FREE WILL/

PREDESTINATION
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
QADHA AND QADAR

Qadha: To judge, decide, settle

Qadar: Measure out, assess, determine

Our RIZQ – our provision has been measured out.

How the lion looks – what the carnivores eat- what the herbivores eat – everything
is determined
Our DNA is determined.

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
FREE WILL VERSUS PRE-DESTINATION

FREE WILL IS CHOICE- HUMANS

PREDESTINATION IS QADAR- MANIFESTATION OF

ALLAH’S POWER

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
TRANSCENDENTAL NATURE

ALLAH IS BEYOND SPACE AND TIME

Past
Present
Future

Time is a linear concept for Allah swt

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
⚫ Time and space has no meaning for Allah SWT. He is
beyond that. Time passes over human beings, not over
Allah SWT.

⚫ Past, Present and Future have no meaning for Allah SWT.

Since, Allah SWT is beyond that, hence He already knows
our future as time is not passing over Him.

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
⚫ Like you go to school/ college:
⚫ You have been given a curriculum/ syllabus
⚫ You know you will have a number of exams (quizzes, announced/ unannounced,
hourlies, midterms, finals etc)
⚫ Test (i.e. trial) can be in the form of affliction or comfort
⚫ Number of Trials is given (like no. of exams) given but Not your performance in the
exam
⚫ Performance in Exam i.e. Doing good or bad determines pleasure or displeasure of
Allah (swt).
⚫ Role of Dua, Aamal-us-Saleh, following Sunnah and Sharia CAN intercede the level
of difficulty of the test/ trial (i.e. Taqdeer)

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
PARADIGM 1:ALLAH IS DOES EVERYTHING

01 02 03

KNOWLEDGE CHOICE ACTIONS

Allah Allah Allah

Fatalism and Determinism
Jabariyyah (No freewill)
To fatalists, preceding events do not cause the events that follow, nor does a fated
event take place according to a natural law. Events happen because of a decree of
God or of some supernatural power.
Jabariyyahs stated that evil acts will not be punishable, but good deeds will be
rewarded.
Determinism says that every event has a cause that necessarily precipitates the
event. In the concept of determinism, there is no human free will. So any decision
taken is viewed as the natural and inevitable result of influences like bio-chemical
conditions, desires, passions, and external circumstances beyond the control of the
individual.
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
Verses on Allah’s Decree
[And not an atom’s weight in the earth or in the sky escapes your Lord, nor
what is less than that or greater than that, but it is (written) in a clear
Book.](Yunus 10:61)
[No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a
decree before We [Allah]. That is truly easy for Allah. In order that you may
neither despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favors
bestowed upon you. For Allah loves not any vainglorious
boaster](Al-Hadid 57:22-23)
[And say not of anything, “I shall do it tomorrow,” unlessAllah wills](
Al-Kahf 18:23-24)
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
Problem with Determinism
No sense in reward and punishment.

Narrated Abu Hurayrah:

The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said: He who does not thank the people is not thankful
to Allah.
‫ ﻋَ ِن اﻟ ﱠﻧﺑِﻲﱢ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ‬،َ‫ ﻋَ نْ أَﺑِﻲ ھُرَ ﯾْرَ ة‬،ٍ‫ ﻋَ نْ ﻣُﺣَ ﱠﻣ ِد ْﺑ ِن زِ ﯾَﺎد‬،ٍ‫ ﺣَ ﱠد َﺛﻧَﺎ اﻟرﱠ ﺑِﯾ ُﻊ ﺑْنُ ﻣُﺳْ ﻠِم‬،َ‫ﺣَ ﱠد َﺛﻧَﺎ ﻣُﺳْ ﻠِ ُم ﺑْنُ إِﺑْرَ اھِﯾم‬
. " َ‫ﷲ ﻣَنْ ﻻَ َﯾ ْﺷ ُﻛ ُر اﻟﻧﱠﺎس‬ َ ‫ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم ﻗَﺎ َل " ﻻَ َﯾ ْﺷ ُﻛ ُر ﱠ‬
Grade : Sahih (Al-Albani)
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 4811

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
PARADIGM 2: HUMANS DO EVERYTHING

01 02 03

KNOWLEDGE CHOICE ACTION

Humans Humans Humans

Qadariyyah & Mu’tazilites
(All for Human freewill)
They said Humans are the creators of their actions.

