What does Islam say about destiny and fate?

 

how does islam view destiny and fate ?

Praise be to Allaah.

Belief in destiny and fate is one of the basic beliefs
of Islam. It means that Allaah is the Knower of all things and the Creator of all things;
nothing exists outside of His will and decree. He wrote down all things with Him in al-Lawh
al-Mahfooz (the Preserved Tablet), and this was fifty thousand years before He created
the universe. Everything in the universe, every creature and the things it does, is the
creation of Allaah. Whatever He wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not
happen. If something happens to a person, it could not have missed him, and if something
does not happen to him, it could not have happened to him. A person is not forced to obey
or disobey Allaah – he has free will as befits his state, but it is subject to the
will of the Creator. And Allaah knows best..

Ruling on using the words “if” or “if only”?

 

A man said, “If only you had done such and such, none of this would have happened to you.” Another man who heard him said, “This word (if only) was forbidden by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), it is a word that leads the one who says it to kufr.” A third man said, “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, concerning the story of Moosa with al-Khidr, ‘May Allaah have mercy upon Moosa. If only he had had patience, so that Allaah would have told us more of what happened between them.’” Another man referred to the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “ The strong believer is more beloved to Allaah than the weak believer…‘If only” opens the door to the Shaytaan.” Does this abrogate that, or not?

Praise be to Allaah. 

Everything
that Allaah and His Messenger said is truth. The word ‘if’ or ‘if only’
is used in two ways: 

1.                
To express grief for the past and distress what has been decreed.
This is what is not allowed, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O
you who believe! Be not like those who disbelieve (hypocrites) and who
say to their brethren when they travel through the earth or go out to
fight: ‘If they had stayed with us, they would not have died or been
killed,’ so that Allaah may make it a cause of regret in their hearts”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:156]

This is what the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade when he said, “If
anything happens to you, do not say, ‘If only I had done such and such,
then such and such would have happened.’ Say instead, ‘Qaddar
Allaah wa maa sha’a kaan (Allaah decreed and what He wills
happens), for ‘If only’ opens the door to the Shaytaan”, i.e., it makes
you vulnerable to grief and fear, which is harmful to you and is of
no benefit. Know that whatever befalls you, you could not have avoided,
and whatever does not happen to you, you could not have made it happen
to you, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“No
calamity befalls, but by the Leave [i.e. Decision and Qadar (Divine
Preordainments)] of Allaah, and whosoever believes in Allaah, He guides
his heart” [al-Taghaabun 64:11]

They said, this is a man
to whom calamity happens, but he knows that it is from Allaah, so he
accepts it and submits. 

2.                
When the word ‘if’ is used to convey beneficial knowledge, such
as the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“Had there been therein (in the heavens and the
earth) aalihah (gods) besides Allaah, then verily, both would have been
ruined” [al-Anbiyaa’ 21:22]

The second type is used to express love for goodness, such as saying,
“If only I had what so and so has, I would do what he does.” Saying
things like this is permissible.

The hadeeth of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “If only he [Moosa] had had patience,
so that Allaah would have told us more of what happened between them”
is of this nature, as is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“They
wish that you should compromise (in religion out of courtesy) with them,
so they (too) would compromise with you”

[al-Qalam 68:9]

Our Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) wished that Allaah has told us more of their
[Moosa and al-Khidr] story, and he mentioned that in order to point
out his love for patience and the results that come from it, and the
benefits that it can bring. There was no element of fear, grief or neglect
of the duty of patience in the face of what has been decreed.

And Allaah
knows best.

What is wrong with saying “the will of the people is part of the will of Allaah”

 

I read in some books written by thinkers the phrase, “The will of the people is part of the will of Allaah.” I hope you can tell me how correct this saying is.

Praise be to Allaah. 

