This is one of d topics that has left me confused d most. What destiny actually is?
Is it destiny that I would live my house at a time or is it destiny that study? In order words, is destiny every step we take, when we sleep, eat, drink or is destiny just major occurrences in our lives, we give birth, become rich? Some1 should be pls explain

All of the above. And when you or anyone think that you have worked hard to effectuate the new reality of your life, which is your destiny, Allah the Almighty knows your heart, the state of your "Free Will", He makes your reality fit your effort.

Hence the destiny is always contant. A pure hearted person will have the elements that will make him change from a state of confusion into a definite state of clarity. No wonder that a person may be looked at as a person of fire, hence he takes on the garb of paradise before he dies, because of his pure heart, known only to Allah.

The subject 'Destiny' is one area that is quite complicated that even scholars are usually extra careful when discussing it due to the possiblity of being misinterpreted.

To believe in destiny is wajib(mandatory) in Islam, and it is one of the articles of faith.

While discussing destiny, people are quick to point at result only, forgetting the process. Meanwhile both the process and the result have been destined. For example, some people will say whether they read or not, if God destines they will pass, they will. Here passing is the result and working hard is the process. A child that fails because he did not work hard has had 'not working hard' and 'failing' destined for him. Ditto for other process-result combinations (e.g not working hard-failing, not working hard-passing, working hard-failing etc).

The mindset of a Muslim is to always strive hard for that which will benefit him. Normally, the results correspond to input e.g you will pass if you work hard, but at times Allah (SWT) tries us by making result not seemingly following input. We are to remain patient and continue to strive for what is best for us because 'what will miss one will not hit one,what will hit one will not miss one'.


I personally strive for that which is best for me and pray and then whatever result I get, I belive that is Allah's decree for me, and He knows best!

Think I now get it bt correct me if I'm wrong. We have been destined to do some things and get some results e.g i've been destined to sleep at a particular time today and also be at a particular place tomorrow

fatezy:

Think I now get it bt correct me if I'm wrong. We have been destined to do some things and get some results e.g i've been destined to sleep at a particular time today and also be at a particular place tomorrow

correct! but you really don't know it before it happens. So destiny, in my own understanding is "unknown", choice on the other hand, we make.

If i'm right, does this mean we r just playing our roles in this world? We have all been determined to carry out some actions, we r just like puppets. Meanin we have the illusion that we r free willed while in fact we r determined? This is were I get confused

@fatezy: « #5 on: Today at 12:01:06 PM »

If i'm right, does this mean we r just playing our roles in this world? We have all been determined to carry out some actions, we r just like puppets.

If you think we are puppets, then you are not correct (right), since Allah allows us free-will. Puppets are controlled by Puppet master, without the options of free-will. We humans to Allah are not puppets, but His choicest of creations.

Meanin we have the illusion that we r free willed while in fact we r determined? This is were I get confused

Wrong again, considering many of the verses of the Qur'aan where it has been made clear that human have the choice of destiny based on free-will, since we know obedience and good deeds have their rewards and disobedience and evil deeds have their consequences. I will just have to used the stories of Adam/Hawa (as) and Iblis who became Shaitan (Lanatullah alalkafirin) to illustrate the issue of destiny. While Iblis arrogantly disobeyed Allah, he did not seek forgiveness as he was offered the chance to do so. Instead, he compounded his offences by more sins and devices of confusion and deceits against fellow creations, the human being. No one has ever heard Iblis, now Shaitan ever seek forgiveness. He will not even as he knows that the acts that he indulges in have consequences as there is punishment in the fire of hell for them.

The other side is that of the deed of Adam (AS) and his wife; Hawa. There shortcoming was borne out of ignorance. And the momentthey knew it, they felt remorseful and began to seek forgiveness. Allah knew their hearts as good hearts, lacking arrogance and deceitfulness. Unlike Shaitan, as Iblis who was even in the company of Angels. But that did not help him, since he was a genie and basically he was known to Allah, alone as having a heart that was jealous (of the new creation; Man), arrogant to order as he disobeyed and deceitful in leading man away from path of obedience.

The point is this fatezy, you are the one who can effectuate your own destiny. Allah says that he will not change the condition of a people except that they begin to change it with their own effort. Allah also states that he will not let any work of man go into waste.

So when you work hard and you fail, it could have been really worse than what the reality is. If you are still constant and not dispodent of the Mercy of Allah, then your reward will be stored for you for later date, if not right away on earth, but definitely in the day of Judgement. Allah says that he will not be "unjust" to His creations. This shows that he is not a Puppet Master and we are not Puppets, even though we are His subjects.

Are children puppets of the parents, even though they depend on them for shelter, food and drink and maintanance. Yet Allah is more Just that any parent. And He supports the parents and children, altogether. Is there anyone who knows beside Him?

