Fate & Predestiny
From the book
Kitab ad-Duratil Bahayti sharh al-Qaseedah at-Taaeeya fee Hal al-Mushkillatil Qadareeyah
كتاب الدرة البهية شرح القصيدة التائية في حل المشكلة القدرية
By
Shaykh ul Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah
-Rahimahullaah-
(d. 728 AH)
Explanation
By
Shaykh
AbdurRahman bin Nasr as-Sa’adi
(d. 1376 AH)
Translated
By
Abbas Abu Yahya
[Background]
The original book is by Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah -Rahimahullaah- who wrote a response to a question which was put to him about the issue of Al-Qadr wal Qada.
The question was put in form of Arabic poetry by a Rafidi poet from the speech of a Jew. This was mentioned in the book of Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah which was researched by shaykh Muhammad Hamid al-Faqihi -Rahimahullaah.
Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah -Rahimahullaah- also replied with 125 lines in Arabic poetry. Shaykh Abdurahman as-Sa’adi explained and simplified the poem.
The questioner came with doubts about Qadr and he tried using that as an excuse for committing sin.
The Translator
[The Explanation]
Shaykh Abdurahman as-Sa’adi -Rahimahullaah- said in his explanation:
‘This person presented the Madhab of the sect called Jabareeyah saying: that the worshipper of Allaah is compelled and forced to do all his statements and actions, and he has no control over any of his statements and actions.
In fact, they believe that statements and actions occur without a person’s choice.
This opinion is false and invalid according to the Book and the Sunnah, and it is invalid according to the intellect and sense.
All the Muslims from all the sects from the Ahl ul Sunnah and the others reject this Madhab and free themselves from it.
This person who brings doubt and suspicion upon the Muslims, causing uncertainty to the Muslims is established upon the Madhab of the Jabreeyah from which all the sects free themselves, except the extreme Jahmeeyah from among the al-Jabareeyah who say:
[The Question]
If Allaah has predestined for me to be in disbelief, and made my fate that I will not be a Muslim, or destined for me to be sinning and not to be obedient to Allaah, then how can I be free from disbelief and sinning? How can I have strength of Eemaan and obedience after I have been predestined upon disbelief and sin?
So, will I be excused if I was upon disbelief, wickedness, disobedience to Allaah and His Messenger, and I have no power to break away from it?
How can I combine the pleasure of Allaah with what Allaah has predestined, and between the pleasure of Allaah and what has been destined of disbelief and sinning;
Indeed Allaah is not pleased with disbelief, wickedness and disobedience, so how can He predestine disbelief for me, whilst He is not pleased with it?
This is what occurred in the question:
[The Answer]
The general answer and the refutation to this question by the explainer:
The answer to this question is general and simple, and all praise is due to Allaah.
This person asking the question does not present the Madhab of the majority of the sects of the Muslims, from the Companions and those who followed them in goodness, and the Imams of guidance who are witnessed to having knowledge and Eemaan. In fact, not even the Madhab of the Mu’tazilah, the Qadreeyah, the Khawarij and others from the people of Bida.
Indeed, all of them affirm two principles which come in the Book and the Sunnah:
- The first principle is the acknowledgement that every single matter, every tangible thing and their descriptions and their actions are by the execution and implementation by Allaah and pre-destined, they are not outside the will of Allaah and what He wanted. In fact, whatever Allaah wills will occur and what Allaah does not will, will not occur.
- The second principle is that the actions of the worshippers of obedience and sinning and other matters occur by their own intents and their own capabilities, and they were not compelled to do so. In reality, they themselves did those actions, with what Allaah created them with of capabilities and intent.
Subsequently, the Islamic Madhab says: there is no contradiction between the two matters, so all events and occurrences, and generally from them, are the actions of the Worshippers, which are by the will of Allaah and His intent.
The slaves of Allaah themselves are the ones who do their actions which they choose.
They themselves chose good deeds and performed them, and they chose to leave off sinning and they actually left off sinning.
The other people chose to commit sin and they did so, and they chose to leave off the commands of Allaah and they did so.
