All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is one of the established beliefs in Islam that creation, death, and life are in the hand of Allah the Almighty, and no human being has any control over them. No one can bring about any of these things or prevent them when they occur. Allah says {what means}, 'It is He who created death and life to test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving.' [Al-Mulk, 2].
Every person dies when their predetermined time (ajal) ends, as known to Allah, whether their death occurs due to a disaster, illness, murder, or without any obvious direct cause. This is in line with the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, who state that both the deceased and the murdered die because their appointed time has passed.The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Allah, the Exlated and Glorious, has appointed an angel as the caretaker of the womb, and he would say: My Lord, it is now a drop of semen; my Lord, it is now a clot of blood; my Lord, it has now become a lump of flesh, and when Allah decides to give it a final shape, the angel says: My Lord, would it be male or female or would he be an evil or a good person? What about his livelihood and his age? And it is all written as he is in the womb of his mother." [Transmitted by al-Bukhari].
This Islamic belief, affirmed by Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, holds that every person dies when their predetermined lifespan ends. Imam al-Laqqani stated in "Jawharat al-Tawhid (The Pearl of Monotheism)":
"A person dies at the time of his appointed death, whether killed or by any other means; anything other than this is false and not accepted."
Al-Bayjuri , in his commentary, explains that this is the view of the people of truth (Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah), emphasizing that the appointed time (ajal) is fixed, with no increase or decrease. Allah (SWT) says {what means}: "When their appointed time comes, they cannot delay it by an hour nor can they advance it." [Al-A'raf, 34]. Hadiths also confirm that every individual, regardless of the circumstances, meets their end when their appointed time arrives, neither early nor late."
The appointed term (ajal musamma) is the lifespan known to Allah The Almighty, and upon its completion, a person's life ends. In reality, the term is one, whether described as "appointed" (musamma) or "decreed" (maqdi). Allah says {what means}: "And it is He who takes your souls by night and knows what you have committed by day. Then He revives you therein to fulfill an appointed term (ajal musamma). Then to Him will be your return; then He will inform you about what you used to do." (Al-An’am, 60)
In this verse, Allah describes the ajal musamma as something that concludes. Thus, it is both "appointed" and "decreed," reflecting their unified nature.
The appointed term (ajal musamma) determined by Allah is neither advanced by sin and negligence nor delayed by acts of obedience. Allah states {what means}: "And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for their wrongdoing, He would not leave upon the earth any creature, but He delays them for an appointed term. And when their term comes, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it]." {An-Nahl, 61}. This verse illustrates that Allah often forgives human shortcomings without necessarily punishing them. People's negligence in taking precautions does not cause their deaths; rather, their deaths occur due to the completion of their divinely determined lifespan. Whether a person is a believer or a disbeliever, diligent in precaution or negligent, they die only when their ajal concludes. Imam Al-Bayhaqi explains in Kitab Al-I'tiqad : "Indeed, when Allah's appointed time comes, it is not delayed." He further cites Yahya ibn Ziyad Al-Farra, who interprets the verse as referring to the term as understood in human perception but fixed by divine decree.
Our belief in the doctrine of qada wa qadr (divine decree and predestination), as understood by Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, does not negate the importance of taking appropriate means and measures. Allah says {what means}: "Indeed, We established him upon the earth, and We gave him to everything a way, so he followed a way." {Al-Kahf, 84-85}.This demonstrates that while ultimate outcomes are decreed by Allah, humans are still required to engage in causes and actions. Furthermore, Allah has assigned both expiation and punishment for intentional and accidental killing, emphasizing that humans are accountable for their deeds and the consequences of their actions in this world. Relying solely on qada wa qadr to absolve oneself of responsibility is not valid. Errors and negligence are subjects of accountability both in this life and in the Hereafter. A person's actions, intentional or accidental, carry implications within the worldly framework and divine justice.
Accordingly, a person’s lifespan is what Allah has decreed and determined, and death occurs upon the completion of this lifespan. There is no difference between the "appointed term" (ajal musamma) and the "decreed term" (ajal maqdi). We advise Muslims to seek knowledge from qualified scholars and to avoid ideas propagated by unreliable and unqualified sources. And Allah The Almighty knows best.