Shaykh
‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Doosari (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked
about this phrase, and he answered as follows:

This
is a serious fabrication which some theorists and those who implement
their ideas have dared to utter; nothing of this nature was ever spoken
in the kaafir environments
of past centuries. The worst that was said in the past was when they
used the will of Allaah as an excuse, as Allaah tells us (interpretation
of the meaning):

“Those
who took partners (in worship) with Allaah will say: ‘If Allaah had
willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship) with Him, nor
would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything (against
His Will).’”

[al-An’aam
6:148]. Allaah showed
them to be liars, but these philosophers attribute to the so-called
people the will to do whatever they want, in order to justify the plans
which they want to carry out. We must confront this evil lie in order
to prove that it and the motives of those who say this are false, because
on the basis of their corrupt idea the people will be allowed to do
whatever they want and conduct their affairs in such a way that there
will be no restrictions laid down by the sharee’ah and the Book, only
those that suit their whims and desires, or are based on their materialistic
interests and physical desires, or their power – like the kaafir peoples
who do not follow the religion of Allaah and do not care about morality
or virtue.

Not
even Abu Jahl and his ilk, as evil and stubborn as he was, dared to
utter this lie, because the abhorrence of this lie is obvious to anyone
who has common sense. People’s tastes and inclinations vary, so if the
will of the people is regarded as being part of the will of Allaah,
this would mean that all kinds of trends such as existentialism, communism,
nazism, zionism, the law of the jungle and others are also part of the
will of Allaah that He enjoins upon people. Then all the things that
evil souls desire and sick hearts love, such as promiscuity, immorality,
drinking alcohol and fulfilling physical desires at the expense of others
would also be a part of the will of Allaah.

So
why do they criticize and condemn others for it, if the will and desires
of the people are part of the will of Allaah concerning the rulings
that He likes? Why would Allaah send Messengers and reveal Books, and
enjoin jihaad, and issue commands and prohibitions to the people, if
their will is part of His will that He likes?

This is impossible;
it is the ultimate immorality and misguidance.  Those who make
this claim do not apply it to themselves, rather they use it as permission
to suppress the people who do not submit to their power or act according
to their plans.

It
is as if the people whom they are ruling with an iron fist are the people
whose will is divine and is part of the will of Allaah.

Falsehood
is inevitably self-contradictory, and points out its own false nature.
This is an action of major shirk, because they have made the people
rivals to Allaah, and they have made their desires rivals to His sharee’ah
and wisdom, instead of subject to Allaah’s rulings and adhering to His
limits, content with and implementing His sharee’ah.

Meaning of belief in al-Qadar (the divine will and decree)

 

What is the meaning of belief in al-Qadar (the divine will and decree)?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Qadar means that
Allaah has decreed everything that happens in the universe according to His prior knowledge and the dictates of His wisdom. 

Belief in al-Qadar includes four things: 

1 – The belief that Allaah knows all things,
in general and in detail, from eternity to eternity, whether that has to do with His actions or the actions of His slaves. 

2 – The belief that Allaah has written that
in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz (the Book of Decrees). 

Concerning these two matters Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“Know you not that Allaah knows all that
is in the heaven and on the earth? Verily, it is (all) in the Book (Al‑Lawh Al‑Mahfooz). Verily, that is easy for Allaah”

[al-Hajj 22:70] 

In Saheeh Muslim (2653) it is narrated
that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) say: “Allaah wrote down the decrees of creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.”  

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “The first thing that Allaah created was the Pen, and He said to it, ‘Write!’ It said, ‘O Lord, what should I write?’ He
said: ‘Write down the decrees of all things until the Hour begins.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4700; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi
Dawood. 

3 – The belief that
whatever happens only happens by the will of Allaah – whether that has to do with His actions or the actions of created beings. 

Allaah says concerning His actions
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills
and chooses”

[al-Qasas 28:68] 

“and Allaah does what He wills”

[Ibraaheem 14:27] 

“He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as
He wills”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:6] 

And He says concerning the actions of created
beings (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Had Allaah willed, indeed He would have
given them power over you, and they would have fought you”

[al-Nisa’ 4:90] 

“If your Lord had so willed, they would
not have done it”

[al-An’aam 6:112] 

All events, actions and happenings occur only
by the will of Allaah. Whatever Allaah wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not happen.  

