Divine Decree and Qadar

Belief in divine decree, or Qadar, is one of the six articles of Islamic faith. Islamic teachings affirm Allah’s complete knowledge and power while also recognizing human moral responsibility and choice. Belief in Qadar does not mean that a person may use divine decree as an excuse for wrongdoing.

1 What does “Qadar” generally refer to?
(a) Divine decree
(b) Pilgrimage
(c) Prophethood
(d) None of these

2 Belief in Qadar is:
(a) A cultural tradition
(b) One of the six articles of Iman
(c) A branch of architecture
(d) None of these

3 Allah’s knowledge encompasses:
(a) Only the past
(b) Only the present
(c) All things
(d) None of these

4 Belief in Qadar affirms Allah’s:
(a) Limited knowledge
(b) Complete knowledge and power
(c) Dependence on human beings
(d) None of these

5 Which concept is closely related to human responsibility?
(a) Human choice and action
(b) Human divinity
(c) Rejection of accountability
(d) None of these

6 Belief in Qadar should NOT be used to:
(a) Encourage patience
(b) Justify deliberate wrongdoing
(c) Strengthen trust in Allah
(d) None of these

7 What is “Tawakkul”?
(a) Reliance on Allah while taking appropriate means
(b) Abandoning all effort
(c) Rejecting responsibility
(d) None of these

8 Which statement best reflects Islamic teaching about Qadar?
(a) Human beings know the unseen decree completely
(b) Human beings are responsible for their choices within Allah’s knowledge and decree
(c) Human beings have no moral responsibility
(d) None of these

9 Allah’s decree means that:
(a) Allah’s knowledge and authority encompass creation
(b) Human beings become divine
(c) Moral responsibility disappears
(d) None of these

10 Which attitude is encouraged when facing hardship?
(a) Patience and trust in Allah
(b) Despair
(c) Rejection of all effort
(d) None of these

11 Which term means patience and perseverance?
(a) Shukr
(b) Sabr
(c) Tawbah
(d) None of these

12 Which term means gratitude?
(a) Shukr
(b) Qadar
(c) Risalah
(d) None of these

13 Belief in Qadar should encourage a person to:
(a) Take responsible action and trust Allah
(b) Abandon work
(c) Commit wrongdoing
(d) None of these

14 Which statement is consistent with Islamic belief?
(a) Human beings control the entire universe independently
(b) Allah has no knowledge of future events
(c) Allah has complete knowledge of creation
(d) None of these

15 Qadar does not mean:
(a) Allah knows all things
(b) Humans are free from all responsibility
(c) Allah has power over creation
(d) None of these

16 The Islamic concept of human accountability requires:
(a) Meaningful moral responsibility
(b) Rejection of all choice
(c) Denial of consequences
(d) None of these

17 Which of the following is an appropriate response to success?
(a) Arrogance
(b) Shukr
(c) Denial of Allah
(d) None of these

18 Which of the following is an appropriate response to hardship?
(a) Sabr
(b) Pride
(c) Injustice
(d) None of these

19 Belief in Qadar can help a believer avoid:
(a) Excessive despair over matters beyond personal control
(b) All forms of planning
(c) All human responsibility
(d) None of these

20 Which principle balances Tawakkul?
(a) Taking lawful and appropriate means
(b) Refusing to act
(c) Depending entirely on other people
(d) None of these

21 A person who commits a deliberate wrong cannot simply say:
(a) “I am responsible for my choice”
(b) “Qadar made me do it, so I have no responsibility”
(c) “I should repent”
(d) None of these

22 The belief in Qadar is closely connected with belief in Allah’s:
(a) Knowledge
(b) Weakness
(c) Ignorance
(d) None of these

23 Human beings cannot know:
(a) Their future divine decree in full
(b) Their own present choices
(c) The existence of the world
(d) None of these

24 Which of the following is consistent with Tawakkul?
(a) Making no effort whatsoever
(b) Taking reasonable means and relying on Allah
(c) Rejecting all planning
(d) None of these

25 Qadar teaches believers to recognize:
(a) Allah’s sovereignty over creation
(b) Human beings as independent gods
(c) The absence of moral law
(d) None of these

26 Belief in Qadar should strengthen:
(a) Patience and reliance upon Allah
(b) Arrogance
(c) Fatalism as an excuse for sin
(d) None of these

27 Which of the following is NOT an appropriate conclusion from belief in Qadar?
(a) I should work responsibly
(b) I should trust Allah
(c) I may commit injustice because everything is predetermined
(d) None of these

28 The concept of Qadar does not remove:
(a) Human accountability
(b) Allah’s knowledge
(c) Allah’s power
(d) None of these

29 Which of the following best describes Islamic balance concerning Qadar?
(a) Complete denial of divine decree
(b) Divine decree together with human moral responsibility
(c) Complete denial of human choice
(d) None of these

30 Belief in Qadar can encourage gratitude because:
(a) A believer recognizes Allah’s blessings
(b) A believer believes Allah does not control anything
(c) Gratitude becomes unnecessary
(d) None of these

31 When a person faces an unavoidable hardship, Islamic teaching encourages:
(a) Sabr and trust in Allah
(b) Hatred of all human effort
(c) Denial of Allah
(d) None of these

32 When making a decision, a Muslim should:
(a) Use reason and lawful means, then rely upon Allah
(b) Refuse to consider consequences
(c) Assume all choices are morally irrelevant
(d) None of these

