Some idiotic Nawasib have misused the Islamic concept of Allah (swt) changing his decisions which the Shia call Bada’ while different terminologies for the same concept are held by the Ahle Sunnah. Such ignorant people argue that this belief was developed by the Shi’a to address the shortcomings in the doctrine of Imamate. In order to refute such Nasibi conjecture, we shall address the writings of Maulana Azam Tariq (la), the diseased leader of anti-Shia movement ‘Sipah e Sahabah’ who had not only advanced common Nasibi objections to topic but took further steps to the road of ignorance in order to prove his opponents wrong.
The notorious Nasibi author fed on the haram milk of Jews and Saudi Arabia in the form of dollars has written under two titles i.e. ‘The literal meaning of Bada’ and the Shia notion’ and ‘The reason for the fabrication of the belief of Bada’ that:
Azam Tariq stated:
All the books on language unanimously show that the meaning of Bada ’is that whatever thing which was unknown, knowing such thing is called Bada’…. The belief of Bada’ is tantamount to outright blasphemy against Allah (swt) and to deem knowledgeable God as ignorant is a matter that will certainly disturb your mind and will lead you to ask ‘what was the basis for the Shia to fabricate and then attribute such an incorrect and impudent belief to Allah?’, thus O respected people, this is my claim that all Usool and Furu of Shia madhab is the fabrication of a few clever minds…. In order to erase the mistake of the Imam, to avoid this embarrassment they refer to the fact that Allah (swt) got Bada’ in such and such matter…
Then the Nasibi mullah has cited the following tradition from Usool al-Kafi, page 233 (Lucknow):
Ali ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn al-Hassan have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa all from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from abu Hamza al-Thumali who has said the following. “I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) say, “O Thabit, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, had set up a time limit for it in the year seventy but when al-Husayn (a.s.) was murdered Allah’s anger became more intense on the people on earth. He delayed it until one hundred forty. When then spoke to you about it and you publicized this hadith and disclosed the secret. Allah thereafter has not set up a time limit for it available with us. Allah deletes whatever He wants and establishes whatever He wants, with Him is the original book…The second incident of Bada’which is quote tough and is a away ahead than the first incident. This incident is about Ismaeel the son of Imam Jafar Sadiq. Allah had designated Ismaeel the elder son of Imam Jafar Sadiq as Imam after him…. But Alas! Ismaeel died during the life of his father and God’s decision turned out to be wrong, God appointed Musa Kazim as Imam. (Had God already knew that Ismaeel would die piror to his father then why would He (swt) felt embarrassed by appointing him Imam)
[Khutbaat e Jail, page 46-52]
Ansr.org states:
The theory of Al-Imamah lead to the invention of Al-Bida. The Shia invented Al-bida to save their theory in Al-Imamah from collapsing.
The likeness of Azam Tariq and other filthy Nawasib is the likeness of the people of the Torah mentioned in the Quran:
[Shakir 62:5]
The likeness of those who were charged with the Taurat, then they did not observe it, is as the likeness of the ass…”
They cannot ponder and think due to their lack of brain cells. They are the puppets whose strings are in the hands of the Jews whom Allah (swt) has equalized with donkeys in Holy Quran. These Nawasib are in fact worse than them because they have become pawns of the Jews being used by them to implement their filthy machinations. By creating differences amongst Muslims, they are dragging them towards the path of Hell. However, even the joint ploys of Jews and their sub-cast, the Nawasib will not be able to harm the Army of Allah, and they will always be defeated, just as Hizbollah (Army of Allah) recently proved. Allah himself says that His army will always be triumphant.
As we have discussed in the previous chapter, the belief of Bada’ originates from the Holy Book which these Nawasib claim to follow but it seems that they never read it without the spectacles of Shia abhorrence.
The topic of Bada’ has been used as a means to attack the Shia Athna Asharis while in reality there is no disagreement about this belief between Shias and common Sunnis, the difference is only with regards to the names / terms used for this concept. A belief that the Shi’a called Bada’ is known as Qaza Mau’laq [dependent or conditional Taqdeer] amongst the Ulema of Ahle Sunnah.
It is as clear as the Sun that that Bada’ and Qaza Ma’ulaq whilst having different terms contain exactly the same meanings. Whilsy discussing this same topic Shah Ismaeel Shaheed Dehlawi commented:
“The term Qadr refers to whatever is said about an object in Aalam-ul-Ghaib, and term Qaza refers to the presence of an object according to the same hidden exigency. What is said about Qaza-wa-Qadr is how the meaning is derived from the term. There are two levels for it, Mubram (inevitable) and Mu’alaq (contingent/dependent). Mubram (inevitable) means there is no room for change, no alteration can take place, what is wanted in the Ghaib (unseen) would be fulfilled. In Mu’alaq (contingent) destiny too something is wished but it is possible that what happens is different to what was wished, or when present what was wanted could be different to how it was perceived.”
Ubqaat Ubqa 12, page 153, published by Idara-e-Majlis-e-Ilmi, Karachi.
If mindless and ignorant Nawasib particularly Nasibi mullahs are desperate enough to blame Shias then they should first attack their pioneer scholars or at least shut their mouths.
