The word al-qadar (اَلقَدَر) — with both the dāl movable (mutaḥarrik) and quiescent (sākin) — is used in two senses:
(1) to measure or estimate something, and
(2) to constrain or restrict something.
As the Qurʾān states:
“إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَاهُ بِقَدَرٍ”
Indeed, We have created everything according to a measure. (Sūrat al-Qamar 54:49)
This refers to that same estimation and predetermination. Thus, linguistically, taqdīr means “measuring” or “determining.” In technical usage (iṣṭilāḥ), scholars have expressed varying definitions.
In Sharḥ Fiqh al-Akbar it is stated:
القدر تعيين كل مخلوق بمرتبته التي توجد من حسن وقبح ونفع و ضرر
That is, taqdīr is the determination of every creature in all its aspects and attributes — whether of benefit or harm, beauty or repulsiveness. (Sharḥ Fiqh al-Akbar, p. 15)
2. Other scholars have said: Taqdīr is that Allah Almighty, before creating the universe, determined the measure of all things and fixed them in the Lawḥ Maḥfūẓ (Preserved Tablet). Their detailed existence unfolds according to that pre-estimation. Nothing can appear in reality that was not already measured and recorded in destiny.
For instance, the complete life of Zayd — from birth to death — was known to Allah. Allah then wrote it in Zayd’s taqdīr. Thereafter, every movement and stillness of Zayd will occur according to that general decree. Yet, destiny did not compel him; rather, he was granted free will. Whatever he does with that freedom is according to what was eternally known to Allah, and his detailed life unfolds in accord with that divine knowledge.
Mullā ʿAlī al-Qārī ʳʰ defined it as:
هو ما يقدره الله من القضايا
Meaning: Taqdīr is the totality of all decisions Allah has decreed since the very beginning. (al-Mirqāt, vol. 2, p. 256)
The Origin of the Denial of Destiny (Fitnat Inkār al-Taqdīr)
During the era of the Khulafāʾ al-Rāshidīn, no one denied taqdīr, nor was there any dispute concerning it.
Only toward the very end of the time of the Ṣaḥābah did a few people begin debating this issue. In Baṣrah, a man named Maʿbad al-Juhanī began claiming that Allah Almighty does not know future events until they actually occur — that His knowledge only follows after the occurrence of an act. They expressed this by saying: al-amru unuf, meaning “the matter is something newly initiated,” as if there were no prior decree or pre-recorded system in the Lawḥ Maḥfūẓ.
Sayidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar ʳᵃ refuted him personally. Since this doctrine was false and misleading, it was extinguished soon after its appearance.
Later, however, the Muʿtazilah revived the notion in a new form. They debated whether human beings possess independent power over their actions — whether they themselves are the creators of their deeds. Thus, under the heading khalq afʿāl al-ʿibād (“creation of human acts”), the issue of denying destiny expanded widely during the rule of the ʿAbbāsid caliphs. Disputes arose over its principles and branches, among them the famous miḥnah (ordeal) between Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ʳʰ and the Muʿtazilah rulers regarding the “creation of the Qurʾān,” a trial that lasted for years.
Maʿbad al-Juhanī’s teacher was Sawsan the Jew. Both of them had stirred this controversy in Baṣrah. Thereafter, Maʿbad al-Juhanī and later a man named Ghaylān spread this belief through Iraq and the Ḥijāz. When ʿAmr ibn ʿUbayd publicized it further, al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf executed him. From the gathering of Ḥasan al-Baṣrī ʳʰ, Wāṣil ibn ʿAṭāʾ stood up and initiated the fitnah anew.
In the Ḥijāz, around the same time, when fire once broke out in the structure of the Kaʿbah, one person remarked, “This occurred by divine decree (taqdīr Allāh).” Another responded, “Allah did not decree such a thing!” — and in this way, the debate on taqdīr spread throughout the Ḥijāz.
(Fatḥ al-Mulhim)
The Meaning of Belief in Taqdīr (Divine Decree)
In Sharḥ as-Sunnah, it is written that belief in taqdīr is farḍ (obligatory). Its essence is that a person firmly believes that Allah Almighty is the Creator of all human actions — whether those actions are of good (khayr) or evil (sharr). All of this has been recorded in the Lawḥ Maḥfūẓ (Preserved Tablet) before the creation of mankind. Whatever now occurs is happening only by Allah’s decision and will.
