No one can change Allah’s decisions

February 26, 2026

Abstract

Belief in divine decree (al-Qada’ wa al-Qadar) is the sixth pillar of faith in Islam. This article studies it through two foundational texts: the conversation between Maryam (peace be upon her) and the angel in Surah Al-‘Imran (3:47), and the hadith of Usama bin Zaid about the dying grandson of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The verse shows that Allah’s command is not bound by the material causes He Himself created. The hadith shows how a believer should respond when that command arrives as loss and grief.

The article then explains the four levels of Qadr as defined by Sunni scholars, the meaning of the Preserved Tablet, the relationship between divine will and human choice, and the place of supplication within a decree that cannot be overturned. It argues that this belief is not fatalism. It is a source of inner calm, moral responsibility and resilience, because the believer works hard, prays sincerely, and then accepts the outcome with patience and trust.

Keywords: Absolute Sovereignty, Qada’ and Qadar, The Preserved Tablet, Divine Will vs. Human Will, The Role of Supplication, Sabr, Tawakkul

Introduction

Every human being faces events beyond their control: illness, the loss of a loved one, a closed door, or an unexpected blessing. How a person interprets these moments shapes their peace of mind and their character. Islam answers this question through the doctrine of Qadr, which teaches that nothing in the heavens or the earth happens outside the knowledge, will and wisdom of Allah.

When the angel Jibril (peace be upon him) asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about faith, the answer included belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and “the decree, its good and its bad” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, Hadith 8). This shows that belief in Qadr is not a side issue. It sits at the heart of a Muslim’s creed.

Yet this belief is often misunderstood. Some people take it as an excuse for laziness or wrongdoing, saying “it was written for me”. Others feel it removes the point of effort and prayer. A careful reading of the Qur’an and Sunnah shows that both views are mistaken. The two texts below, one from the Qur’an and one from Sahih al-Bukhari, show the balanced position of Islam.

The Qur’anic Foundation: Surah Al-‘Imran 3:47

Allah Almighty says:

قَالَتْ رَبِّ اَنّٰى يَكُوْنُ لِيْ وَلَدٌ وَّلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِىْ بَشَرٌ ۭقَالَ كَذٰلِكِ اللّٰهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاۗءُ ۭ اِذَا قَضٰٓى اَمْرًا فَاِنَّمَا يَقُوْلُ لَهٗ كُنْ فَيَكُوْنُ (آل عمران: 47)

Translation: She said, “My Lord, how can I have a son when no man has touched me?” He said, “That is how it will be. Allah creates whatever He wills. When He decides a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.”

Explanation of the verse

Maryam’s question was not doubt. It was natural wonder, because she knew that a child normally comes through a father. The answer does not deny the normal law of cause and effect. Instead it reminds her who made that law. The same Allah who made birth depend on a father can create a child without one, just as He created Adam (peace be upon him) without father or mother (Al-‘Imran 3:59).

Classical commentators such as Imam al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note the difference in wording between this verse and the similar verse about Zakariyya (3:40). For Zakariyya, whose child would come through husband and wife, Allah says He “does” (yaf’alu) what He wills. For Maryam, whose child would come with no father at all, Allah says He “creates” (yakhluqu) what He wills. The stronger word fits the greater miracle.

The phrase “when He decides a matter” (idha qada amran) is the key to our theme. The word qada means a final, binding decision. Once Allah decides, the word “Be” (kun) is enough, and no power in creation can delay, reverse or block it. Three lessons follow from this verse:

Causes are real, but they are servants of Allah’s will, not masters over it.
What seems impossible by human measure is easy for the Creator.
A believer who faces a situation with no visible way out should never lose hope, because the One who said “Be” to Maryam’s son still decides all affairs.