In this regard we present some more excerpts from the books of our opponents so that they can draw comparisons between the two schools. Abdul Aziz Farharvi writes in the Sharah of ‘Sharah Aqaid Nafsi’:
“Allah eliminates what He wills or confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Books. Some Mufasareen have stated that Allah (swt) has two books from where He eliminates and confirms as well, but as for Ummul Kitab [Mother of Books], no change takes place in that”
Al Nabras Sharah, Sharah al-Aqaid, page 297 (Published in Meerut)
On its column, Maulana Barkhurdar Multani states:
“His statement that ‘Some Mufasareen have stated’, Akramah has narrated from Ibn Abbas that al-Kitab are two books. One book is the one from which Allah (swt) eliminates what He wills or confirms what He wills and with Him is the Mother of the Books. That’s what Tafsir Ibn Kathir contains”
Ibid, page 297 Column 2
Ibn Kathir has recorded many hadiths and statements under the commentary of this verse.
“Every book descended from the skies contains things that are destined, and there is a fixed time, from amongst those, Allah abrogates what he wishes and keeps what he wishes.
When the Holy Quran was revealed on the Holy Prophet [SAWW], the previous books were cancelled. Allah may eradicate what he wants and keep what he wants. He sets out the happenings of an entire year, but it is not beyond His power, He still changes what He wishes and keeps similar what He wants.”
He then quotes Mansoor having asked from Hazrat Mujahid:
“How is it to pray that O Allah! If my name is amongst the pious, keep it the way, but if it is amongst the evils, eradicate it, and add it to the list of pious. Mujahid replied: It is a good prayer.”
Mansoor then said that he met Mujahid after one year, he recited two verses from Surah al-Qadr and said:
“The food, pains of the whole year are fixed on Lailatul Qadr, but Allah can delay what he wants and hasten what he wants, however the book of Sa’adat and Shaqawat isn’t changed.”
Shaqeeq bin Salmah would supplicate:
“O Allah! If you have written our names amongst the ill-fated, change that and count us amongst the pious, and if we are already amongst the pious, then keep it that way.”
Umar bin Khattab while doing Tawaf of Holy Ka’aba, used to say:
“O Allah! If you have written any sins or evils for me, change them. You can change what you wish and keep what you wish, you possess the mother of the books.”
Ibne Kathir further says:
“It is written in Masnad Ahmed that due to certain sins, men are deprived of their food. Nothing can change fate, except prayers. It is written Nisai and Ibne Majah that Silah-e-Rehmi (doing good to one’s kin) increases life.”
Ibne Kathir quotes Ibne Abbas saying:
“Allah Almighty holds the Loh-e-Mehfooz that is at a journey of 500 years, it’s a white pearl, between two sheets of ruby, Allah looks at it 63 times then changes what he wants and keeps what he wants. He holds the mother of the books”
Ibne Kathir quotes Holy Prophet [saww] saying:
“When three hours of the night is left, Allah opens the Dhikr, He looks at it in the first hour, none can see it except Him. Hence he changes what he wants, and keeps what he wants.”
All above mentioned references are from, Tafsir Ibne Kathir, volume 3, chapter 13, page 51, commentary of verse 39 of Surah al-Ra’ad, published by Farid Book Depot, Delhi, India.
We don’t think there is any need to further elaborate the above mentioned hadiths and statements. They are quite self explanatory. The clear cut and simple meaning is that there is a kind of Taqdeer which is Mubram (inevitable) and another one which is changeable and all this is according to the absolute knowledge of Almighty Allah. There is no element whatsoever of the ignorance or weakness of Allah (swt) about a certain matter (God forbid) rather it is all about the sign of His perfect authority and hidden wisdom. If there is any involvement of ignorance in this topic, that is credited to Nawasib, and their ignorance.
Shah Waliullah Dehlawi has also referred to the same Holy verse for the issue of change in Qaza and has written:
“The Sunnah has made it quite clear that Allah (swt) creates incidents in a certain manner before their occurrence on earth. Then they are revealed to this world. They appear in this world in the same manner that they had initially been created by Allah (swt). This is Allah’s Sunnah. Sometimes Allah (swt) eliminates this ‘already established’ while sometimes He establishes the annihilated [Mu’dum] according to its entity. He (swt) has stated: ‘Allah eliminates what He wills or confirms it, and with Him is the Mother of the Book’. An example of this is that He (swt) creates a calamity and then sends it towards the man who is entitled to confront it. A supplication ascends from him which makes that calamity return. Sometimes Allah (swt) creates death but good deeds ascend which revoke death”
Hujutallah al Balaghah, Volume 1 page 66 (Published by Muneeriyah, Egypt)
Allamah Shabeer Ahmed Uthmani too both from his own words and as well as from the words of his master Shah Abdul Qadir Dehlawi’s ‘Tafseer Mozal Quran’ has made the very fact crystal clear under the commentary of same verse. He writes:
“Means according to His wisdom, He may eliminate a commandment or establish one that He wills. He may destroy a nation He wants and may replace them with the one He wills. He may changs or keep unchanged the effect of any event. He may reveal a promise whose conditions are met and may delay the ones with conditions that are unfulfilled. This means all kinds of changes and alterations, defacements and affirmations, abrogation and instructions are in His hands. All the offices of Qaza and Qadar are in His possession and the root of all offices and information, the Ummul Kitab is with Him. The eternal knowledge that is beyond and above all alterations is the source of Loh-e-Mehfooz.
