Short answer
Partly. Your lifespan and your provision are in God's (﷾) hands, and Islam says so plainly. The school of Confucius said the same of Heaven. "Death and life have their determined appointment; riches and honours depend upon Heaven." This is ming, Heaven's decree. Islam calls it qadar, God's (﷾) decree. But two things differ. First, Heaven does not speak, so its decree comes with no reason. When his best student died, Confucius cried, "Heaven is destroying me!" In Islam the One who decrees has spoken. He is wise and merciful, and He says hardship is a test. Second, you can call on Him. God (﷾) says, "Call on Me; I will answer" (40:60). Your choices are real, and you will answer for them. So do your part, ask Him, and trust Him.
| Question | Ming, in the Analects | The decree, in Islam |
|---|---|---|
| Who appoints life and death? | Heaven | God (﷾) |
| Does the one who decrees speak? | Heaven says nothing | God (﷾) speaks through messengers |
| Is a reason given for hardship? | None is given | It is a test, and patience is repaid |
| What follows death? | Confucius did not say | Each soul is paid in full |
Full explanation
What ming means
Ming means a decree, or what is appointed. In daily speech it means a person's lot in life. The Analects (Lunyu) hold the sayings of Confucius (Kongzi) and his students. In them ming is the decree of Heaven. The English here is James Legge's, and his "Heaven" stands for the Chinese word Tian. One student comforts another with a saying: "Death and life have their determined appointment; riches and honours depend upon Heaven." Confucius says of himself, "At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven." He says no one can be a junzi, a person of noble character, without recognising them. Once a man slandered his student. Confucius answered that if his teaching was to advance, "it is so ordered", and if it was to fall, "it is so ordered". So ming is not gloom. It is the calm of a person who knows that some things are not his to decide.
“Death and life have their determined appointment; riches and honours depend upon Heaven.”
“At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven.”
“Without recognising the ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man.”
“If my principles are to advance, it is so ordered. If they are to fall to the ground, it is so ordered.”
Mencius: do not stand under a dangerous wall
Mencius (Mengzi) taught more than a century after Confucius. He makes clear that ming is no excuse for carelessness. One who truly understands Heaven's appointment, he says, "will not stand beneath a precipitous wall". If a man dies doing his duty, that may rightly be called Heaven's appointment. If he dies in fetters for a crime, it may not. So a person does what is right and takes sensible care. What comes after that is ming. This matters because it shows the best of the Confucian teaching. Fate is what remains after you have done your part.
“Therefore, he who has the true idea of what is Heaven's appointment will not stand beneath a precipitous wall. Death sustained in the discharge of one's duties may correctly be ascribed to the appointment of Heaven. Death under handcuffs and fetters cannot correctly be so ascribed.”
Common ground: life and provision are in God's (﷾) hands
Islam teaches much the same, and a Confucian reader will know it at once. The Qur'an says, "Nor can a soul die except by Allah's leave, the term being fixed as by writing." It says every misfortune is recorded in a decree before it happens. Belief in the decree, its good and its evil, is part of faith. Islam also joins the decree to effort, as Mencius did. The caliph Umar was travelling to Syria when he heard that plague had broken out there. He took advice and turned back. A companion asked him, are you fleeing from the decree of God (﷾)? Umar answered that he was fleeing from the decree of God (﷾) to the decree of God (﷾). The Prophet (ﷺ) had taught the same care: do not enter a land where plague has broken out. The Qur'an says that God (﷾) does not change a people's lot "unless they change what is in their hearts". This matters because Islam does not ask a Confucian to give up what he knows. It tells him who decrees, and why.
“Nor can a soul die except by Allah's leave, the term being fixed as by writing. If any do desire a reward in this life, We shall give it to him; and if any do desire a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give it to him. And swiftly shall We reward those that (serve us with) gratitude.”
“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,-”
Umar ibn al-Khattab reports that a stranger in very white clothes sat before the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked him about Islam. The Prophet said Islam is to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish the prayer, pay zakat, fast in Ramadan, and make the pilgrimage to the House if one is able. Asked about faith, he said it is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Last Day, and to believe in the divine decree, its good and its evil. Afterwards the Prophet told Umar the stranger was Gabriel (Jibril), who had come to teach them their religion.