Pardon me bt seems I'm just gettin more confused. I'll list some points & just tell me those that r misconceptions of destiny-
1. I was destined to be a muslim.
2. I was destined to start this forum.
3. I am destined to be in school.
4. I've been destined to be either rich or poor.
5. I've been destined to call some1 later today.
6. I've been destined to like a particular person.
7. I've been destined to pray at a particular time.
8. I've been destined to attend a night of majesty that would change my destiny.
Pls which of the above is misconception and particularly quizzed about 8. Thank and may God grant us knowledge.

And in each case your heart lean towards it. You took steps to effectuate what it is that you are doing. You can't become a student unless you are in school. You can't become a muslim, unless you make Salah after you believe that Allah is God and Muhammad (AS) is the messenger.

And in the #8, if you had no inkling of beleif, surrounding yourself with the preliminaries that will lead you to the event, you would not have gone there to experience it!

Allah is always in control. Allowing the event to fit the situations. The people who became Muslims, say in the West (Europe, Americas, etc), take the initiatives to 'their new realities.' Afterall, there are many who are in Islamic enviroment all their lives, and never want to be Muslims!

Thanks a lot. May God in his infinite mercies grant us all dat is good for us. I'll have to digest it.

Praise be to Allaah.

Qadar means that Allaah has decreed everything that happens in the universe according to His prior knowledge and the dictates of His wisdom.

Belief in al-Qadar includes four things:

1 – The belief that Allaah knows all things, in general and in detail, from eternity to eternity, whether that has to do with His actions or the actions of His slaves.

2 – The belief that Allaah has written that in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz (the Book of Decrees).

Concerning these two matters Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Know you not that Allaah knows all that is in the heaven and on the earth? Verily, it is (all) in the Book (Al‑Lawh Al‑Mahfooz). Verily, that is easy for Allaah”
[al-Hajj 22:70]

In Saheeh Muslim (2653) it is narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Allaah wrote down the decrees of creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.”

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The first thing that Allaah created was the Pen, and He said to it, ‘Write!’ It said, ‘O Lord, what should I write?’ He said: ‘Write down the decrees of all things until the Hour begins.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4700; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

3 – The belief that whatever happens only happens by the will of Allaah – whether that has to do with His actions or the actions of created beings.

Allaah says concerning His actions (interpretation of the meaning):

“And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses”

[al-Qasas 28:68]

“and Allaah does what He wills”

[Ibraaheem 14:27]

“He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He wills”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:6]

And He says concerning the actions of created beings (interpretation of the meaning):

“Had Allaah willed, indeed He would have given them power over you, and they would have fought you”

[al-Nisa’ 4:90]

“If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it”

[al-An’aam 6:112]

All events, actions and happenings occur only by the will of Allaah. Whatever Allaah wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not happen.

4 – The belief that all things that happen are created by Allaah in their essence, their attributes and their movements.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian) over all things”

[al-Zumar 39:62]

“He has created everything, and has measured it exactly according to its due measurements”

[al-Furqaan 25:2]

And Allaah tells us that the Prophet of Allaah Ibraaheem (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to his people:

“While Allaah has created you and what you make”

[al-Saaffaat 38:96 – interpretation of the meaning]

If a person believes in all these things then he believes correctly in the divine will and decree (al-qadar).

Belief in al-qadar as we have described it above does not contradict the idea that a person has free will with regard to actions in which he has free choice. He can choose whether to or not to do things that he is able to do of acts of worship or sinful actions. Sharee’ah and real life both indicate that people have this will.

With regard to sharee’ah, Allaah says concerning man's will (interpretation of the meaning):

“That is (without doubt) the True Day. So, whosoever wills, let him seek a place with (or a way to) His Lord (by obeying Him in this worldly life)!”

[al-Naba’ 78:39]

“so go to your tilth, when or how you will”

[al-Baqarah 2:223]

And He says concerning man’s ability (interpretation of the meaning):

“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can”

[al-Taghaabun 64:16]

“Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned”

[al-Baqarah 2:286]

These verses confirm that man has a will and the ability to do what he wants and not to do what he does not want.

With regard to real life, everyone knows that he has a will and the ability to do what he wants and not to do what he does not want. And he can distinguish between the things that happen when he wants them to, such as walking, and those that happen without him wanting them to, such as shivering. But the will and ability of man are subject to the will and decree of Allaah, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“To whomsoever among you who wills to walk straight.

And you cannot will unless (it be) that Allaah wills the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)”

[al-Takweer 81:28-29]

But the entire universe is the dominion of Allaah, and nothing can happen in His dominion without His knowledge and will.

And Allaah knows best.