Discover the meaning of the term Al-qdr (قدر) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 5 min readThe adherence of the intrinsic Will to things in their specific times; the attachment of every state of existent realities to a specific time, place and cause denotes al-qadar.
The emergence of the possibles from nonexistence into existence, one after another, in accordance with the decree (qada'); the qada' is in pre-eternity (azal), and the qadar in the ever-continuing time. The difference between qadar and qada' is that qada' is the existence of all existents in the Preserved Tablet together, while qadar is their existence dispersed in the realities after their conditions are fulfilled.
With fatha: the measure of a thing and its rank. With kasra and an unvowelled second letter (dikk). With two fathas (its measure, to create, to write, to be able). In technical usage: the adherence of the intrinsic Will to things in their specific times; the attachment of every state of realities to a specific time and a specific cause denotes al-qadar, and to everything in pre-eternity are given a qada' and a qadar. Some have made the difference between the two thus: the eternal universal judgment is qada', and the judgment of its particulars is qadar; meaning that qada' is at the level of summary (ijmal) and qadar at the level of detail (tafsil). If you wish the detail of qadar, look in al-Jabr.
The measure of everything; 'miqdaru-hu' (its measure): its standard. 'Qadara al-shay' bi-l-shay' yaqdiruhu qadran': he measured it by it; 'qadara-hu': he measured it. (Al-Misbah al-Munir, entry 'qadr', p. 492; al-Ifsah fi fiqh al-lugha, 2/1250).
'Qaddara Allahu 'ala fulan al-amr qadran': He subjected him to it. 'Qaddara-hu': He decreed and judged against him. 'Qaddara al-rizq': He apportioned provision. : He straitened it, as in the noble Quran: 'Your Lord extends provision to whom He wills and straitens it; indeed He is, of His servants, Knowing and Seeing' (al-Isra, 30). 'Qaddara Allaha': he held Him great, as in the glorious revelation: 'They have not estimated Allah His rightful estimate; indeed Allah is Strong, Mighty' (al-Hajj, 74). 'Qudira 'ala al-shay' qadran': power was exercised over the thing; 'muqtadir': powerful. The agent: qadir and qadir. The thing: maqdur 'alay-hi (that over which power is exercised). 'Qaddara al-amr qadran': he regulated it. 'Qaddara al-shay' bi-l-shay': he measured it by it. 'Ja'ala-hu 'ala miqdari-hi fulan': so-and-so took his time, considered settling a matter and preparing it. 'Qaddara al-shay'': he reduced it to its measure. 'Qaddara Allahu al-amr 'alay-hi wa la-hu': He assigned it to him and decreed it upon him. 'Qaddara fulanan 'ala al-shay'': he enabled him for it. Al-qadir: active participle. : According to al-Jurjani's saying: He who acts with intent and choice. Al-qadr: veneration and dignity; one says: 'he has standing with me.' (Plural): iqdar. 'Qaddara al-shay'': he matched it in number, measure, weight or area. : Wealth and ease. : Strength.
His knowledge of it in a detailed manner.
As mover: the adherence of the intrinsic Will to the thing in its specific time; the attachment of every state of realities to a determined time denotes al-qadar (with sukun). The bounded limit in the thing, sensible or intelligible; thus mentioned al-Harali.
As mover: what Allah decrees of the qada'. It has been defined as the attachment of the Will to things in their times; it is also the emergence of the possibles from nonexistence into existence, one after another, in accordance with the qada' and referring back to the qada'. Al-taqdir is the delimitation of every creature by its limit, whether beauty or ugliness, benefit or harm, and other than these.
﴿لَّا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن طَلَّقْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ مَا لَمْ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ أَوْ تَفْرِضُوا۟ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةًۭ ۚ وَمَتِّعُوهُنَّ عَلَى ٱلْمُوسِعِ قَدَرُهُۥ وَعَلَى ٱلْمُقْتِرِ قَدَرُهُۥ مَتَـٰعًۢا بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۖ حَقًّا عَلَى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾
« There is no blame upon you if you divorce women you have not touched nor specified for them an obligation. But give them [a gift of] compensation - the wealthy according to his capability and the poor according to his capability - a provision according to what is acceptable, a duty upon the doers of good. »
Surah البقرة : 236
﴿وَمَا قَدَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِۦٓ إِذْ قَالُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ بَشَرٍۢ مِّن شَىْءٍۢ ۗ قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ٱلَّذِى جَآءَ بِهِۦ مُوسَىٰ نُورًۭا وَهُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ تَجْعَلُونَهُۥ قَرَاطِيسَ تُبْدُونَهَا وَتُخْفُونَ كَثِيرًۭا ۖ وَعُلِّمْتُم مَّا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنتُمْ وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ ۖ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِى خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ﴾
« And they did not appraise Allah with true appraisal when they said, "Allah did not reveal to a human being anything." Say, "Who revealed the Scripture that Moses brought as light and guidance to the people? You [Jews] make it into pages, disclosing [some of] it and concealing much. And you were taught that which you knew not - neither you nor your fathers." Say, "Allah [revealed it]." Then leave them in their [empty] discourse, amusing themselves. »
Surah الأنعام : 91
﴿هُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ ٱلشَّمْسَ ضِيَآءًۭ وَٱلْقَمَرَ نُورًۭا وَقَدَّرَهُۥ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا۟ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلْحِسَابَ ۚ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ يُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
« It is He who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light and determined for it phases - that you may know the number of years and account [of time]. Allah has not created this except in truth. He details the signs for a people who know »
Surah يونس : 5
﴿إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمُ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَٱزَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَآ أَنَّهُمْ قَـٰدِرُونَ عَلَيْهَآ أَتَىٰهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا أَوْ نَهَارًۭا فَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا حَصِيدًۭا كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِٱلْأَمْسِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾
« The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb - [those] from which men and livestock eat - until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought. »
Surah يونس : 24
﴿أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ فَسَالَتْ أَوْدِيَةٌۢ بِقَدَرِهَا فَٱحْتَمَلَ ٱلسَّيْلُ زَبَدًۭا رَّابِيًۭا ۚ وَمِمَّا يُوقِدُونَ عَلَيْهِ فِى ٱلنَّارِ ٱبْتِغَآءَ حِلْيَةٍ أَوْ مَتَـٰعٍۢ زَبَدٌۭ مِّثْلُهُۥ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْحَقَّ وَٱلْبَـٰطِلَ ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلزَّبَدُ فَيَذْهَبُ جُفَآءًۭ ۖ وَأَمَّا مَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ فَيَمْكُثُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْأَمْثَالَ﴾
« He sends down from the sky, rain, and valleys flow according to their capacity, and the torrent carries a rising foam. And from that [ore] which they heat in the fire, desiring adornments and utensils, is a foam like it. Thus Allah presents [the example of] truth and falsehood. As for the foam, it vanishes, [being] cast off; but as for that which benefits the people, it remains on the earth. Thus does Allah present examples. »
Surah الرعد : 17
﴿وَإِن مِّن شَىْءٍ إِلَّا عِندَنَا خَزَآئِنُهُۥ وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِقَدَرٍۢ مَّعْلُومٍۢ﴾
« And there is not a thing but that with Us are its depositories, and We do not send it down except according to a known measure. »
Surah الحجر : 21
This term appears in 42 verses of the Quran.