A.T.M. Nurun Nabi :
A group of Muslims in our country believe that Allah decides the fate of every man and woman for the next one year on the night of the 15th Arabic month of Shaban. There is no doubt that Allah fixes the destiny of every human being, but it is done on the night of the 27th Ramadan, popularly known as the night of Qadr.
The word Qadr means Destiny, Majesty, Grand and Power. This is the night that Allah began to reveal the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad (Sm). The revelation continued for 23 years at Mecca and Medina. Since the Quran is first revealed on this night, it has been marked as the Blessed Night in Sura Dukhan (Ref: Sura Dukhan, Verse No.3).
The night has also been marked as a night of thousand months, (Ref Sura Qadr, Verse No.3). In truth, thousand months must be taken for in indefinite period, denoting a long time, or a timeless time.
Allah at first created Pen and said: Write. The Pen said: O my Lord! What shall I write? Allah said: Write Destiny. What has happened from time immemorial and what will continue to happen.
It is to be mentioned here that the Pen of Allah is different. It is not like the pen of the human being. Nothing of Allah has likeness, (Sura Nahl, Verse No.75)
There are two schools of thought among the Muslims on Taqdir or Destiny. One group is called Jabaria and the other is Kaderia. The first one is called fatalist, while the other is known as materialist. The first school says that every man will bear the consequences of what Allah has decided. None has the right or authority to challenge. They quote Verse No.284 of Sura Baqara that He will reward whom He will and He will punish Whom He will.
On the other hand, the materialists argue that every man will bear the consequence of his own deeds.
Destiny is Allah’s knowledge of all events, past and future, as one single moment. In other words, all the events which are unclear to us are taken to be “mysteries” for us. But Allah knows all these things that we cannot. Therefore, the trial of human beings is pre-ordained.
Yet, the age and the livelihood of a person can be increased, the Prophet Muhammad (Sm) said, by way of maintaining good relationships with the kith and kin. To the contra ry, whoso commits suicide, he decreases his age and that is why severe punishment awaits him.
Allah decided 40 years for Hazrat Daud and He told it to Adam. Adam requested Allah to increase Daud’s age. But Allah said: I have fixed it. It is final. Adam said: I shall give Daud 60 years from my account. Allah said: This is the matter between you two.
At the time of death, the Angel of Death, Azrail, came to him. Adam said. I have still 60 years in my account. The angel said: You have given it to Daud. Adam denied the charge. Adam’s children also supported their father. From that day, Allah decreed the provision for witness and evidence to resolve the crisis.
The materialists say with reference to the Holy Quran that those who do good to the man, they will land in the Paradise. This is the promise of Allah (Sura Luqman, Verse Nos 8 and 9). We read in the Sura Nahl also, Verse No. 128, Allah is with those who do good to others and guard against evils.
Allah has said,” I accept Namaj of him who feeds the hungry man; clothes the clothe less and gives shelter to the stranger. Allah on the Day of Resurrection will bring allegation against those who did not give food to the hungry man, give water to the thirsty and did not serve the sick man. As per Verse No.42 of Sura No.42, Allah himself will frame charges against the oppressors. These two verses are enough to prove that every human being will be rewarded according to what he/she did.
According to Verse No. 120 of Sura An am, no sinner will get respite from punishment he has earned by doing evils.
The best example of Destiny has been given by Hazrat Ali (Ra). He said, if you sit beside the nearly collapsible wall, the wall according to the cause of nature will fall on you and you may be injured, even die. But if you do not sit, you will remain safe. This is destiny.
(The writer is a senior journalist).
