Predestination

[Guest 0572]

Is there such thing as predestination, or destiny, or naseeb. I understand that we have it depends on our choices, but to what extent? Is there naseeb in relation to marriage? I’ve seen mixed answers online but I am having trouble understanding how someone has free will or a say in who is attracted to them, or who is interested in marrying them. If marriage is not predestined, then what is the point of making duaa for a good spouse, or for anything? Why are we told to have tawakul then? Doesn’t tawakkul in itself mean that we trust Allah with our affairs? 

[Shian e Ali]

It does. We need to trust Allah with whatever situation He puts us through. Dua’a, as per my knowledge, can change fate. Imagine playing a game where you encounter some issues, so you message the mods asking for help. It’s like saying a prayer, and being helped where you wouldn’t have been helped if you hadn’t asked. I hope this makes sense. 

[AbdusSibtayn]

On 1/17/2024 at 6:26 AM, Guest 0572 said:

Is there such thing as predestination, or destiny, or naseeb. I understand that we have it depends on our choices, but to what extent? Is there naseeb in relation to marriage? I’ve seen mixed answers online but I am having trouble understanding how someone has free will or a say in who is attracted to them, or who is interested in marrying them. If marriage is not predestined, then what is the point of making duaa for a good spouse, or for anything? Why are we told to have tawakul then? Doesn’t tawakkul in itself mean that we trust Allah with our affairs? 

Free will -and this includes making dua- applies to factors within your control. 

'Predestination', or better put, Allah's qada and qadar, apply to factors beyond your control. 

Take the example of marriage, as you have cited above. Making dua to Allah for a righteous spouse, and making effort to look for that spouse is from your free will. Whether and how that wish is fulfilled and the effort yields result is Allah's domain, a part of His qada and qadar. 

Just believing in predestination would be simply doing nothing- not even making dua or looking for a spouse- and believing that since your marriage is predestined, it will happen automatically with the correct person, sans any effort on your part. 

Similarly, just believing in free will is disregarding that Allah has any role to play in the matter, and everything is in your hands alone, and if you are rewarded with success or, God forbid, tested with failure in your conjugal life, the credit (or blame) belongs entirely to you. 

The reality is somewhere between these two extremes- as the imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (ams) have described it, 'al amr bayn al amrayn', a matter between two (extreme) matters. 

Where exactly the boundary between these two is, is a tricky matter, and we shouldn't nitpick or hairsplit about it too much because it may lead us to either of the two extremes- the erroneous belief in absolute determinism, or that in absolute free will. Just do your best and leave the rest to Allah. 

This precisely is Tawakkul- doing your best and leaving the rest to Allah. How do we know that we did our best? That is when we are convinced that we have left no shortcoming in our effort, and performed it well (bi'l ihsan) and with perfection (bi'l itqan). The outcome of the effort is in Allah's domain, and must be left to Him. 

Edited January 18 by AbdusSibtayn

[Ali_Mehdi_]

There is a hadith that says we are in between predestination and free will.

And  there is another hadith that says Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) destines our naseeb for marriage.

[Guest guest]

On 1/21/2024 at 12:36 AM, Ali_Mehdi_ said:

There is a hadith that says we are in between predestination and free will.

And  there is another hadith that says Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) destines our naseeb for marriage.

If you can show us the hadith we might know more if this is correct or not.

[Ashvazdanghe]

On 8/6/2024 at 11:36 PM, Guest guest said:

If you can show us the hadith we might know more if this is correct or not.

Salam

Imam Sadiq ((عليه السلام)) said: “Whatever that you could blame man for it, is his action and whatever you could not blame him for it, is the act of God. God blames man for drinking alcohol, committing adultery etc. Thus, these are the acts of man. However, God does not blame man why he is sick or why his skin colour is black or fair. Thus, these are the acts of God.” [Beharul-Anwaar vol.5 p.58].

