Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalaam alaikum brother Burhan. You and your team are doing a fabulous job in this Q and A forum. Great effort, Jazaak Allah.

My question is regarding the celebration of "shabe baraat" that some muslims practise. How true is the idea (which some people believe) that Allah decides who is going to die and who is going to be born on this particular night. As far as I think the birth and death of all people has already been decreed in the divine decree set by Allah a long time before and cannot be changed . Could you please explain from Quran and sunnah whether there is any evidence of when Allah has decided or decides the time of birth or death of his creations (is it already decreed, or is it decided when the soul is in the womb of its mother or is it during one of the shabe baraat nights as some people say.) Thank you.

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Answer:

Decisions on Shab-e-baraat

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 94 Narrated by Ubadah ibn as-Samit

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘The (very) first thing which Allah created was the Pen. He commanded it to write. It asked: “What should I write?” He, The High and Exalted is He, said: “Write the Decree (al-Qadr).” So it wrote what had happened and what was going to happen up to eternity.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 57 Surah Hadid verse 22:No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a Decree before We bring it into existence: that is truly easy for Allah:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 2:He it is who created you from clay and Decreed a stated term (for you). And there is in His presence another determined term; yet ye doubt within yourselves!.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rom verse 8:Do they not reflect in their own minds? Not but for just ends and for a Term Appointed did Allah create the heavens and the earth and all between them: yet are there truly many among men who deny the meeting with their Lord (at the Resurrection)!

Your Question: Could you please explain from Quran and sunnah whether there is any evidence of when Allah has decided or decides the time of birth or death of his creations (is it already decreed, or is it decided when the soul is in the womb of its mother or is it during one of the shabe baraat nights as some people say.)

Beloved and brother in Islam, before anything in the Universe was created, the All Mighty, All Wise Lord created the Pen and commanded it to write down everything from the beginning of creation to its end! Thus the Truth of the matter is that the ‘Qadr’ or Decree was written with the Perfect and Absolute Knowledge of The All Knowing Lord before anything came into existence!

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.550 Narrated by Anas bin Malik

The Prophet (saws) said, "Allah has appointed an Angel in the womb, and the angel says, 'O Lord! A drop of discharge (i.e. of semen), O Lord! a clot, O Lord! a piece of flesh.' And then, if Allah wishes to complete the child's creation, the Angel will say. 'O Lord! A male or a female? O Lord! wretched or blessed (in religion)? What will his livelihood be? What will his age be?' The Angel writes all this while the child is in the womb of its mother."

In light of the above hadith, it is clear that Allah Subhanah appoints an Angel from Himself over every womb, and the Angel writes a ‘personal’ record of the soul being born derived from the Perfect and Absolute Knowledge of Allah Subhanah. Thus the birth and the death of the soul is Decreed and documented even before the child is born from the mother’s womb!

Your Question: or is it during one of the shabe baraat nights as some people say.

The Night of ‘Shabe-Baraat’ has absolutely nothing to do with the recorded Decrees or Decisions of Allah Subhanah, nor with the birth or death of any individual.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan