Allah's Plan for Us

Allah's Plan for Us

Allah subhānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) had a plan for you before you were born, and He still has a plan for you. Allah's plan for you is necessary and glorious. His plan is vital to your success and important to the world.

Allah's plan is not set in stone, as if we were robots pre-programmed in the factory. That would strip us of free will and deny our natures. Rather, I believe that Allah has a flexible plan for each human being: a plan that allows that person to benefit the world with his/her unique talents.

This is in fact the Islamic view of al-Qadar, or predestination. There is no doubt that Allah has decreed everything that happens in the universe from the beginning of time to the end, and that Allah has written it all in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz(the Book of Decrees).

Know you not that Allah knows all the is in the heaven  and on the earth?

Verily, it is (all) in the Book(Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz). Verily, that is easy for Allah"

(Qur'an, al-Hajj 22:70)

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

Everything happens by the will of Allah. Whatever He wills happens, and whatever he does not will does not happen. However, as Sheikh Muhammad Saalih Al-Munajjid explains,

Belief in al-qadar does not contradict the idea that a person has free will with regard to actions in which he has free choice. Sharee'ah and real life both indicate that people have this will.

Allah 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]

(and other similar ayaat)

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 Allah.

Sheikh Al-Munajjid's last paragraph is the key to understanding Al-Qadar: walking (voluntary) versus shivering (involuntary). Other scholars have explained it as two types of Qadar, fixed and flexible. The fixed Qadar is that which happens to us from beyond our control. For example the time and place of our birth, any illnesses and natural disasters that befall us, etc. The flexible Qadar is that which is within the realm of our free will. Whether we do good or evil, and what we choose to believe and how we choose to live. Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah wrote:

 There are two types of provision and lifespan: the first type has already been decreed and is written in Umm al-kitaab, and cannot be changed or altered. The next type of qadar, Allah has informed His angels of His decrees. This is the type where provisions and lifespan may increase or decrease. Hence Allah the Almighty says what may be translated as, "Allah blots out what he wills and confirms [what He wills]. And with Him is the Mother of the book." (Surat Ar-Ra'ad, verse 39) The mother of the Book (Umm al-Kitaab) is Al-Lawh al-Mahfoodh, in which Allah has decreed all things as they will always be without change. However, the decrees contained in the books of the angels, such as lifespan and provisions, may increase or decrease according to various circumstances; thereafter, the angels will re-write a person's provision and lifespan. If a person upholds the ties of kinship, his provisions and lifespan will be extended, otherwise they will decrease."  [See Majmoo'al-Fataawa 8/540]

So Allah has a plan for you, but fulfillment of that plan is up to you: the choices you make, as well as your degree of faith, persistence and determination.

Allah's plan for you is important to the world because Allah created nothing in vain. Look at His creation. Everything has a purpose, from the sun that heats our world, to the bacteria that consume waste.

You are the same. You have a purpose. You are necessary to the world. If your presence were not vital in some way, then you would not have been made.

Discovering

Allah's plan for us is not always what we might wish it to be.

How do we discover Allah's plan for us? Where do we find it? How do we realize it in our lives?

It's not as difficult as we might think. It wouldn't make sense for Allah to have a plan for us and then leave us stumbling in the dark. Allah's plan doesn't have to be a mystery. If we trust Him, do what He asks, and follow our hearts, His plan will unfold in our lives like a brightly lit path.

f you are trying to follow Allah's guidance, but you find yourself confronted by obstacles and hardship, don't despair. The hardship is probably a sign that you are on the right path. Consider our Prophets (may Allah bless them all) who faced tremendous obstacles:

The Prophet Ibrahim 'alayhi'l-salām (peace be upon him) was disowned by his family and thrown by his people into a blazing fire; Allah rescued him from that, and made him the father of two nations.