The Prophetic Example: The Hadith of Usama bin Zaid

The Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) said:

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ وَمُحَمَّدٌ قَالَا أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَخْبَرَنَا عَاصِمُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ أَرْسَلَتْ ابْنَةُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَيْهِ إِنَّ ابْنًا لِي قُبِضَ فَأْتِنَا فَأَرْسَلَ يُقْرِئُ السَّلَامَ وَيَقُولُ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَی وَکُلٌّ عِنْدَهُ بِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّی فَلْتَصْبِرْ وَلْتَحْتَسِبْ فَأَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِ تُقْسِمُ عَلَيْهِ لَيَأْتِيَنَّهَا فَقَامَ وَمَعَهُ سَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ وَمَعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ وَأُبَيُّ بْنُ کَعْبٍ وَزَيْدُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ وَرِجَالٌ فَرُفِعَ إِلَی رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الصَّبِيُّ وَنَفْسُهُ تَتَقَعْقَعُ قَالَ حَسِبْتُهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ کَأَنَّهَا شَنٌّ فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَاهُ فَقَالَ سَعْدٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا هَذَا فَقَالَ هَذِهِ رَحْمَةٌ جَعَلَهَا اللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِ عِبَادِهِ وَإِنَّمَا يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الرُّحَمَاءَ (صحیح البخاری، کتاب الجنائز)

Translation (summary of the narration): Usama bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that a daughter of the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent word that her little son was dying and asked him to come. The Prophet sent back his greetings with this message: “To Allah belongs what He takes, and to Him belongs what He gives. Everything with Him has a fixed term. So let her be patient and seek her reward from Allah.” She sent again, urging him by oath to come. He went, accompanied by Sa’d bin ‘Ubadah, Mu’adh bin Jabal, Ubayy bin Ka’b, Zayd bin Thabit and others. The child was placed in his lap while struggling to breathe, and the Prophet’s eyes filled with tears. Sa’d asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what is this?” He replied, “This is mercy that Allah has placed in the hearts of His servants, and Allah shows mercy only to those of His servants who are merciful.”

Lessons from the hadith

1. Ownership belongs to Allah. The words “to Allah belongs what He takes, and to Him belongs what He gives” change how we see loss. A child, wealth or health is a trust, not a possession. When the Owner takes back His trust, nothing unjust has happened. Notice that “what He takes” comes first, to comfort the grieving mother at the moment of loss.

2. Every life has a fixed term. The phrase “a fixed term” (ajal musamma) echoes the Qur’an: “When their term comes, they cannot delay it by an hour, nor bring it forward” (Al-A’raf 7:34). Grief should not turn into “if only” regrets, because the appointed time was known to Allah before the child was born.

3. Patience is an act of worship. The Prophet asked her to show patience (sabr) and to seek reward (ihtisab). Ihtisab means turning pain into worship by expecting its reward from Allah alone.

4. Tears do not contradict faith. The Prophet himself wept. Islam does not ask believers to become stone. What is forbidden is wailing, complaining against Allah, and words of objection to His decree, not the natural sorrow of the heart.

5. Compassion is part of the Sunnah. Although he had already sent his message, the Prophet still went in person when his daughter asked again. Accepting the decree does not mean leaving the grieving alone. Visiting, comforting and sharing tears are part of the believer’s duty.

Understanding Qadr: Its Four Levels and the Preserved Tablet

Sunni scholars explain belief in Qadr through four levels (maratib). A Muslim’s faith in the decree is complete only when all four are accepted together.

Knowledge (‘Ilm): Allah knew everything that would happen before it happened, in full detail. “He knows what is before them and what is behind them” (Al-Baqarah 2:255).
Writing (Kitabah): Allah recorded all of it in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that Allah wrote the measures of all creation fifty thousand years before creating the heavens and the earth (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2653). The Qur’an says: “No calamity strikes on earth or in yourselves except that it is in a record before We bring it into being” (Al-Hadid 57:22).
Will (Mashi’ah): Nothing happens unless Allah wills it. “And you do not will except that Allah wills” (Al-Takwir 81:29).
Creation (Khalq): Allah is the creator of all things, including the actions of His servants. “Allah created you and what you do” (Al-Saffat 37:96).

The Preserved Tablet is the master record that is never altered. Whatever is written there will come to pass exactly as written. This is the deepest meaning of our title: no king, no army, no doctor and no plan can change what Allah has finally decreed. “Indeed, We have created all things according to a measure” (Al-Qamar 54:49).

Importantly, Allah’s knowledge and writing do not force anyone to act. Knowing that something will happen is not the same as compelling it. A teacher may know which student will fail, but that knowledge does not cause the failure. Allah’s knowledge is perfect, so it never errs, yet the person still acts by real choice.

Divine Will and Human Will

Islam rejects two extremes. The first is the view that humans are like feathers in the wind with no choice at all (the position historically linked to the Jabriyyah). The second is the view that humans create their own actions independently of Allah (the position linked to the Qadariyyah). Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah hold the middle path: Allah creates and wills all things, and human beings truly choose and are truly accountable.

