The faithful servant places unwavering trust in his Creator, never succumbing to despair during tribulations, and remains hopeful for His all-encompassing Mercy. In times of calamity, the patient servant recognises that God has decreed it to be and He does whatever He Wills.
In Islam, we encounter the six pillars of faith—six essential truths that serve as the fundamental cornerstones in understanding Reality:
- There is only one God – without partners.
- His Angels – the obedient servants of God.
- His Messengers – to teach the Truth of the One God and our submission to Him.
- His Books – the expression of the Truth in written form.
- The Last Day – the day of reckoning, accountability, and the Everlasting Hereafter, experienced as either Paradise or Hellfire.
- Destiny – Fate – all are part of His Decree and Design alone.
God is in Control
Among the ninety qualities or attributes of God are:
- Al-Jabbar – The Compeller, The Controller, The Determiner.
- Al-Qadir – The Omnipotent One, The Capable, He Who Decrees, He Who Makes Happen.
- Al-Dar – He Who Ordains Harm.
- Al-Nafi’ – The Benefactor.
- Al-Badi’ – The Incomparable Originator, The Organiser, The Designer.
Fate is part of God’s tapestry of creation and every segment of time and space within creation is determined with a purpose more often unbeknown to us. And the purpose of this tapestry of creation is:
“[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed – and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving.”1
Here, the verb is translated as ‘to test’, but can also be understood as ‘to stretch (yourself)’ or ‘to know (yourself) from long experience’, i.e. to teach (yourself). The above verse can thus be translated to:
“[He] who created death and life to teach you [as to] which of you is best in deed – and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving.”
Hence, Fate is God’s plan to test and teach us about ourselves and our true nature. As previously mentioned, He is not merely a benefactor or a passive observer; He alone decrees hardship and adversity. It is to Him alone that we can seek relief and refuge from these struggles, for only He possesses the power and capability to shape and determine everything.
As humans whose minds work within the causality of time, we invariably conceive Fate as fixed before time, whereas in reality God is outside time and Fate is his Decree outside time. Knowing our Creator is:
- Ar-Rahman – The Compassionate, the All-Encompassing Merciful.
- Ar-Rahim – The Merciful.
- Al-‘Adl – The Utterly Just.
- Al-Wadud – The Most Loving.
The faithful servant places unwavering trust in his Creator, never succumbing to despair during tribulations, and remains hopeful for His all-encompassing Mercy. In times of calamity, the patient servant recognises that God has decreed it to be and He does whatever He Wills. He recognises that God is:
- Al-‘Alim – The All-Knowing.
- Al-Hakim – The All-Wise.
Fate and providence are not merely a mindless program or a Deist plan that exists separated from its loving Creator; rather, they are the direct result of God’s Decree. In fact, God is also:
- Ar-Raqib – The Watchful.
- Al-Mujib – The Responsive One.
Fate reminds us that ‘God is in Control’ and reminds us of his many names and qualities.
Recognising Fate
Recognising fate instils in the believer the awareness that God alone governs all aspects of existence, affirming that the power to bestow blessings or inflict harm resides solely with Him and no one else.
A companion of the Prophet ﷺ, Abdullah b. ‘Abbas rady Allahu ‘anhu says:
“One day I was behind the Prophet ﷺ [riding on the same mount] and he said, ‘O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.'”2
Interesting, this Hadith (saying of the Prophet) explicitly states that everything resides within God’s Decree, His Design, and His Plan, concluding with the powerful imagery of the pen being lifted as Fate sealed. Here, the pen serves as the conduit of God’s Decree. Elsewhere in the Qur’an, God tell us:
“Read: In the name of thy Lord Who created Created man from a clot. Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous. Who taught by the pen. Taught man that which he knew not.”3
God teaches humanity through the pen, which refers to scriptures but can also mean learning from our life experiences and fate.
God’s Plan Alone
All that exists belongs exclusively to God, and all shall ultimately return to Him. The superficial and transient gifts or loans bestowed upon us in this life—whether they be knowledge, apparent power, wealth, or beauty—serve as tests. These gifts are not intended for us to attribute any sense of independence or self-sufficiency to ourselves. In a similar vein, those who are arrogant may ascribe fate and control to themselves through their trivial and feeble plans and strategies; however, these are merely elements of God’s Divine Plan, designed to elevate the believers to Paradise while humiliating the arrogant.