Hazrat Shah Sahib sates: ‘Everything in the world is due to causes, some causes are visible while some are hidden. The effect of all causes have certain physical speculations, whenever Allah (swt) wishes, He can increase or decrease that effect from that speculated range and He may keep it unchanged if He Wills. A man sometimes gets killed by a pebble or sometimes escapes a bullet and a certain range of every act is in Allah’s (swt) knowledge which never changes. Taqdeer is the range of man’s choice, so there are two types of Taqdeer, one which changes and the one which doesn’t. The one which changes it called Mau’laq [contingent][Bada’] and the one which doesn’t change is called Mubram [established/inevitable]”.
Tafseer Uthmani, page 337 (Commentary for Surah Ra’ad, verse 39)
*Bracket is from our side so that the notion be understood more easily.
Qadi Thanaullah Pani Patti Uthmani in his famed ‘Tafseer Mazhari’ records the following commentary for the cited verse:
“Ibn Abbas (ra) stated that He (swt) establishes or effaces whatever He (swt) wants from Loh al Mahfooz. He (swt) effaces the inscription which is to be effaced known as Taqdeer Mu’alaq (conditional destiny) and He creates another thing in its place no matter whether in Loh al Mahfooz this Qaza was recorded as Mu’alaq (conditional) or not, and this is hidden in the knowledge of Allah (swt) only. And He (swt) does not efface the inscription that is not entitled to be effaced which is known as Taqdeer Mubram (inevitable), Qaza Mubram (inevitable) is never rejected.”
Tafseer Mazhari, Volume 6 page 180 (Published by Daarul Ishaat Karachi)
Since the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) are the true inheritors of the knowledge of Quran the Tafseer (commentary) of this verse has come from them in a very clear and simple words. Unlike the common Muslims and their scholars, they do not make the facts more abstruse and perplexed. Thus, there are number of traditions recorded in books in this regard.
If these Nasibi Mullahs had taken out some time out of their homosexual activities in their seminaries and read some books besides sodomizing poor students, they could easily know this easy concept. Now this either shows the ignorance of Nasibi Mullahs or their deceit. Either these Nasibi mullahs and their filthy adherents do not read their books or if they read them that means they deceitfully hide them so that naïve Muslims remain unaware of the truth and get out of their noxious trap to choose the path of truth. We now present some of the traditions in this regard so that the similarities between the meanings of the statements and ahadeeth narrated by Ulema of Ahle Sunah and by the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) or even at some places the similarities in words may also become clear. In Usool al-Kafi, Kitab al-Tawheed, Chapter of Bada’ we read the following tradition:
It is narrated from Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim and Hafs ibn al-Bakhtari and others from Abu ‘Abdallah (as) who has said the following about the words of Allah.
“God establishes or effaces whatever He wants . . .” (13:39) The Imam (as) said, “Can anything be effaced without being established? Can anything be established unless it is out of nothing?”
Usool al-Kafi, Volume 1, Kitab al-Tawheed, Baab al-Bada’, Hadith # 3
Is there not any similarity between the words of Shah Waliullah Dehlawi “Wa bath al Ma’dum” cited earlier and the tafseer by our Imam (as)? Please ponder over this fact.
The remainder traditions in al-Kafi are about the increment and subtraction, like we have mentioned from the scholars of Ahle Sunah. We read in Al-Kafi:
Narrated from Hamran from Abu Jafar (as) who said the following.
“I asked the Imam about the words of Allah, “It is He who has created you from clay to live for a life-time and the span of your life is only known to Him. . . “(6:2)
The Imam said, “There are two appointed times. One is a definite time [Ajal Mahtum] and the other is the conditional one [Ajal Moquf].”
Usool al-Kafi, Volume 1, Kitab al-Tawheed, Baab al-Bada’, Hadith # 4
Allamah Shabeer Ahmed Uthmani and Shah Abdul Haq Dehlawi have stated the very “Ajal Mehtum” as “Qaza Mubram” and “Ajal Moquf” as “Qaza Mua’laq”. According to them the later is dependent on the fulfillment of certain conditions while Mahtum or Mubram are not conditional rather they are definite/confirmed which cannot be changed.
Al-fudayl ibn Yasar said the following:
“I heard Abu Jafar (as) saying, “There are two kinds of knowledge. The first kind is hidden with Allah only and noone of his creatures has any information of that. The other kind of knowledge is the knowledge of His angels and His messengers. Whatever knowledge He has given to His angels and messengers it will come to pass. He will not speak a lie not will He let His angels or messengers to do so. From the kind of knowledge that is hidden with Him, He brings forward whatever He wills and takes back whatever He wills and establishes whatever He wills.”
Usool al-Kafi, Volume 1, Kitab al-Tawheed, Baab al-Bada’, Hadith # 6
Intelligence and honesty demands that we peruse the principle books of a school and then ponder into it in order to understand their beliefs with correct interpretation but why would ignorant and deceitful people involve in such decent activities? We further read in Usool al-Kafi:
Fazeel narrated that he heard Abu Jafar (as) saying: ‘There are some affairs which Allah (swt) alone has the knowledge of. Among them He (swt) makes Muqadam [confirms] or makes it Mukhar [delays], whatever He wills.
