Belief in Qadr (Divine Decree) is the sixth Islamic article of faith, which means that Allah (SWT) has decreed everything that happens in the universe according to His prior knowledge. The issue of Qadar comes from the unity in the matter of the Lordship of Allah (SWT) (Tawhid ar-Rububiyah), which means to believe that all creation, sovereignty and planning belong to Allah (SWT). When Allah (SWT) created everything He (SWT) determined when each thing would come into existence and when it would perish. He (SWT) also determined everything's qualities and their nature. Therefore, nothing happens or exists without His permission and outside of His will. To understand this better, it is the will of Allah (SWT) that He (SWT) decided to create us and everything around us and permitted us to make free choices. In other words, when we plan to do something, it is by His Permission and Will that we're able to carry out our plans because He (SWT) gave us the freedom of making free choices and creates our actions but we are the ones who are deciding what we should do or choose. This is the reason why we are held accountable for our actions. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an (interpretation of the meaning): "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" [2:286]. In Islam, people are not held accountable for things which are out of their control i.e. forgetfulness and forced to do.
Al-'Ilm (Knowledge) - The belief that Allah (SWT) 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. Allah (SWT) says (interpretation of the meaning): "Truly, nothing is hidden from God, in the earth or in the heavens" [3:5].
Kitab (Writing) - The belief that Allah (SWT) has written everything, which will happen until the day of judgement due to His knowledge, in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz (Book of Decrees, preserved in heaven). Allah (SWT) 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" [22:70].
Mash'eeah (Will) - The beliefe that nothing happens or does not happen without the will of Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) says (interpretation of the meaning): "He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He wills" [3:5] and "and Allaah does what He wills" [14:27] and "And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses" [28:68]
Al-Khalq (Creation) - The belief that Allah (SWT) created everything. Allah (SWT) says (interpretation of the meaning): "He has created everything, and has measured it exactly according to its due measurements" [25:2] and "Allaah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian) over all things" [39:62].
Again, the belief in qadr as it has been described above does not contradict the idea of free will. We can do what we want to do and reject what we do not want to do. However, we should have the correct understanding regarding the usage of the phrase "free will". The phrase "free will" must be understood in the context that if you wish something to happen it happens without any external factor interfering. For example, the Will of Allah (SWT); He says "Be and it is". On the contrary, we humans do not have such abilities. Our choices are always influenced by many factors and many times things do not always work the way we want. Therefore, it is only logical to conclude that we only have the freedom of making free choices and we do not have free will. However, we could not have had such ability without the will of Allah (SWT). Thus, our freedom of making choices is exercised within the absolute will of Allah (SWT), which has determined and permitted humans to make free choices of their own and it is the manifestation of Allah's (SWT) absolute Will. Some atheists and philosophers argue that if Allah (SWT) knows exactly what will happen, right down to every choice, then it constrains one's freedom of making choices. However, their conclusions are hasty and this problem can be solved with a simple analogy. For example, if a teacher knows that one of his students is going to fail the final exam, due to his performance during whole year/term, it does not mean that teacher is forcing the student to fail or making him fail. Having knowledge about something does not mean that you are forcing it onto the other person or constraining him.
"It should be noted that some of our circumstances are forced on us, and and we have no choice in it, such as the day when a person is born, the colour of his skin and eyes, and when he will die. All of these are matters over which people have no control, rather they happen to them by force. Given that these are matters in which people have no choice, they do not have anything to do with Paradise or Hell, torment or blessing. But some actions are the subject of choice, such as whether to believe or disbelieve, or eorldly matters such as choosing what to eat or drink, and where to live.
There is nothing of that nature which is entirely outside the will and decree of Allaah. The heart of the matter is that Allaah possesses the attributes of knowledge, power and will. Based on that, if people who do deeds want to do them, whether they are sins or acts of obedience, then Allaah inevitably knows that, indeed He knew that in eternity past, before He even created the universe. Then after He knew it, He wrote it with Him, then when they wanted to do it, He willed that they should do so. If He did not will that, then they would not do it. He is All-Powerful, and He is the Creator of people's deeds because He is the Creator of the human beings who do them. So all the deeds of mankind are written with Allaah, because Allaah has prior knowledge of them. This does not mean that Allaah compels people to do what they do, rather they have freedom of choice with regard to their deeds." [ Can we do what we want to do?]
wallahu a'lam (and Allah knows best)
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