However, Allah is displeased with disbelief (kufr), and hence He has promised punishment for kufr and disobedience (maʿṣiyah), while He has promised reward for faith (īmān) and obedience (ṭāʿah). (al-Mirqāt, vol. 2, p. 256)
Sayidunā Jaʿfar aṣ-Ṣādiq ʳʰ said:
“لَا جَبْرَ وَلَا قَدَرَ وَلَكِنِ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَ الْأَمْرَيْنِ”
“There is neither absolute compulsion nor complete free will; the matter lies between the two.”
Sayidunā al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī ʳʰ once asked Sayidunā al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ʳᵃ about taqdīr, and he replied:
“مَنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِقَدَرِهِ مِنْ خَيْرٍ وَشَرٍّ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ”
“Whoever does not believe in the divine decree — of both good and evil — has indeed disbelieved.”
Taqdīr — A Hidden Secret
Taqdīr is one of the hidden secrets among the secrets of Allah Almighty. He has not disclosed it to any close angel nor to any chosen Messenger. At the outset, engaging in rational speculation about it is impermissible. What is required is firm belief that Allah, after creating the creation, divided them into two groups: one destined for Paradise through His mercy, grace, and bounty; and the other destined for Hell through His justice. Both were given free choice; none was compelled.
A man once asked Sayidunā ʿAlī ʳᵃ to explain taqdīr. He replied:
“طَرِيقٌ مُظْلِمٌ فَلَا تَسْلُكْهُ”
“It is a dark path — do not tread upon it.”
The man asked again, and ʿAlī ʳᵃ said:
“بَحْرٌ عَمِيقٌ فَلَا تَلِجْهُ”
“It is a deep sea — do not plunge into it.”
He asked yet again, and ʿAlī ʳᵃ responded:
“سِرُّ اللَّهِ قَدْ خَفِيَ عَلَيْكَ فَلَا تَفْتِشْهُ”
“It is a secret of Allah that has been concealed from you — do not try to uncover it.”
Someone has beautifully said:
كيفية المرأ ليس المرأ يدركها
فكيف كيفية الجبار في القدم
A man cannot comprehend another’s modality —
How then shall he grasp the nature of the Almighty from pre-eternity?
If one human being cannot perceive the inner state of another, then how can man ever hope to comprehend the mysteries of the Eternal, All-Powerful Sovereign and Subduer?
In relation to this, reflect upon the following couplets:
هزار نكته باريكتر ز مو اين جا است
نه هر جاى مركب توان تاختن
A thousand subtleties, finer than a strand of hair, lie hidden here —
It is not every terrain where one may ride a steed unrestrained.
نه هر كه سر بتراشد قلندرى داند
كه جاها سپر بايد انداختن
Not everyone who shaves his head understands the path of the qalandar —
For there are stations where even the bravest must lay down their shield.
The Difference Between Taqdīr and Qaḍāʾ
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq al-Muḥaddith al-Dihlawī ʳʰ stated that the meanings of qaḍāʾ and qadar are often synonymous and one is sometimes used for the other. However, at times they are employed in distinct senses.
Thus, qadar refers to the eternal, general decree determined in the divine knowledge of Allah, while qaḍāʾ refers to its external, detailed execution or completion — as in the verse:
“فَقَضَاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ”
Then He ordained them as seven heavens. (Sūrat Fuṣṣilat 41:12)
Meaning: these seven heavens are, in their manifested existence, the outward detailed realization of that general decree. At times, however, qaḍāʾ itself denotes that eternal, general knowledge, and qadar denotes its detailed, external realization. (Ashʿiat al-Lamʿāt, vol. 9, p. 92)
Some of the ʿārifīn (gnostics) have explained this concept through an example. Imagine an engineer who first conceives in his mind a design, then draws its plan externally. Similarly, the form existing eternally in Allah’s knowledge is called qadar, and its outward manifestation in creation is qaḍāʾ.
When the servant acts in accordance with that qadar — under the unfolding of qaḍāʾ — his action is called kasb (acquisition).