The Imam was also asked about the meaning of ‘a matter in between’. His reply was: “The example of it is, if you see a man committing a sin and you advise him to refrain from it, yet he does not pay any heed to your advice. Surely, just because he didn’t listen to you, it cannot be said that you forced him to sin.” [Ibid, p.83]

Imam Hadi ((عليه السلام)) quoting from Imam Sadiq ((عليه السلام)) said: “People with regards to ‘destiny’ are of three categories: The first is the one who assumes that Allah has given full authority to him. This (person) has weakened God in His kingdom, thus, he is perished. The second is the one who assumes that God has forced people to sin and He has held them responsible over things that they have no power over. This (person) is unfair to God in His judgment, thus he is perished. The third is the one who assumes God has held people responsible for what they do and does not hold them responsible for what they have no power over. Then when he does something good, he praises God and when he does something evil, he seeks God’s forgiveness. This (person) is a mature Muslim.”

A Muslim should also believe that the decree of God on the matters that are beyond one’s choice, is always eventually beneficial for a believer. The Prophet of Islam (P) once so smiled that his blessed molar teeth were shown. The Messenger of God was asked for his smile. He replied: “I wonder about the affairs of a Muslim that there is no divine decree about him but eventually it will be to his benefit.”

Answered by: Sheikh Mansour Leghaei

Originally posted by www.askthesheikh.com

https://tasneeminstitute.org/faq/what-does-islam-say-about-predestination-and-free-will/#:~:text=What does Islam say about predestination and free-will%3F,although his free will is by divine decree.

10. Predestination and Free Will (Al-Jabr wa 't-tafwid)

Ash-Shaykh Abu Ja‘far, may Allah have mercy upon him, says: "There is neither (complete) compulsion (or constraint) (on human beings), nor (complete) delegation (or freedom), but the matter is midway between the two [extremes] (amrun bayna amrayn)." Then he adduces, to support this definition, a mursal tradition. He was asked to define what was meant by 'an affair midway between the two'.

https://www.al-islam.org/emendation-shiite-creed-shaykh-al-mufid/10-predestination-and-free-will-al-jabr-wa-t-tafwid

The Shia Belief Of Predestination VS Absolute Free Will 2/2 - Enquiries About Shi'a Islam 21/47

https://www.al-islam.org/media/shia-belief-predestination-vs-absolute-free-will-22-enquiries-about-shia-islam-2147

https://shiastudies.com/en/11662/shia-belief-predestination-vs-absolute-freewill-part-1/

 

First page of thread

Quote

Shiite view
The view adopted by the Shia scholars and theologians on this subject is the acceptance of the general and divine significance while accepting the power of man and the influence of his will and power in arbitrary verbs: Judaism and magnitude include all the phenomena existing in the universe, and no phenomenon from it It is not escape, whether it is a phenomenon of human action or other terrestrial and heavenly events ... because, given that justice and justice are largely due to the divine knowledge and the great and comprehensive will of God, its universality and scope are evident, but never Disqualification and Human Freedom. [16]

With regard to the above issues, the fundamental question here is how the consistency of opinion is in common sense with the belief in human authority. This article is being reviewed.

http://fa.wikishia.net/view/قضا_و_قدر

http://ar.wikishia.net/view/القضاء_والقدر

 

 

[Ashvazdanghe]

addendum

The Shia Belief Of Predestination VS Absolute Free Will 1/2 - Enquiries About Shi'a Islam 20/47

https://www.al-islam.org/media/shia-belief-predestination-vs-absolute-free-will-12-enquiries-about-shia-islam-2047

[Borntowitnesstruth]

On 1/17/2024 at 5:56 AM, Guest 0572 said:

Is there such thing as predestination, or destiny, or naseeb. I understand that we have it depends on our choices, but to what extent? Is there naseeb in relation to marriage? I’ve seen mixed answers online but I am having trouble understanding how someone has free will or a say in who is attracted to them, or who is interested in marrying them. If marriage is not predestined, then what is the point of making duaa for a good spouse, or for anything? Why are we told to have tawakul then? Doesn’t tawakkul in itself mean that we trust Allah with our affairs? 

Some of the things in our lives are predestined and others are based on our choices. Like we have the power our what we choose but we do not control the consequences. And, dua according to Imam Ali (عليه السلام) brings fruits when you also strive for the matter for which you make dua. For example: in case of marriage, you have to make dua that you get a good spouse and you should also try for finding it and if God wills, you will get one. But, it may also happen that one may make error in judging a person and end in marrying one but it may also happen that God gives that person pious and intelligent children. So, yes there is destiny involved in marriage and we should keep praying for it.