4 – The belief that all things that happen
are created by Allaah in their essence, their attributes and their movements. 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Allaah is the Creator of all things, and
He is the Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian) over all things”

[al-Zumar 39:62] 

“He has created everything, and has
measured it exactly according to its due measurements”

[al-Furqaan 25:2] 

And Allaah tells us that the Prophet of
Allaah Ibraaheem (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to his people: 

“While Allaah has created you and what you
make”

[al-Saaffaat 38:96 – interpretation of the
meaning] 

If a person believes
in all these things then he believes correctly in the divine will and decree (al-qadar). 

Belief in al-qadar as we have described it
above does not contradict the idea that a person has free will with regard to actions in which he has free choice. He can choose whether to or not
to do things that he is able to do of acts of worship or sinful actions. Sharee’ah and real life both indicate that people have this will. 

With regard to sharee’ah, Allaah says
concerning man's will (interpretation of the meaning): 

“That is (without doubt) the True Day. So,
whosoever wills, let him seek a place with (or a way to) His Lord (by obeying Him in this worldly life)!”

[al-Naba’ 78:39] 

“so go to your tilth, when or how you
will”

[al-Baqarah 2:223] 

And He says concerning man’s ability
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him
as much as you can”

[al-Taghaabun 64:16] 

“Allaah burdens not a person beyond his
scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned”

[al-Baqarah 2:286]

 These verses confirm that man has a will and
the ability to do what he wants and not to do what he does not want.  

With regard to real
life, everyone knows that he has a will and the ability to do what he wants and not to do what he does not want. And he can distinguish between
the things that happen when he wants them to, such as walking, and those that happen without him wanting them to, such as shivering. But the will
and ability of man are subject to the will and decree of Allaah, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“To whomsoever
among you who wills to walk straight.

 And you cannot
will unless (it be) that Allaah wills
the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)”

[al-Takweer
81:28-29] 

But the entire universe is the dominion of
Allaah, and nothing can happen in His dominion without His knowledge and will. 

And Allaah knows best. 

See Risaalat Sharh Usool al-Eemaan by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen.

He had an operation to turn him from a man into a woman (“sex-change”). Can he be alone with women?

 

A man in a non-Muslim country was suffering psychologically because he believed that he was a woman. In an attempt to treat himself he got married and had a son, but that did not solve the problem. In the end, he had an operation to remove the male genitalia and after that he lived as a woman. Ten years later, he become Muslim after getting to know a Muslim woman over the internet, who spoke to him on the basis that he was a woman and not a man. When she found out that this woman had once been a man, she got confused. Now she does not know whether she should deal with her as a woman (in all senses) or what? 


If this “man-woman” wants to come and visit her in Saudi, should she offer her hospitality as a man or as a woman… or should she not bother offering him hospitality? 


Please note that he/she needs someone to support him/her in Islam, because he/she is still comes under the heading of those whose hearts have recently been reconciled to the truth. Islam is not yet firmly established in his heart, and we are afraid that not showing hospitality towards her in her house will be an impediment or may even cause him/her to leave Islam. No one wants to bear the responsibility for that.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

These people who hate the sex with which they were created
and wish that they were of the other sex, are in fact mentally ill. It may
be caused by a bad upbringing in some cases, and by the nature of the
society in which they live in other cases, which makes them hate the way
they are. So they object to the decree of Allaah and they want to change
their sex from one to the other. 

There may be some (acceptable) reasons for having a
sex-change operation that turns one from a male into a female. But what is
mentioned in the question is no more than a wish or a desire, although the
male genitalia were complete. It is not a case of what the fuqaha’ call
al-khuntha (hermaphrodite). Rather this person is naturally male, with all
the attributes of masculinity, but he wants to turn into a female, so he has
surgery to remove the penis and testicles, then the doctors construct a
vagina and increase the size of the breasts, and administer hormone
injections over a lengthy period until the voice becomes softer and the
distribution of fat on the body changes, and the person appears outwardly to
be female, but in fact he is a male. 