For instance, the engineer draws a rough plan on paper, and his student, while adhering to the boundaries of that sketch, fills it with colour. The mental image is qadar, the drawn sketch is qaḍāʾ, and colouring within its lines is the servant’s kasb.
Just as the colouring cannot deviate from the original conception, so too the servant’s kasb unfolds in full accordance with divine taqdīr — he cannot act contrary to it.
In summary: the plan that exists in the mind before the construction of a building is analogous to qadar, while the building that later stands completed in physical reality is qaḍāʾ. However, the majority of scholars maintain that qaḍāʾ and qadar are in essence synonymous — two terms referring to one reality.
The Various Schools Regarding Taqdīr
There are three principal doctrines concerning taqdīr: one belongs to Ahl al-Ḥaqq (the people of truth), and the other two to Ahl al-Bāṭil (the people of falsehood).
The path of Ahl al-Ḥaqq is that of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah, while the two deviant sects are the Jabriyyah and the Muʿtazilah. Their details are as follows:
1. The Doctrine of the Jabriyyah
The Jabriyyah hold that man is completely compelled in his actions — a mere helpless instrument with no real agency. According to them, his deeds are not of any account, and before the decree of taqdīr he is as powerless and lifeless as a stone. They cite as proof those Qurʾānic texts that mention divine decree, such as:
“وَمَا تَشَاؤُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ”
And you do not will unless Allah — the Lord of all the worlds — wills. (Sūrat at-Takwīr 81:29)
Refutation
The doctrine of the Jabriyyah is manifestly false, for it would necessarily imply injustice (ẓulm) on the part of Allah — Exalted is He far above that.
If man were utterly compelled, possessing no control whatsoever over his deeds — and everything he did was in truth done by Allah — then to drag him into a court of reward and punishment would be sheer injustice. A creed that entails attributing injustice to Allah can have no truth in it.
A second proof of the falsity of their view is that every rational person, by his own innate awareness (wijdān), recognizes the difference between voluntary and involuntary acts.
For example, one’s inner perception distinguishes between:
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ḥarakat al-irtʿāsh — the tremor of a hand that moves involuntarily, and
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ḥarakat al-baṭsh — the deliberate movement of the hand when one intends to grasp or strike.
From this it is evident that man possesses choice within certain limits, and beyond those limits he is powerless. Hence, to declare man completely helpless and insensate, as the Jabriyyah do, is both deviation and foolishness.
If he were truly so powerless, then why would Allah command him to act or to refrain?
Sayidunā ʿAlī ʳᵃ once said to such a person:
“Lift one of your feet and stand.”
The man lifted one foot.
ʿAlī ʳᵃ then said, “Now lift the other foot as well and remain standing.”
The man replied, “That is not possible.”
ʿAlī ʳᵃ said, “This is precisely the extent of man’s freedom and limitation — he is free to a point, and beyond that, he is not.”
Thus, in summary: man is accountable only to the extent of his capacity, and where his control ends, accountability does not apply.
Even an unreasoning dog understands the distinction between voluntary and involuntary action. When a person throws a stone at it, the dog chases not the stone but the one who threw it — for it knows the stone is lifeless and guiltless, while the fault lies with the conscious, deliberate actor who cast it.
How Does Human Choice (Ikhtiyār) Exist?
When it has been established — through sound intellect (ʿaql salīm), clear conscience (wijdān ṣaḥīḥ), and universal human experience — that some actions are indeed voluntary (ikhtiyārī), the question arises: how does this choice function, given that the Qurʾān states:
“وَمَا تَشَاؤُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ”
And you do not will except that Allah wills. (Sūrat al-Insān 76:30)
This verse appears to indicate that man’s will holds no sway — that all operates solely under the divine will (mashīʾat Allāh).
The Answer
Man has been granted the power of directing the will (tawjīh al-irādah). That is, when he intends or directs his will toward something, divine permission (mashīʾat Allāh) corresponds to his intent. In this turning of attention and intention, man possesses choice and is thus accountable (mukallaf). This capacity — this limited sphere of volition — is what constitutes his acquired power (qudrah maʿnawiyyah), and it is for the exercise of this will that he will be taken to account.
In practice, when a person resolves to act or refrain, he finds no external barrier. As soon as he makes a conscious movement of will, divine tawfīq (assistance) flows toward it. Hence, he is not compelled, but rather enabled and assisted — his act remains truly his own.
