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[Sayyeda]

Salaam alaikum,

I have been wondering about this for quite some time now... I hear people saying "this happened because it was written in my kismat!

When people get married, and when things don't work out, they say "what to do? My kismat!!!".

'Everything' that happens to us in our daily life, or whatever wrong that happens in our life (not the way we expect things to be) can we actually say its fate? Destiny?


I would appreciate if anyone could shed some light on it and give their views!

Sayyeda!

[Sayyeda]

Hmmm seems like no one has an answer to this question of mine or perhaps no one has come across it!

[Yas]

s/a,
This is a very interesting issue that you have highlighted. I believe its pretty much the same as the concept of "PREDESTINATION" which we had studied recently in a novel - however, this one was about predestination in an extreme form of Christianity known as Protestantism. They apparently believe that your destiny - heaven or hell - is predetermined no MATTER how good you are on earth; you are either an "elected" person for heaven, or, else, you can literally go to hell - or so the novel conveyed.

In Islam it is quite a complex issue, its not straightforward. On the one hand if you think about it, consider that you go to Heaven or Hell because of your actions would not make sense if everything was prewritten for you, right? I mean hey, I never did it - it was written for me; I had no control over it! So I should not be held responsible.
On the other hand, Allah says all actions, and everything is written in the Lauhil Mahfoodh. Which further confuses the matter further, when you consider that the Qur'an speaks about blessing man with aql, furqan - (the ability to distinguish between good and bad, criterion), "no compulsion in religion", and plenty of other references.
I personally do not know any straightforward explanation for this, though my opinion is quite simply that dogmatic predestination does not make sense, nor does extreme liberation. If things do not work out the way one hopes they will, there is a reason behind it - often a good one too, as much as we may not accept/understand it in our lack of optimism; thus we must learn to accept some things humbly. I think the concept of fate is a little naive. Again, merely opinions. I stand to be corrected. My few cents.

Tc.

[murtaza]

In the name of Allah the most Beneficient the most Merciful.
The subject of fate and pre destination is a very vast subject and to understand it ,one needs sessions for a number of days so that it could be explained.
Just to brief it , we should know that we write our own fate apart from the perfect knowledge with Allah (swt).
Allah (swt) has the perfect knowledge of everything ,but His knowledge does not enforce in our choice. To explain it let me site an example:
Suppose a man's hand is totally paralysed to an extent that he cannot move even a finger A doctor has fitted an electrical device on his hand which, on being switched on, enables the man to use his hand freely in a normal way. The device is activated by a remote control which the doctor keeps in his own custody. When the doctor switches the device on, the man uses his hand in any way he intends, but when the device is off, he can do nothing. Now, if the doctor leaves the device on and the patient does any work, can that work be attributed independently to him? No., because the power comes from that device which is fully controlled by the doctor, Then can it be attributed to the doctor? No, because the man(patient) had done it by his own free will and choice. This is exactly the position of our activities. We are not under compulsion because the will and choice is ours; nor are we completely independent, because the power to do whatever we intend to do comes from God.'

Therefore Allah (swt) has given us a free will if we help someone and are rewarded or if we commit a crime and are punished for it ,its is not our Kismat (fate) that it was destined upon us to commit the crime nor is Allah (swt) blamed; for we did the act out of our free will and own choice.

To understand this topic more ,i advice you to read the book title:
"Justice of God" by Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi.
He has dealt in detail about this topic.

[Yas]

excellent example. I think it succinctly sums up a very vast topic. But yes, indeed, it isnt as simple as that and as Murtaza says, it is a very wide issue.

[Sayyeda]

Very well explained Murtaza.

However, I will surely try to get the book u mentioned above.

Thanks alot for replying. (That applies to Yas too).

Jazakallah.

[Reyhana]

When Imam Jafar-e Saadiq a.s was asked about Free will and predestination, he said''neither there is total compulsion nor total freedom but the real position is btn these two extremes.''
God's knowledge of what we will do, doesnt mean he compels us to do that e.g A doctor after examining his patient deduces that he[patient]will die soon, and it so happens.So can we say that because of the foreknowledge of the doctor the patient died? In other words can we blame the doc for the patients death?of course not,though A doc can be wrong sometimes as his knowledge is limited but Allah s.w.t can never be wrong because he is the All Knowing.
I also recommend for those who want to know more on this subject to read''The Justice of God by Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi [may Allah rest his soul in peace.]

[braveheart]

I have to put it short and very straight forward for you to understand me. I might sound cruel. But you have to understand me in a positive manner to benefit.

There is nothing like kismat. What you do is what you get. But Allah's punshement comes with mercy. You have to find out what sin you have commited to repent sincerely for it. And you have to be intelligent enough to look for the mercy that comes with the Punishment. So identify the mercy after repenting for the sin and you will certainly benefit. And definitely you will find ease and be more knowledgeable than before. Meaning that you will understand Allah more clearly to benefit.

But than there is a reply like what about an innocent person being in problems. Or our Imams facing hardships in life eg. Imam Husein. To answer that is that it can be a test from Allah to transform you into a higher stage than before. To make you understand Allah more.

Or a bad person enjoying in life. That is to make him more sinful. So he has no argument against Allah on Judgement day.

And now to make it clear to you about kismat is that Allah in his knowledge knows what path each person will choose. Which path he is going to take. The right or the wrong. He will not force anyone but will provide him with choice.

And remember that when you face hardships in life depending on the intensity of it proves the intensity of how much Allah loves you. And to remind you to turn back to Him. Always make sure not to displease him because some people are not loved enough by Allah for Him to remind them with such intense.

[Fatimah Zahra Karim]

There is nothing like kismat. What you do is what you get.

That is not the Islamic point of view. As Rehana mentioned, when Imam was asked about it, he told the questioner to stand on one foot, and explained, "You can lift either one foot or the other, but you cannot remain standing if you lift both feet." The issue of qadha/qadr (kismat) is the same...you have a choice, but there are certain things you can do nothing about!

[abuali]

Like gravity pulling us down vs deciding to sleep the extra few minutes

[abuali]

Answer by Shk. Aliasghar Karmali

Fate and destiny is there and human free will is also there. Our fate and destiny is in God's knowledge, but His knowledge doesn’t influence the outcome of our own actions. Thus whatever we do by our choice, we will see the same result.