Is there kismet and nasib in Islam?

- When people attain and obtain something good, they say that it was because Allah gave it to them, that it was kismet. When they do not get it, they say it was not kismet, Allah did not give it to them, it was not their share.
- Is it appropriate to believe in such things in Islam or are they superstitions?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Belief in qada and qadar is the greatest remedy for man’s desperation, hopelessness and grief. Thanks to his belief in qadar, man sees the troubles and misfortunes he faces as the preordainment of Allah and consoles himself. Man consents to His preordainment. He feels that he is under the control of the Almighty Lord. Since he knows that troubles and misfortunes come from Allah, he takes shelter only with Him and prays only Him in order to be saved. He thinks that the trouble he is suffering will be kaffarah and a reason for forgiveness for him, and shows patience and endurance.

Therefore, the following adage is well-known. “He who believes in qadar becomes free of grief.” Belief in qadar relieves the soul of man of burdens as heavy as the world because man is in relation with the whole universe. His aims and desires, his ideals and targets are endless. However, his power, will and freedom are limited and constricted. Sometimes, he cannot realize even one in one thousand of his aims, desires, thoughts and ideas.

In this case, the unrealized desires, ideals and thoughts of man keep him under pressure, crush his spirit, and wring his heart and conscience. They make him hopeless. For such a person, belief in qadar is the greatest source of consolation, enthusiasm and effort, and a gleam of light; it is also a strong fulcrum that can carry the heavy burden on him. Qadar saves man from pride and conceit. It prevents the soul and ego from making man conceited and deviate from the right path, and making him like a Pharaoh. It makes man modest and humble. (Mehmet Dikmen)

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Belief in qadar is the greatest source of peace for man. A true believer thinks that systems and rules which he sees both in his own body and in the universe are full of so much wisdom and that all of them result in mercy. He says “Everything is nice about qadar” and seeks for mercy and wisdom in everything that happens to him.

He does anything that is necessary both happiness in this world and afterlife and eventually trusts in Allah’s mercy and kindness, and finds peace. He does not feel sorry when he loses. He does not regret for the opportunities he missed in the past. He knows that saying “If it had been like that, it would not have been so” or “If it had not been like that, it would have been better” does not provide him with any benefits but just causes sorrow to his soul. He gets rid of the burden of the past off his back. He sets out to the future, having trust in Allah, and finds peace…

He does not boast about the boons, wealth and skills Allah has endowed upon him and does not behave arrogantly. He knows that everything that is good is a blessing from Allah, and finds peace…

What do those who do not believe in qadar suggest to humankind?

Do they suggest not working and spending days lazily? Or do they suggest depending on causes and then not consenting to outcomes and grieving? What do they expect from it apart from giving people sorrow? What a heavy burden they place on the back of poor people with a sensitive spirit and impatient body! Or is there something that they expect from the restless, aggressive and rebellious souls in order to realize their devastating goals?

(Prof. Dr. Alaaddin BAŞAR)

Questions on Islam