Allah inspired the mother of the baby Musa 'alayhi'l-salām (peace be upon him) and told her to place her infant into a chest and send it floating down the Nile. If the soldiers of Pharaoh ever learned about his birth:

We revealed to Moses' mother,

'Suckle him and then when you fear for him cast him into the sea

Do not fear or grieve; We will return him to you and make him one of the Messengers.'

(Surat al-Qasas: 28:7

hat was a hard plan to follow, but she trusted her Lord, and carried out her missiong)".on.

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

Everything happens by the will of Allah. Whatever He wills happens, and whatever he does not will does not happen. However, as Sheikh Muhammad Saalih Al-Munajjid explains,

Belief in al-qadar does not contradict the idea that a person has free will with regard to actions in which he has free choice. Sharee'ah and real life both indicate that people have this will.

Allah 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]

(and other similar ayaat)

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.

So Allah has a plan for you, but fulfillment of that plan is up to you: the choices you make, as well as your degree of faith, persistence and determination.

Allah's plan for you is important to the world because Allah created nothing in vain. Look at His creation. Everything has a purpose, from the sun that heats our world, to the bacteria that consume waste.

You are the same. You have a purpose. You are necessary to the world. If your presence were not vital in some way, then you would not have been mad

Discovering Allah's Pl

Allah's plan for us is not always what we might wish it to b

How do we discover Allah's plan for us? Where do we find it? How do we realize it in our live

It's not as difficult as we might think. It wouldn't make sense for Allah to have a plan for us and then leave us stumbling in the dark. Allah's plan doesn't have to be a mystery. If we trust Him, do what He asks, and follow our hearts, His plan will unfold in our lives like a brightly lit pat

If you are trying to follow Allah's guidance, but you find yourself confronted by obstacles and hardship, don't despair. The hardship is probably a sign that you are on the right path. Consider our Prophets (may Allah bless them all) who faced tremendous obstacle

The Prophet Ibrahim 'alayhi'l-salām (peace be upon him) was disowned by his family and thrown by his people into a blazing fire; Allah rescued him from that, and made him the father of two nation

Allah inspired the mother of the baby Musa 'alayhi'l-salām (peace be upon him) and told her to place her infant into a chest and send it floating down the Nile. If the soldiers of Pharaoh ever learned about his birt

"We revealed to Moses' moth

'Suckle him and then when you fear for him cast him into the sea

Do not fear or grieve; We will return him to you and make him one of the Messengers.'

(Surat al-Qasas: 28:7

That was a hard plan to follow, but she trusted her Lord, and carried out her missio

The young Yusuf 'alayhi'l-salām (peace be upon him) was thrown by his brothers into a well; later he was sold into slavery, then imprisoned for years; but in the end he became an important minister, and was reunited with his fath

Maryam  , the mother of Isa 'alayhi'l-salām (peace be upon him) , delivered her child alone under a palm tree, far from her people as she feared their reaction; but Allah helped her through miracles, until she became the honored mother of a great Prophet

The Prophet Yunus 'alayhi'l-salām (peace be upon him) gave up on his mission to the people of Nineveh, ventured onto a ship and was then cast into the sea, where he was swallowed by a fish. At the point of despair, he called upon Allah with all his heart and was rescued. He returned to his mission and achieved succes

Aishah radyAllāhu 'anha (may Allāh be pleased with her) , the wife of the Prophet Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) , was slandered by an ugly lie, but Allah brought the truth to light, and Aishah became a leader and scholar in her own righ

The companion Umm Salamah radyAllāhu 'anha (may Allāh be pleased with her) lost her beloved husband Abu Salamah in the battle of Uhud; she thought that no husband could ever be better than him, and yet she ended up marrying the Prophet Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) himself . Things are not always what they se

Fulfilling Allah's plan for us requires that we silence the voice of our own desire, open ourselves to Allah, and look within with total sincerity. It takes courage, patience and determination. It is the path to Jannah (Paradise), inshā'Allah

.emt.s..er.n.)".er,h:s.s:h.s?e.ane.o Jannah (Paradise), inshā'Allah.

Writer:Mansur Alam Md Hanif