Luck and pre-destination
Fatwa No: 91036

Question

As salaamu alaykum. My question is I hear muslims saying good luck and this person was lucky and things like this. And I have been trying to find the ruling on luck in Islam because it has always bothered me. I feel that saying that a person is lucky or something happened on luck takes away from Allah and the fact that all things come from Him. However without the proper dalil it's hard to prove that to people. Could you please help me in this? What is the ruling on "luck" in islam and what is the dalil for it? Jazak Allahu Khairun. Amina UmmuSayyid bint Jean

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 is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

No good or bad and no benefit or harm will happen to a person except with Allaah's Will and Predestination. Testifying and believing in this is one of the pillars of faith, and without it the faith will not be valid. Saying that a specific person is lucky or saying 'good luck' does not negate this belief. The luck is included in Allaah's Will and Decree. Indeed this term is mentioned in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet . Allaah Says (what means): {So he came out before his people in his adornment. Those who desired the worldly life said, ‘Oh, would that we had like what was given to Qarun. Indeed, he is one of great fortune.” }[Quran 28:79].

So there is no contradiction between luck and the belief in Allaah's Decree and Predestination. The person's luck or portion in something is predestined by Allaah. However, believing that a lucky person could achieve what Allaah did not prescribe for him, or that only his luck can bring him benefits and repel from him harms, then this is something rejected by texts [Quran and Sunnah] reason, and reality.

It is confirmed that the Prophet said: "O Allaah, none can prevent what You have willed to bestow and none can bestow what You have willed to prevent, and no wealth or majesty can benefit anyone, as from You is all wealth and majesty." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Allaah Knows best.

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