Usool al-Kafi, Volume 1, Kitab al-Tawheed, Baab al-Bada’, Hadith # 7
Narrated Abu Basir from Abu ‘Abdallah (as) who has said the following.
“Allah has two kinds of knowledge. There is the hidden, treasured knowledge of which one has any information except Allah. From this knowledge comes al-Bada’. There is the knowledge that Allah has given to His angels, His messengers and His prophets and we know this knowledge.”
Usool al-Kafi, Volume 1, Kitab al-Tawheed, Baab al-Bada’, Hadith # 8
We now come to know that Bada’ is the part of the eternal and absolute knowledge of Almighty Allah and it is not like that in the case of Bada’ something new comes into His (swt) knowledge later on, as filthy Nasibies blames the people of truth, rather He (swt) is the knower of each and every single thing. This is Taqdeer Mu’alaq, Moquf or dependent, conditional. Allah (swt) does not grant this type of knowledge to any of his angels, messengers and Imams. As for the Nasibi blame that (God forbid) when Allah (swt) doesn’t have the knowledge of something but on getting to know it he makes Bada’, the filthy and Kufr assertion of Nawasib is addressed in the following tradition:
“Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: ‘There is nothing in which Bada’ take place with Allah (swt), unless He (swt) already knew about that before its appearance”
Usool al-Kafi, Volume 1, Kitab al-Tawheed, Baab al-Bada’, Hadith # 9
Even the Nasibi friends of Sipah-e-Sahabah (kr-hcy.com) from ansar.org affirmed the Shia view:
Ansar.org:
Shia’s books do not say that Allah knew something He did not know before.
The next hadith in Al-Kafi is also an epitome of the topic.
Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: “Bada’ never takes place with Allah (swt) due to lack of knowledge [ignorance]“
Usool al-Kafi, Volume 1, Kitab al-Tawheed, Baab al-Bada’, Hadith # 10
The Nawasib are constantly blaming us for something that is accepted by the Ahle Sunnah, the belief of Bada’ is referred by them as Qaza Mua’laq. Since Nawasib have made themselves hide within the rows of Ahle Sunnah they should accept the belief of Ahle Sunnah which is similar to that of the Shi’a. We will conclude by citing the Shia concept of Bada’ with this last tradition which can also be said as an epitome of the topic.
“Mansur bin Hazam narrated: ‘I asked Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) whether is it possible that an incident takes place today which was not in the knowledge of Allah (swt) till yesterday?’. Imam (as) replied: ‘No! May Allah (swt) disgrace the one who says so’. I asked: ‘Has whatever taken place and whatever will take place till Qayamah is in the knowledge of Allah(swt)?’. He (as) said: ‘Yes indeed! He (swt) knows everything before he would create the creation”
Usool al-Kafi, Volume 1, Kitab al-Tawheed, Baab al-Bada’, Hadith # 11
Now allow us to present the words of an esteemed Shia scholar Shaykh al Mufid (ra) so that readers can decide what is the actual Shia belief of Bada’ rather than the portrayal of these filthy Nawasib. He (ra) writes in one of his esteemed books ‘Awail al Maqalat’:
“Regarding the meaning of Bada’ , I say the same which all Muslims say about abrogation and other such things like it. For example to impoverish after giving wealth, or to make sick after keeping healthy, or death after life or (according to the belief of some people) reduction and increase in age and livelihood. As for the reason of application of Bada’, its reason is that the personalities who were the envoys (i.e. Holy Prophet and the Imams) between Allah and His creation were heard saying this word. And if this word had not been used in such traditions, whose authenticity is absolute, I would never have considered its use permissible. If the verses and traditions regarding this were not found that God gets angry, He gets pleased, He loves and is amazed then words such as ‘anger’, ‘pleasure’, ‘love’ and ‘amazement’ for not be used for Him. Since they are found in narrations, we have begun to use them. However, we take such a meaning from them, which no intellect can deny The fact is that there is no difference of opinion in the chapter of Bada’ between me and other Muslims. And those who oppose Shias in this matter are against the word of Bada’ and not against the meaning of ‘Bada’. I have exposed the wrong use of this word in such a way that there is no scope of further discussion in this matter and my religion is the religion of all the Imamiya.”
Awail al Maqalaat, page 53 (Published in Tabriz)
Allamah Syed Dildar Ali Nasirabadi popularly known as Ghufran Ma’ab was a Shia scholar from India who originated from a family of scholars from the village of Nasirabad (Uttar Pradesh, India). The title “Ghufran Ma’ab” was given to him by scholars in Najaf due to his scholarly attributes which means “the one who lives in heaven”. He writes in ‘Imdaad ul Islam’ chapter of ‘Al-Tawheed’ page 112:
“This shows that confession in Bada’ is the belief in the command of God that He has full control over His actions. Many laws of Shariah are dependent on it. For example, abrogation of laws, manipulation of jurisprudence, sending of messengers, inducements of worship, prohibition of unlawful acts, encouragement for supplication, charity and maintaining good relations with relatives, all these beliefs are based on this very a article of belief. All these matters are among the necessities of religion. If a person doest not believe in Bada’ within these specific meanings, he would have to deny all those matters also. When a person denies all these things he would become a greater denier than the disbelievers and transgressors. Allah give us refuge from this! Had the ‘Aama (Ahle Sunnah) not believed in the real sense of Bada’ , we would have labelled them as disbelievers because they would have denied a necessity of religion”
But since unlike Jews, the Ahle Sunnah do not reject that Allah (swt) does possess absolute power and knowledge and like Shias they also believe in the meaning of Bada’, we cannot call them disbelievers.