33 Which statement is correct?
(a) Belief in Qadar means humans should never plan
(b) Belief in Qadar is compatible with responsible planning
(c) Belief in Qadar eliminates effort
(d) None of these

34 Qadar is primarily concerned with:
(a) Divine decree and knowledge
(b) Islamic architecture
(c) Linguistic grammar
(d) None of these

35 Which of the following reflects a balanced understanding of Qadar?
(a) Allah is sovereign, while humans remain morally accountable for their choices
(b) Humans are completely independent of Allah
(c) Humans have no responsibility whatsoever
(d) None of these

36 The belief that Allah knows all things includes knowledge of:
(a) What has happened
(b) What is happening
(c) What will happen
(d) All of these

37 Which attitude is inconsistent with Islamic teaching?
(a) Taking responsibility for one’s actions
(b) Using Qadar as an excuse for deliberate sin
(c) Seeking Allah’s guidance
(d) None of these

38 Belief in Qadar should lead a believer to:
(a) Combine effort with reliance on Allah
(b) Abandon every responsibility
(c) Reject moral accountability
(d) None of these

39 Which concept is associated with accepting Allah’s decree while continuing to act responsibly?
(a) Tawakkul
(b) Riba
(c) Ghibah
(d) None of these

40 The doctrine of Qadar does NOT teach:
(a) That Allah knows all things
(b) That Allah has power over creation
(c) That human beings can use fate as an excuse for every wrong action
(d) None of these

41 Which statement about human choice is most consistent with Islamic accountability?
(a) Human beings make choices for which they can be held responsible
(b) Human beings have no choices at all
(c) Human beings are independent creators
(d) None of these

42 What should a believer do after making a sincere effort and facing an unfavorable outcome?
(a) Blame Allah
(b) Exercise patience and trust Allah
(c) Abandon responsibility permanently
(d) None of these

43 Which quality is particularly relevant to accepting difficult circumstances?
(a) Sabr
(b) Hasad
(c) Kibr
(d) None of these

44 Which quality is particularly relevant to recognizing blessings?
(a) Shukr
(b) Ghibah
(c) Takabbur
(d) None of these

45 Belief in Qadar can protect a believer from:
(a) Arrogance over success
(b) All forms of responsibility
(c) The need for effort
(d) None of these

46 A Muslim’s belief in Qadar should coexist with:
(a) Moral responsibility
(b) Deliberate injustice
(c) Fatalism that excuses wrongdoing
(d) None of these

47 Which of the following best describes the Islamic approach to future uncertainty?
(a) Humans know the unseen completely
(b) Humans should act responsibly while recognizing that the unseen belongs to Allah
(c) Humans should stop planning
(d) None of these

48 Which statement about Allah’s decree is correct?
(a) It limits Allah’s knowledge
(b) It reflects Allah’s knowledge and authority over creation
(c) It makes Allah dependent on human beings
(d) None of these

49 The belief in Qadar is intended to produce:
(a) Faith, patience, responsibility, and reliance upon Allah
(b) Lawlessness
(c) Despair
(d) None of these

50 A sound understanding of Qadar combines:
(a) Faith in divine decree with responsible human action
(b) Denial of Allah’s sovereignty
(c) Rejection of moral responsibility
(d) None of these

Answer Key

1 (a) Divine decree
2 (b) One of the six articles of Iman
3 (c) All things
4 (b) Complete knowledge and power
5 (a) Human choice and action
6 (b) Justify deliberate wrongdoing
7 (a) Reliance on Allah while taking appropriate means
8 (b) Human beings are responsible for their choices within Allah’s knowledge and decree
9 (a) Allah’s knowledge and authority encompass creation
10 (a) Patience and trust in Allah
11 (b) Sabr
12 (a) Shukr
13 (a) Take responsible action and trust Allah
14 (c) Allah has complete knowledge of creation
15 (b) Humans are free from all responsibility
16 (a) Meaningful moral responsibility
17 (b) Shukr
18 (a) Sabr
19 (a) Excessive despair over matters beyond personal control
20 (a) Taking lawful and appropriate means
21 (b) “Qadar made me do it, so I have no responsibility”
22 (a) Knowledge
23 (a) Their future divine decree in full
24 (b) Taking reasonable means and relying on Allah
25 (a) Allah’s sovereignty over creation
26 (a) Patience and reliance upon Allah
27 (c) I may commit injustice because everything is predetermined
28 (a) Human accountability
29 (b) Divine decree together with human moral responsibility
30 (a) A believer recognizes Allah’s blessings
31 (a) Sabr and trust in Allah
32 (a) Use reason and lawful means, then rely upon Allah
33 (b) Belief in Qadar is compatible with responsible planning
34 (a) Divine decree and knowledge
35 (a) Allah is sovereign, while humans remain morally accountable for their choices
36 (d) All of these
37 (b) Using Qadar as an excuse for deliberate sin
38 (a) Combine effort with reliance on Allah
39 (a) Tawakkul
40 (c) That human beings can use fate as an excuse for every wrong action
41 (a) Human beings make choices for which they can be held responsible
42 (b) Exercise patience and trust Allah
43 (a) Sabr
44 (a) Shukr
45 (a) Arrogance over success
46 (a) Moral responsibility
47 (b) Humans should act responsibly while recognizing that the unseen belongs to Allah
48 (b) It reflects Allah’s knowledge and authority over creation
49 (a) Faith, patience, responsibility, and reliance upon Allah
50 (a) Faith in divine decree with responsible human action