However, whatever he does was already recorded, for Allah’s knowledge is eternal. Allah had known — from pre-eternity — that this person would choose this or that action, and He wrote it accordingly.
Now, whatever manifests externally unfolds precisely as recorded — yet not because man was forced, but because Allah had foreknown his freely chosen deeds.
A Clarifying Analogy
Consider a doctor who says to a patient, “If you eat this particular thing, you will die.” The patient goes on to eat it and dies. The doctor’s statement was based on medical signs — a general knowledge of cause and effect. But the patient did not die because of the doctor’s words or his writing — he died by his own voluntary act of disobedience.
Similarly, in Allah’s eternal knowledge — which is taqdīr — all is already known. The act that occurs in the external world (khārij) is indeed the servant’s own act. It accords perfectly with divine decree, yet he was not compelled by it.
Rather, before the decree was written, Allah — through His all-encompassing knowledge — had seen how the servant would act freely, and the decree was inscribed accordingly. Thus, what now happens occurs in conformity with that record.
A Second Analogy — The Railway Timetable
Imagine a railway timetable which states: the train will depart from a certain station at a specific time, with such-and-such a driver, pausing for a set duration at certain stops, consuming a defined amount of fuel, and reaching its destination at a given hour.
The timetable is complete and precise — yet the train moves not because of the timetable.
It moves due to the driver and the train’s mechanical system.The timetable merely reflects and records what will occur.
In the same way, the Lawḥ Maḥfūẓ is the “timetable” of human life. A person’s taqdīr is written upon it, and his life’s journey unfolds accordingly — but through his own choice and effort (kasb wa ikhtiyār). The difference, however, is that Allah’s knowledge is all-encompassing (muḥīṭ); therefore, man’s course cannot possibly deviate from that knowledge and decree. Whereas, in a train schedule, deviations may occur — delays or accelerations — Allah’s decree allows for no contradiction or error.
After such explanations, it becomes evident that the doctrine of the Jabriyyah — asserting total compulsion — is utterly false.
The very verse they cite (“you do not will except that Allah wills”) does not negate the existence of a limited, dependent will within man; it negates only independent, absolute will such as the Muʿtazilah claimed for man. Thus, according to Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah, the Qurʾānic verse affirms that man’s will exists — but only within the framework of divine will, not outside or independent of it.
2. The Doctrine of the Muʿtazilah (also called Qadariyyah)
The belief of the Muʿtazilah is that man is completely independent in his actions — bound by no decree (taqdīr). They assert that man himself is the creator (khāliq) of his deeds and that nothing has been written beforehand, for if everything were predetermined, then moral responsibility and accountability would be impossible.
This doctrine, too, is manifestly false, and just like the Jabriyyah, these people are among Ahl al-Bāṭil (the people of falsehood). Their doctrine is the opposite extreme of the Jabriyyah — one denies choice entirely, while the other claims absolute independence. Numerous Qurʾānic texts refute their position. Consider the following:
1.
“وَمَا تَشَاؤُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ”
And you do not will except that Allah — the Lord of all the worlds — wills. (Sūrat at-Takwīr 81:29)
This clearly establishes that man is not the creator of his own actions.
2.
“إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَاهُ بِقَدَرٍ”
Indeed, We have created everything according to a decree. (Sūrat al-Qamar 54:49)
This proves the reality of taqdīr — that all creation unfolds by divine measure.
3.
“قُل لَا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ”
Say, “I possess no power to benefit or harm myself except as Allah wills.” (Sūrat al-Aʿrāf 7:188)
This verse also affirms the existence of divine decree and the dependency of all actions upon Allah’s will.
Refutations by Ahl al-Ḥaqq
First Response:
Your belief directly contradicts the explicit texts of the Qurʾān and Sunnah.
Second Response:
According to your doctrine, human creations (makhlūqāt insāniyyah) would outnumber divine creations — and this is absurd. For sins (maʿāṣī) far exceed acts of obedience (ṭāʿāt); hence, your reasoning would entail that most of creation belongs to man, not Allah — a notion both irrational and blasphemous.
Third Response:
Your creed implies that many sinful acts occur without Allah’s will, which would mean that Allah’s dominion is incomplete (naqṣ) or that something exists beyond His control — an impossibility.
