Belief

If Everything is Decreed then why Should Some People go to Hell?

jknfatawa1 Belief
If Everything is Decreed then why Should Some People go to Hell?

20th January 2026

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Question: If everything is decreed for everyone’s destiny then why should some people go to hell? Is it fair that Allāh has already decided where their final abode is?

 

الجواب حامداً و مصلياً

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer: In response to your inquiry, belief in divine decree is firmly established in Islam. Divine decree is a manifestation of Allāh’s Infinite knowledge of His creation. Allāh knew all things; their lifespan, provision, deeds, birth, death and their outcomes, before bringing them into existence and recorded them according to His knowledge, will and wisdom. This belief does not mean that humans are forced to act, nor does it imply injustice on Allāh’s part.[1] Human beings possess intellect to make certain choices and given some control over them to do right and wrong under Allāh’s will, and hence they act accordingly and will be judged by their deeds. For this reason, reward and punishment are connected to what people choose to do.[2] If someone is decreed to go to hell then it is because of their own actions.

Allāh enables each person to follow the path they incline towards. According to a prophet narration, each person is facilitated for those actions they are destined for. Those who seek guidance are assisted with good deeds and those who turn away from guidance indulge in sins. [3]

It is important to note that accountability applies to actions done knowingly and intentionally. Mistakes, forgetfulness, and actions done under compulsion are not punished. Allāh does not hold into account nor punish those actions beyond one’s natural capacity. The people of Hell are punished because of their disbelief, rebellion or sins after when guidance has been made clear to them.[4]

 

 

[Allāh Knows Best]

Written by:  Apa Sumayya Qazi         Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed

Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam

JKN Fatawa Department

 

 

[1] Quran, Surah Qamar, Ayah 49.

اِناَّ كُلًَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْناهُ بِقَدْرٍ.

 

Sahih Muslim, Vol 1, Hadith 8.

قال النبي ﷺ أن تؤمن بالله وملائكته ورسله واليوم الآخر وتؤمن بالقدر خيره و شرّه.

 

Imam al-Tahawi, Sharah-Al Aqidah Al-Tahawi, pg 20-25.

وعلم الله تعالى ما العباد عاملون قبل أن يخلقهم.

 

Sahih Bukhari, Vol 5, Hadith 3208.

قال النبي ﷺ فيكتب رزقه و أجله و عمله و شقي أو سعيد.

 

Quran, Surah Hadid, Ayah 22.

مَا اَصاَبَ مِنْ مُصِيْبَةٍ فِيً الأرضِ وَ لَا اَنْفُسِهكُم اِلَّا فِي كِتاَبٍ مِنْ قَبْلَ اَنْ نّبْرَأَهَا.

 

[2] Quran, Surah Kahf, Ayah 29.

فَمَنْ شاءَ فَلْيُؤمِنْ وَ مَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُر.

 Quran, Surah Al-Bakra, Ayah 286.

لَا يُكَّلِفُ اللهُ نَفْساً اِلَّا وُسْعَها.

 

 

[3] Sahih Bukhari, Vol 6, Hadith 4949.

قال رسول اللهُ ﷺ اعملوا فكل ميسر لما خلق له.

 

 

[4] Sunan Ibne Majah, Vol 3, Hadith 2045.

قال رسول اللهُ ﷺ إن الله تجاوز لي عن أمتي الخطاً والنسيان وما استكرهوا عليه

Quran, Surah Al-Nisa, Ayah 40.

اِنَّ اللهَ لَا يُظْلِمُ مِثْقاَلَ ذَرَّةٍ .

Quran, Fussilat, Ayah 46.

وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَّلامٍ لِلعَبِيْدِ.

Can Dua Change Taqdeer (Fate)?

jknfatawa1 Belief

12th December 2025

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Question: Does Dua change taqdeer? I heard somewhere it does so could you provide evidence from Hadith for this?  If so, does that mean by doing dua if death was written for you, then by doing dua you can extend your life? Or by doing dua, if illness was written for you, that you can stop illness happening?

الجواب حامداً و مصلياً

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer: In response to your inquiry, dua is among the most effective means through which Allah may repel or delay certain manifestations of taqdeer (divine decree). This is established from Hadith in which Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam stated: ‘Nothing repels Divine decree except dua’[1]

It must be understood that Allāh Almighty’s decree is of two kinds: one which is absolute and unchangeable, and the other which is conditional, wherein outcomes are dependent on certain causes such as dua, charity, repentance, and maintaining ties of kinship. The Hadith is referring to conditional decree.[2]

Allāh Almighty already knows from His eternal knowledge whether a person will make dua and the effect of that dua. He may, through barakah of dua and righteous deeds, remove or delay a calamity, avert illness, or bless a person’s life with beneficial years. This does not mean that Allah’s eternal knowledge or absolute decree changes. Rather, the dua itself was written as part of decree and serves as a cause for the resulting outcome.

If calamity or illness has been written in a conditional form, Allāh may, through dua, repentance, good actions, remove or postpone that hardship. Likewise, with dua and righteousness, a person’s life may be extended in the sense of being blessed with productive and peaceful years, or causes of death may be averted by the will of Allah. Acceptance of dua rests solely with Allah’s wisdom. Dua is both an act of worship and a means decreed by Allah for the attainment of His mercy.

[Allāh Knows Best]

Written by:  Apa Sumayya Qazi         Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed

Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam

JKN Fatawa Department

[1] Tirmidhi, Hadith no. 2139.

