Short answer
No. Islam teaches that God (﷾) knows and has written all that will happen, and it also teaches that people truly choose. The Qur'an says God (﷾) showed man the way, and it says: let him who will believe, and let him who will reject it. It says a person has only what he strives for. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was once asked if people should rely on what is written and stop doing good. He told them to keep acting. He told people to seek medical treatment, since God (﷾) made a cure for every illness except old age. God's (﷾) knowing in advance does not force anyone. God (﷾) would not command people who could not choose. In Islam, faith is shown in action.
God's (﷾) will
He knows all things. All of it is written before it happens. You cannot will anything unless He wills it.
What you choose
Your choice is real and your own. He does not force it, and you answer for it.
What happens to you
An illness, a loss, a car that hits you. You did not choose it, and you are not judged for it. It is a test: meet it with patience.
Nothing is outside His will, and His knowing does not force anyone.
Full explanation
God (﷾) has shown the way; the choice is ours
The Qur'an puts the choice in human hands. God (﷾) showed man the way, whether he is grateful or ungrateful. Whoever wills may believe, and whoever wills may reject. A person has only what he strives for. God (﷾) does not change a people's state until they change what is in themselves.
“We showed him the Way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).”
“Say, "The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it):”
“Namely, that no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another; That man can have nothing but what he strives for;”
“For each (such person) there are (angels) in succession, before and behind him: They guard him by command of Allah. Allah does not change a people's lot unless they change what is in their hearts. But when (once) Allah willeth a people's punishment, there can be no turning it back, nor will they find, besides Him, any to protect.”
Knowing is not forcing
The Qur'an says all things are recorded in a clear Book. It says every misfortune is written before it happens, so that believers neither despair over loss nor boast over gain. God's (﷾) knowledge is complete, and to deny it would be to deny God (﷾). But knowing what someone will choose is not the same as making the choice for him. A teacher who knows a pupil will pass does not sit the exam for him. God (﷾) is not bound by time as we are. He is "the First and the Last" (57:3), and "there is nothing whatever like unto Him" (42:11). We know only the past and the present. He knows the future just as fully. So His knowing does not force us. It is complete knowledge of what we will freely do. God's (﷾) decree is not a force that pushes a person against his own will. What He has written is what each person will freely choose, and the choice is still the person's own. The Qur'an also says that people do not will anything unless God (﷾) wills it. Human choice is real, and it works inside God's (﷾) will, never against it or outside it. God (﷾) does not force the choice, and He holds each person answerable for it.
“Verily We shall give life to the dead, and We record that which they send before and that which they leave behind, and of all things have We taken account in a clear Book (of evidence).”
“No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence: That is truly easy for Allah: In order that ye may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favours bestowed upon you. For Allah loveth not any vainglorious boaster,-”
“(With profit) to whoever among you wills to go straight: But ye shall not will except as Allah wills,- the Cherisher of the Worlds.”
“He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge of all things.”
“(He is) the Creator of the heavens and the earth: He has made for you pairs from among yourselves, and pairs among cattle: by this means does He multiply you: there is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One that hears and sees (all things).”
If God (﷾) knew I would sin, did He make me to sin?
Some say that God (﷾) knew, when He made a person, that he would murder or sin. So He made him for that, and it is not his fault. Islam answers in three steps. First, knowing is not wanting. The Qur'an says that if people reject Him, God (﷾) has no need of them, "but He liketh not ingratitude from His servants" (39:7). He allows some things that He does not love. Parents know that their child will one day do wrong. They still have the child, and they do not want the wrong. Second, God (﷾) made people for a purpose: to worship Him (51:56). For that He gave them a real choice, knowing who would use it well. Third, a person is judged on what he did, not on what God (﷾) knew. The Prophet (ﷺ) said a bad deed someone meant to do, then left, is written as a good deed. Only a bad deed actually done is written against him, and only as one.
“If ye reject (Allah), Truly Allah hath no need of you; but He liketh not ingratitude from His servants: if ye are grateful, He is pleased with you. No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. In the end, to your Lord is your Return, when He will tell you the truth of all that ye did (in this life). for He knoweth well all that is in (men's) hearts.”
“I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me.”
Ibn Abbas reports that the Prophet (ﷺ), telling what his Lord said, taught: a good deed intended but not done is written as one full good deed; if it is done, it is written as ten to seven hundred times over, or more; a bad deed intended but not done is written as a full good deed; if it is done, it is written as one bad deed only. Also in Sahih Muslim 131.
"It is not my fault: I had no control"
You know from the inside that you choose. You decide to raise your hand, and no one makes you. Courts judge people on that basis. Islam does not hold anyone to account for what was truly out of their hands. The Prophet (ﷺ) said there are three whose deeds are not recorded: a sleeper until he wakes, a child until he reaches puberty, and an insane person until he comes to reason. No one is punished before a messenger has warned him (17:15). And on the Day of Judgment people "will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice" (18:49).
Ali ibn Abi Talib reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said there are three whose deeds are not recorded: a sleeper until he wakes, a boy until he reaches puberty, and an insane person until he comes to reason.
“Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent a messenger (to give warning).”
“And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, "Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.”
Did God (﷾) make me cross the road and break my leg?
Say you cross a road, a car hits you, and it breaks your leg. Did God (﷾) make this happen? Islam answers in three parts. First, what you chose. You wanted to cross, and you chose when to go and how carefully. God (﷾) knew you would, and it was written, but He did not push you. That choice is your own, and you answer for it. Second, what you did not choose. You did not choose the car or the broken leg. The Qur'an says no misfortune happens unless it is recorded in a decree before it comes. So it did not take God (﷾) by surprise, and you will not be judged for it. The driver answers for his own choices, such as how fast he drove. None of it, your choice included, happened outside God's (﷾) will. Third, what you do next. You see a doctor, because the Prophet (ﷺ) taught people to seek a cure. You are patient, since the Qur'an says God (﷾) tests people with hardship and gives good news to the patient. The Prophet (ﷺ) said even the prick of a thorn wipes away some of a Muslim's sins. And you do not say "if only". You say that God (﷾) decreed it and did what He willed.
“He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge of all things.”
“We showed him the Way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).”
“No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence: That is truly easy for Allah: In order that ye may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favours bestowed upon you. For Allah loveth not any vainglorious boaster,-”
“(With profit) to whoever among you wills to go straight: But ye shall not will except as Allah wills,- the Cherisher of the Worlds.”
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said God has not sent down any disease without also sending down its cure.
Usama ibn Sharik reports that desert Arabs asked the Prophet (ﷺ) whether they should seek medical treatment. He told them to seek treatment, for God has not made any disease without making a remedy for it, except one: old age.
“Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return":- They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.”
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayra report that the Prophet (ﷺ) said no tiredness, illness, sorrow, sadness, hurt or distress reaches a Muslim, not even the prick of a thorn, without Allah wiping away some of his sins because of it.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said the strong believer is better and more beloved to God than the weak believer, though there is good in both. Strive for what benefits you, seek God's help, and do not give up. If something befalls you, do not say "if only I had done this", but say that God decreed it and did what He willed, for "if only" opens the door to Satan.
You cross a road. A car hits you and breaks your leg.
Did God (﷾) know it would happen?
Yes. He knows all things, and it was written before it happened.
Did He force you to cross?
No. You chose to cross, when to go and how carefully. Knowing is not forcing.
Did any of it happen outside His will?
No. Nothing does, not even your own choice.
Will you be judged for the broken leg?
No. You did not choose it. The driver answers for how he drove.
What do you do now?
See a doctor and be patient. Do not say "if only": say God (﷾) decreed it. Even a thorn's prick wipes away some sins.
"God leaves astray whom He wills"
Some read the Qur'an's words that God (﷾) leaves astray whom He wills as fate forced on people. The Qur'an explains its own words. God (﷾) lets hearts go astray only after people have chosen to go wrong. He sends astray only those who forsake the path.
“And remember, Moses said to his people: "O my people! why do ye vex and insult me, though ye know that I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you?" Then when they went wrong, Allah let their hearts go wrong. For Allah guides not those who are rebellious transgressors.”
“but He causes not to stray, except those who forsake (the path),-”
Blaming fate is rejected in the Qur'an
The Qur'an quotes those who excused their idol worship by saying that if God (﷾) had willed, they would not have done it. It calls that argument false and mere guesswork. A person cannot use God's (﷾) decree as an excuse for his own choices.
“Those who give partners (to Allah) will say: "If Allah had wished, we should not have given partners to Him nor would our fathers; nor should we have had any taboos." So did their ancestors argue falsely, until they tasted of Our wrath. Say: "Have ye any (certain) knowledge? If so, produce it before us. Ye follow nothing but conjecture: ye do nothing but lie."”
Commands need choice, and God (﷾) is just
If people could not choose, it would be unjust to command them and then judge them. The Qur'an says God (﷾) never places on a soul more than it can bear. It says each soul gains the good it earns and bears the wrong it earns.
“On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray:) "Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden Like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith."”
| What happened | You chose it | God (﷾) knew it and it was written | You are asked about it |
|---|---|---|---|
| You decided to cross | |||
| How carefully you crossed | |||
| The car came | |||
| Your leg broke | |||
| How you took it: patience or anger |
- Yes
- No
You are asked only about what you chose, and none of it was hidden from God (﷾).
"Shall we rely on what is written?"
The Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), the people who knew and followed him, asked exactly this question. He told them that each person's place in the next life is already written. They asked if they should stop working. He answered: keep doing good deeds. He also taught that the strong believer strives for what benefits him and does not give up. After doing his part, the believer accepts what God (﷾) decrees without saying "if only".