Therefore,
- the first type deserved praise and reward, whereas
- the second type deserved dispraise and punishment.
Allaah did not compel anyone of them against what they intended and chose, so there is no excuse for the sinful when they sin and say indeed Allaah has predestined this sin upon us, so, we have an excuse for this sin due to that.
It is said to the sinful: indeed Allaah has given you the strength and capability for everything that you want to do and you were sure of your deviency and being astray, wanting evil, and you committed it.
Allaah had warned you and prepared for you all means which take you away from disobedience to Him
He showed you the correct path and you left it, and showed you the wrong path and you followed it.
Further clarification to the general answer
The following is a further clarification of this point:
It is known to everyone that the action, the slave of Allaah, performs and every word which he says, indeed contains two matters:
1 – A person’s capability to perform that action and statement
2 – and his intention to do so.
When these two points are gathered then the statements and actions occur and Allah is the one who created the slave’s capability and his intentions, and He is the Creator of the means completely, and the Creator of the reasons.
So, Allaah Ta’ala is the Creator of the actions of the worshippers, and the worshippers themselves are the doers of the actions in reality.
This intent which this doubtful person, and the likes of him presented of intent, with which the sinful people justify their actions with predestination, then we reply to them with a scorching reply, and say:
‘There is so much evidence from the Book and the Sunnah that shows Allaah is the Creator of everything,
He has power over all things, and that everything is by Qada wa Qadr: Every physical matter, descriptions and deeds.
The evidences of the Book and the Sunnah also show that the worshippers themselves perform their deeds in reality with their own capabilities and out of their own choices.
Allaah Ta’ala ascribed to them and added to them everything they did of Eemaan and Kufr (faith and disbelief), and obedience and sinning. Allaah gave them the strength to do this and that.
However, Allaah the Most High has endeared Eeman to the believers and has beautified it in their hearts, and has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience hateful to them.
Allaah left the others (non-believers) to what they chose for themselves, whereby they chose evil over good and chose means for punishment over means for reward.
Just as this is known by necessity in the Sharia, it is also known by perception in which none can be arrogant regarding it.
Indeed a worshipper distinguishes between his actions which are forced, compelled and coerced upon him and between actions which he choses, wants and loves to achieve.’
كتاب الدرة البهية شرح القصيدة التائية في حل المشكلة القدرية
[عبد الرحمن السعدي]
“وحاصله: أنه إيراد على مذهب الجبرية القائلين: إن العبد مجبور مقهور على جميع أقواله وأفعاله؛ وإنه لا قدرة له على شيء منها.
بل هي عندهم واقعة بغير اختياره.”وهذا القول باطل بالكتاب والسنة، وباطل بالعقل والحس؛ كما سيأتي بيانه إن شاء الله. وجميع المسلمين من جميع الطوائف أهل السنة وغيرهم ينكرون هذا المذهب ويتبرؤون منه. فيقول هذا المشبه على المسلمين، المشكك لهم، بانيا على مذهب الجبرية الذي يتبرأ منه جميع الطوائف سوى غلاة الجهمية من الجبرية يقول:
“إذا كان الله قضى علي بالكفر، وقدر علي أن لا أكون مسلما،
أو قدر علي المعاصي وأن لا أكون طائعا؛ فكيف لي الخلاص من الكفر والمعاصي؟ وكيف أتمكن من الإيمان والطاعة بعدما قضى علي الكفر والمعصية؟ فهل أكون معذورا إذا تجرأت على الكفر والفسوق والعصيان، وأنا لا حيلة لي في الانفكاك عنها؟ وكيف أجمع بين الرضا بالقضاء، وبين الرضا بالمقضي، من الكفر والمعاصي؛ فإن الله لا يرضى بالكفر والفسوق والعصيان، فكيف قدرها علي، وهو لا يرضاها؟. هذا حاصل هذا السؤال
الجواب الإجمالي ورد الشارح على هذا السؤال
وجوابه على وجه الإجمال بسيط ولله الحمد فإنه لا يرد على مذهب جمهور طوائف المسلمين، من الصحابة والتابعين لهم بإحسان،
وأئمة الهدى المشهود لهم بالعلم والإيمان، بل ولا على مذهب المعتزلة والقدرية والخوارج وغيرهم من أهل البدع.