Since acts of disobedience are more numerous than acts of obedience, your view would entail that most actions happen outside divine will — a belief patently false and contrary to Islamic doctrine.
The Underlying Error of the Muʿtazilah
The Muʿtazilah attempted to avoid ascribing evil (sharr) to Allah.
They reasoned: “If Allah creates everything, He would be the creator of evil too — and that would be unbecoming.” In seeking to “protect” Allah’s sanctity, they fell into clear shirk, by declaring man to be the creator himself.
They became like the one who, fleeing from rain, stood beneath a drain spout — farra mina-l-maṭar wa waqafa taḥta-l-mīzāb — escaping one error only to fall into a greater one.
We reply to them in argument:
Iblīs is the embodiment of evil and wickedness — who created him?
Was there any creator besides Allah who brought him into being?
Surely not.
Thus, the creation of evil is, in fact, a perfection of divine power, just as the creation of good is.
What is blameworthy is not the creation of evil but the commission (kasb) of it.
Hence, scholars note: evil is usually attributed to Shayṭān or to the human nafs — not because Allah did not create it, but to preserve the etiquette of speech (adab) and avoid implying irreverence toward Allah.
For this reason, the scholars advise: Say, “Allah is the Creator of the Prophets,” but do not say, “Allah is the Creator of pigs,” for though both statements are true in meaning, the latter is discourteous in expression.
An Interesting Dialogue
ʿAbd al-Jabbār al-Hamadānī — a prominent Muʿtazilī — once attended the scholarly gathering of Ustād Abū Isḥāq al-Isfarāʾīnī ʳʰ and proclaimed:
سبحان من تنزه عن الفحشاء
Glory be to the One Who is far above committing any immoral act.
By this, al-Hamadānī implied that attributing sins to Allah — even in terms of His creative will — was tantamount to describing Him with faḥshāʾ (indecency).
Ustād al-Isfarāʾīnī ʳʰ immediately responded:
سبحان من لا يجرى في ملكه الامايشاء
Glory be to the One in Whose dominion nothing occurs except what He wills.
Al-Hamadānī retorted:
ایشاء ربنا ان یعصی
“So, does our Lord will that He be disobeyed?”
To which al-Isfarāʾīnī ʳʰ replied:
ا يعصى ربنا قسرا
“And is our Lord disobeyed by compulsion?”
Hearing this, al-Hamadānī was left speechless and silenced. (Fatḥ al-Salām, vol. 4, p. 479)
Qurʾānic Proofs Affirming Taqdīr
Numerous verses of the Qurʾān establish the reality of taqdīr, clearly invalidating the doctrine of the Muʿtazilah. Among them are:
“إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَاهُ بِقَدَرٍ”
Indeed, We have created everything according to a decree. (Sūrat al-Qamar 54:49)
“يَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ وَعِندَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ”
Allah erases what He wills and confirms what He wills,
and with Him is the Mother of the Book. (Sūrat ar-Raʿd 13:39)
“وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ فَعَلُوهُ فِي الزُّبُرِ، وَكُلُّ صَغِيرٍ وَكَبِيرٍ مُّسْتَطَرٌ”
Everything they have done is recorded in the Scriptures,
and every small and great deed is written down. (Sūrat al-Qamar 54:52–53)
In light of these clear and decisive verses — and the explicit statements found in authentic aḥādīth — the denial of taqdīr by the Muʿtazilah is nothing but delusion and the product of intellectual deficiency.
The Wisdom Behind the Creation of Evil
All people of reason and wisdom agree that for any earthly ruler, two qualities are indispensable: gentleness and mercy on one hand, and power and might on the other.
The first — mercy — is necessary so that he may show compassion and kindness toward his subjects. Without this quality, he would be a miserly, hard-hearted ruler unworthy of leadership; such deficiency would soon deprive him of his throne.
The second — might and severity — is equally essential, so that people do not transgress bounds or grow reckless in their audacity.
As someone has beautifully said:
لطف سجن دم بدم
قهر تجن گاه گاه
یہ بھی سجن واہ واہ
وہ بھی سجن واہ واہ
Mercy should descend moment by moment,
And wrath but now and then —
Blessed is the one who shows gentleness,
And blessed too, the one who shows power when due.
