Human Freedom, Qadar and Moral Accountability

Belief in divine decree does not cancel human responsibility in Sunni theology. Distinguish Allah's encompassing knowledge and will from a person's experience of choosing and acting. Classical schools explain the relationship with differing technical terms.

Belief in qadar means Allah's knowledge and will include all things. It does not give us permission to cheat, steal or mistreat people. Think about an exam: you decide whether to prepare, whether to read another person's answer and whether to tell the truth. These choices have moral meaning, and you can be held responsible for what you knowingly do. You do not know the unseen decree before an action, so you cannot use it as an excuse to ignore duties. The Qur'an speaks of human guidance, gratitude and ingratitude, while also teaching that our willing is under Allah's will. Sunni theologians explain this relationship with different terms; the subject is deeper than a slogan. For now, distinguish Allah's complete knowledge from our limited knowledge, and divine creation from our responsibility to choose rightly. When mistakes happen, the proper response is to stop the wrong, repent, and repair any harm we caused.