“And they (the arrogant) are devising their plan. And I am devising the Plan. So bear with the disbelievers ˹O Prophet˺. Let them be for ˹just˺ a little while.”4
Fate and Free-will
The reality of fate necessitates a nuanced understanding to harmonise the concept of free will with God’s Design. A misguided interpretation of Fate can result in fatalism and despair; however, in truth, it serves as a source of hope and contentment. According to the saying of the Prophet ﷺ:
“Verily, the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days as a drop, then he is a clot for a similar period, then a morsel for a similar period, then there is sent to him the angel who blows the spirit into him and he is commanded regarding four matters: to write down his provision, his life span, his deeds, and whether he is blessed or damned. By Allah, other than whom there is no God, one of you acts like the people of Paradise until he is but an arm’s length from it, and what is written overtakes him so he acts like the people of Hellfire and he enters it. Verily, one of you acts like the people of Hellfire until he is but an arm’s length from it, and what is written overtakes him so he acts like the people of Paradise and he enters it.”5
It is common to misunderstand the notion of fate as something purely external and predetermined, yet that fate is shaped by what are (and what will be) our own choices from the moment of our creation by the All-knowing God. We are given the inherent freedom to either submit to God or to defy Him and the Truth. In this context, God creates both believers and unbelievers; believers actively choose to embody gratitude and serve God, while unbelievers often remain trapped in their own arrogant delusions. This dynamic illustrates that, despite divine foresight, we possess the agency to decide our paths, ultimately bridging the gap between free will and determinism.
Fate Unravels the Choices We Made Before Time
This Hadith (saying of the Prophet), though frightening, challenges us to deeply understand ourselves and to strive for sincerity. The paradox is that those who genuinely wish to be sincere will ultimately find Paradise, while those who choose to remain in delusion will continue on that path.
We can express this idea as:
“We are what we wish to be,” or more accurately:
“We are determined to be what we truly wish, at the core of our souls, to be.”
God has not only determined the ultimate path we are destined to follow but also every path we could have taken. In the moment of our creation, we faced a crucial choice: to submit to God or to persist in the illusion of our independence from Him, as though we hold ownership of anything, including our own souls. The journey of life in this world revolves around uncovering that pivotal choice made before time began.
Many of us tend to live superficially, distracting ourselves with fleeting pleasures and trivial pursuits. The true journey of life is to discover our authentic selves, to learn who we really are, and ultimately, to strive for sincerity.
Ibn Abu Mulaykah, a man from the first century of Muslims after the companions said:
“I met thirty companions of the Prophet ﷺ, and each one of them feared hypocrisy for himself. None of them said they had faith like the Angel Gabriel or the Angel Michael.”6
To question and scrutinise the sincerity of every intention is a challenge for the believer; it is not a matter of becoming uncertain or hesitant, but rather calling upon God to purify ourselves and submit to Him so that every thought and action aligns with His wishes.
Luck – Arbitrary Chance
Although the etymology of the word ‘luck’ goes back to Fate ordained benefit – a share portion of benefit, in present parlance it is used as an expression to describe benefit without having to thank the Giver of the benefit – God. The word has been hijacked by secular atheists as a mechanism to explain Fate as a whimsical random flip of a coin with no purpose or meaning. Likewise, Fortune and Providence which are synonymous with Fate, have had their original meaning severed from the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.
Pain and Suffering
God reveals that what brings us pleasure and delight can sometimes be detrimental, while hardship and adversity may ultimately serve our greater good. Embracing this truth provides believers with security and comfort amidst turmoil and conflict, assuring them that they are in the gentle care of their Loving and Compassionate Creator, whom they will eventually return to.
“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you, and Allāh knows, while you know not.”7
It is natural for all of us to dread pain and suffering, but a person of faith understands that hardship and adversity can purify us from sin, teach us to draw closer to our Creator, and encourage us to call on Him, ultimately fostering patience, resilience, and fortitude within ourselves.
“Those who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.'”8
Even old age, with the loss of our worldly faculties, serves as a powerful humiliator, prompting us to turn to our Creator and acknowledge our absolute dependence on Him. Although we may dread it, this reality beckons us toward our divine source.
