INTRODUCTION
Protestant Calvinism has a strong doctrine on Predestination. It means that God has predetermined from the beginning who among those who live and pass through this life on earth will go to Heaven and those who are going to Hell. Salvation is all of the work of God. It follows that Damnation is all decided by God also. For more understanding of this doctrine of predestination, one should study the doctrine called T.U.L.I.P.
This article presents the doctrine of Fate and Destiny taught in Islam. It is the understanding of this writer that there is no FREE WILL in Islam. Many Muslims, however, believe there is Free Will in Islam, but the Qur’an and Hadiths clearly teaches predestination.
Here are some Quranic passages that teach predestination:
Quran, Al-An’am 6:125, “And whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam; and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast closed and constricted, as if he is climbing up to the sky. Thus Allah puts the wrath on those wo believe not.”
Quran, Fatir, 35:8, “. . . Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills. So destroy not yourself (O Muhammad) in sorrow for them. Truly, Allah is All-Knower of what they do!”
COMMENT: The above Quranic verses clearly teach that Allah determines fate and destiny.
Hadiths are pronouncement of their prophet and are believed to be revelation from Allah. Analyze the understanding of the followers of their prophet:
Hadith #1 – Islamic Fate & Destiny
It was narrated that ‘Aishah the Mother of the Believers said:
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was called to the funeral of a child from among the Ansar. I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, glad tidings for him! He is one of the little birds of Paradise, who never did evil or reached the age of doing evil (i.e, the age of accountability).’ He said: ‘It may not be so, O ‘Aishah! For Allah created people for Paradise, He created them for it when they were still in their father’s loins, And He has created people for Hell, He created them for it when they were still in their fathers’ loins.’”
Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)
Hadith #2 – Islamic Fate & Destiny
Narrated `Abdullah:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), the truthful and truly-inspired, said, “Each one of you collected in the womb of his mother for forty days, and then turns into a clot for an equal period (of forty days) and turns into a piece of flesh for a similar period (of forty days) and then Allah sends an angel and orders him to write four things, i.e., his provision, his age, and whether he will be of the wretched or the blessed (in the Hereafter). Then the soul is breathed into him. And by Allah, a person among you (or a man) may do deeds of the people of the Fire till there is only a cubit or an arm-breadth distance between him and the Fire, but then that writing (which Allah has ordered the angel to write) precedes, and he does the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it; and a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise till there is only a cubit or two between him and Paradise, and then that writing precedes and he does the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 6594
Hadith #3 – Islamic Fate & Destiny
It was narrated from Muslim bin Yasar al-Juhani that `Umar bin al-Khattab was asked about this verse:
`And (remember) when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins` [al-A`raf 7:172], `Umar (---) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) being asked about it and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `Allah created Adam, then He passed His right hand over his loins and brought forth from him his offspring and said: I have created these for Paradise and they will do the deeds of the people of Paradise. Then He passed (His hand) over his loins and brought forth from him his offspring and said: I have created these for Hell and they will do the deeds of the people of Hell.” A man said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), why then should we strive? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `When Allah creates a person for Paradise, He causes him to do the deeds of the people of Paradise until he dies doing one of the deeds of the people of Paradise and is admitted to Paradise thereby. And when He creates a person for Hell, He causes him to do the deeds of the people of Hell until he dies doing one of the deeds of the people of Hell and is admitted to Hell thereby.”
Grade: Sahih because of corroborating evidence and Da’if (Darussalam)
NO FREE WILL
“’Umar b. al-Khattab reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying :
‘Do not sit with those who believe in free will and do not address them before they address you.’”
Grade: Da’if (Al-Albani)
ReferencE: Sunan Abi Dawud 4720
Hadith #4 – Islamic Fate & Destiny
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:
Verily Allah has fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in, and which he of necessity must commit. The adultery of the eye is the lustful look, and the adultery of the tongue is the licentious speech, the heart desires and yearns, which the parts may or may not put into effect.”
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2657b
(4a) Chapter: Belief in the Divine Decree - Section 1(4a)باب الإيمان بالقدر - الفصل الأول
‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s messenger as saying, “God recorded the fates of all creatures 50,000 years before creating the heavens and the earth, and His throne was upon the water.”
Muslim transmitted it.
Grade: Sahīh (Zubair `Aliza’i)
Reference: Mishkat al-Masabih 79
Hadith #5 – Islamic Fate a Destiny
“(2)Chapter: The Debate Between Adam And Musa (Peace And Blessings Of Allah Be Upon Them) (2)
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
There was an argument between Adam and Moses (peace be upon both of them) in the presence of their Lord. Adam came the better of Moses. Moses said: Are you that Adam whom Allah created with His Hand and breathed into himHis sprit, and commanded angels to fall in prostration before him and He made you live in Paradise with comfort and ease. Then you caused the people to get down to the earth because of your lapse. Adam said: Are you that Moses whom Allah selected for His Messengership and for His conversation with him and conferred upon you the tablets, in which everything was clearly explained and granted you the audience in order to have confidential talk with you. What is your opinion, how long Torah would haye been written before I was created? Moses said: Forty years before. Adam said: Did you not see these words: Adam committed an error and he was enticed to (do so). He (Moses) said: Yes. Whereupon, he (Adam) said: Do you then blame me for an act which Allah had ordained for me forty years before He created me? Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: This is how Adam came the better of Moses.”
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2652c
Hadith #6 -- Islamic Fate & Destiny
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) having said:
By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them.”
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2749