Allah, exalted and sublime, is the Sovereign King — al-Malik al-ʿAlā al-Iṭlāq — absolute and perfect in dominion. The angels manifest His attribute of mercy and benevolence (luṭf wa karam), whereas Shayṭān is the manifestation of His attribute of wrath and majesty (qahr wa ghaḍab).
Among mankind, the righteous (abrār) are reflections of divine mercy, and the wicked (fujjār) are reflections of divine power. Such duality is necessary so that both divine attributes may find expression in creation.
Likewise, there must exist a realm wherein the attributes of beauty and compassion (jamāl wa raḥmah) are revealed — and that is Paradise; and another wherein wrath and majesty (qahr wa jalāl) are displayed — and that is Hell.
Thus, the existence of Paradise and Hell, of the righteous and the sinful, of good and evil — all are necessary for the perfect manifestation of the Absolute Sovereign. Through these opposing forces, the chariot of the world moves forward in the arena of trial, running upon the twin rails of good and evil, where truth and falsehood are set in constant contest.
As the poet says:
ستيزه كار رہا ہے ازل سے تا امروز
چراغِ مصطفوی سے شرارِ ابو لهبی
Since the dawn of time this struggle has endured —
The flame of Muṣṭafā ﷺ ever opposed by the spark of Abū Lahab.
The Essence of the Matter
In summary, there is a distinction between the creation of evil (takhliq al-sharr) and the acquisition of evil (kasb al-sharr).
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The creation of evil is praiseworthy, for it reflects divine perfection and balance.
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The acquisition of evil — choosing and performing it — is blameworthy.
Both have distinct rulings, yet both exist under divine creation.
The harmony and beauty of the cosmos arise only through the coexistence of both good and evil — just as contrast gives life to colour and form.
گلہائے رنگ رنگ سے ہے رونق چمن
اے ذوق! اس جہاں کو ہے زیب اختلاف سے
It is the flowers of every hue that adorn the garden’s face —
O Ẓauq! this world finds its beauty in diversity and grace.
در كارخانه عشق از كفر ناگزير است
دوزخ كرا بسوزد گر بو لهب نباشد
In Love’s great workshop, even disbelief has its place —
Whom would Hell consume, were there no Abū Lahab to face?
Tanbīh (Important Note)
Taqdīr (Divine Decree) is of two kinds:
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Taqdīr Muʿallaq – Contingent or Conditional Decree
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Taqdīr Mubram – Definitive or Irrevocable Decree
These are also referred to as Ajal Muʿallaq (conditional term of life) and Ajal Mubram (fixed, unchangeable term).
1. Taqdīr Muʿallaq (Conditional Decree)
This is a decree in which change or alteration may occur, as it is written with conditional factors.
For example:
Allah may decree that “the lifespan of such and such person shall be sixty years,” but if he serves his parents dutifully or lives a life of piety and righteousness, then his lifespan shall be extended to eighty years.
Thus, this decree is subject to conditions, and change takes place according to Allah’s wisdom and will.
2. Taqdīr Mubram (Irrevocable Decree)
This refers to Allah’s absolute and final decree — the unalterable decision wherein everything determined is fixed and immutable. Whatever is inscribed within this category shall inevitably occur, without any possibility of delay or advancement.
As Allah says in the Qurʾān:
“إِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَلَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ”
When their appointed time arrives, they can neither delay it
for a moment nor bring it forward. (Sūrat Yūnus 10:49)
Hence, while Taqdīr Muʿallaq may undergo change according to conditions and divine wisdom, Taqdīr Mubram remains eternally unchanging — for it is the final decree that unfolds exactly as written in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ).
Taken from Tuhfat al-Munʿim Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Muslim
Ḥaḍrat Mawlānā Faḍl Muḥammad Yūsuf
Ustād al-Ḥadīth Jāmiʿat al-ʿUlūm al-Islāmiyyah, Binūrī Town, Karāchī
Disclaimer:
The above article has been prepared/translated under the full oversight and approval of the respected Muftī Ṣāḥib. The author may have utilized AI assistance for the purposes of language refinement, structural clarity, and improved coherence in English. However, the religious content and conclusions reflect the Muftī’s authoritative guidance.