Evil and Its Relation to Divine Decree & the Wisdom Behind Supplication Etiquettes
Source: Fatāwā Amanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri
❖ Question:
Sayyidunā ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه narrates that when the Prophet ﷺ stood for prayer, he would recite this supplication:
وَجَّهتُ وَجهيَ لِلَّذي فَطَرَ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضَ حَنيفًا … وَالخَيرُ كُلُّهُ فى يَدَيكَ، وَالشَّرُّ لَيسَ إِلَيكَ …
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 771)
In this duʿā, the Prophet ﷺ said: “All good is in Your hands, and evil is not attributed to You.”
But since both good and evil are from Allah’s decree, why is evil not attributed to Allah?
❖ Answer:
Undoubtedly, all good and evil occur by the will of Allah. Nothing happens without His decree. Every event—whether good or bad—was written in divine destiny before it came into existence.
However, the etiquette of supplication teaches us:
- Good (khayr) should be directly attributed to Allah.
- Evil (sharr), though decreed by Allah, should not be attributed to Him in wording, rather it should be related to one’s own shortcomings and weaknesses.
This manner of expression reflects humility, servitude, and perfect adab (etiquette) before Allah.
Conclusion:Belief in Qadar includes accepting that both good and evil are from Allah’s will. Yet, in supplication and speech, the Prophet ﷺ taught us to ascribe good to Allah and evil to our own failings, to preserve the etiquette of humility before the Creator.