This operation is haraam in Islam, according to all the
reputable contemporary scholars. The earlier scholars did not discuss it
because it was not known and was not possible during their time. The fact
that it is forbidden is indicated by a number of things, including the
following: 

Firstly: the verses in which Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning): 

‘They (all those who worship others than Allaah) invoke
nothing but female deities besides Him (Allaah), and they invoke nothing but
Shaytaan (Satan), a persistent rebel!

118. Allaah cursed him. And he [Shaytaan (Satan)] said: “I
will take an appointed portion of your slaves.

119. “Verily, I will mislead them, and surely, I will
arouse in them false desires; and certainly, I will order them to slit the
ears of cattle, and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by
Allaah.” And whoever takes Shaytaan (Satan) as a Wali (protector or helper)
instead of Allaah, has surely, suffered a manifest loss.

120. He [Shaytaan (Satan)] makes promises to them, and
arouses in them false desires; and Shaytaan’s (Satan) promises are nothing
but deceptions.

121. The dwelling of such (people) is Hell, and they will
find no way of escape from it’

[al-Nisa’ 4:117-121]

Undoubtedly doing such operations is a kind of toying with
and changing the creation of Allaah. 

Secondly: It is proven in al-Saheeh that ‘Abd-Allaah
ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed men who imitate
women and women who imitate men. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5546. 

Ibn Hajar said: For men to imitate women and women to imitate
men, deliberately and by choice, is haraam according to scholarly
consensus. 

Thirdly: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) forbade hermaphrodites to enter upon women, if they pay attention
to women and their charms, and he ordered that they be banned from living
among people so as to guard against their evil.  

Imam al-Bukhaari
included this hadeeth in two chapters: (1) under the heading: “It is
forbidden for men who resemble women to enter upon women” and (2) under the
heading: “Expelling men who resemble women from people’s houses.” 

Ibn Hajar said: What we learn from this is that women should
observe hijab before those hermaphrodites who pay attention to women's
charms, and that they should be banned from living among people, as a means
to deter them. And it seems that doing this is obligatory. 

Fourthly: According to specialist doctors, this kind of
operation is not indicated by any kind of sound medical evidence, and it is
no more than the matter of personal whims and desires. 

And there is other evidence which indicates that it is
haraam. For more information, please see the book Ahkaam al-Jaraahah
al-Tibbiyyah, p. 199 

Dr Muhammad ‘Ali al-Barr said: Although the outward
appearance of such a person may deceive you into thinking that he is female,
in fact his biological structure remains male, even if it has been
obliterated completely. Moreover, there is no ovary or uterus and such a
person cannot menstruate or get pregnant at all. 

Based on the above, it is not permissible under any
circumstances for a woman to be alone with him, or to uncover or take off
her hijab in front of him, because he is in fact male, even though he may
now feel attracted towards males, because of the many female hormones in his
system. Undoubtedly these people are worse than the hermaphrodites whom the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade to enter
upon men, and ordered that they be banned from living among the people. 

Hence it may be more appropriate for more than one person to
meet with him, and to take him to a trustworthy psychologist who can treat
his illness. We ask Allaah to guide him and set his affairs straight. 

You could speak to a trustworthy Shaykh or seeker of
knowledge, and ask him to receive this person and teach him about his
religion and its rulings, and strengthen his ties with Islam and help him to
grow steadfast in his faith. This should be done in the presence of more
than one person. You should also understand that after doing as much as you
can for this person, guidance is in the hand of Allaah; He guides whomsoever
He will of His slaves. And Allaah knows best. 

See also question no. 21277 and
6285.

Man is following a course set by Allaah and has freedom of choice

 

Does man has freedom of choice or is he following a course set by Allaah?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked this question
and said: The questioner should ask himself whether anyone forced him to ask
this question, and does he choose the kind of car that he drives? And other
such questions. Then the answer as to whether he is following a course set
by Allaah or has freedom of choice will become clear to him.  

Then he should ask himself whether accidents happen to him by
his choice? Or whether he falls sick by his choice? Or will he die by his
choice? 

And other similar questions. Then the answer as to whether he
is following a course set by Allaah or has freedom of choice will become
clear to him. 

The answer is that the things that the wise
person does, he undoubtedly does by his choice. Listen to the words of
Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): 

“So, whosoever wills, let him seek a place
with (or a way to) His Lord (by obeying Him in this worldly life)!”

[al-Naba’ 78:39] 

“Among you are some that desire this world
and some that desire the Hereafter”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:152] 

“And whoever desires the
Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it (i.e.
does righteous deeds of Allaah’s obedience) while he is a believer (in the
Oneness of Allaah
—
Islamic Monotheism) — then such are the ones whose striving
shall be appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allaah)”

[al-Isra’ 17:19] 

“he must pay a Fidyah (ransom) of either
observing Sawm (fasts) (three days) or giving Sadaqah (charity — feeding six
poor persons) or offering sacrifice (one sheep)”

[al-Baqarah 2:196] 

But if a person wants to do something and he
does it, we know that Allaah has willed it. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning): 

“To whomsoever among you who wills to walk
straight.

And you cannot will unless (it be) that
Allaah wills — the Lord of the ‘Aalameen
(mankind, jinn and all that exists)”

[al-Takweer 81:28-29] 

Because His Lordship (ruboobiyyah) is complete and perfect,
nothing can happen in the heavens or on earth except by His will. 

With regard to things that happen to a person
or that he does without choosing or willing them, such as sickness, death
and accidents, they are purely divine will (al-qadar) and the person has no
choice or will with regard to them. 

And Allaah is the Source of strength. 

Kinds of speech that we must refrain from

 

I know theres certain types of speech which we must refrain from. like the speech the Prophet sallalaho alayhe wasalam stayed away from please could you send that to me.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

The Muslim has to control his tongue and not
speak unless he says something good. 

Al-Bukhaari (6018) and Muslim (47) narrated from
Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let
him speak good or else keep silent…” 

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“If he wants to speak, then if what he wants to say is good and he is confident that he will be rewarded for it, whether it is obligatory or
praiseworthy, then let him speak, but if it does not seem to him that it is good and he will be rewarded for it, then let him refrain from
speaking, whether he thinks it is haraam or makrooh or permissible. Based on this, it is recommended to refrain from saying permissible words and
we are enjoined to avoid that, lest that lead us into something that is haraam or makrooh, which is what happens in many cases or in most cases.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

‘Not a word does he (or she) utter but there
is a watcher by him ready (to record it)’

[Qaaf 50:18] 

Imam al-Shaafa’i understood the hadeeth to mean that if a person wants to say something, he
should think about it: if it seems to him that it will not do any harm, then he should speak, but if he thinks that it will do some harm or he
thinks that this is most likely, then he should refrain from speaking.” 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to control our
tongues in more than one hadeeth, such as that narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2406) from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah,
what is salvation?’ He said, ‘Control your tongue, keep to your house and weep over your sin.’” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Targheeb, 3331. 

Al-Tirmidhi (2616) also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said to Mu’aadh, after teaching him some of the laws of Islam, “Shall I not tell you what is the foundation of all that?” I [Mu’aadh] said:
“Of course, O Prophet of Allaah.” He took hold of his tongue and said, “Control this.” I said, “O Prophet of Allaah, will we be held responsible
for what we say with it?” He said, “May your mother be bereft of you, O Mu’aadh! Will the people be thrown into Hell on their faces or on their
noses for anything other than the harvest of their tongues?”

 Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2110. 

The hadeeth enjoins refraining from indulging in specific things, because that is something
that is of no benefit to a person, and indeed it may cause him a great deal of harm in his spiritual and worldly affairs. 

