Ibn Bazz:Do supplication and charity guard man against predestination?

( Part No : 6, Page No: 204)

Do supplication and charity guard man against predestination?

From `Abdul `Aziz bin `Abdullah ibn Baz to the honored son, his royal highness the prince `Abdul `Aziz bin Fahd bin `Abdul `Aziz (may Allah guide him to all goodness)

Assalamu `alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh (May Allah's Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you!)

I have received your letter dated 24/8/1411 A.H. and the questions included. Here are the questions and their answers:

Q 1: Do supplication and Sadaqah (voluntary charity) repel the Divine Decree and Predestination?

A: Predestination that Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) decided will definitely come to pass. Allah (may He be Praised) says: No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (AlLauh AlMahfûz) before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allâh. He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says: Know you not that Allâh knows all that is in the heaven and on the earth? Verily, it is (all) in the Book (AlLauhalMahfûz). Verily that is easy for Allâh.

He (may He be Praised) also says: Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation as written in the Book of Decrees AlLauh AlMahfûz).

It is authentically narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Gabriel (peace be upon him) when he asked about Iman (Faith): Iman (faith) implies that you affirm your faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Prophets,intheDayofJudgment,andyouaffirmyourfaithintheDivineDecreewhethergoodorbad. TheProphet(peacebe upon him) also said: Allah had ordained the measures (of quality) of the creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth. He then added, and His Throne was upon the water. Related by Imam Muslim in his Sahih (authentic) book of Hadith.The Prophet (may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him) also says: Every thing isdecreedevenincapabilityandability RelatedbyMuslim.

There are many Ayahs (Qur'anic verses) and Hadiths to this effect. Actions are contingent on their causes as was authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him), saying: A man is deprived of provision for a sin he commits. Only kindness prolongs life and only supplication averts the decree. It means that supplication averts only the Predestination, which is contingent on supplication.

( Part No : 6, Page No: 205)

Also, he (peace be upon him) said: Whoever is pleased that he be granted more wealth and that his term of life be prolonged, then he should keep good relations with his Kith and kin.

Predestination is averted by other predestinations that Allah (may He be Praised) decided to counter, and the predestinations whose occurrence is contingent on the existence of things, such as dutifulness to parents, maintaining kinship ties and charity, coexist with them. All these are subject to the generic Predestination mentioned in Allah's saying: Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation as written in the Book of Decrees AlLauh AlMahfûz). and the Prophet's saying: and believe in the Divine Decree, whether good or bad. Examples of this type may be found in the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): Charity extinguishes (i.e., removes) the sins as water extinguishes fire. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: Hidden charity extinguishes the wrath of Allah and saves from an evil death. All Ayahs and Hadiths quoted in this regard call a Muslim to believe that he will never be afflicted with anything except what Allah decreed for him and that whatever afflicts him can never escape him and whatever escapes him cannot afflict him. They also urge him to hasten to do good deeds and join others in acts of worship. A Muslim should be keen to venture means of goodness and avoid means of evil, asking Allah to guide and help them do what pleases Him and avoid every evil.

It is narrated in the Two Sahih (authentic) Books of Hadith (i.e., AlBukhari and Muslim)that: One day, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to his Companions: "There is none among you but has a place assigned for him either in the

Paradise or in Hell.'' The Companions said: "O Messenger of Allah, should we not depend upon what has been written for us (and give up doing good deeds)?'' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Carry on doing good deeds. Every one will find it easy to do such deeds (as will lead him to his destined place) for which he has been created. People of Paradise will find it easy to do deeds of the people of Paradise, and People of Hell will find it easy to do deeds of the people of Hell. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then recited Allah's saying: As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allâh and fears Him, And believes in AlHusnâ. We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness). But he who is greedy miser and thinks himself selfsufficient. And belies