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It is said in the (Arabic) language qadā, yaqdī, qadā’an al-shay’, meaning he perfected the thing with precision and determination; and it is said he judged [qadā] between two disputants, meaning he ruled and decided between them; al-‘amru amdāhu: the matter, he executed/accomplished it. The word al-qadā’ has come in the ayāt of the Qur’ān in numerous places. Allah says:
“When He decrees [qadā] a matter, He only says to it: ‘Be!’ and it is” [TMQ Baqarah: 117]
That is, when He decides a matter it comes into existence without any hesitation or delay; and He said:
“He it is who has created you from clay, and then has decreed [qadā] a term (for you)” [TMQ-An’ām: 2]
That is, He has made for this creation which He created from clay a lifespan [ajāl] between its coming to being and its termination. He said:
And your Lord has decreed [qadā] that you worship none but Him” [TMQ-Isrā’: 23]
That is, He commanded a definitive command that you should not worship anyone other than Him ; and He said:
“It is not for a believer, man or women, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed [qadā] a matter that they should have an option in their decision” [TMQ-Ahzāb: 36
That is, He ordered with an order and judged with a judgement; and he said:
“Then He completed and finished [qadā] from their creation (as) seven heavens” [TMQ Fussilat: 12]
That is, then he made the heaven with the judgement/condition [ihkām] with regards to its nature that it be seven heavens. He said:
“But (you met) that Allah might accomplish [yaqdi] a matter already ordained” [TMQ-Anfāl: 42]
That is, that He may accomplish a matter which necessarily had to be done; and He said:
“And the matter has (already) been decided [qudiya]” [TMQ Baqarah: 210]
That is, He completed the matter, namely, the matter of their destruction and annihilation, and He has brought it to an end; and He said:
“That a term appointed be fulfilled [yuqdā]” [TMQ An’ām: 60]
That is, that the ajāl which He has designated for resurrecting the dead and for the accounting of their deeds be completed. He said:
“Say: If what ye would see hastened were in my power, the matter would be settled [qudiya] at once between me and you” [TMQ-An’ām: 58]
That is, the matter would have been finished and I would have destroyed you instantly; and He said:
“And it is matter decreed [maqdiyya]” [TMQ Maryam: 21]
that is, it was a matter decided by Allah and a judgment which had already been decied, that is, an action which will occur by compulsion regardless of what you desire because it is from the qadā’ [decree] of Allah . He said:
“This is with your Lord a Decree which must be accomplished [hatman maqdiyya]” [TMQ Maryam: 71]
Al-Hatm is a verbal noun. He made it an inevitable matter when He obligated it and when He decreed by it, that is, their passing over it (the Fire) is obligated upon; He obliged such upon himself and judged by it. Therefore the word qadā’ is a homonym having many meanings, including: he made the thing with precision; he executed the matter and made the thing; he ordered with an order and he completed the matter; he made the existence of a matter inevitable and he settled the matter; he finished the matter and he ruled upon it; and he gave a definite matter. Despite the multiplicity of meanings none of them meant that al-qadā’ is the judgement of Allah on the kulliyāt (general matters) only, just as it did not come that al-qadar is Allah's judgement on the juz'iyāt (specific details). Therefore, the word qadā’ has linguistic meanings which the Qur’ān used and there is no disagreement here about the meanings that have come. These meanings are linguistic; the mind has nothing to do with them. If ‘al-qadā’ has a shar’i meaning then this meaning must have come in a hadīth or ayāh for it to be said that this meaning is a shar’i meaning, yet no other meanings than these have come. Therefore the purport of ‘al-qadā’’ that has come in the ayāt is not the subject of al-qadā’ wa‘l-qadar over which the Mutakallimūn differed. These verses have nothing to do with the inquiry of al-qadā’ wa‘l-qadar just as the ayāt and ahadīth which contain the meaning of al-qadar have nothing to do with the study of al-qadā’ wa‘l-qadar. These ayāt and ahadīth speak of the attributes of Allah and the actions of Allah but al-qadā’ wa‘l-qadar inquires into the action of the servant. The inquriy of these ayāt is shar’i and their meanings are linguistic but the inquiry of al-qadā’ wa ‘l-qadar with the mutakallimūn was rational. These ayāt and ahadīth are explained by their linguistic or shar’i meaning, whilst the inquiry of al-qadā’ wa‘l-qadar is a technical [istilāhī] meaning given by the Mutakallimūn.
Reference: The Islamic Personality - Sheikh Taqīuddīn An-Nabahānī
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