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
PROBLEM WITH THIS

It’s ascribing partnership to God if there are creators other than

God
If someone benefits us, we consider them to be our benefactors in
totality.
It is *they* who are so kind, generous, and have willed to act in a
certain way
While we must be thankful to the person, the idea is that we do not
forget it is God who is the Capital “D” Doer.
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
 SOLUTION

01 02 03

KNOWLEDGE CHOICE ACTION

ALLAH HUMANS HUMANS

=QADAR
=FREEWILL = FREEWILL
Conclusion: Man has CHOICE (ikhtiyar), and
ACQUIRES actions (does iktisab)but does not
create them
InIslam, there is no contradiction between belief in divine
preordainment on the one hand, and the freedom of humans on
the other, because Allah’s will and plan are universal in scope,
within which there is provision for a free and active role for
humans, enabling them to consciously fashion their own destiny.
We have shown the path to humans, and they are free to
choose the right path and be thankful or to choose the path of
ingratitude] (Al-Insan 76:3) MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
 WISDOM

Predestination (At a universal level, things are predestined and

unfold in a wise manner) At an individual level, things are
predestined, such as where a person is born , which religion his
parents ascribe to, his physical features, and certain attributes and
characteristics… but he is free to make moral choices.
Freewill: Within this framework he will be accountable for the
choices he makes and the actions he commits.
Pre destination also results in tranquility as a person accepts the
tragedies in life as “meant to be”
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
The Prophet‫ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬said: Be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah
and you will nd Him before you. If you ask, ask from Allah. If you seek help, seek help
from Allah. Know that if the nations gather together to bene t you, they will not
bene t you unless Allah has decreed it for you. And if the nations gather together to
harm you, they will not harm you unless Allah has decreed it for you. The pens have
been lifted and the pages have dried.

The Prophet ‫ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬informed us, through his companion Ibn Abbas (ra),
that the decree has already been made. The pages have been dried. Even so,
the Prophet ‫ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬prescribed action: to be mindful of Allah and to
seek help from Allah.

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
TWO TYPES OF WILL
The important point to understand is that everything happens by the will
of Allah, despite Allah not being pleased with everything that is allowed
to happen.
There are two ways in which “the will of Allah” is understood:
The universal will and the legislative will.
The universal will encompasses everything that is allowed to be, both
good and evil.
The legislative will consists of what Allah wants from us of good deeds.

The truth is that our actions make a meaningful difference and can
change the course of the decree.
By bringing our will to coincide with the legislative will of the
Creator—surrendering our will to Allah—our fate will change for the
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
better.
This apparent change in destiny is not a result of
our own power and ability, and it is not outside the
knowledge of Allah. Rather, it is only when we
submit ourselves to the will of Allah that our fate
can change for the better.

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
Allah said: Each soul is responsible for its own actions; no soul will bear the
burden of another. You will all return to your Lord in the end, and He will tell
you the truth about your differences.

Thus, what we decide to do with our God-given will determine the fate that Allah
assigns to us. The essence of the matter is that good deeds lead to a good ending,
and evil deeds lead to an evil ending.

The Prophet‫ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬said: Good works protect from evil fates. Charity in
secret extinguishes the wrath of the Lord, maintaining family ties
increases lifespan, and every good deed is charity. The people of good in
the world are the people of good in the Hereafter, and the people of evil
in the world are the people of evil in the Hereafter. And the rst to enter
Paradise are the people of good.
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
And Ibn Abbas (ra) said: Verily, good deeds bring brightness
upon the face, a light in the heart, an expanse of provision,
strength in the body, and love in the hearts of the creation.
And evil deeds bring blackness upon the face, darkness in the
grave and in the heart, weakness in the body, a restriction of
provision, and hatred in the hearts of the creation

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
PROPHET PBUH SUPPLICATED FOR
PROTECTION AGAINST EVIL FATE
The Prophet ‫ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬himself supplicated to Allah for
protection from an evil fate, recognizing that it is Allah alone
who holds the power to decree: O Allah, guide me among
those You have guided, secure me among those You have
secured, protect me among those You have protected, bless
me in what You have given me, and save me from the evil You
have decreed. Verily, You alone decree and none can issue
decree over You. Verily, he cannot be humiliated whoever is
protected by You. Blessed are You, our Lord, the Almighty.

