Meaning of Quran [13:39]
Fatwa No: 90918

Question

In Verse 13:38-39 Allaah Says about Decree that Allaah blots what He wills and confirms what He wills. Does this mean that Allaah will make changes in our Fate as and when He wills?

Answer

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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

 

Allaah Says (what means): {Allaah eliminates or establishes what He wills, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.} [Quran 13:39] This verse is evidence that Allaah establishes whatever He wills and eliminates or abrogates whatever He wills. However, the interpreters of the Quran differed in opinion in defining what Allaah establishes and what Allaah confirms. Some of them are of the view that Allaah abrogates the legislations and obligations that He wills and changes or confirms whatever legislation or obligation and leaves it without any abrogation. Some of them are of the view that this means that the two appointed angels write the deeds and words of mankind, so Allaah eliminates in this book what does not necessitate any punishment or reward, like the statement 'I ate and drunk', and Allaah confirms the actions and words that require either punishment or reward. Some other scholars are of the view that it means that Allaah eliminates what He decreed for mankind except the state of happiness or grief, how long one lives and when one dies; this view is reported from Ibn 'Abbaas and his father.

However, some other interpreters of the Quran are of the view that Allaah eliminates what He decreed for mankind - even the state of happiness and grief - and how long one lives and when one dies; this view is reported from 'Umar and Ibn Mas'ood .

They also differed in relation to the book in which the abrogation occurs; some of them said that He abrogates from the book which is with the angels, but as for the Preserved Book, it does not change, as Allaah Says (what means): {… With Him is the Mother of the Book.} [Quran 13:39], meaning that nothing changes in it.

For more details, you may refer to Tafseer Ibn Katheer and Fatwa 90397.

Allaah Knows best.

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