Scan barcode
aizataffendi's review
3.0
Borrowed this book from a friend and I don't know if I was ready for a crash course on the Divine Will and Predestination, the last of the six articles of faith, in which a practicing Muslim ought to believe in. The authors gives a few references to the Quranic text as well as the sayings of the Prophet (hadiths) but I don't know if it was because the choice of words or the way the texts were construed, I find it a little hard to follow his arguments and was left feeling a bit confused on this Islamic metaphysical concept. Am grateful still to have read this book as it had piqued my interest in a subject that I normally wouldn't be bothered with.. am just hoping that I would stumble upon another book which would give me a better clarity on the topic.
hibatheescapeartist's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
My brain feels like it ran twenty marathons in a row…
When I first picked up this book, my initial thought process went something like this: “Oh, it’s so short! Okay, a quick read that will, in sha Allah, clear up any misunderstandings I have about Qadr.”
But this was far from what happened. This was a deeply knowledgeable book that presented clear-cut facts from the Qur’an, the Sunnah of our Nabī (peace be upon him), the Salaf and the tabi’een (in other words, I felt very comfortable consuming this book). Perhaps this was a bit difficult for me to mentally process and comprehend because I was eager to read it, to understand Him and His Power (subhanahu wa ta’ala), to apply this newfound knowledge in my own life, that I didn’t really take my time, didn’t slow down to reflect.
So, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to me when I made it to about 60% of the book that I was more confused about Qadr than when I started. What made it worse is that I felt the devilish turmoils of doubt stirring in my heart. I immediately decided to put this aside for a while, and think about how I’d like to approach this very important topic. Here’s what I did (and it worked, Alhamdulillah!):
1. Dua’a: I highly advise seeking refuge in Allah (Exalted and Glorified is He) from the Shaytaan and his Waswasa every time you pick up this book, every time you even think about Qadr. Make Dua’a for Allah (Exalted and Glorified is He) to increase you in accurate and beneficial knowledge, and to protect you from straying away from the Straight Path.
2. Slow Down: Take your time while reading this. Do not rush. If you’re someone who has never delved into Qadr before (not that there is much to dive into as most of the knowledge about it is with Allah in the ghayb) and might have a wrong understanding of Qadr, consume this is bits. Reflect. Take a break. Come back to the book.
3. Videos and Podcasts: This was so, so, helpful and relieving to me. I listened to several different podcasts, each of which only hardened my heart against doubts and increased my understanding! I highly recommend listening to the following on YouTube:
— Qada & Qadr (Episode 1 - 4) by Ustadh Bilal Assad
— Destroying Doubts: Do Human Beings Really Have Free Will? by OnePath Network
— Qadr: Predestination and Free Will by Ustadh Yusuf Estes (via YouTube channel MercifulServant)
— Learning to Trust Allah’s Timing by Imam Omar Suleiman
4. Notes: Now, I haven’t really had the time yet to sit down and write down everything that I’ve learnt, but I have highlighted and bookmarked the most important points to do so when I get the chance in sha Allah!
All in all, this was an excellent read. May Allah (Exalted and Glorified is He) have mercy on the author Umar S. Al-Ashqar. Reading this book and deepening my understanding of Qadr has made me fear and be in awe of His Extreme Infinite Power. SubhanAllah. May we be of those who are destined for Paradise, Ameen
When I first picked up this book, my initial thought process went something like this: “Oh, it’s so short! Okay, a quick read that will, in sha Allah, clear up any misunderstandings I have about Qadr.”
But this was far from what happened. This was a deeply knowledgeable book that presented clear-cut facts from the Qur’an, the Sunnah of our Nabī (peace be upon him), the Salaf and the tabi’een (in other words, I felt very comfortable consuming this book). Perhaps this was a bit difficult for me to mentally process and comprehend because I was eager to read it, to understand Him and His Power (subhanahu wa ta’ala), to apply this newfound knowledge in my own life, that I didn’t really take my time, didn’t slow down to reflect.
So, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to me when I made it to about 60% of the book that I was more confused about Qadr than when I started. What made it worse is that I felt the devilish turmoils of doubt stirring in my heart. I immediately decided to put this aside for a while, and think about how I’d like to approach this very important topic. Here’s what I did (and it worked, Alhamdulillah!):
1. Dua’a: I highly advise seeking refuge in Allah (Exalted and Glorified is He) from the Shaytaan and his Waswasa every time you pick up this book, every time you even think about Qadr. Make Dua’a for Allah (Exalted and Glorified is He) to increase you in accurate and beneficial knowledge, and to protect you from straying away from the Straight Path.
2. Slow Down: Take your time while reading this. Do not rush. If you’re someone who has never delved into Qadr before (not that there is much to dive into as most of the knowledge about it is with Allah in the ghayb) and might have a wrong understanding of Qadr, consume this is bits. Reflect. Take a break. Come back to the book.
3. Videos and Podcasts: This was so, so, helpful and relieving to me. I listened to several different podcasts, each of which only hardened my heart against doubts and increased my understanding! I highly recommend listening to the following on YouTube:
— Qada & Qadr (Episode 1 - 4) by Ustadh Bilal Assad
— Destroying Doubts: Do Human Beings Really Have Free Will? by OnePath Network
— Qadr: Predestination and Free Will by Ustadh Yusuf Estes (via YouTube channel MercifulServant)
— Learning to Trust Allah’s Timing by Imam Omar Suleiman
4. Notes: Now, I haven’t really had the time yet to sit down and write down everything that I’ve learnt, but I have highlighted and bookmarked the most important points to do so when I get the chance in sha Allah!
All in all, this was an excellent read. May Allah (Exalted and Glorified is He) have mercy on the author Umar S. Al-Ashqar. Reading this book and deepening my understanding of Qadr has made me fear and be in awe of His Extreme Infinite Power. SubhanAllah. May we be of those who are destined for Paradise, Ameen
tuscareads's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. It is short and to the point; it's full of important information. A lovely introduction to Qadar and Qadaara. A must read for those struggling with "why does Allah let this or that happen?" type of questions. :)
More...