AS-SIRAAT AL-MUSTAQEEM

Hadith

DUâ€™AA AND QADAR (DESTINY)

In times of difficulty, most people inherit many negative thoughts (only natrual as humans) and many give up or question what is the point of making du\'aa when all matters are decreed (preordained by Allah (SWT). Withholding du\'aa with this in mind is a serious mistake and we would be missing on the blessings of Allah (SWT).
 
It was narrated from ibn \'Umar (RA) that the Prophet (saw) said:
 
\"Du\'aa may be of benefit with regard to which has already happened oe what has not yet happened, so adhere to du\'aa, O slaves of Allah.\"
 
Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi, 3548 and classed as hasan by Al- Albani in Sahih Al-jaami\', 3409)
 
In a hadith it says:
 
\"The decree cannot be overturned except by du\'aa.\"
 
[Fataawa Noor \'ala al-Darb by Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (May Allah have mercy on him)]
 
Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in Majmoo\' Al-Fataawa [8/69]:
 
 
If a person says he does not say du\'aa or ask Allah (SWT) because he relies on the divine decree, he is also making a mistake because Allah (SWT) has made du\'aa and asking means of attaining His forgiveness, mercy, guidance, support and provision. If good is decreed for a person he will attain by means of du\'aa when he cannot attain without du\'aa. What Allah (SWT) has decreed and knows with regard to His slaves\' circumstances and destinies is only decreed on the basis of means, and decrees will be fulfilled at the appointed times. There is everything that happens in this world or in the Hereafter happens on the basis of cause and effect; Allah (SWT) is the creator of both cause and effect.
 
 
Disregarding the principle of cause and effect is contrary to reason.
 
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said in Al-Majmoo\' Al-Thameen min Fataawa Fadeelat Al-Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-Uthaymeen [1/157]
 
Du\'aa is one of the means by which what is asked for is attained. In fact it wards off the divine decree and nothing wards off the divine decree except du\'aa, and that may happen in two ways.
 
 
For example, a sick person may pray to Allah (SWT) for healing and be healed, and were it not for the du\'aa he would have remained sick, but we say:
 
Allah (SWT) decreed that sick person would be healed from this sickness by means of du\'aa, and this is what was decreed. He thinks that were it not for the du\'aa he would have remained sick, but in fact he did not ward off the divine decree because the basic principle is that du\'aa was decreed and the healing would come by means of du\'aa, and this is the original decree that was decreed from eternity. 
 
The same applies to everything that is decreed to happen through some means or cause. Allah (SWT) has made this means the cause for the thing to happen, and that was decreed from eternity, before it happened.
 
Allah (SWT) says in Surah 94, verse 5 and 6; \"Verily, along with every hardship is relief,\" and \"Verily, along with hardship is relief (i.e. there is one hardship with two reliefs, so one hardship cannot overcome two reliefs)\" (Dr Muhsin Khan translation) If we sinned and all our du\'aas were accepted straight away, then it would not be much of a test! The Prophets (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon them) were severely tested, then how can we expect not to be tested? Allah (SWT) asks us this rhetorical question over and over and wisdom lies in those believers who possess a higher level of taqwa. In hadith Qudsi, Allah (SWT) says, he likes His slaves who commit sins and then repent and then commit sin and repent again; if we never committed sins and never sought repentance nor made du\'aa then, Allah (SWT) will replace us with better nations and people.

Tuesday 03 Dec 2024