The Islamic Doctrine of Qadar
Islam teaches qadar (divine predestination)—the belief that Allah has predetermined everything that will ever happen. This is one of the six articles of Islamic faith that every Muslim must believe. According to this doctrine, Allah created all actions, decreed all events, and wrote everything in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) before creating the universe.
This creates an impossible theological problem: if Allah predetermines everything, including human actions and beliefs, how can humans have free will? And if humans don't have free will, how can Allah justly punish them for actions he predetermined?
The Quran Teaches Complete Predestination
The Quran repeatedly emphasizes Allah's absolute control over human belief and action:
"Whomever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam; and whomever He wills to misguide, He makes his breast tight and constricted, as though he were climbing up to the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe." — Quran 6:125
Allah actively guides some and actively misguides others. It's not based on human choice—it's Allah's will that determines who believes.
"And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless." — Quran 7:179
Allah created many people specifically for Hell. Their fate was predetermined before they were born.
"Say, 'Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector.' And upon Allah let the believers rely." — Quran 9:51
Everything that happens is because Allah decreed it. Nothing occurs outside his decree.
"Indeed, all things We created with predestination." — Quran 54:49
All things, including human actions, are created with predestination.
"And you do not will except that Allah wills. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise." — Quran 76:30
"And you do not will except that Allah wills—Lord of the worlds." — Quran 81:29
Humans cannot even will something unless Allah first wills it. This eliminates free will entirely.
The Hadith Confirms Predestination
The authentic hadith elaborate on this doctrine:
"Adam and Moses argued with each other. Moses said to Adam, 'You are Adam whose mistake expelled you from Paradise.' Adam said to him, 'You are Moses whom Allah selected as His Messenger and as the one to whom He spoke directly; yet you blame me for a thing which had already been written in my fate before my creation?'" — Sahih al-Bukhari 6594
Adam's sin was predetermined before his creation. How could he be held responsible?
"Allah's Messenger, the true and truly inspired, narrated to us: 'The creation of everyone of you starts with the process of collecting the material for his body within forty days and forty nights in the womb of his mother. Then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period (40 days) and then he becomes like a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then an angel is sent to him (by Allah) and the angel is allowed (ordered) to write four things; his livelihood, his (date of) death, his deeds, and whether he will be a wretched one or a blessed one (in the Hereafter)...'" — Sahih al-Bukhari 6594
Before a person is even fully formed, an angel writes whether they'll go to paradise or hell. Their eternal fate is predetermined before birth, before any actions.
"Verily Allah has fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in. There would be no escape from it." — Sahih Muslim 2657
Even sins like adultery are predetermined portions that Allah has fixed. A person cannot escape what Allah has decreed.
The Impossible Contradiction
But the Quran also contains verses that seem to affirm human free will and responsibility:
"And say, 'The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve.'" — Quran 18:29
"And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely. Then, [O Muhammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers?" — Quran 10:99
These verses seem to suggest humans have a choice. But this contradicts the predestination verses. The Quran attempts to hold both positions simultaneously, creating logical incoherence.
The reality is that Islamic theology overwhelmingly emphasizes predestination. The "free will" verses are exceptions that Muslim scholars explain away, while the predestination verses form the foundation of Islamic belief.
The Injustice Problem
If Allah predetermines everything, including who believes and who doesn't, how is it just to punish people for what he predestined?
Consider:
• Allah creates someone and predetermines they'll be a disbeliever
• He makes their heart tight and constricted (6:125)
• He creates them specifically for Hell (7:179)
• Their disbelief and eternal fate were written before their birth
• They cannot will to believe unless Allah wills it (76:30)
• Then Allah punishes them eternally for the disbelief he predetermined
This isn't justice—it's cosmic tyranny. The person had no genuine choice, yet faces eternal torture for following the path Allah predetermined.
Biblical Contrast: Genuine Free Will
The Bible teaches that God is sovereign but humans have genuine free will and moral responsibility:
"This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." — Deuteronomy 30:19
God sets options before humanity and commands us to choose. This presupposes genuine choice.
"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." — Isaiah 1:18
God reasons with humanity, inviting us to repent. This makes no sense if everything is predetermined.
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." — 2 Peter 3:9
God desires all to repent. In Islam, Allah actively prevents many from believing (6:125). The biblical God wants all to be saved and gives them genuine opportunity.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." — John 3:16
"Whoever believes" implies genuine choice. God offers salvation to all; humans must respond.
The Fatalistic Implications
Islamic predestination leads to fatalism—the belief that effort is futile since everything is predetermined:
• If Allah predestined your death, why seek medical treatment?
• If Allah wrote your poverty, why work to improve your situation?
• If Allah decreed your sins, how are you responsible?
• If Allah predetermined who goes to hell, why evangelize or preach?
Muslims often respond to tragedy with "Inshallah" (if Allah wills) or "Maktub" (it is written), reflecting this fatalistic worldview. While this can provide comfort in suffering, it also removes human agency and responsibility.
Questions to Consider
- If Allah predetermines everything, including belief and disbelief, how is human free will possible?
- How is it just for Allah to punish people for actions he predetermined?
- If Allah created many people specifically for Hell (7:179), how is he merciful or just?
- If a person cannot will to believe unless Allah wills it (76:30), how are they responsible for unbelief?
- Why does the Quran contain verses suggesting choice if everything is predetermined?
- Doesn't Islamic predestination make Allah the author of evil and sin?
- How can Muslims be motivated to do good if their eternal fate was written before birth?
Conclusion
Islamic theology teaches strict predestination—Allah has predetermined everything, including who will believe and who will be condemned to Hell. This doctrine eliminates genuine free will and makes Allah the author of evil. It creates an impossible moral framework where people are punished for actions Allah predetermined and cannot be held responsible for choices they didn't freely make.
The Quran's occasional references to human "choice" cannot overcome the overwhelming emphasis on divine predestination. Islamic scholars have struggled for centuries to reconcile these contradictory teachings, producing elaborate theological systems that ultimately fail to resolve the fundamental problem: how can Allah justly judge humans for actions he predetermined?
The biblical teaching offers a coherent alternative: God is sovereign, but humans have genuine free will and moral responsibility. God desires all to be saved and offers salvation to everyone. Those who reject him do so by their own choice, not because God predetermined their damnation. This preserves both divine sovereignty and human responsibility, offering a morally coherent framework that Islamic fatalism cannot provide.
Related articles: Allah's Changing Word, The 99 Names of Allah