It was narrated from Ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “If my companions are mentioned, then keep quiet; if the stars are mentioned, then keep quiet; and if the divine decree is mentioned,
then keep quiet.” (Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 2/96. Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah,
34). 

This hadeeth indicates that it is not permissible for a person to speak badly of the companions
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and that he should keep quiet about the disputes that occurred among them,
because speaking badly of them or criticizing them implies that one is rejecting what Allaah said about them in the Qur’aan, where He praised them
by saying (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar and also those who
followed them exactly (in Faith). Allaah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which
rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success”

[al-Tawbah 9:100] 

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. And those who are with him are severe against
disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allaah and (His) Good
Pleasure. The mark of them (i.e. of their Faith) is on their faces (foreheads) from the traces of prostration (during prayers)”

[al-Fath 48:29] 

This is how Allaah has described them in His Book, so no doubt they are of just character and
are the best and greatest of mankind. So no one hates them but a hypocrite and no one loves them but a believer. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

“One of the basic principles of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is that they think and say nothing
to criticize the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as Allaah has described them in the verse
in which He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

‘And those who came after them say: Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded
us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful’

[al-Hashr 69:10] 

And they obey the command of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him): ‘Do not curse my companions, for by the One in Whose hand is my soul, if any one of you were to spend the equivalent of Mount Uhud in
gold, he would not reach the status of one of them, nor even come half way.’ (Agreed upon).” 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 3/152. 

Abu Zar’ah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

“If you see a man criticizing any one of the Sahaabah, then know that he is a heretic, because
the Qur’aan is true, and the Messenger is true, and what he brought is true, and no one conveyed all of that to us but the Sahaabah. So whoever
criticizes them means in effect to say that the Qur’aan and Sunnah are false, so it is more appropriate that he should be criticized and ruled to
be a heretic who is misguided.” 

Al-Sawaa’iq al-Muhriqah ‘ala Ahl al-Rafd wa’l-Dalaal wa’l-Zandaqah,
2/608. 

With regard to the second part of the hadeeth, which enjoins refraining from speaking about the
stars, what is referred to by that – and Allaah knows best – is seeking guidance by the stars concerning matters that are unseen, as the people of
the jaahiliyyah used to do by means of astrology, such as using the movement of heavenly bodies to indicate when certain earthly events would
occur, such as the blowing of the wind, rainfall, changes in prices, and other matters which they claimed to know from the movements of heavenly
bodies. They used to say that whoever got married under such and such a star, such and such would happen to him, or whoever traveled under such
and such a star, such and such would happen to him, and whoever was born under such and such a star would be lucky or unlucky, etc. 

(See Kitaab al-Tawheed by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Baab Id’aa’ ‘ilm al-Ghayb min
Qiraa’at al-Kaff wa’l-Finjaan wa ghayrihima. See also Fataawa al-‘Aqeedah, 2/185-186-187-190) by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, where he makes
some very useful comments). 

With regard to the third part of the hadeeth, which refers to refraining from speaking about
the divine decree (al-qadar), Abu Ja’far al-Tahhaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

“The divine decree is a secret known which Allaah has hidden from His creation. No angel who is
close to Him and no Prophet whom He sent knows that. Pursuing such matters only leads to failure and deprivation of the mercy of Allaah, and it
leads to injustice, so beware of looking into the matter, thinking about it and wondering about it. Allaah has kept knowledge of His decree from
His slaves, and has forbidden them to pursue the matter, as He says in His Book (interpretation of the meaning): 

‘He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned’

[al-Anbiya’ 21:23] 

So whoever questions what Allaah does has rejected the ruling of the Book, and whoever rejects
the ruling of the Book is a kaafir.” 

Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, p. 276 

So the Muslim has to submit to Allaah in all His affairs, and know that whatever happens to him
could never have missed him, and what misses him could never have happened to him. There is a lot that may be said on this topic. May Allaah bless
the man who believes in the will and decree of Allaah without indulging in philosophical discussion about the matter. 

And Allaah knows best.