1-Divine decree
The decree of God is a set of deeds and consequences. The prophet Muhammad(pbuh) said: “ God has created for Paradise its people, and has created it for them whilst they are still in the loins of their fathers, so they will do deeds of the people of paradise. And he has created for Hell his people and has has created it for them whilst they are still in the loins of their fathers, so they will do the deeds of the people of Hell……”(Ahmad , Muslim and Abu Dawud).
God has decreed that things will happen for a reason, he has written all our destinies but it does not mean that we should leave it up to our destiny. The prophet Muhammad(pbuh) said we should keep striving notwithstanding the divine decree because whatever a person is created for will be made easy for him. And a biblical principle from Proverbs 24:16 says “ The righteous one may fall seven times, and will get up again. “ Here it is clear that the divine decree cannot be an excuse of going astray as man has got freedom of will. A real man is he who faces the decree of God. He does not just submits and gives in meekly to it.
2-Preordainment and free will:
Knowledge is gained through analytical observation and if you observe impartially without any theories you can withdraw some patterns from your experience. This will let your to understand your preordainment. It is up to you to accept or reject your preordainment. But it is compulsory for purification and attaining higher spiritual stages. Depending on weather you believe in God or not you will create a theory for your observations. Everyone engaged on a spiritual journey knows that man is tested according to the strength of his faith. The prophet Muhammad(pbuh) said: Disasters fell upon the prophets then then upon the friends of God and then on religious people.
In the glorious qu’ran God says :’’ No kind of calamity can occur , except by the leave of God and if anyone believe in God, God guides his heart”(64:11). Everything is the creation of God but man has got freedom of action. Our freedom of will is also a creation of God. To understand this you have to understand that man is like a variable is a computing algorithm designed by God. The equation is abstract and becomes functional only when a value is given to the variable. Each variable may return its result but the algorithm remains the same. Causes are created by God and we have the choice to unite a set of causes to create a consequence. Things happen according to the plan of god. One thing in the creation depends under another thing.
When nature is subject to some condition the condition is created to accept that nature
Sources:
TAUBA(Repentance), Iman Al ghazali
Patience and Gratitude, Ibn Qayyim al-jawziyyah
The Holy Bible,
The glorious qu’ran
Al Ubudiyyah, bein a true Slave of God , Ibn Taymiyyah