Ibn Abbas reports that Umar ibn al-Khattab set out for Syria. At Sargh he learned that plague had broken out there. He consulted the early emigrants, then the Helpers, then the elders of Quraysh, and decided to turn back. Abu Ubayda asked him: are you fleeing from the decree of Allah? Umar answered: yes, we flee from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. If you grazed your camels in a valley with a green side and a barren side, you would graze either side only by the decree of Allah. Then Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf came and said he had heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: if you hear of plague in a land, do not go to it, and if it breaks out in a land where you are, do not leave to flee from it. Umar praised Allah and went back.
“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.”
He heard of plague on the road to Syria
He asked the advice of his companions
He turned back
He said he was fleeing from the decree of God (﷾) to the decree of God (﷾)
Heaven's decree comes without a word
Confucius once asked, "Does Heaven speak?" The seasons run and all things grow, he said, but Heaven says nothing. So ming is known only when it arrives. It carries no reason with it. This shows most when good people suffer. Confucius visited his sick student Po-niu and held his hand through the window. He said, "It is the appointment of Heaven, alas! That such a man should have such a sickness!" When his best student Yen Yuan died young, he cried, "Alas! Heaven is destroying me!" He could name the decree. He could not say why a good man was struck down, or what would become of him. Asked about death, he answered, "While you do not know life, how can you know about death?" This matters because these are the hours when a person most needs an answer.
“The Master said, 'I would prefer not speaking.' Tsze-kung said, 'If you, Master, do not speak, what shall we, your disciples, have to record?' The Master said, 'Does Heaven speak? The four seasons pursue their courses, and all things are continually being produced, but does Heaven say anything?'”
“It is killing him. It is the appointment of Heaven, alas! That such a man should have such a sickness! That such a man should have such a sickness!”
“When Yen Yuan died, the Master said, 'Alas! Heaven is destroying me! Heaven is destroying me!'”
“Chi Lu asked about serving the spirits of the dead. The Master said, 'While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve their spirits?' Chi Lu added, 'I venture to ask about death?' He was answered, 'While you do not know life, how can you know about death?'”
The One who decrees has spoken
Islam says the decree does not come from a silent sky. It comes from God (﷾), who knows each person and has spoken through His messengers. So the decree comes with reasons. The Qur'an says God (﷾) created death and life to test "which of you is best in deed". It says, "it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you", for God (﷾) knows and people do not. It says people will be tested with fear, hunger and loss. Then it gives good news to those who are patient. On them are "blessings from Allah, and Mercy". Those who patiently persevere "will truly receive a reward without measure". And death does not end the matter. Every soul will taste death, and each will be paid in full on the Day of Judgement. So when a good person dies young, Islam does not stop at "alas". It says his patience and his deeds are kept with a Lord who is never unjust.
“It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with Allah's permission, what Allah wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise.”
“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;-”
“Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.”
“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.”
“Say: "O ye my servants who believe! Fear your Lord, good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world. Spacious is Allah's earth! those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!"”
“Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life): For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception.”
You can ask Him
Confucius said, "He who offends against Heaven has none to whom he can pray." Islam opens the door that this saying closes. God (﷾) says, "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)". He says He is close, and listens to everyone who calls on Him. He forgives the one who has offended Him and turns back. Asking does not go against the decree. It is part of it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said that whoever would love his provision widened and his life lengthened should keep good ties with his relatives. So a deed can be the very means by which God (﷾) gives more. This matters because fate, in Islam, is not a closed book that a person can only read. It is in the hand of One who hears.
“The Master said, 'Not so. He who offends against Heaven has none to whom he can pray.'”
“And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!"”
“When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way.”
“Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Anas ibn Malik reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: whoever would love his provision to be widened and his life to be lengthened should keep good ties with his relatives.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| Analects 3.13 | One who offends against Heaven has no one to pray to |
| Qur'an 40:60 | God (﷾) tells people to call on Him, and promises to answer |
Fate is no excuse
People in every age have blamed fate to excuse a wrong. The Qur'an records idol-worshippers saying this. If God (﷾) had wished, they said, they would not have done it. The Qur'an calls that a false argument, made without knowledge. God (﷾) decrees all that happens, but He commands only what is good. "Allah never commands what is shameful". He showed each person the way, "whether he be grateful or ungrateful". Mencius drew a line of the same kind. A death in fetters, he said, is not Heaven's appointment. Islam draws the line for every deed. Everything is within God's (﷾) decree. What you could not prevent, you bear with patience. What you chose, you answer for. The page "Does Islam say our choices don't matter? Do Muslims have free will?" sets this out in full.
“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."”
“When they do aught that is shameful, they say: "We found our fathers doing so"; and "Allah commanded us thus": Say: "Nay, Allah never commands what is shameful: do ye say of Allah what ye know not?"”
