IS a person's fate predetermined by Allah? This is a very common belief among many, though not all, Muslims. What is the truth?

The discussion about taq dir is not new. This was vigorously debated first during the Umayyad period and again, as far as India is concerned, in the 19th century. Such discussions become more vigorous either when people face a serious crisis or when a whole community is in decline.

The discussion became important during the Umayyad period as a result of a political crisis. The Umayyad's very legitimacy was in doubt as Yazid, the first successor caliph of his father, Muawiyah, was the killer of the Prophet's (PBUH) grandson Imam Husain. Thus the Umayyad regime was rejected by many Muslims as illegitimate and un-Islamic.

The supporters of the Umayyad regime came out with the rather ingenious argument that Yazid did what was destined by Allah and it was Husain's destiny to be killed at his hands. Regardless, the Umayyads could not overcome their legitimacy crisis by such dubious arguments.

Likewise, when the Muslim ruling class was in serious decline in 19th-century India many Muslims again came out with this argument that it was predetermined and hence could not be helped. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan came out against this position with the Quranic verse “Allah changes not the condition of a people until they change their own condition.” (1311).

Since Sir Syed was trying to change the condition of Muslims who had become stagnant and were justifying their decline based on their taqdir, he had to come out with this Quranic argument. The question arises what is taqdir? Is it something that Allah has destined for individuals, which cannot be altered under any circumstances and has to take place?

I think this is a total misconception. The word taqdir is derived actually from qudrat i.e. ability or power and one who has this ability is called qadir, and Allah is Qadir-i-Mutlaq, i.e. one who has absolute power or ability. From this word taqdir is derived which also means to estimate the proper ability to do something.

Allah has given innate abilities or competence to human beings and they act accordingly. It is for a human being to actualise an ability or competence. A human being has certain innate abilities which if not actualised will remain dormant and he or she will not be able to achieve anything. But it is a given that a human agent must act.

Instead, we have taken fate in a totally different meaning. We do not act to actualise our innate abilities and then blame our taqdir for our own inaction. One who does not act will suffer. Thus constant effort to achieve something is necessary. That is why Allah said clearly that He does not change the condition of those who do not care to change their own condition.

Imam Raghib Asfahani also says in his Mufradat al-Quran that when a human being is an actor (fail) of taqdir, it has two senses; one is taqdir-i-mahmood i.e. when one thinks and reflects with his/her intellect and then acts according to the result of such reflection, it is called taqdir-i-mahmood. Second is taqdir-i-mazmoom, i.e. when a person thinks or acts according to selfish desire it is taqdir-i-mazmoom. Such an act cannot result in the good of others. Of the taqdir-i-mazmoom Imam Raghib gives the example of verses 18-19 of Chapter 74. The Quran says, “Surely he reflected and determined. But may he be destroyed for how he determined.”

Thus this and other verses of the Quran clearly show that taqdir requires both reflection and thinking and acting for it does not indicate in any way remaining inactive and accepting one's fate. Allah has given us all certain potential abilities and powers but has left us to act on and actualise a given situation. It is of course our fate to have certain potential but it is our choice to act or not to act on it.

In a sense we are all predetermined inasmuch as we have been gifted with a certain potential, but taqdir would not mean those abilities will come into effect automatically, without our acting this way or that on a given situation. In a sense to be born human is our fate but to be a meaningful human being who utilises his or her innate abilities depends on our actions.

Iqbal went to another extreme in this respect when he said that you should raise your 'self' (khudi) to a level where Allah should ask you what abilities and potentialities He should gift you (so that you can achieve excellence in your chosen field). Thus, one has to struggle and be dynamic to change one's condition for the better and that of the world at large. That is the real meaning of taqdir.

The writer is an Islamic scholar who heads the Centre for Study of Society & Secularism, Mumbai.