Ali reports that at a funeral the Prophet (ﷺ) said every person's place in Paradise or the Fire has already been written. The Companions asked whether they should then rely on what was written and give up doing deeds. He said: keep doing deeds, for each person will find it easy to do the deeds that lead to where he was created for. He then recited Qur'an 92:5-7.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said the strong believer is better and more beloved to God than the weak believer, though there is good in both. Strive for what benefits you, seek God's help, and do not give up. If something befalls you, do not say "if only I had done this", but say that God decreed it and did what He willed, for "if only" opens the door to Satan.
Act, then trust in God (﷾): medicine and effort
Islam teaches the sick to seek treatment; it never teaches that prayer replaces a doctor. The Prophet (ﷺ) told people to seek treatment, because God (﷾) made a cure for every disease except old age. The Qur'an tells the Prophet (ﷺ), after consulting others, to take his decision and then put his trust in God (﷾). God (﷾) loves those who trust Him: effort first, then reliance. In Islam, deeds are part of faith itself. The Prophet (ﷺ) explained faith in Allah (﷾) as the testimony of faith together with prayer, zakat (the obligatory charity) and fasting. He said faith has more than sixty branches.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said God has not sent down any disease without also sending down its cure.
Usama ibn Sharik reports that desert Arabs asked the Prophet (ﷺ) whether they should seek medical treatment. He told them to seek treatment, for God has not made any disease without making a remedy for it, except one: old age.
“It is part of the Mercy of Allah that thou dost deal gently with them Wert thou severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about thee: so pass over (Their faults), and ask for (Allah's) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs (of moment). Then, when thou hast Taken a decision put thy trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).”
Ibn Abbas reports that when the delegation of Abd al-Qais came, the Prophet (ﷺ) told them what believing in Allah alone means: bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, establishing prayer, paying zakat, fasting Ramadan, and paying a fifth of the spoils.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said faith has more than sixty branches, and that modesty is one branch of faith.
True freedom is mastering desire
In Islam freedom does not mean following every desire for food, wealth or pleasure. It means being able to control those desires and meet them in lawful ways. The Qur'an promises the Garden (Paradise) to the one who restrained his soul from lower desires. It says the one who purifies his soul succeeds.
“And for such as had entertained the fear of standing before their Lord's (tribunal) and had restrained (their) soul from lower desires, Their abode will be the Garden.”
“Truly he succeeds that purifies it, And he fails that corrupts it!”
Perspectives
The sceptic's objection: if it is written, choice is an illusion
Many sceptics say that if God has already written everything that will happen, human choice is an illusion. Then, they say, no one can fairly be judged.
Critics say that if every event is recorded in a decree before it happens, no one really chooses.
Rebuttal
Knowing a choice is not making it. The Qur'an says God (﷾) showed man the way, and whether he is grateful or ungrateful rests on his will. When the Companions asked whether they should rely on what is written and stop doing deeds, the Prophet (ﷺ) told them to keep acting. And the Qur'an rejects using God's (﷾) will as an excuse for one's own wrongdoing.
If God knew, when He made someone, that he would sin, then He made him to sin. It is unfair to punish a person for what he could not avoid.
Rebuttal
Knowing is not wanting. God (﷾) does not like ingratitude from His servants (39:7), yet He lets people choose it. Parents know a child will one day do wrong, and they do not want it. And God (﷾) judges what a person did, not what He knew. A bad deed only intended, then left, is written as a good deed. The deeds of a sleeper, a child and the insane are not recorded at all.
If God knew yesterday what I will do tomorrow, my choice is already fixed. Saying that God is outside time only moves the problem.
Rebuttal
God (﷾) is not bound by time as we are: He is the First and the Last (57:3), and nothing is like Him (42:11). He knows the future as fully as the past. Knowing something does not cause it. His knowledge is complete knowledge of what people will freely do. And the Qur'an rejects using His will as an excuse (6:148).
The Islamic perspective
God (﷾) knows and has decreed all things, and people still choose and are answerable for their choices. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught his followers to act, strive and seek medicine, and to trust God (﷾) with the outcome.
The Qur'an says God (﷾) showed man the way and that belief or rejection rests on each person's will.
The Qur'an says a person has only what he strives for. It says God (﷾) does not change a people's state until they change themselves.
God (﷾) knows, records and wills all things, and human choice is real within His will. Knowing is not compelling.
Islam counts deeds such as prayer, fasting and charity as part of faith, not an extra to it.
People asked the Prophet (ﷺ) whether they should rely on what is written and stop doing deeds. He told them to keep acting.
The Prophet (ﷺ) told believers to strive for what benefits them, seek God's (﷾) help and not give up.
The Prophet (ﷺ) told people to seek medical treatment. God (﷾), he said, made a cure for every disease except old age.
The Qur'an rejects using God's (﷾) will as an excuse for one's own wrongdoing.
Commanding and judging people who could not choose would be unjust. The Qur'an says each soul is burdened only with what it can bear and earns its own good and ill.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said the deeds of a sleeper, a child and an insane person are not recorded. No one is held to account for what was out of his hands.
In Islam true freedom is mastery of one's desires, not being ruled by them.
The believer thanks God (﷾) in good times and is patient in hard times, so every outcome is good for him. This is trust, not passivity.