“We showed him the Way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).”
“Therefore, he who has the true idea of what is Heaven's appointment will not stand beneath a precipitous wall. Death sustained in the discharge of one's duties may correctly be ascribed to the appointment of Heaven. Death under handcuffs and fetters cannot correctly be so ascribed.”
“Namely, that no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another; That man can have nothing but what he strives for;”
To find patience in a loss you could not prevent
To excuse a wrong you chose to do
Can fate be read in advance?
Many people go further than Confucius did. They hold that a person's fate is fixed by the hour of his birth, and that a skilled reader can tell it. Islam says no one can. The Qur'an says, "Nor does any one know what it is that he will earn on the morrow". It adds that no one knows in what land he will die. Full knowledge is with God (﷾) alone. So a Muslim does not pay to have his fate read. He plans, he asks God (﷾) for guidance, and he acts. The page "Do feng shui, lucky numbers and the zodiac work?" looks at this more closely.
“Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). It is He Who sends down rain, and He Who knows what is in the wombs. Nor does any one know what it is that he will earn on the morrow: Nor does any one know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things).”
Islam's answer
So your life is in God's (﷾) hands, and your choices are your own. Islam keeps what is sound in ming: accept what you cannot change, and do your duty. It adds what ming lacks. The One who decrees has a name, and He has spoken. He tells you why hardship comes. He hears you when you call. He will meet you after death and repay every patience. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: strive for what benefits you, seek God's (﷾) help, and do not give up. If something befalls you, say that God (﷾) decreed it and did what He willed. The Qur'an asks to be weighed: a book from anyone but God (﷾) would hold much contradiction. Read it in a translation you trust. The page "I follow Confucius's teaching: why consider Islam?" takes up the whole question.
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.
“No kind of calamity can occur, except by the leave of Allah: and if any one believes in Allah, (Allah) guides his heart (aright): for Allah knows all things.”
“And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!"”
“Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy.”
“And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true.”
Perspectives
Confucian: know the decree, and do your duty
Life and death, wealth and rank are appointed by Heaven. A person of noble character recognises this, does what is right, takes sensible care, and accepts what comes.
The Analects and Mencius
"Death and life have their determined appointment; riches and honours depend upon Heaven" (Analects 12.5). That is all a person needs to know.
Rebuttal
Islam agrees that life and provision are appointed (3:145). But the saying does not tell who appoints, or why. The Qur'an says God (﷾) created death and life to test who is best in deed (67:2).
A person of noble character needs no reasons. He recognises the ordinances of Heaven and cultivates himself (Analects 20.3).
Rebuttal
Confucius himself cried out when Yen Yuan died: "Heaven is destroying me!" (11.8). Acceptance needs Someone to trust. The Qur'an says you may dislike what is good for you, and God (﷾) knows (2:216). It promises the patient a reward without measure (39:10).
Heaven does not need to speak. The seasons run their course, and that is teaching enough (Analects 17.19).
Rebuttal
The seasons show order. They do not say why a good man dies young, or what follows death, and Confucius said he did not know about death (11.11). The Qur'an says God (﷾) speaks to people through messengers (42:51).
What is appointed cannot be changed by asking. When Confucius was very sick, he did not take up his student's offer to pray for him (Analects 7.34).
Rebuttal
In Islam, asking is part of the decree. God (﷾) says, "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)" (40:60). The Prophet (ﷺ) tied a longer life and wider provision to keeping family ties (Bukhari 5986).
The Islamic perspective
Nothing happens outside God's (﷾) knowledge and will, and belief in His decree is part of faith. The One who decrees has spoken: hardship is a test, patience is repaid, and He answers those who call on Him. Each person's choices are real, and the decree is never an excuse for wrongdoing.
No soul dies except by God's (﷾) leave, at a fixed term, and every misfortune is recorded before it happens.
Belief in the decree, its good and its evil, is part of faith.
Effort is part of trusting the decree. Umar turned back from the plague, fleeing from the decree of God (﷾) to the decree of God (﷾).
God (﷾) gives the reason for hardship: life is a test, and those who are patient receive blessings, mercy and a reward without measure.
God (﷾) answers those who call on Him, and good deeds such as keeping family ties are a means to wider provision and longer life.
The decree is no excuse for a sin. God (﷾) never commands what is shameful, and each person is shown the way and answers for his choice.
No one knows what he will earn tomorrow or in what land he will die. That knowledge is with God (﷾) alone.