What is the difference between 'Al-Qadhaa' and ' Al-Qadar'?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The scholars differed in opinion in distinguishing between the word Al-Qadar (Divine Destiny) and Al-Qadhaa' (Predestination). They differed into two groups. The first group is of the view that there is no difference between Divine Destiny and Predestination; each term means the other, and if one term is used it includes the other.

This is the preponderant opinion for many reasons:

1.     The Scholars who distinguished between the two terms do not have a clear evidence from the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah which clarifies the issue.

2.     Since one term may be used to mean or refer to the other, then this is an evidence that there is no difference between them in meaning.

3.     There is no benefit in distinguishing between the two terms since there is an agreement that one term may be used to mean the other. Therefore, there is no harm in defining one term with the meaning of the other.

The second group: The scholars who distinguished between the meaning of Divine Destiny and Predestination have differed too much in explaining this difference. The best difference they provided is that Al-Qadhaa' (Predestination) means what has already taken place and Al-Qadar (Divine Destiny) is what has not yet taken place.

Allaah Knows best.