This is why the Qur’an commands effort, praises good deeds and promises reward and punishment. If humans had no choice, these commands would be meaningless. A man once asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) whether he should tie his camel or leave it and trust in Allah. He replied, “Tie it, and trust in Allah” (Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2517). Tawakkul begins after effort, not instead of it.

Therefore Qadr can never be used as an excuse for sin. Before acting, we do not know what is written, so we are responsible to choose the right path. After a hardship has passed despite our efforts, we turn to Qadr for comfort, not for excuse.

The Role of Supplication (Du’a)

A common question arises: if Allah’s decision cannot change, why pray? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Nothing turns back the decree except supplication” (Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2139).

Scholars reconcile this with the unchangeable decree in two ways. First, the supplication itself is part of the decree. Allah decreed both the outcome and the prayer that would lead to it, just as He decreed both the cure and the medicine. Second, many scholars distinguish between what is recorded with the angels, which may be written as conditional (“if this servant prays, this will happen”), and what is in the Preserved Tablet, which already contains the final result. The Qur’an refers to this: “Allah erases what He wills and confirms what He wills, and with Him is the Mother of the Book” (Al-Ra’d 13:39).

So prayer is never wasted. Either Allah grants what was asked, or turns away a harm of equal size, or stores its reward for the Hereafter, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught (Musnad Ahmad). The believer prays with full hope, and then accepts the answer with full contentment.

Spiritual Benefits of This Belief

When belief in Qadr is understood correctly, it produces real fruits in a believer’s life:

Peace in hardship. “No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah, He will guide his heart” (Al-Taghabun 64:11). The heart that knows its trial came from a Wise and Merciful Lord is guided to calm.
Freedom from regret. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught that after a setback a believer should not say “if only I had done this”, because “if only” opens the door to Satan. Instead he should say: “Allah decreed it, and He does what He wills” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2664).
Humility in success. A person who knows that success came by Allah’s will does not become arrogant, as Qarun did when he claimed his wealth came only from his own knowledge (Al-Qasas 28:78).
Courage. The believer knows that no one can harm him except with what Allah has already written, and no one can benefit him except with what Allah has already written (Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2516). This frees him from the fear of people.
Balanced emotions. “So that you do not despair over what you have lost, nor rejoice arrogantly over what He has given you” (Al-Hadid 57:23).

Practical Guidance for Today

In daily life, this belief can be applied in simple steps:

Plan and work with full effort, whether for studies, business, health or family.
Pray before and during the effort, asking Allah for what is good, for example through Salat al-Istikharah.
When the result arrives, accept it. Say “Alhamdulillah” in ease and “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” in loss (Al-Baqarah 2:156).
Allow natural grief, but guard the tongue from complaint against Allah, following the Prophet’s example of tears without objection.
Support others in their trials through visits, comfort and practical help, as the Prophet did for his daughter.

Conclusion

The statement “no one can change Allah’s decisions” is not a message of helplessness. It is a declaration of Allah’s perfect power, knowledge and mercy. The verse about Maryam shows that Allah’s command is above every material cause. The hadith of Usama bin Zaid shows the human face of that belief: a Prophet who accepts the decree completely, yet weeps out of mercy and walks to comfort his grieving daughter.

Between these two texts lies the balanced path of Islam. The believer works with full effort, prays with full hope, accepts the result with full contentment, and grieves without objection. Whoever lives this way finds that the unchangeable decree of Allah is not a burden on the heart but a refuge for it.

References

The Holy Qur’an: Al-Baqarah 2:155-156, 2:255; Al-‘Imran 3:40, 3:47, 3:59; Al-A’raf 7:34; Al-Ra’d 13:39; Al-Qasas 28:78; Al-Saffat 37:96; Al-Qamar 54:49; Al-Hadid 57:22-23; Al-Taghabun 64:11; Al-Takwir 81:29.
Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jana’iz, hadith of Usama bin Zaid (“To Allah belongs what He takes”).
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 8 (Hadith of Jibril), 2653, 2664.
Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2139, 2516, 2517.
Al-Tabari, Jami’ al-Bayan, commentary on Al-‘Imran 3:47.
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim, commentary on Al-‘Imran 3:47.
Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, commentary on Kitab al-Jana’iz.