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
FROM THE DECREE OF ALLAH TO THE
DECREE OF ALLAH
Our predecessors understood that whatever came to be—positive or negative—was
from the decree of Allah. In one instance, Umar (ra) departed for Syria and when he
arrived, they found that a plague had broken out, so Umar announced that they would
return to Medina. Abu Ubaidah questioned him, saying, “Do you flee from the decree
of Allah?” And Umar replied: Would that another had said so, O Abu
Ubaidah! Yes, we are fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah.
Do you not see that if you had camels descending in a valley with two fields,
one of them fertile and the other barren, you would graze in the fertile field
by the decree of Allah or you would graze in the barren field by the decree of
Allah?

Umar’s example shows us that real trust in Allah means one should act upon the
pattern of causes we observe in daily life.
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
FREE WILL
IS NOT AN
ABSOLUTE
CONCEPT
FREE WILL CONCEPT IS NOT ABSOLUTE

CIRCUMSTANCES/ DECISIONS

We have a choice to make right OR wrong decisions.

In case of a wrong decision, there is again a choice to

repent

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
 Anas bin Malik reported that the
messenger of Allah PBUH said ‘A
time of patience will come to people
in which adhering to one’s religion is
like grasping a hot coal’
-

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2260

JUDGEMENT ON THE BASIS OF DECISION

Circumstances for everyone is different

Hence on DOJ everyone’s exam is different

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
PREDICTION ON
THE BASIS OF
KNOWLEDGE
AND
EXPERIENCE
ANOTHER WAY TO UNDERSTAND
We predict human behaviour on the basis of

Knowledge
Experience

Example: I predict your grade

Did I hamper your choice while predicting?

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
ALLAH’S PREDICTION
Knowledge
Experience

Knowledge is Perfect
Experience is Perfect
Prediction about Future is Perfect

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
NATURE
/NURTURE
ARGUMENT
ANOTHER ARGUMENT: Nature/Nurture
1- Nature Argument

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MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
2- Nurture Argument

Prophet pbuh’s surrounding was worse

You can de-programme and de-change

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
⦿ Everyone is given different sifaat but
those sifaat can be changed.
⦿ Everyone is given an environment to
live in but that does not wholly
determine the outcome of their lives.
⦿ Parameters don’t negate free-will.

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
● In the Qur’an, Allah swt Says that HE
misguides people.
● How are we to understand this?

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
● Freedom to believe
● ْ‫ﻓَﻤَﻦ ﺷَﺎ َء ﻓَ ْﻠﯿُﺆْ ﻣِﻦ َوﻣَﻦ ﺷَﺎ َء ﻓَ ْﻠﯿَ ْﻜﻔُﺮ‬
● so whoever wills - let him believe and whoever
wills - let him disbelieve [Kahf:29]

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
ANSWER IS IN THE CONTEXT

● One person gets Hidayah and chooses to go

astray. He then keeps getting hidayah and keeps
choosing to go astray.
● After getting 1000 chances, Allah swt uses the
word misguidance for such a person.
● E.g. Abu Jahal and Abu Lahab.

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
TRANSITIVE
GOOD/
TRANSITIVE
EVIL
 What about those who disbelief

01 02

Transitive Good Transitive Evil

● You have the privilege today because of your
great grand father. How?
● Every blessing is a test!
● We think we have the free ticket to Jannah
● Allah is Al Hadi
● You can replace everything in this world
except Allah

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
TWIN BROTHER EXAMPLE

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
 HUMANSre

BELIEVERem DISBELIEVER

Kn
JANNAH
STRAIGHT TO Lorem KNEW AND DID NOT KNOW
THROUGH
JANNAHmpsum Ipsum DISBELIEVEDorem TRUE ISLAM
JAHANUM Ipsum

