Question
In your answer to a question on article of faith, why did u avoid “predestination of good and evil” from articles of faith??
It is mentioned in a hadith that the Prophet (pbuh) explained the pillars of this faith in which every human must believe, when he was asked, “What is eemaan?”, he said, “To believe in Allaah and His angels and His books and His messengers and the Last Day and predestination of good and evil.”
Answer
First of all, I would like to state that according to my understanding, the correct translation of the Arabic words “وتؤمن بالقدر خيره وشره” should be “that you believe that the desirable and the undesirable events [in life] are determined [by God]”.
Iman bil-qad’r, as is mentioned in the referred narrative ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh) is, in fact, only an extension of the belief in the omniscience and the active control of God over all events that take place in this world. In other words, when someone believes that an Omniscient God is actively controlling everything in the world, as a corollary and extension of this belief he would also have to acknowledge the fact that nothing happens in this world without the permission and will of the Almighty.
Seen in the foregoing explanation, it should be clear that Iman bil Qad’r, in fact, is not a basic article of faith, but is only an extension of one of the five fundamental articles of Islamic faith. This fact is further substantiated by the following verse of the Qur’an:
آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللّهِ وَمَلآئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ وَقَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ
The Prophet has believed in what has been revealed upon him from his Lord and also the believers [with him believe in it]. All of them believe in God, His angels, His books and His messengers – [they say:] ‘We do not distinguish between any of His messengers’. And they say: ‘We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, O Lord, [is what we aspire] and indeed to You shall be the return’.
The foregoing verse has clearly mentioned each of the five basic articles of Islamic faith, except that the belief in the hereafter has been mentioned as a part of the believers’ prayers rather than as one of the articles of faith.
I hope this helps.
Fond regards,
Moiz Amjad
September 20, 2003