Taqdeer

Taqdeer in actual fact is the complete knowledge of Allah Ta’aala. In other words, whatever Allah Ta`aala had planned before bringing the creation into existence; that a certain thing will be created at a certain time, it will remain alive for so many years and it will have such and such properties.

This planning is called taqdeer. Thereafter, whatever transpires in accordance with taqdeer is called qadhaa (plan of Allah Ta’aala coming into existence). The example of this is that of an architect who draws a plan of the house before building it. Thereafter, the construction of the house takes place in accordance to the plan. The only difference between the two is that there is a possibility of a mistake occurring in the plan of the architect, and hence upon realising the mistake; one makes changes to the plan. This is contrary to the knowledge of Allah Ta’aala, in which there is no chance of any mistake occurring nor any change of plan.

Someone once enquired from Mufti Mahmood Saheb (Rahmatullahi Alaih), “Hadhrat! If a person says that he will not believe in taqdeer unless it is fully explained to him and he is satisfied with the explanation, then how should it be explained to him?”

Hadhrat Mufti Mahmood Saheb replied, “What answer will you give to a person who says that he will not bring imaan unless he lifts up an object two hundred kilos in weight? Or what answer will you give to someone who says that I will not become a Muslim unless ten kilos of food enters my stomach?”

The questioner replied, “Hadhrat! Giving these responses are impractical and how can it serve as an answer for the person?”

Hadhrat then said, “The belief of taqdeer is beyond comprehension. It is sheer foolishness for one to subject imaan on comprehending taqdeer. Just as human strength is limited and one is only able to lift a certain weight. If he is burdened with more than his capacity, he will not be able to lift it. Similar is the case of human sight and vision. It is also limited hence one is only able to see till a certain distance and beyond that he is unable to see. Human appetite is in the same vein, one’s appetite is also limited and once a person is satiated, he is not able to surpass that limit. Similarly, human intelligence and understanding has limitations. The intelligence and intellect may be used to a certain limit and not beyond that. Some things can be understood and some things are such that intelligence cannot grasp and comprehend. The issue of taqdeer is from among those things that are beyond human comprehension. (Mufti Mahmoodul Hasan Gangohi (Rahmatullahi Alaih))