DID NOT HAVE

HAD THE ABILITY
ABILITY TO
TO KNOWLore
KNOWLore

TAUHEED(HOW THEY
MARIAM
RESPONDED) AND TAMEEZUDDIN
UNIVERSAL ETHICSore
FAQS

01 02
Why are we Why was Evil
Created created

q
03 04
Why is there Conclusion
suffering
 01
Why are we
created
DEEN IS A LOVE STORY

"He loves them

and they love
Him," [Quran 5:54]
"And those who Believe have
Intense Love for Allah" (2:165)

-
Allah wanted us to love him!

Example: Love/No love

Hazrat Fatima ra love for Allah

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
 02
Why was evil
created
For good to
be good,
there has to
be evil
A’s value will be worthless without an F

For A to be valuable, the rest of the grades were created.

Would you question the professor as to why did you
create these grades?

There is no compulsion in Deen. Allah swt distinguished

betwen right and wrong and guided us towards the right

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
● Allah is the summation of all his attributes, and different attributes
manifest at different times and situations. Allah is also Al Hakeem
(the Wise), so everything has a reason. God exists, but God allows
evil to exist for certain reasons. The existence of Evil allows us to
appreciate the good. We understand things through their opposites.
Evil gives us a better appreciation of good.

● Evil exists because of the existence of free will. If Allah did not allow
evil to exist, that would be the end of free will. This world is meant
to be a test, and we cannot be tested without the existence of a
choice of good or bad.

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
● From Allah’s perspective, no action is evil, because
everything happens for a purpose. There is a wisdom behind
everything, even if we cannot perceive it. God does not
create pure evil. In everything that He creates, there is a wise
purpose. There may be partial relative evil for some people in
some things that Allah has made. One single action of God
could be a mercy for some people, and a trial for some
people. E.g. the story of Musa and Khidr AS. On the face of it,
the actions of Khidr AS were unjust, but when the reasons
were explained, they made sense.
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
ABILITY OF KHAYR AND SHAYR
Allah swt has put the ability of Khayr and Shar in
things

Example: Anger as an emotion

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
SURAH BAQARAH 2:214
Do you think that you will enter Paradise while you have not yet
been visited by (difficult) circumstances like those that were
faced by the people who passed away before you? They were
afflicted by hardship and suffering, and were so shaken down
that the prophet, and those who believed with him, started
saying: “When (will come) the help of Allah?” (Then, they were
comforted by the Prophet who said to them) ‘Behold, the help of
Allah is near.’

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
 03
Why is there
suffering
● The pain and suffering of this world is a catalyst for us to reach a
higher stage in the afterlife. The calamities of this world drive us
towards Jannah. They become a means of cleansing us.
Suffering is closely linked to our concept of afterlife. Allah gives
people the strength to bear trials in proportion to their suffering.

● The suffering of some people is also a test for the observers who
are watching that suffering. How do the observers respond to the
suffering of others?

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
● Suffering is a natural result of being humans with free will.
Suffering is not a bad thing in itself. Suffering is a part of
growth. If there was no suffering, we would be like robots
without emotions.Suffering often helps us to become
better human beings, and enables us to learn from our
mistakes, and creates a sense of gratitude in us for the
blessings we experienced.

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
‫َوﻣَﺎ ٰھ ِﺬ ِه اﻟۡ َﺤﯿٰﻮةُ اﻟﺪﱡﻧۡ ﯿَ ۤﺎ ا ﱠِﻻ ﻟَﮭۡ ٌﻮ ﱠوﻟَﻌِﺐٌ ؕ َواِنﱠ اﻟﺪﱠا َر‬
َ‫َانُ ﻟ َۡﻮ ﻛَﺎﻧ ُۡﻮا ﯾَﻌۡ ﻠَﻤ ُۡﻮن‬
ۘ ‫ۡاﻻٰﺧِ َﺮةَ ﻟَ ِﮭ َﻰ اﻟۡ ﺤَـﯿَﻮ‬

(29:64) The present life is nothing but sport and amusement.102 The true life is
in the Abode of the Hereafter; if only they knew.103

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
Why does bad things happen to me
Sins

To Elevate us

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
Before the decree takes place, we should seek refuge in Allah, pray and
supplicate to Him, rely upon Him, and put in the work necessary to achieve a
good outcome.

