Allah decreed the destinies of the creatures fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth

Arabic text

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ رضي الله عنهما قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «كَتَبَ اللهُ مَقَادِيرَ الْخَلَائِقِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِخَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ، قَالَ: وَعَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ».

Translation

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Allah decreed the destinies of the creatures fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth." He said: "when His Throne was upon the water.”

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that Allah decreed the future destinies of the creatures in detail, including life, death, sustenance, and so on in the Preserved Tablet fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth - and these will take place according to Allah's decree. Everything that comes into being, is so according to Allah's decree and predestination. So, whatever befalls a person would not have missed him, and whatever misses him would not have befallen him.

Benefits

• It is obligatory to believe in the divine decree and predestination.
• Predestination refers to Allah's knowledge of things and that He writes down, wills, and creates them.
• The belief that destinies were written before the creation of the heavens and the earth yields contentment and submission.
• The Throne of the Most Compassionate was above the water before creating the heavens and the earth.

Topics

• The Creed
• Belief in the Divine Decree and Fate
• Levels of Divine Decree and Fate