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Can Dua Change Qadar?

What is the relationship between Dua (Supplication) and Qadar (Divine Predestination)? Can Dua change Qadar?

Here's an answer from the scholars at IslamOnline.net:

Question:

Dear scholars, As-Salamu `alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. I know that belief in the Qadar (Divine predestination) is a prerequisite for sound faith. However, I'd like to know if there is any conflict between the Qadar and Du`a'? How can the Du`a' influence one's Qadar, which is already predetermined by Allah, Most High. Jazakum Allah Khairan.

Answer:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear brother in Islam, we really thank you for showing keenness on learning the teachings of Islam, and we appreciate the great confidence you have in us. We hope our efforts meet your expectations.

In Islam Du`a’ is the essence of worship as stated in an authentic Hadith. Qadar (Divine predestination) is a pillar of faith in Allah, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, mentioned when asked by Angel Jibril (Gabriel), peace be upon him, about Iman (faith), saying: "It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in Divine predestination, both the good and the evil thereof." (Reported by Muslim)

The eminent Muslim scholar, Dr. `Atiyyah `A. Lashin, Professor of Jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, states:

"Qadar, or Divine predestination is of two kinds:

1. Unconditional predestination

2. Conditional predestination.

Du`a’ has nothing to do with the first kind, while it may change the second one. This ruling is based on the Hadith that reads: "Nothing could change the Qadar except Du`a’."

(Musnad Ahmad, Vol. 5, Hadith no. 277; Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Vol. 3, Hadith no. 139; and classified as Hasan (good) Hadith by Al-Abaani in Sahih Al-Jami`, Hadith no. 7687)”

Shedding more light on this issue, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, former president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and member of the Fiqh Council of North America, answers:

"Du`a' has great power; it can change many things. We should always pray to Almighty Allah and should never give up hope in the acceptance of Du`a'. Du`a’ is the most important act of worship. It does not mean that we or any other human or jinn have power, but it means that Allah, the Almighty, has power and He can do whatever He wills. Du`a’ is the recognition and acknowledgement of our dependence upon Allah, Most High, and our deep faith that He can change anything. There are many verses in the Qur'an and many Hadiths that emphasize the importance and necessity of Du`a'. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Du`a’ benefits in the things that have happened as well as the things that have not happened yet. The calamity comes down, but the Du`a’ confronts it and they may continuously wrestle until the Day of Resurrection." (Reported by Al-Hakim.)

In another Hadith, it is reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Nothing can change the Qadar except the Du`a’…" This Hadith is reported by several authorities on Hadith, such as Imam Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, Al-Hakim, and Ibn Majah… etc. Most of the scholars of Hadith consider it an acceptable Hadith.

There is no contradiction between our faith in the power of Du`a’ to Allah and in our belief in the Qada' and Qadar of Allah. Scholars have explained that there are two types of Qada' (Allah’s Decrees):

a. those that are known as Qada' Mubram (absolute decrees);

b. and those that are known as Qada' Mu`allaq (conditional decrees).

The absolute decrees do not change, but the conditional one may change if and when the conditions are fulfilled. Such decrees are based on the fulfillment of causes, as well as Du`a’. However, it is important to keep in mind that everything is in the pre-existent knowledge of Almighty Allah. The knowledge of Allah, Most High, does not change, but the conditional decrees may change. Allah Almighty says in the Qur'an: "Allah effaceth what He will, and establisheth (what He will), and with Him is the source of ordinance." (Ar-Ra`d: 39)

Some people raise this question: if Allah Almighty knows the future and His knowledge is always true, then things must happen according to His knowledge. Then how can there be change and how can we say that we have freedom? Actually, Muslim scholars have pointed out that knowledge (`Ilm) is an illuminative, but not necessarily always an effective, attribute. Allah the Almighty does know everything, but in whatever areas He has given us freedom to act, we do act freely. We are responsible for the things in which we have freedom. He will judge us according to the freedom that He has given us.

