al-Qawaid al-Kulliya fi Bab al-Qadar
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- Markaz al-Basa'ir lil-Bahth al-'Ilmi
al-Qawaid al-Kulliya fi Bab al-Qadar (Universal Maxims Pertaining to Divine Decree in Light of the Methodology of the Salaf) is a contemporary doctrinal treatise on Islamic theology by Rabee bin Ahmad al-Bitar, dedicated to identifying, elucidating, and grounding the overarching theological maxims governing the Islamic creed of divine decree (al-qadar) according to early Sunni tradition .
Composition and Publication
The work originated as an academic master's thesis completed in the Department of Creed within the Faculty of Da'wah and Usul al-Din at the Islamic University of Madinah . The research was supervised by Dr. Salih ibn Abd al-Aziz Sindi and examined by Dr. Abd al-Qadir Muhammad Ata Sufi and Dr. Salih ibn Muhammad al-Uqayl . The work was published in two volumes by Markaz al-Basa'ir lil-Bahth al-Ilmi as the eleventh entry in its publication series .
Structure and Content
The treatise is organized into an introduction, a preliminary chapter, four main chapters comprising twenty-six thematic maxims, a conclusion, and nine technical indexes .
Each maxim across the four main chapters is systematically analyzed through two fundamental inquiries (matlab): a detailed presentation of the maxim—establishing its formulation from scholarly consensus, citing its proofs from scripture, and detailing its conceptual meaning—followed by an examination and refutation of dissenting sectarian positions .
- Preliminary Chapter (al-Tamhid): Outlines four foundational discussions on qadar: its linguistic and legal definitions alongside its distinction from qada' (decree); the theological station of belief in qadar and textual proofs of its obligation; the spiritual fruits of this belief; and the explanation of textual prohibitions regarding delvement (al-khawd) into divine decree .
- Chapter One (General Maxims Pertaining to Decree): Covers nine overarching principles: that divine decree is a veiled divine secret; that discussion of decree affirmatively or negatively depends solely on textual revelation; that belief in decree requires affirming divine knowledge, writing, will, and creation; the comprehensive nature of God's knowledge; the harmony between manifestative knowledge and prior eternal knowledge; the distinction between knowledge that causes an outcome and knowledge that does not; the immutability of what is recorded in the Preserved Tablet versus the contingent records of the angels; the reciprocal relation between Divine Power and Divine Will; and that the original human innate disposition (fitrah) does not conflict with predetermined wretchedness or misguidance .
- Chapter Two (Maxims Pertaining to Divine Acts): Examines five principles concerning God's actions: that God disposes servants according to His will; that each individual is facilitated toward what they were created for; that God is transcendent above injustice despite having the power to commit it; that God's decree and act contains no absolute evil; and that divine acts originate from divine wisdom .
- Chapter Three (Maxims Pertaining to Human Acts): Discusses two principles regarding human agency: that human beings possess real capability and will over their actions; and that God is nonetheless the creator of human deeds, capacity, and will .
- Chapter Four (Maxims Pertaining to Miscellaneous Questions): Treats ten doctrinal issues, including the distinction between divine legislative command (al-iradah al-shar'iyyah) and universal ontological will (al-iradah al-kawniyyah); the division of human capacity into antecedent enabling capacity and concurrent executing power; the inadmissibility of imposing obligations beyond human endurance; the relationship between natural causes and decreed effects; divine guidance through grace versus misguidance through justice; the invalidity of using divine decree to justify human sins; the rules governing mandatory versus non-mandatory contentment with decreed hardships; and the role of intellect in perceiving the moral goodness or badness of actions .
The book concludes with a summary of general and specific findings, emphasizing the centrality of qadar in Islamic monotheism and the middle position held by early Sunni tradition between theological fatalism (al-Jabriyyah) and denial of predestination (al-Qadariyyah) .
Methodology
The author adheres to an inductive and analytical methodology, collecting maxims explicitly or implicitly stated by classical scholars . The work restricts its formulations to revealed terminology, corroborates each rule through the Quran, prophetic traditions, and scholarly citations, references canonical hadiths, provides biographical notices for lesser-known figures, and defines unfamiliar sectarian and technical theological terms . It includes indexes for Quranic verses, hadiths, historical reports (athar), biographical entries, poetic verses, religious sects, technical terminology, bibliography, and subject headings .
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