The above discussion makes it crystal clear that the term Bada’ is one which is used by the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) to refer to the change in the Qaza Mau`laq, Moqoof or conditional. The scholars of Ahle Sunnah have referred to the very belief merely in simple words like ‘change in Taqdeer’ (change in destiny). Thus, only due to their stupidity and opposition of Islam, Nawasib have opened the door of accusations by giving incorrect meanings to the belief of Bada’. Knowledge and contemplation is neither the destiny of Nawasib nor do they strive to come near to it and it seems that they are just on the hope that May Allah (swt) get Bada’ and show these filthy creatures the path of truth. May Allah (swt) do so.
It is clear that for the belief of Bada’, Qaza Mau`laq, Moqoof or dependent or conditional, the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) and the scholars of Ahle Sunnah have referred to verse 39 of Surah Ra`ad. Allamah Shabeer Ahmad Uthmani in a few words mentioned the very point as did the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) in the traditions of Usool al-kafi to the extent that he said:
“…He may show whichever promise He wills, for conditions being met and whichever promise He may delay on conditions being not fulfilled.…”
This is Qaza Mua’laq (conditional destiny) in which the changes take place from the absolute and definite knowledge of Allah (swt) and the very change is known as Bada’. The promise being not fulfilled due to non availability of conditions of promise is called Bada’. These are the conditions of promise which are within the exclusive, definite and absolute knowledge of Allah (swt) and most of His chosen ones are also kept from such knowledge. Thus, the promises are not fulfilled due to non-availability of their respective conditions, and in first chapter we have cited such evidence from the Holy Quran.
We will shed further light on the fact that Sunni Ulema have always asserted that Allah (swt) changes Taqdeer due to some reasons that He (swt) knows. Imam Fakhruddin Razi states under the commentary of 13:39:
“There are two statements about this verse. First one is the one which is common about every affair, like what is clear from the words, and Allah defaces the provision or increases it. Similarly, about death, piety, belief and disbelief, these people deem that Allah establishes them as well as defaces them. This is the mazhab of Umro bin Masud and Jabir bin Abdullah Ansar has also narrated about it from Holy Prophet….The second statement is that defacement and establishment take place in specific things. Now there are various ways in determining those specific things. First one is the abrogation of the instruction before the occurrence of defacement or establishment and bringing a new instruction replacing previous one…. Eighth one is that it refers to the defacement or the establishment of provision, effort and hardship means Allah writes them in the book but then deletes them due to charity and supplication made and in this way the human being is made to concentrate towards Allah… Tenth one is that Allah defaces whichever of his decisions He likes and nobody is aware of that, only He is the owner of his decision alone, He gives the decision the way He likes. He is the sole authority to create, to destruct, to give life, to give death, to make rich or to make poor. In this, no creation can be aware of His unseen”
Tafseer Kabeer, Volume 6 page 51
One can easily compare the above mentioned esteemed Sunni source with the Shia belief mentioned by one of the pioneer and admired Shia scholars, Shaykh al Mufid:
“Regarding the meaning of Bada’ – I say the same which all Muslims say about abrogation and other such things like it. For example to impoverish after giving wealth, or to make sick after keeping healthy, or death after life or (according to the belief of some people) reduction and increase in age and livelihood”
Awail al Maqalaat, page 53 (Published in Tabriz)
Similarly Allamah Zamakhshari under the commentary of the verse “…and no one whose life is lengthened has his life lengthened, nor is aught diminished of one’s life, but it is all in a book… (35:11)” states:
This means that we neither increase the age of any individual nor decrease it but that is written in a book, this is in the manner that for example it is written in Loh that if such and such person performs Hajj or Jihad, his age will be forty years and if he performs both Hajj and Jihad then his age will be sixty years. So if he performs both acts and hence attains the age of sixty, that would mean that he attained complete age, whereas if he performs only one of those acts and hence could not exceed forty, that would means that his age decreased from his ultimate age limit of sixty years. And Holy Prophet has made a hint towards this affair in his statement that charity and generous deeds abide the cities and increase the age.”
It has been narrated from Ka’ab that when Umar got injured, Ka’ab stated: ‘Had Umar supplicated, his death would have been ineffective”. To which someone enquired Ka’ab: ‘Hasn’t Allah said so ‘when their term comes, they shall not then remain behind for an hour, nor can they go before (their time)’[10:49]?’. Ka’ab replied: ‘Allah has also said: ‘and no one whose life is lengthened has his life lengthened, nor is aught diminished of one’s life’’. And the popularity runs on the tongue: ‘May Allah increase your age’ or ‘May Allah increase your life’. And such sort of sentences.
