(1) Among the pillars of faith is faith in what Allaah has
decreed, the good and evil outcome thereof. This is inclusive of faith
in the following matters:
Faith in all the texts mentioning qadr.
Faith in four levels of Allaah's decree (qadr): (i) Allaah's
semptineral knowledge, (ii) Allaah's writing in the Preserved Tablet
all that will occur until the day of judgement, (iii) Allaah's All-Embracing
Will, and (iv) Allaah's creating everything.
Faith that there is none who can repel Allaah's Decree or amend His
Judgment is also a must.
(2) Allaah's intending and commanding something something as
mentioned in the Book and Sunnah is two types:
(a) a creative (qadri kawni) Intent and Command, meaning
He has willed such a thing into being;
(b) a religious (shari') Intent and Command, which necessitates
Allaah's loving compliance to what He has intended and commanded, but not
necessarily His willing such into being.
While a created being does possess both an intent and a will, his intent
and will is subordinate to the Intent and Will of the Creator.
(3) Guiding and setting astray the slaves is in Allaah's Hand alone. There are those whom Allaah has guided, by His Merit towards them, and those who deserve to be set astray, by His justice with them.
(4) Both the slaves and their acts are creations of Allaah, Whom there is no Creator besides Him. Allaah is therefore the Author of the acts of man and they are the literal performers of their deeds.
(5) Affirmation that Allaah's actions are due to a Wisdom. Affirmation of the effects of causes existing by the Will of Allaah.
(6) The life spans of all men are written and the amount of their sustenance apportioned. Happiness or sorrow in the Hereafter has been written upon mankind before they were created.
(7) While one may justify the occurrence of catastrophes and pangs by Allaah's decree (qadr), it is however impermissible to justify one's faults and sins by Allaah's decree (qadr). Rather one must repent from his faults and sins and the perpetrator of that sin is to be blamed for his act.
(8) To turn towards, rely and trust solely upon causes is shirk in one's tawheed; to turn away in totality from taking the proper causes by claiming to rely and trust solely upon Allaah is to belittle the shariah; to deny the effects of causes opposes both the shariah and reason. Reliance and trust upon Allaah (tawakkul) does not negate embracing the proper causes necessary.