The great scholar of Islam, Ibn Taymiyah, may Allah bless his soul, states: "Allah Almighty has created His creation with some causes. He has commanded His servants to follow those causes in order to receive His forgiveness, His mercy and His reward in this life and in the Hereafter. Whoever thinks that he or she can achieve anything simply by trust and by neglecting the causes that Allah Almighty has commanded him or her to follow; or whoever thinks that objects do not depend on the causes, is really mistaken." (Al-Fatawa, 8/530)"

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And here is another answer by the famous and respected scholar, Ibn Qayyim:

The Supplication and Al-Qadar

Author: Imaam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah
Source: His monumental book Ad-Daa wad-Dawaa [The Sickness and the Cure] (pg.22 -23)
Translator: isma'eel alarcon

Here there occurs a very popular question and it is:

If the thing that is being supplicated for is already decreed for the servant, then there is no doubt that it is going to come to pass for him, regardless of whether he supplicates for it or not. And if it has not been decreed for him, then it will not come to pass, regardless of whether he asks Allaah for it or not.

There is one group that perceives this question to be valid and so they have abandoned the supplication and are of the view that there is no benefit in doing it. These people, along with their excessive ignorance and misguidance are in clear contradiction, for if we were to follow their opinion, it would require us to reject all the different means for attaining something (desired).

So it can be said to one of them:

If satisfying your appetite and quenching your thirst were already decreed for you, then there is no doubt that they are going to come to pass, whether you eat and drink or you don't. And if they were not decreed for you, they will not come to pass, whether you eat and drink or you don’t.

And likewise, if a child were decreed for you, then you will definitely receive it, whether you have sexual intercourse with your wife or you don't. And if that was not decreed for you, then it will not come to pass. Thus there is no need for marrying, having sexual relations and so on and so forth.

Who says such a statement? Is it one possessing common sense or a beast? Rather, even the animal has a natural inclination (fitrah) towards seeking the means of attaining something (desired), which (for example) will give it sustenance and livelihood. So the animals have more common sense and possess more understanding than these types of people who are like cattle – nay, far worse!

Some of them try to be clever and say:

Preoccupying oneself with supplication falls into the realm of worship solely – Allaah will reward the one supplicating, without that having an effect on what he is asking for in any way. According to this type of person, there is no difference between supplicating and refraining from supplicating by heart and tongue, with regard to that having an effect on attaining what is being asked for. And according to them, the relation of the supplication to it (what is being asked for) is like its relation with silence. There is no difference between them.

Another group, more slick than this one says:

Rather, the supplication is a sign, which Allaah displays as a symbol that a matter has been carried out. So when Allaah grants his servant the ability to supplicate, it is a sign and a symbol that the matter he was requesting has been carried out. This is just as if one were to see a frigid black cloud during the winter season. It is a sign and an implication that it will rain.

They say: Similarly is enacting good deeds with respect to reward, and committing disbelief and sins with respect to punishment – they are pure signs for the occurrence of (either) reward or punishment – not means (by which the result will be attained).

Likewise, according to them, with the matters of breaking, kindling and destroying – none of these things serves as a means for the occurrence (result) of a wreck, fire and death, respectively. Nor is there any connection between those things and what results from them, other than the fact that they are normally paired together – not that one is caused due to the means of the other!

They have contradicted perceptual observation and common sense with this opinion, as well as revelation and fitrah (natural inclination), not to mention all of the other intellectual groups. Rather, those with intellects laugh at them!

The correct view: There is a third category, apart from those mentioned by the questioner. And it is that the decreed result is preordained along with its proper means, which lead to its occurrence. One of these means is the supplication. It is not preordained just like that, without any means (leading to its occurrence), rather it is preordained along with its proper means (which will ensure its occurrence). So when a person comes across the means, the decreed matter will come to pass. And if he does not come across those means, the decreed matter is denied.

So satisfying one’s appetite and quenching one’s thirst are preordained with (the means of) eating and drinking. Children are preordained with (the means of) sexual intercourse. Harvesting crops is preordained with (the means of) planting and, the withdrawal of the soul from an animal is decreed with slaughter. Likewise, entrance into Paradise is preordained with (good) deeds, while entrance into the Hellfire is preordained with (bad) deeds.

This category is the true one. And it is the one that the questioner has been deprived of and not granted.

Compiled, e

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