Shah Ibn Shur says:
“He who observes people through the eyes of the Reality (Haq) he will be saved from their opposition. He who observes people through his own eyes, he will spend his days in conflict and rivalry with people. Do you not see when Joseph realized he was afflicted with predestined misfortune; he accepted the apology of his brothers and told them “No reproach shall be uttered today against you.” (Hakaik)
“Had your Rabb (the reality of the Names comprising your essence) willed, all those who live on earth would surely have believed, all of them entirely...” (Quran 10:99)
“And it is not for a soul to believe unless the unique composition of Allah’s Names comprising his essence permits...” (Quran 10:100)
“Allah abolishes what He wills or forms (into a perceivable reality, what He wills), and with Him is the Mother of the Book (primary knowledge; the knowledge of the ways in which the Names will manifest at every instant).” (Quran 13:39)
“And My judgment shall not be changed! I am not unjust to the servants!” (Quran 50:29)
“Whoever is enabled by Allah to observe his innermost essential self, he is the one who reaches the reality!..” (Quran 7:178)
“And Allah does as He wills (Allah manifests the qualities of His Names that He wishes)!” (Quran 14:27)
“He who Allah guides (enables the observation of his innermost essential reality) can never be led astray!..” (Quran 39:37)
Kasani says:
“The deeds of creation in comparison to the deeds of the Reality (Haq) are like the body to the spirit.
If the root of a deed is the spirit, the place of its manifestation is the body. As such, the creator of the deed is the Reality (Haq), though it becomes manifest through man.” (Ta’wilat by Ibn Arabi)
Abdullah Ibn Masud (r.a.) narrates:
Rasulullah (saw) to whom the truth is revealed and who always speaks the truth, told me:
“Substance from your parents are gathered in the mother’s womb for forty days, then in another forty day period it becomes a clot of blood, then in another forty day period it becomes a small flesh. (After the 120th day) Allah sends an angel and asks it to record four things: Its livelihood, its sustenance, its death, and whether he will be of the fortunate or the unfortunate ones.”
Ibn Masud continues, “I swear to Allah in whose hands of power the life of Abdullah lies, after the angel records these, the spirit is blown into it (the fetus comes to life)”.
One may do so many good deeds such that between him and Paradise will remain only an arm length yet at this point the record (written by the angel in the mother’s womb) will come and obstruct the person. After this, he will begin to do the deeds of the people of hell (and be cast to hell).
One may do such bad deeds that between him and hell will remain only one step distance, yet at this point the record (written by the angel) will come and obstruct the person. Then he will begin to do the deeds of the people of heaven (and go to Paradise).” (Bukhari, Tajrid 1324)
Imran bin Husain (r.a.) narrates:
“Once I asked Rasulullah (saw): “O Rasulullah, can the people of paradise be distinguished from the people of hell (with the knowledge of Allah’s preordainment)?”
Upon which Rasulullah (saw) said; “Yes, they can be distinguished.”
“If the people of heaven and hell have already been predetermined then why should those who do good deeds and engage in prayers continue to do so?”
“Everyone will do what he has been created for, whatever has been predestined for him, he will carry that out” he answered. (Bukhari, Tajrid 2062)
Abu Huraira (r.a.) narrates:
Rasulullah (saw) said:
“An ‘offering’ will not bring the sons of Adam anything which they do not already expect, in fact, it is Allah’s ordainment that attracts the sons of Adam. I weigh what ought to be given. With that judgment I will seek its attainments from the miser.” (Bukhari- Tajrid 2066)
“O believers, when you are invited to that which revives you (the knowledge of the reality) attend to the invitation of Allah and the Rasul. Know well that (if you do not attend to this invitation) Allah will intervene between the person’s consciousness and his heart (Allah creates a barrier between his emotions and reason, abandoning him to an emotional state of existence that comprises his hell through the system of the brain) and prevent him. To Him you will be gathered (you will reside in a realm in which the Absolute Reality will become apparent; you will be evaluated by the qualities of the Names that comprise your essence).” (Quran 8:24)
As can be seen from Rasulullah’s teachings, everything from the moment the universe came into being, till eternity, is known and determined. And nobody can change his destiny!
Everyone has to live his own fate. Indeed, the AHAD (inseparable) quality of Allah necessitates this to be so!
The Oneness of Allah and the failure to understand the fact that nothing other than Allah exists, has caused much debate about fate, leading to many inadequate ideas.
On the other hand, the reality of fate has been very clearly outlined by the verses and the hadith explained by Muhammad (saw).
Among the many scholars who assert that everything that happens to man is – without exception – the manifesting of one’s fate is Imam Ghazali. In the second section of the second volume of his book Ihya-u Ulumuddin, he says:
“Because we say: ‘all misfortune, rebellion, adultery, and even denial happen with Allah’s judgment, will and wish; and rightfully so!’”