Similarly, death, the conclusion of our earthly existence, is, for the faithful, the commencement of eternal bliss. Death is a reality of this existence, and though uncomfortable, is like the necessary birth pangs for the Next Life. In the Hadith Qudsi, Allah says:
“I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.”9
Pain is an undeniable reality in this world, prompting believers to call upon God for solace, as He alone guides us through our trials. Just as a parent holds and comforts a child during necessary vaccinations, our Creator supports and embraces us through the anguish of death. Likewise, while childbirth presents a mother with substantial pain, it ultimately transforms into a profound source of joy, allowing her to forget the discomfort and choose to have more children. In the same way, the death pangs of a believer serve as a gateway to Eternal Bliss. When confronted with the joys of the hereafter, that pain will fade into oblivion. The Prophet ﷺ says:
“The most privileged people in the world among the people of Hellfire will come on the Day of Resurrection to be dipped in Hellfire, then it will be said, ‘O son of Adam, did you see any good? Did you get any blessing?’ He will say, ‘No, by Allah, my Lord!’ Then, the most miserable people in the world among the people of Paradise will come on the Day of Resurrection to be dipped in Paradise, then it will be said, ‘O son of Adam, did you see any hardship? Did you have any distress?’ He will say, ‘No, by Allah, my Lord! I did not once see hardship or distress.’”10
Hope and Never Despair
Despite lives filled full of mistakes and shortfalls, knowing that Ultimate Control rests with the All-Merciful Creator brings peace to the believer’s heart, enabling him to live a life filled with hope in His Creator’s Mercy.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ says:
“Allah Almighty said: ‘O son of Adam, whenever you worship Me and place your hopes in Me, without associating any partners with Me, I will forgive whatever you have done. If you turn to Me with the likes of the heavens and the earth full of sins and shortcomings, I will turn to you with the same amount of forgiveness, and I do not mind.’”11
And he, ﷺ says:
“A servant committed a sin and he said, ‘O Allah, forgive my sin!’ Allah Almighty said, ‘My servant has committed a sin and he knows that he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds him accountable.’ Then, the servant returned to his sin and he said, ‘O Allah, forgive my sin!’ Allah said, ‘My servant has committed a sin and he knows that he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds him accountable.’ Then, the servant returned to his sin and he said, ‘O Allah, forgive my sin!’ Allah said, ‘My servant has committed a sin and he knows that he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds him accountable, so do what you wish as I have forgiven you.’”12
Sincere Repentance is the True Manifestation of Choice
Indeed, we are all sinners; however, upon acknowledging our transgressions, vulnerabilities, and limitations, we come to understand that we serve a Perfect Lord who holds us accountable for all our actions and our shortfalls. We are then in a position to repent and ask for His forgiveness. Among the divine attributes is the All-Forgiving and the Acceptor of Repentance. Moreover, as is related in the Hadith, God created humanity with an inclination towards sinfulness, thereby enabling the manifestation of His qualities as the All-Forgiving and the Acceptor of Repentance.
Repentance constitutes a conscious decision to abandon sin and reorient oneself towards the Almighty. It represents, in essence, the most sincere form of choice. This choice transcends the mere selection between colours such as red or blue; rather, it involves the commitment to either obey and submit to God or to disregard and deny His existence. Each of our actions serves as a decisive step towards either pleasing our Creator or endeavouring to neglect Him.
Recognising our sins, weaknesses or limitations is the mandatory implicit step before repentance. A man who cannot see his sins is indeed wilfully blind and arrogant. Such a person cannot tell the difference between right and wrong and truth and falsehood and hence cannot repent. May God save us all from this blindness.
True repentance necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the profound extent of our transgressions against God’s laws and a sincere desire for transformation. It entails the thorough cleansing of a tarnished soul and its subsequent renewal, akin to that of a new-born child. Both God and the faithful cherish a sincerely repentant individual who embraces the Truth (Islam) in the same manner that believers nurture their new-borns. This transformation is emblematic of a person who has shifted from darkness to Light, much like our admiration for a drug addict or alcoholic who successfully conquers their affliction and achieves sobriety.
Though man keeps failing and failing, he may consistently seek the Lord’s assistance to restore and guide him towards the right path, for God is perpetually Forgiving and Merciful. The crux of this assertion lies in the notion that authentic repentance entails recognising the errors of one’s actions and sincerely desiring a lasting transformation of character, which represents the true essence of choice.
Repentance is Meaningless on the Day of Reckoning
Indeed, on the Day of Judgement, the Day of Reckoning, the arrogant individual will undoubtedly lament his transgressions, but this regret will stem solely from the impending punishment of Hellfire. At this juncture, repentance holds no significance, as the arrogant individual expresses remorse not due to the intrinsic wrongness of his sins, but rather in an attempt to evade the forthcoming retribution. Even if granted a second chance in this life, he would likely revert to his former sins.
“Our Lord, remove from us the torment; indeed, we are believers.”13
“Indeed, We will remove the torment for a little. Indeed, you [disbelievers] will return [to disbelief]”14
This further exemplifies that the choice of submission rather than denial, of truth instead of falsehood, is not contingent upon time. The arrogant unbeliever may implore God for additional time, built on the erroneous assumption that, given a sufficiently prolonged period, he will eventually arrive at the correct choices. However, the reality is that his fundamental disposition is to prioritise his narrow, selfish delusion over truth; thus, there exists no opportunity for repentance.
References:
- Qur’an 67:2 ↩︎
- Tirmidhi on the authority of Abdullah b. Abbas rady Allahu ‘anhu ↩︎
- Qur’an 96:1-5 ↩︎
- Qur’an 86:14-16 ↩︎
- Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abdullah b. Mas’id rady Allahu ‘anhu ↩︎
- Bukhari on the authority of Ibn Abi Mulaykah rahimahu Allah ↩︎
- Qur’an 2:216 ↩︎
- Qur’an 2:156 ↩︎
- Bukhari on the authority of Abu Hurairah rady Allahu ‘anhu ↩︎
- Muslim on the authority of Anas b. Malik rady Allahu ‘anhu ↩︎
- Shu’ab al-Iman – Al-Bayhaqi on the authority of Abu Ad-Darda rady Allahu ‘anhu ↩︎
- Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurairah rady Allahu ‘anhu ↩︎
- Qur’an 44:12 ↩︎
- Qur’an 44:15 ↩︎
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