Tafseer Kashaf, Volume 3 page 604
Similarly Qadhi Baydawi in his esteemed Tafseer states under the commentary of the above cited verses:
“And it has been stated that the increment or reduction in the age of an individual takes place due to various reasons which has been written in the book by Allah. For example that if Umar performs Hajj, his age will be forty years otherwise it will be sixty years”
Tafseer Baydawi, Volume 3 page 269
All of the statements from the scholars of Ahle Sunnah make it crystal clear they believed that Allah (swt) defaces or establishes what He wills in the affairs of creation and He keeps sending new instructions for logical reasons that are from His absolute wisdom. This very view is referred to as Bada’.
It is strange that these ignorant Nasibies look at the Islamic concept of Bada’ i.e. change in Taqdeer by Allah (swt) with the intention of rejection altogether while one of the revered figures of their school Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani had the ability to alter the Qaza Mubram (an inevitable/established destiny) that as we have read no one can amend. The Ahle Sunnah deduced that even Qaza Muabrram may be of two kinds. Qadi Thanaullah Pani Patti records the following incident in his authority work ‘Tafseer Mazhari’:
“I say that similar to the narration of Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Ibne Masud, an incident has been reported in Maqamat-e-Mujadidiyah. There was a person named Mullah Tahir Lahori, he was the teacher of Hazrat Mohammad Saeed and Hazrat Mohammad Masoom, the two sons of Hazrat Mujaddid Sahab. Once Hazrat Mujaddid via special vision saw “Mullah Tahir Lahori is Shaqqi (wicked)” written on the forehead of his sons’ teacher. He mentioned this to his sons, who were students of Mullah Tahir, they requested that he pray to Allah that may Allah change “Shaqawat (wickedness)” with “Sa’adat (blessing)”. At this Hazrat said that he had seen it in Loh-e-Mehfooz that this is Qaza-e-Mubram (inevitable) (established destiny) which cannot be changed. On the insistence of his sons, he said that he recalled that Hazrat Ghausul Thaqalayn Sheikh Mohiuddin Abdul Qadir Jilani said that even Qaza-e-Mubram (inevitable) is changed through his prayers. So I plead: “O Allah! Your bounties are limitless, your blessings do not end on anyone. I hope and seek it through your limitless blessings that accept my prayers and erase the statement of ‘shaqawat’ from the forehead of Mullah Tahir and replace it with “sa’adat” just as you had accepted the prayers of my lord, Hazrat Ghaus-e-Azam.” Hazrat Mujaddid says that after this prayer the scene came before my eyes just as if the word shaqqi was erased from Mullah Tahir’s forehead and it was replaced by the word ‘Saeed’ right in front of me. And it isn’t difficult for Allah.”
Hazrat-e-Mufassir says that after this a doubt raised in my head that if Qaza-e-Mubram (inevitable) could be changed then prayers that it isn’t Mubram (inevitable) at all and it is wrong to call it Mubram (inevitable). Allah Almighty resolved this doubt in my heart like this that there are two types of Qaza-e-Mu’alaq (changeable). One whose being Mu’alaq (changeable) has been written in Loh-e-Mehfooz and the other whose being Mubram (inevitable) hasn’t been written in Loh-e-Mehfooz. Its being Mu’alaq (changeable) or Mubram (inevitable) is only known by Allah Almighty. Since its being Mu’alaq (changeable) isn’t scribed in Loh-e-Mehfooz, therefore according to the inscription there, it is known as Qaza-e-Mubram (inevitable). Qaza-e-Mubram (inevitable) that Hazrat Ghausul Azam says that is changed through his prayers is the same Qaza that is Mubram (inevitable) (Ghair Mu’alaq (changeable)) in Loh-e-Mehfooz and Mu’alaq (changeable) (Ghair-e-Mubram (inevitable)) in Ilm-e-Ilahi in Allah’s knowledge. The forsakenness of Mullah Tahir was also of the same type, that is, Mubram (inevitable) (Ghair Mu’alaq (changeable)) in Loh-e-Mehfooz and Mu’alaq (changeable) (Ghair-e-Mubram (inevitable)) in Ilm-e-Ilahi.”
Tafseer-e-Mazhari, Volume 6, pages 181-182, (published by Darul Isha’at, Karachi)
Having proven that Allah (swt) can change destiny through what Shi’a terms as Bada’ and what the Sunni Ulema also believe but with different terminologies, it is interesting to note that the word Bada also exists in Sunni texts from the blessed lips of the Holy Prophet (s) with their ulema also providing relevant commentaries to such traditions. Here we present some of those references:
There is a lengthy tradition in Sahih Bukhari which not only contains a detail incident about Bada applied by Allah (swt) but also contains the word Bada that destroys Nawasib efforts cast doubts over a belief unanimously held by Muslims. We will present the complete tradition in another chapter, but allow us to present the initial words of the tradition which contains the word Bada along with its relevant meanings. The hadith begins this way:
Narrated Abu Huraira: that he heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “Bada by Allah to test three Israelis who were a Leper, a blind man and a bald-headed man…”
In the English version of Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 56, Number 670 the translator has translated the word Bada in this manner:
“Allah willed to test three Israelis who were a Leper…”
The Salafi translator can do what he likes, the fact is the Prophet of Islam (s) said that Bada takes place by Allah (swt) and this serves as a harsh slap to the Nasibi world. Not only this, but we see that Imams of Ahle Sunnah providing a relevant commentary to the word Bada used in the tradition.
