What is the difference between fate and luck?

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

Any good, evil, benefit or harm that a person experiences happens by virtue of fate and the will of Allah, The Almighty. Acknowledging this matter and believing in it is one of the pillars and fundamentals of faith. Therefore, in the course of the Prophet’s answer to Jibreel’s (Gabriel) question about the meaning of faith, he told him that part of faith was to believe in fate, whether it is good or evil.

People usually refer to luck as someone’s success in life or in the attainment of his goals without any endeavor at all or the least endeavor on his part. This may affect some people but it is still restricted by the Decree of Allah, The Almighty, and His Will. No success happens unless it was predestined in the prior knowledge of Allah, The Almighty. Believing that the lucky person may have things that were not predestined for him or that it is his luck which brings him good fortunes and wards off ill fortunes, is decisively invalid according to the Quran, the Sunnah, reason and reality.

Had such a thought been correct, lucky people would not die or fall ill or be afflicted with any harm. It is established in many Ahadeeths that the Prophet used to supplicate to Allah, The Almighty, saying: “Allahumma la maani‘a li maa a‘tayt wa laa mu‘tiya li maa mana‘t wa laa yanfa‘u tha-l- jaddi minka al-jadd. (O Allah, nobody can hold back what You give and nobody can give what You hold back. Luck and wealth cannot benefit one against Your will)” 

Allah Knows best.