In some ahadith, it is mentioned that maintaining kinship ties increases lifespan. Similarly, there is a hadith that says destiny is only postponed by supplication. And nothing increases lifespan except through good deeds. While in the Holy Quran it is stated:
فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
Reference: (Al-A'raf:34)
Translation: Then when their time comes, they cannot delay it by a single moment, nor can they advance it.
First Point
The mention of increase in lifespan through maintaining kinship ties is present in several authentic ahadith which cannot be denied. For example, in one hadith, Sayyiduna Anas narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Whoever likes that his provision or lifespan be increased, let him maintain kinship ties.
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari: 5986, Sahih Muslim: 2557)
This same hadith is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah.
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari: 5985)
Sayyiduna Ibn Umar says that whoever fears his Lord and maintains kinship ties, his lifespan is increased.
Reference: (Al-Adab Al-Mufrad: 58)
There are other ahadith with similar meanings.
The scholars have mentioned various meanings of the increase in age due to maintaining kinship.
◈ Some have taken this increase to mean a real increase, which means that in the knowledge of Allah Almighty, the person’s total lifespan is fixed, but in the knowledge of the Angel of Death, there can be decrease or increase, and this is the meaning in this hadith. As it is in the Holy Quran:
يَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ
Reference: (Ar-Ra'd:39)
Translation: Allah erases whatever He wills and preserves whatever He wills.
That is, where the Holy Quran states that there can be no advancement or delay in the appointed time of anyone’s death, it refers to the fixed time in the knowledge of Allah Almighty. Whereas the verse of the Holy Quran: (يَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ) points to, and the decrease and increase mentioned in the hadiths is with respect to the knowledge of the Angel of Death.
◈ Some scholars have interpreted the increase due to maintaining family ties as a blessing in lifespan, meaning that Allah Almighty grants the ability to perform great deeds and good actions at a young age, which may not be possible even in a long life.
Second Point
The nullification of destiny through supplication
Reference: (Jami` at-Tirmidhi: 2225, Mustadrak `ala as-Sahihayn: 1814)
is also not against this noble verse. Scholars have explained it by saying that just as eating food is the cause for filling the stomach, and drinking water is the cause for quenching thirst, it is not said that if destiny has written that the stomach will be filled, then why is he eating food? If destiny has written that the stomach will be filled, it will be filled, and if it is written to remain empty, it will remain empty. At such a time, this is not said because eating food is the cause for filling the stomach, and this cause is also written in destiny.In the same way, travel is the means to reach a destination, and this means is also written in destiny. Similarly, prayer is also among these destined means, meaning that making prayer is also written in destiny, and the results regarding its acceptance or rejection are also written in destiny.
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
"A common question arises here that if the matter for which prayer is made is already destined, then whether a person prays or not, its occurrence is necessary; and if it is not destined, then whether a person prays or not, it will not occur."
A group misunderstood this fallacy and completely abandoned supplication and pleading to Allah Almighty. Based on this, this group came to believe that no benefit will be gained from supplication. This is extreme ignorance and misguidance. Moreover, the people holding this opinion are themselves victims of contradiction because if they fully accept their stance, the conclusion will be that all causes in the world are useless. Such a person would be told that if filling the stomach is destined for you, then eating or not eating has no benefit. Similarly, if offspring are written in your destiny, they will come into being, so what is the need for marriage, etc.?
After a few more lines, he says:
"Some people even say that supplication is merely an act of worship of Allah. Allah grants reward and recompense to the one who supplicates. Supplication has no effect or role in the attainment of the desired outcome. Some people go even further and say that supplication is a sign of the fulfillment of a need, meaning if a person is granted the ability to supplicate, it is a sign that their need will be fulfilled. Its example is like when you see dark clouds and cold winds during the rainy season, it is evidence that rain will surely come. According to these people, the same rule applies to the reward and recompense of acts of obedience and worship, and the punishment and torment for disbelief and sins—that acts of obedience, worship, disbelief, and disobedience are merely signs of reward and punishment and nothing more. Because these things are not the causes of reward and punishment. According to these people, the same rule applies to breaking something causing it to break, burning something causing it to burn, killing causing death, because these things are not the ultimate causes of these outcomes, as there is no order or connection between these things and these outcomes; it is merely a habitual association. There is no effect or connection that acts as a cause and reason."
Their statement is evidently against reason, Shariah, nature, and all people of intellect and insight; rather, the wise and insightful people of the entire world mock them.
Regarding this, there is a third opinion, which is the correct one, that every matter is decreed along with causes, and among these causes is prayer. For more details, see:
Reference: (Al-Jawab Al-Kafi, p. 21)
After this explanation, it becomes clear that the mentioned ahadith are not against the Holy Quran.