لا يرد القدر إلا الدعاء

 

[2] Sharah Sahih Muslim, Vol 16, pg 208-209.

قال النووي رحمه الله: قال العلماء: هذا في القدر المعلق  الذي تكتبه الملائكة، أما القدر المبرم فلا تبديل فيه.

 

Ibne HajarAsklani, Fath-Al-Bari, Vol 10, pg 417.

قال ابن حجر العسقلاني رحمه الله: والمراد بزيادة العمر: الزيادة في القدر المعلق، أما القدر المبرم فلا يقع فيه تغيير.

 

Imam al-Tahawi, Sharah-Al Aqidah Al-Tahawiyyah, pg 266-267.

قال ابن أبي العز الحنفي: وقد دلت النصوص على أن من القضاء ما هو مبرم لا يغير، ومنه ما هو معلق بالاسباب.

 

 

 

Seeing Ambiyah in Barzakh

jknfatawa1 Belief
Seeing Ambiyah in Barzakh

   18th July 2015                                                         

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Question: Do pious deceased see the Prophets ﷺ in barzakh, as well as their family relatives?

الجواب حامداً و مصلياً

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer

No sound or definitive report suggests that pious deceased visit the Prophets alayhimussalaam in the Ālam-e-Barzakh. This does not, however, negate Allāh Almighty’s capability in allowing them to see the Prophets if He so wishes. We believe that all the souls are under the Divine Will of Allāh Almighty and He does as He wishes with them.

As for visiting their relatives in the Barzakh, there are reports indicating to this. Imām Jalālud-Deen As-Suyooti rahimahullah records some prophetic narrations mentioning that pious souls do meet the faithful souls of their family relatives who preceded them in death. For instance, The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “When a man dies then his son meets him [who preceded him in death] like the absent one meets him.” In another narration, it mentions that the souls who proceeded in death [with Imān] greet the new souls of their family relatives and express happiness upon seeing them arriving more than a traveller who returns from his journey to meet his family. Some Ahādeeth also report that all of the faithful souls meet and enquire about the well-being of certain individuals in the world.[1] All of these reports suggest the possibility that the deceased person does meet his relatives in the Barzakh.

 

 [Allãh Knows Best]

Written by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed            Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam

JKN Fatawa Department

[1] As-Suyooti, Sharh Sudoor p.97-98

)بَاب ملاقاة الْأَرْوَاح للْمَيت إِذا خرجت روحه وإجتماعهم بِهِ وسؤالهم لَهُ(

وَأخرج آدم بن أبي إِيَاس فِي تَفْسِيره حَدثنَا الْمُبَارك بن فضَالة عَن الْحسن قَالَ قَالَ رَسُول الله صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم إِذا مَاتَ العَبْد تلقى روحه أَرْوَاح الْمُؤمنِينَ فَيَقُولُونَ لَهُ مَا فعل فلَان فَإِذا قَالَ مَاتَ قبلي قَالُوا ذهب بِهِ إِلَى أمه الهاوية فبئست الْأُم وبئست المربية

وَأخرج إِبْنِ أبي الدُّنْيَا عَن سعيد بن جُبَير قَالَ إِذا مَاتَ الْمَيِّت إستقبله وَلَده كَمَا يسْتَقْبل الْغَائِب

وَأخرج عَن ثَابت الْبنانِيّ قَالَ بلغنَا أَن الْمَيِّت إِذا مَاتَ إحتوشه أَهله وأقاربه الَّذين قد تقدموه من الْمَوْتَى فَلَهو أفرح بهم وَلَهُم أفرح بِهِ من الْمُسَافِر إِذا قدم إِلَى أَهله

وَأخرج عَن عبيد بن عُمَيْر قَالَ إِذا مَاتَ الْمَيِّت تَلَقَّتْهُ الْأَرْوَاح يستخبرونه كَمَا يستخبر الرَّاكِب مَا فعل فلَان وَفُلَان

Reviling against Abu Bakar

jknfatawa1 Belief

20th April 2015

Question:

What is the ruling regarding an individual who believes that Sayyidunā Abu Bakr radhiyallahu anhu (God forbid) became an apostate after the demise of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam does Such a person remain a Muslim?

الجواب حامداً و مصلياً

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer

To accuse Sayyiduna Abu Bakr As-Sideeq radhiyallahu anhu of apostasy after the demise of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam is a clear infringement of the fundamentals of the Islamic creed. When the Noble Qur’an refers to him as the Prophet’s companion (during the incident of the cave) then accusing him of apostasy is a clear rejection of the verse. This is a clear rejection of his status of sahabiyyat which is tantamount to disbelief.[1] He, therefore, falls outside the fold of Islām and must renew his faith and make sincere tawbah.  

[Allāh Knows Best]

[1] Imām Razi, Mafateehul Ghaib, vol 16, p. 51 commentary of the verse [9:40)

وَالْوَجْهُ السَّادِسُ: أَنَّهُ تَعَالَى وَصَفَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ بِكَوْنِهِ صَاحِبًا لِلرَّسُولِ وَذَلِكَ يَدُلُّ عَلَى كَمَالِ الْفَضْلِ. قَالَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ الْبَجَلِيُّ: مَنْ أَنْكَرَ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ صَاحِبَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ كَافِرًا، لِأَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ مُجْمِعَةٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ مِنْ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصاحِبِهِ هُوَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، وَذَلِكَ يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَصَفَهُ بِكَوْنِهِ صَاحِبًا لَهُ