How Can I I Strengthen My Faith in Qadar After Regretting a Life Choice?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
How can I strengthen my faith in qadar after regretting a missed opportunity, and stop blaming myself for a choice I now question?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
Regret over missed opportunities is natural, but faith in Qadar requires us to surrender our hearts to Allah’s Wisdom. Know that what passed you by was never meant for you, and what reached you could never have missed you.
Allah (Most High) says:
“No calamity befalls except by Allah’s permission. And whoever believes in Allah, He guides their heart.” [Quran, 64:11]
This means the believer recognizes Divine Decree in every event and trusts that even apparent loss holds hidden mercy.
Release yourself from the illusion that you are the ultimate cause. Your duty was ijtihad (your best effort); the result was always Allah’s. Remembrance (dhikr), prayer, and reflection on Allah’s Names—Al-Hakim (the All-Wise), Ar-Rahman (the Most Merciful)—will soften your heart and realign it with contentment.
Move forward with faith. The story Allah wrote for you is better than the one you mourn.
Related
- What is the Meaning of “Good” and “Bad” in Believing in Destiny?
- Destiny and Evil
- Destiny and Human Responsibility in Islam
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