فإن الجميع يقولون بما جاء به الكتاب والسنة من إثبات الأصلين:
أحدهما: الاعتراف بأن جميع الأشياء كلها أعيانها، وأوصافها وأفعالها بقضاء وقدر، لا تخرج عن مشيئة الله وإرادته؛ بل ما شاء الله كان وما لم يشأ لم يكن.
والأصل الثاني: أن أفعال العباد من الطاعات والمعاصي وغيرها واقعة بإرادتهم وقدرتهم؛
وأنهم لم يجبروا عليها؛ بل هم الذين فعلوها؛ بما خلق الله لهم من القدرة والإرادة. ويقولون: لا منافاة بين الأمرين فالحوادث كلها التي من جملتها أفعال العباد بمشيئة الله وإرادته؛ والعباد هم الفاعلون لأفعالهم، المختارون لها، فهم الذين اختاروا فعل الخيرات وفعلوها، واختاروا ترك المعاصي فتركوها.
والآخرون: اختاروا فعل المعاصي وفعلوها، واختاروا ترك الأوامر فتركوها.
فاستحق الأولون: المدح والثواب، واستحق الآخرون الذم والعقاب.
ولم يجبر الله أحدا منهم على خلاف مراده واختياره، فلا عذر للعاصين إذا عصوا وقالوا: إن الله قدرها علينا، فلنا بذلك العذر.
فيقال لهم: إن الله قد أعطاكم المكنة والقدرة على كل ما تريدون
وأنتم بزيغكم وانحرافكم أرتم الشر ففعلتموه، والله قد حذركم وهيأ لكم كل سبب يصرف عن معاصيه، وأراكم سبيل الرشد فتركتموه وسبيل الغي فسلكتموه.
زيادة إيضاح للجواب الإجمالي وإذا أردت زياد لهذا المقام:
فإنه من المعلوم لكل أحد: أن كل فعل يفعله العبد، وكل كلام يتكلم به، فلا بد فيه من أمرين:
١- قدرة منه على ذلك الفعل والقول.
٢- وإرادة منهم.
فمتى اجتمعن، وجدت منه الأقوال والأفعال.
والله تعالى هو الذي خلق قدرة العبد وإرادة العبد. وخالق السبب التام، خالق للسبب. فالله تعالى خالق أفعال العباد، والعباد هم الفاعلون لها حقيقة. فهذا الإيراد الذي أورده هذا المشكك وما أشبهه من الإيرادات التي يحتج بها أهل المعاصي بالقدر يجيبونهم بهذا الجواب المفحم فيقولون:
دلت أدلة الكتاب والسنة الكثير على أن الخالق كل شيء، وعلى كل شيء قدير وأن كل شيء بقضاء وقدر:
الأعيان والأوصاف والأفعال.
* ودلت أيضا أدلة الكتاب والسنة: أن العباد هم الفاعلون لفعلهم حقيقة بقدرتهم واختيارهم، فإنه تعالى نسب إليهم وأضاف إليهم كل ما فعلوه من إيمان وكفر، وطاعة ومعصية. وإنه تعالى مكنهم من هذا ومن هذا.
ولكنه تعالى حبب إلى المؤمنين الإيمان وزينه في قلوبهم وكره إليهم الكفر والفسوق والعصيان.
وولى الآخرين ما تولوا لأنفسهم، حيث اختاروا الشر على الخير وأسباب العقاب على أسباب الثواب. وهذا كما أنه معلوم بالضرورة من الشرع، فهو معلوم بالحس الذي لا يمكن أحدا المكابرة فيه. فإن العبد يفرق بين أفعاله التي يقسر ويجبر ويقهر عليها، وبين أفعاله التي يختارها ويريدها، ويحب حصولها. فهذا الجواب المجمل.