Will
Allah's will is eternal
Core Claim
Allah's will is eternal — everything that comes into existence does so by His will, good and evil alike
Why It Matters
Understanding divine will protects from believing that du'a changes Allah's will — and teaches us to rely on Allah while taking the means
Lesson
Will (al-Irāda) is Allah's eternal will — without beginning or end. Everything that comes into existence does so by His will — good and evil alike. Allah is the Subduer, prevailing over His affair.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whatever Allah willed has come to pass, and whatever He did not will has not come to pass' — meaning everything happens by Allah's will, and nothing happens without it.
Taking the means and relying on Allah: A Muslim should take the available means and rely on Allah for the outcomes.
On du'a: Allah said: 'Call upon Me; I will respond to you' (Ghafir 40:60). The meaning here: 'Call upon Me, and I will reward you.' Du'a does not change destiny, but it is a great act of worship. If Allah were to change His will, He would have changed it for the best of creation — Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The response to du'a takes three forms: either the servant is given what they asked for, or an equivalent harm is averted from them, or it is stored as reward for the Day of Judgment.
Two types of decree: - Definitive decree (al-qada' al-mubram): never changes. - Conditional decree (al-qada' al-mu'allaq): tied to conditions (like du'a) — but Allah knew eternally what would happen.
Allah's will does not change — change is a sign of createdness, and that which is created needs a creator.
Key Points
- 1
Allah's will is eternal — what He willed happens and what He did not will does not happen
- 2
Du'a does not change destiny but it is a great act of worship
- 3
Two types of decree: definitive (never changes) and conditional (tied to conditions)
- 4
Take the means while relying on Allah
Evidence
Whatever Allah willed has come to pass, and whatever He did not will has not come to pass.
Reported in various collections(sahih)
ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
Call upon Me; I will respond to you.
Quran 40:60 (Surah Ghafir)
Glossary
الإرادة
al-Irāda
Allah's eternal will — everything happens by His will
القضاء المُبرم
al-Qaḍāʾ al-Mubram
The definitive decree that never changes
القضاء المعلَّق
al-Qaḍāʾ al-Muʿallaq
The conditional decree tied to conditions — but Allah eternally knows what will happen
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