“Bada’ Allah means that Allah (swt) already knew, and now He (swt) was revealing what he already knew. It is not that something was hidden from Allah (swt) and was now being revealed to Him (swt) because to attribute such a thing to Allah (swt) is impossible.”
This has been recorded by:
1. Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani in Fathul Bari, Volume 6 page 364
2. Allamah Badruddin al-Aini in Umadatul Qari, Volume 16 page 48
3. Allamah Qastalani in Irshad al-Sari, Volume 6 page 216 (Egypt)
Moreover Ibn Atheer in his authority work ‘Al-Nehaya fi Gharib al-Hadith’ Volume 1 page 109 records:
“The hadith of the bald-headed man, a leper and a blind man (Bada’ by Allah to test them) means (Allah) already destined it, this is the meaning of Bada’ here, because destiny has already been decided (by Allah).
Bada’ such as correcting something which is known after it wasn’t known, is not accepted as an attribute of Allah”
’Al-Nehaya fi Gharib al-Hadith’ Volume 1 page 109
Just compare the understanding of the word Bada advanced by the prominent Sunni Imams with these Shia statements, they concur with one another. What do the Nawasib have to say regarding Holy Prophet (s) who testified to this term and Imam Bukhari who recorded this testimony in his ‘Sahih’ that Bada’ takes place by Allah (swt)? Since attributing the word Bada for Allah (swt) is considered blasphemy in the eyes of Nawasib, are they willing to issue takfeer against the Prophet of Islam (s), Imam Bukhari and those prominent Sunni scholars who advanced a relevant commentary for the word Bada?
Ansar.org states:
However, what Ahl Al-Sunnah disagree with the Shia is that the Shia use a phrase “bida” that means nothing in Arabic but attributing ignorance to Allah.
Perhaps the Ansar.org and all those anti-Shia fanatics object to the word Bada do not consider Imam Bukhari among Ahle Sunnah nor those esteemed Sunni scholars who provided the relevant commentary to the word Bada used in the tradition! In order to increase their problems, let us bring some more revered Sunni names to the list who narrated and authenticated narrations containing the word “Bada”.
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal records the following episode pertaining to the Bada of Allah (swt) that may take place on the Day of Judgment on account of which proud Muslims will get salvation:
The Messenger of Allah said: Allah (swt) will gather the nations in the filed on the Day of Judgment, and if there is Bada’ by Allah to declare among His creation as to what every nation had been worshiping then (the angels) following them will make them enter hell.
Then Allah will come to us while we are on a high place, and say: ‘Who are you ?’
We will reply: ‘We are Muslims’.
Then he (Allah) will say: ‘What are you waiting for ?’
We will reply: ‘We are waiting for Allah.’
Then He will say: ‘would you recognize Allah if you saw him?’
We would reply: ‘Yes.’
Then He will say: ‘How will you recognize him when you have never seen him?’
We will reply: ‘Indeed there is none like Him’.
H will then appear to us, whilst laughing, He (swt) will say: ‘Oh Muslims, rejoice with glad tidings, there is no one amongst you that I didn’t replace with a Jew or Christian in hell”
1. Kanz al-Ummal, Volume 14 Hadith 39218
2. Musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal, Volume 4 Hadith 18824
3. Musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal, Volume 4, Topic: ‘Hadith of Abi Musa Ashari’
4. Tarikh Damishq, by ibn Asakir, volume 43 page 332
5. Muntakhab Musnad Abd bin Hamid, page 191
Shaykh Shu’aib al-Arnaoot in his Sharah of Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal termed the Hadith as ‘Sahih’.
Imam Jalauddin Suyuti records the following tradition in Tafseer Dur al-Manthur from various esteemed works:
Narrated ibn Abi Shaiba, Ahmad, Muslim, Abed bin Hamid, Abu Dawoud, ibn Majah, ibn al-Munder, ibn Mardweh and al-Bayhaqi from Abdullah bin Umar that he said: ‘I memorized from the messenger of Allah (pbuh) that the first signs that will appear shall be the sun rising from the west and the appearance of the creature, whichever (sign) appears first the other will follow suit immediately after it.
Then Abdullah said after reading books: ‘I guess the first (sign) that shall appear is the sun rising from west. Whenever (the sun) rises it goes under the thrown and prostrate and asks for permission to return. It will be permitted to return, unless there is Bada’ by Allah to make (the sun) rise from west, the (sun) will keep doing as it is doing now (by rising from east) and shall go under the thrown, prostrate and seek permission to return, that will be refused, it will ask (again) for permission to return, but will not be permitted to do so, until the night passes, as much as Allah wants it to be, until it (the sun) knows that even if leave is granted, it will be unable to reach the east.
The (sun) will say: ‘Oh Lord, how far is the east, who will care for the people?’
When the sky will be like arches, (the sun) request permission to return. The sun will be answered: ‘Rise from your place.’ So it will rise from the west.
