what is the Belief in the Scriptures and Divine Decree

Belief in the Scriptures

Belief in those Books that Allahsent down and revealed to His Messengers as a mercy andguidance for mankind to lead them to true happiness in thislife and in the Hereafter.

Faith and belief in the Scriptures comprises four aspects:

• To believe that Allah sends them down as revelation.
• To believe in all the Scriptures about which we have specificinformation: such as the Qur’an sent down and revealedto Muhammad (PBUH); the Torah sent down and revealedto Musaa (AS); the Injeel(the Gospel) sent down andrevealed to ‘Eesaa (AS); and the Zaboor(the Psalms) sentdown and revealed to Dawood (AS). We also believe generallyin all other Scriptures sent down and revealed by Allah,even though we do not know their particular names.
• To attest and confirm as truth all the information thatthese Scriptures contain, such as the information of theQur’an and that information which has been left unchangedby corruptions in the previous scriptures [which may onlybe known by its agreement to the Qur’an].
• To execute all the orders and implement all the commandmentscontained in these Scriptures and Books unlessAllah commanded to the contrary through “Naskh”(abrogation,over‐ruling). The Qur’an abrogates es all the previousScriptures. Allah the Most Exalted said:And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) theBook (this Qur’an) in truth, confirming the Scripturethat came before it, and uhaimin (dominant, and atrustworthy witness) over it. [Surah al‐Maa‘idah (5):48]

The great benefits of believing in the Scriptures and Booksinclude:

• Knowledge that Allah has intimate concern for His slavessuch that He sent down for each nation and communityscriptures to guide them to success.
• Knowledge that Allah, by His wisdom, commanded eachnation with what is suitable for them.
• Thankfulness to Allah’s bounties for sending down andrevealing these Scriptures and Books to lead mankind toguidance.

Belief in the Divine Decree

The Arabic word “Qadar” means the Divine Measure withwhich Allah has ordained and decreed with exact calculationsfor everything in creation, according to His eternalOmniscience and His Sublime Wisdom that encompasseseternity.

Faith and belief in Qadar comprises four aspects:

• The belief that Allah has knowledge of everything in theuniverse with all the minute details of its occurrences intime and space. This perfect and complete knowledge encompassesall of Allah’s own acts and all actions of the creatures.
• Everything that is preordained is written on “al‐Lawh‐al‐Mahfoodh” (The Preserved Tablet), which is with Allah. Allahthe Most Exalted said:Do you not know that Allah knows all that is inheaven and on earth? Verily, it is all in the Book. Verily,that is easy for Allah. [Surah al‐Hajj (22):70]
• The belief that nothing can exist or happen except by theWill and Permission of Allah, and this includes what pertainsto His Actions as well as to the actions of all that Hecreated. Allah the Most Exalted said concerning His ownactions:And Allah does what He wills. [Surah Ibraaheem (14):27]
• The belief that Allah created all the creation and creatures and all their actions, characteristics and movements.23 Allah the Most Exalted said:Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Guardian over all things. [Surah az‐Zumar (39):62]

The great benefits of believing in the Qadar:

• To trust in Allah in accomplishing your actions. Whensomeone performs actions according to their causes and effects,he doesn’t depend on the causes and effects only,since he knows that, ultimately, nothings happen except bythe Will of Allah.
• To protect oneself from becoming arrogant and haughtywhen he accomplishes his goals because he knows that hisaccomplishment was only by the Blessings of Allah, Whomade it possible for him to achieve his goals.
• To receive from Allah a sense of satisfaction, tranquilityand security, since he realizes that nothing happens exceptby the Qadar of Allah. He does not become anxious aboutlosing things that please him or receiving things that displeasehim, because he knows that he will only get what theOwner and Master‐Sovereign of the heavens and earth haswritten for him.

Qadr and freedom to act:

Qadar, as explained above, is not contradictory to the reality that humans have the freedom to act as they will and choose, and are capable of doing so, since this is proven by both ash‐Sharee’ah(revelation and scripture) and by al‐Waqi’ (the reality that we observe around us). As for the proof of the religious scriptures on this, we can cite the words of Allah when He the Most Exalted said: So whosoever wills, let him take.

Al‐Bukhari and Muslim report, and this version is al‐Bukhari’s, that Ali ibnAbiTalib (RA) said that the Prophet (PBUH) said: One’s final destination in Hell or Paradise is already determined for each one of you.A man said: Should we depend (on this fact), O Messenger of Allah? He said, No! Perform deeds, because everyone will be helped (to do as he will and reach his destiny). Then he read the verse of the Qur’an: As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, and believes in Goodness, We will make smooth for him the path of ease. But he who withholds and thinks himself self‐sufficient, denies Goodness, We will make smooth for him the path of evil. [Surah al‐Lail (92):5‐10].

Another example is that the sick and diseased take medicine when they are ordered to, even though they dislike the taste. They leave foods that harm them seeking to curethemselves and get better. It will not happen that these sick people refuse their medicines and take the harmful foods arguing that Qadar made them do it, so why would one abandon obeying Allah and His Messenger, and instead disobey Allah and His Messenger, claiming that Qadar made him do it? [Certainly this is the most foolish of Satan’s tricks and the feeblest of excuses. It has been reported that a man who had been caught stealing was brought to Umar ibn al‐Khattab (RA). Umar orderedthat his hand be cut off. The man said: “Wait, O leader of the believers. I only stole because this was by the Qadar of Allah.”Umar said, “And we are cutting your hand off by the Qadar of Allah.”