What is qadr in Islam?
Qadr is the Islamic belief in divine decree: that Allah knows, has written and wills everything that happens, while still giving people real choice and responsibility. It is the sixth article of faith. Rather than making you passive, it is meant to bring calm in hard times and gratitude in good ones.
The sixth pillar of faith
When the angel Gabriel asked the Prophet ﷺ what faith (iman) is, he answered: to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in the decree (qadr), its good and its bad (Sahih Muslim 8).
Note: "qadr" is also part of the name Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Decree in Ramadan, when the year's affairs are decreed. That is a related but separate topic. See What is Laylat al-Qadr and how do I find it?
The four parts of qadr
Scholars usually explain qadr in four levels:
- Knowledge: Allah knows everything, past, present and future.
- Writing: He wrote the decrees of creation fifty thousand years before creating the heavens and the earth (Sahih Muslim 2653).
- Will: nothing happens unless Allah wills it.
- Creation: Allah creates all things, including our actions, while we are the ones who choose and do them.
So do I have free will?
Yes. Islam holds both truths together: Allah's decree is complete, and you are responsible for your choices. When the companions asked why they should work if everything is written, the Prophet ﷺ said, "Do deeds, for everyone will find it easy to do what he was created for" (Sahih al-Bukhari 4949). Allah's knowledge doesn't force you; you never know what is written, so you act, try and choose.
That's also why you can't blame qadr for a sin you chose. You can, however, find peace in qadr for things outside your control: illness, loss, a job that fell through.
How qadr helps in daily life
The Prophet ﷺ taught that if the whole world gathered to help or harm you, they could only do what Allah had already written (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2516). He also said: strive for what benefits you, ask Allah for help, and if something goes wrong, don't say "if only I had…", but say "Allah decreed, and He did what He willed" (Sahih Muslim 2664).
- Plan and work hard, then let go of the outcome. See Does tawakkul mean I shouldn't worry?
- Make dua; it is part of the decree too, not against it.
- Feeling upset at what happened is human. See Is it a sin to feel angry at Allah?
- Qadr means Allah's knowledge, writing, will and creation of all things.
- Believing in it is one of the six articles of faith.
- You still have real choice and are responsible for your actions.
- Qadr brings peace about what you can't control, not an excuse for sin.
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