Then Abdullah recited: ‘its faith shall not profit a soul which did not believe before, or earn good through its faith. Say: Wait; we too are waiting.’
1. Tafseer Dur al Manthur, Vol 3 page 390, Surah Anaam, Ayah 158
2. Majma Zawaid, Volume 8 Hadith 12579
3. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Volume 2 page 201 Hadith 6881
4. Tafseer Tabari, Volume 5 page 404
Sheikh Shu’aib al-Arnaoot said about the hadith in Musnad Ahmad:
“The chain of narration is sahih according to the conditions of the two Sheikhs (Bukhari & Muslim)”
Similarly Allamah Ahmad Shakir in his version of Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal stated:
“The chain is Sahih”
Also Hafiz al-Haythami said after citing the hadith in his authority work Majma al-Zawaid:
“The narrators are narrators of the sahih”
Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti and Qadhi Showkani in their respective commentaries of Holy Quran records:
Narrated ibn al-Munder and ibn Abi Hatim from ibn Abbas about the verse: ‘Allah takes the souls’.
(Ibn Abbas) said: “There are sun rays between Nafs (self) and Roh (soul). Allah takes the self during the time of sleep and keeps the soul in the body and keeps his (human’s) abdomen working, if there is Bada by Allah to bring him (the human) back, He will take the soul and hence he will die, or delay his prescribed time by sending the self back to its place in the body”
1. Tafseer Dur al Manthur, Vol 7 page 230, Surah Zumur, Ayah 42
2. Tafseer Fathul Qadeer, Volume 4 page 662
3. Tafseer ibn Abi Hatim, volume 10, page 3252
Al-Hafid Abi Bakar al-Haythami records:
Amir bin Abdulrahman bin Nestas reported about Khaybar and said: ‘The Messenger (s) of Allah (swt)’s conquest (Khaybar) and every thing in it like palm trees and farms became his (s) possession, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and His companions didn’t work for it, He (pbuh) entered into an agreement with the Jews, that the Jews work on the farms and share with the Muslims the crop as much as there is Bada by Allah and by His Messenger (pbuh).
That was when the Messenger of Allah sent ibn Rawaha for dividing the crop amongst them, and when he gave them the choice, they (Jews) chose the dates.
Khaybar remained a residency of the Jews according to their agreement with the Holy Prophet (pbuh) until the reign of Umar, when he (Umar) expelled them (the Jews).
The Jews said: ‘Didn’t the prophet (pbuh) make an agreement with us on such and such?’ (Umar) said: ‘Yes, but on what was Bada by Allah and his Messenger but now its Bada to me to relegate you.’
Then Umar expelled them and divided the land amongst those Muslims who participated in the conquest. Then he (Umar) said: ‘Now the people here are Muslims, Jews will no longer reside here. Verily the agreement of the Messenger of Allah was about cropping to count the “zakat” before the crop was eaten’.
Majma al Zawaid, Volume 4 Hadith 6604
After citing this hadith, Al-Haythmani (d.807 H) wrote that all the narrators are narrators of the Sahih books, while he was unable to find a biography of one narrator namely Amir bin Abdulrahman, which is no surprise since he copied the name incorrectly, it is actually Amir bin Abdullah, as Imam Abdur Razak al-Sanani (d. 211 H) recorded the same hadith in his authority work ‘Al Musnaf’ with Amir bin Abdullah in the chain:
Musnaf Abdul Razak, Volume 8 pages 102-203
Ibn Shabah Nameri (d.262 H) in his famed work ‘Tareekh al-Madinah Munawarah’ Volume 1 page 178 also recorded this tradition with Amir bin Abdullah in the chain:
http://www.almeshkat.net/books/open.php?cat=13&book=1515
And this Amir bin Abdullah has been included by Imam Ibn Habban among Thiqa narrators (Al-Thuqat by Ibn Habban, Volume 7 page 249). Imam Bukhari in ‘Tareekh Kabeer’ Volume 6 page 449 and Imam Razi in ‘Jarah wa al-Tadeel’ Volume 6 page 326 also mentioned Amir bin Abdullah:
Naeem bin Hamad al-Marozi (d. 229 H) records the following athar in his work ‘Kitab al-Fetan’ Volume 1 page 64:
Abi al-Zahrya reported: “If sedition (fitna) was sent to a group of people, and a Prophet existed amongst them they (the people) would be afflicted by sedition and those with minds, opinions and knowledge would lose them respectively, save that which Allah wants, if there comes Bada’ by Allah, He shall restore their minds, opinions and knowledge, so they could grieve over what they had missed.
Baqya reported: ‘They would grieve over their actions’.
Kitab al-Fetan, Volume 1 page 64
If, according to the pathetic logic of the Nawasib, the Shi’a are infidel for ascribing to the doctrine of Bada’ they should survey their own house first and should issue takfeer against the above cited scholars of their school from Imam Bukhari through to Marozi. The truth is both Ahle Sunnah and Shia believe in Bada’ in the same manner, and we have cited authentic Sunni texts using the word Bada’. Sadly scholars that came later became contaminated with the Nasibi virus and hence did not deem it appropriate to use the same terminology as the Shi’a. Whilst terminologies might have changed the Sunni Ulema never retreated from the concept of Bada’.