One Ummah News -
One of the most common questions asked by Muslims - especially students and young adults sincerely seeking to understand - is this:
“If everything has already been written, my sustenance, my life span, my success or failure then why should I strive? Why make du‘ā’? Why do good deeds if the outcome is already decided?”
At face value, the question seems logical. But the reality is that it misunderstands the Islamic concept of al-qadar (divine decree), and how it interacts with human effort, choice, and prayer.
Let’s unpack this misunderstanding, using authentic teachings from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
The Misconception: “It’s Already Written, So Why Try?”
Many people assume that Allah’s decree means everything is fixed in a way that renders our actions pointless. They might say:
“If Allah already decreed good for me, I’ll get it—even without asking.
And if He decreed harm for me, it’s coming no matter what—so why ask Him to protect me from it?”
Others go further:
“If my sins are already written, what use is repentance?
If my sustenance is fixed, why work hard?
If my lifespan is decided, why take care of my health?”
But this view confuses two very different types of divine decree, as clearly explained by the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the scholars.
Two Types of Divine Decree
This refers to what Allah has written in al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ—the Preserved Tablet.
It is:
If Allah has written a blessing for you in this decree, you will receive it—even if you never ask.
And if He has written a hardship for you, it will reach you, even if you make du‘ā’ against it.
Allah says:
{وَعِندَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ}
“…and with Him is the Mother of the Book.”
(Surah Ar-Ra‘d, 39)
The “Mother of the Book” (Umm al-Kitāb) refers to this hidden decree, which is beyond all change.
This is what the angels record (الصحف الملائكية), what gets written in the books of the angels each year (like on Laylat al-Qadr), or daily, or even moment by moment.
It is changeable and tied to your actions, especially:
Allah may command the angels to write something for you but tie it to a condition. For example:
“Write this good for My servant if he asks for it.”
Or:
“Write this harm upon him unless he asks Me to prevent it.”
That is why du‘ā’ works: because some parts of your future are conditional upon your choices.
Allah says:
{يَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ، وَعِندَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ}
“Allah erases what He wills and confirms what He wills, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.”
(Surah Ar-Ra‘d, 39)
As Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) explained:
“This refers to what is in the hands of the angels—it can be changed or confirmed. As for what is in the Preserved Tablet, it does not change.”
Examples From the Sunnah
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«من سره أن يبسط له في رزقه، وأن ينسأ له في أثره، فليصل رحمه»
“Whoever would like his provision to be increased and his lifespan extended, let him maintain the ties of kinship.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
He ﷺ also said:
«صلة الرحم محبة في الأهل، مثراة في المال، منسأة في الأثر»
“Maintaining kinship brings love among family, increase in wealth, and extension of life.”
(Musnad Aḥmad)
And he ﷺ warned:
«إن الرجل ليحرم الرزق بالذنب يصيبه»
“A man may be deprived of provision due to a sin he commits.”
(Sunan Ibn Mājah)
These examples show that life span, provision, and even safety from harm can be linked to your actions, and especially to du‘ā’.
“Nothing Repels Qadar Except Du‘ā’”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«لا يرد القدر إلا الدعاء»
“Nothing repels the decree except du‘ā’.”
(Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī – 2139)
This hadith refers specifically to the Conditional Decree, the kind recorded by the angels and subject to change based on your actions. Du‘ā’ doesn’t override the Hidden Decree; in fact, it was always part of it. Even the du‘ā’ you make and its effects were already known to Allah and written in al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ. But within what is known to us, du‘ā’ has real, tangible impact, it can change what is written in the records of the angels.
So, if anyone asks:
“What’s the point of du‘ā’ if everything is already written?”
Tell them:
Du‘ā’ works, because not everything is sealed.
There are blessings you will never receive unless you ask for them.
And there are harms that were written for you, but can be lifted if you turn to Allah in sincere supplication.
For example, If Allah wrote that you will have a child, He may have written that it will come after du‘ā’.
If He wrote success for you, He may have written that it will come through effort and striving.
This is why the Prophet ﷺ taught:
«اعملوا، فكل ميسر لما خلق له»
“Work, for everyone will be facilitated toward what he was created for.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
So keep making du‘ā’. Not because Allah doesn’t already know your needs—but because He has tied parts of your destiny to the act of asking.
Summary Table
Type of Decree | Name in Arabic | Changeable? | Known to Us? | Effect of Du‘ā’? |
Hidden, Eternal Decree | القدر المبهم | ❌ No | ❌ Unknown | ❌ Du‘ā’ doesn’t change it |
Conditional Decree | القدر المعلّق | ✅ Yes | ✅ Affects our world | ✅ Du‘ā’ changes it |
In Summary:
So never stop praying.
Never stop doing good.
Never stop hoping.
Because your choices are written—but they are still yours to make.
Final Reflections
Allah decreed both the paths and the outcomes.
So pray, strive, repent, and stay hopeful, because your effort is part of your destiny.
Du‘ā’ & rightoues deeds are not a contradiction to qadar.
It is one of its keys.