After the decree is fulfilled, we have to accept it and move on.

If it was a calamity unrelated to our actions, such as natural disaster, then we

accept it as part of the trials of life and continue to persevere in our faith.

If it was a blessing, we praise Allah and continue to be grateful.

If it was the result of our good deeds, we praise Allah for facilitating our good
deeds.
If it was the result of our sins, we seek forgiveness from Allah and do what needs
to be done to make amends.
At every point in time, the believers respond to the decree with action.
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
Accepting a calamity that has been decreed by Allah is one of the
most difficult tests we face in life.

The root word fa-ta-na for “trial” (fitnah) carries the meaning of “he
put it into the fire, namely gold and silver, in order to separate, or
distinguish, the bad from the good.”

Allah puts us through trials because they are means by which we

grow morally and spiritually.

Indeed, some of the worst trials bring out the best in people.

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
The Prophet‫ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬said: If something befalls you, then do not say, ‘If only I had
done something else.’ Rather say, ‘Allah has decreed what he wills.’ Verily, the
phrase ‘if only’ opens the way for the work of Satan.

Accepting the decree—in this case—a calamity, is a way of instilling within us contentment and
peace of mind, as we have faith that there is divine wisdom behind every event we may not
fully understand. Saying ‘if only’ is the means for Satan to corrupt this peace of mind.

Al-Nawawi comments on this hadith, saying, ‘It opens the way for the work of Satan’
means he casts into the heart opposition to the divine decree and Satan tempts him
with it.”

Accepting the decree after the fact, though, does not imply not learning from our mistakes and
negative experiences.
The Prophet ‫ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬also said, “The believer is not stung twice from the same
hole.” That is, we should not commit the same mistake twice, nor should we
allow a negative experience to repeat itself if we can prevent it.
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
 03
Why is there a punishment
for eternity
Why is there a punishment for eternity, despite just 50-100 years of
sin and disbelief? If a punishment is used to discipline someone,
what is the purpose of punishing a person eternally?

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
● The punishment is according to the nature of the act (The proportionality
principle). For example, stealing a small object is not the same as
committing a robbery in the bank. Killing an animal is not the same as
killing the head of a state. Therefore, the crime committed against an
eternal being (Allah) should have a punishment proportional to the
nature of the crime. How do we vindicate an eternal and infinite being?
by eternal punishment. This is at least plausible textually and rationally

● If someone commits a crime in dunya, it probably takes a few minutes to

complete the act of crime. But, the punishment is very long in duration.
For example, the punishment of an act of murder might be a life sentence
or death, although the act took a few minutes. Similarly, it is justified to
have an eternal punishment for huge crimes committed in dunya.
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
● If eternal punishment was not there, would man heed the warnings, maybe
not? Man would commit sins in the hope that he could stay for a limited
period in hell and be purified. People would not take hell seriously if the
punishment was finite.

● If someone wanted to live their whole life not believing in Allah, why is it
wrong for Allah to keep him in hell for the whole life of the akhirah? The intent
of the person was to infinitely stay on disbelief. The punishment is based on
his intentions. Allah can discern what was in the heart of the person who
disbelieved.

● If Jannah is eternal although we committed good acts for a limited time, why
can’t hell be eternal similarly ?
MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
PRINCIPLE OF PROVIDENCE IS A SECRET
OF ALLAH
Consequently, the Prophet ‫ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬prohibited his companions
from arguing about providence. On one occasion when they were
arguing about the issue the Prophet ‫ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬was angered and
said: With this I have commanded you? With this I was sent to
you? Verily, the people before you were destroyed when they
argued over this matter. I am determined for you not to argue
over it.

MARIAM TAMEEZUDDIN
 Conclusions

Human beings Allah swt knows Allah swt’s knowing

have free will and
what choices each does not negate our
ability to choose
person will make free will – our inability
to understand due to
linearity of time for usJ

Good deeds and dua can

change certain type of
taqdeer