Qadr (Divine Decree) in Detail
Suggest editDefinition and Status in Iman
Qadr (قدر) — divine predestination or decree — is the sixth and final pillar of iman (faith). When the Angel Jibril came to the Prophet in the form of a man and asked him to define iman, the Prophet enumerated: belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and then said: 'and to believe in qadar — both its good and its evil' (Sahih Muslim 8). Belief in qadar is therefore not peripheral to faith but central and non-negotiable. The Prophet warned strongly against those who denied it (the Qadariyyah sect), calling them the Magians of this ummah.
The Four Levels of Qadr
The scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah have identified four interconnected levels that together constitute a complete understanding of divine decree:
- Al-Ilm (Knowledge): Allah has eternal, complete, and perfect knowledge of everything that was, is, and will be. He knows every action of every creature before any of them existed. This knowledge is absolute and does not change: 'Indeed, Allah is Knowing of all things' (Quran 8:75).
- Al-Kitabah (Writing): Everything that will occur until the Day of Judgment is recorded in al-Lawh al-Mahfuz (the Preserved Tablet). The Prophet said: 'Allah wrote the decrees of all creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth' (Sahih Muslim 2653). This record is complete and nothing will contradict it.
- Al-Mashee'ah (Will): Nothing occurs in the universe except by the will of Allah. There is no event, action, or occurrence — from the movement of atoms to the choices of human beings — that takes place outside of Allah's will and permission.
- Al-Khalq (Creation): Allah is the Creator of all things, including the actions of His servants. The Quran states: 'Allah created you and what you do' (Quran 37:96). This means that even human actions, while genuinely chosen by humans, are ultimately created by Allah.
Human Free Will and Accountability
The central theological challenge of qadr is reconciling divine decree with human free will and accountability. Ahl us-Sunnah navigate between two extremes:
- The Jabariyyah denied human free will entirely, arguing that humans are compelled in their actions like a feather in the wind. This is rejected because it would make divine punishment unjust.
- The Mu'tazilah and Qadariyyah denied Allah's involvement in human actions, claiming humans create their own deeds independently of Allah's will. This is rejected because it implies limitation in Allah's sovereignty.
The position of Ahl us-Sunnah is that humans possess genuine will (iradah) and genuine ability (qudrah) — they truly choose their actions and are therefore truly accountable. However, this human will and ability operate within, and are created by, the overarching will and decree of Allah. Allah knew what they would choose, decreed it, willed it, and created their capacity for it — yet the choice is genuinely theirs. This position is affirmed by the Quran: 'For whoever among you wishes to take the straight path. And you do not will except that Allah wills' (Quran 81:28-29).
Ash'ari and Athari Nuances
While Athari and Ash'ari scholars agree on the four levels of qadr, they differ in their conceptual framing of the relationship between divine decree and human agency. The Ash'ari school uses the concept of kasb (acquisition) — humans acquire their actions in a technical sense while Allah creates them. Athari scholars tend to affirm both divine creation of acts and human agency without attempting a philosophical resolution, following the approach of the early Salaf who considered deep philosophical probing of this issue a form of undesirable innovation (bid'ah).
Living with Qadr — Patience and Gratitude
The Prophet said: 'How wonderful is the affair of the believer! For his affairs are all good. If something good happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If something harmful happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him. And this is only for the believer' (Sahih Muslim 2999). This hadith captures the practical fruit of belief in qadr: an unshakeable equilibrium in the face of life's fluctuations, because the believer knows that everything comes from a Lord who is wise, merciful, and in full control.