If God has decreed everything, do people have free will?

Life, death and the afterlife Quran · 4 Hadith · 1

Short answer

Muslims believe that God knows everything that will happen, and has written it, and that people also have a real choice and are accountable for what they choose. The two are held together: God's knowledge does not force anyone to act.

The fuller answer

A simple way to see it: a teacher who knows his student will fail does not make him fail. God's knowledge is outside time, so He knows what each person will choose, and the choice remains theirs. The Quran says 'whoever wishes, let him believe, and whoever wishes, let him disbelieve', and also that nothing happens except by God's will.

In daily life, this belief gives a Muslim strength: take the means, work and plan, then accept what comes with trust and patience, without despair over a loss or arrogance over success. The Prophet ﷺ taught, 'Tie your camel, and then trust in God' (a hadith in at-Tirmidhi graded hasan by Al-Albani).

From the Quran

1Al-Kahf 18:29

وَقُلِ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَآءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ ۚ إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّٰلِمِينَ نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا ۚ وَإِن يَسْتَغِيثُوا۟ يُغَاثُوا۟ بِمَآءٍۢ كَٱلْمُهْلِ يَشْوِى ٱلْوُجُوهَ ۚ بِئْسَ ٱلشَّرَابُ وَسَآءَتْ مُرْتَفَقًا ﴿٢٩﴾

Say: (It is) the truth from the Lord of you (all). Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve. Lo! We have prepared for disbelievers Fire. Its tent encloseth them. If they ask for showers, they will be showered with water like to molten lead which burneth the faces. Calamitous the drink and ill the resting-place!

2Al-Hadid 57:22

مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِى كِتَٰبٍۢ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَآ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٌۭ ﴿٢٢﴾

Naught of disaster befalleth in the earth or in yourselves but it is in a Book before we bring it into being - Lo! that is easy for Allah -

3Al-Insan 76:3

إِنَّا هَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلسَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًۭا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا ﴿٣﴾

Lo! We have shown him the way, whether he be grateful or disbelieving.

4At-Takwir 81:29

وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿٢٩﴾

And ye will not, unless (it be) that Allah willeth, the Lord of Creation.

From the Sunnah

The authentic hadith behind this answer, from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and the Sunan with the grade of the scholars of hadith. Open a reference to read it in the hadith library of this site.

1 Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2517 Hasan (Al-Albani)

Arabic text

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حَفْصٍ، عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانُ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ أَبِي قُرَّةَ السَّدُوسِيُّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَعْقِلُهَا وَأَتَوَكَّلُ أَوْ أُطْلِقُهَا وَأَتَوَكَّلُ قَالَ ‏ "‏ اعْقِلْهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ يَحْيَى وَهَذَا عِنْدِي حَدِيثٌ مُنْكَرٌ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَنَسٍ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ الضَّمْرِيِّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوُ هَذَا ‏.‏

Read it in the hadith library

This answer follows the mainstream Sunni understanding and is general learning, not a fatwa. Where Muslims differ, the answer says so. Have a question of your own? Write to us.

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