieve over worldly matters that escape you, nor exult over others due to what He has given to you; and Allaah does not love the proud who exult over others due to the worldly things they have been given." [surah al-Hadeed (57):22-23] The Prophet said: "How amazing is the affair of the Believer, all of his affair is good, and that is not the case for anyone except the Believer: if ease comes to him he gives thanks for it, so that is good for him; and if trouble comes to him he has patience and so that is good for him" [Reported by Muslim (Eng. transl. 4/1541/no. 7138)]. Two sects have gone astray regarding pre-decree:- (i): The Jabariyyah - those who say that the person is compelled to carry out his actions, and that he has no will or ability with regard to them, (ii): The Qadariyyah - those who say that the person is totally independent and has unrestricted free will and ability regarding his actions, and that Allaah's Will and Power has no effect in this. The rebuttal of the first group (al-Jabariyyah) is found in the texts and the reality of that is witnessed. As for the texts, then Allaah, the Most High, affirmed will and desire and ability for the servant and attributed actions to him.