Am I Sinful to Think That Something Has Happened for Other Reasons Than Allah’s Will?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: As salam alaykum,

Am I sinful to think that something has happened for other reasons than Allah’s will, like for example the devil?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray that this message finds you well, insha’Allah.

No, ultimately everything happens according to Allah Most High’s Will (irada), however we conventionally ascribe causes to effects because this is the sunna of the cosmos.

But our understanding is that the relationship between cause and effect is not logically necessary, rather, it is Allah who creates the cause and He who creates the effect.

As such, saying that the “medicine healed her,” “the fireman saved him,” or other utterances would not be problematic, especially as the basis is understanding words validly and soundly and we have precedence for it in the primary texts.

Please also see: Is It Haram to Say “Medicine Cures Illnesses” Since Everything Comes from Allah? and: The Islamic Conception of Causality and Scientific Progress

And Allah alone knows best.

wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani