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New
New
Year 10
AQA

Predestination and human freedom

I can explain what a belief in predestination is and different perspectives on how this can relate to the idea of human freedom in Islam.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA

Predestination and human freedom

I can explain what a belief in predestination is and different perspectives on how this can relate to the idea of human freedom in Islam.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Muslims beileve that Allah is all powerful and all knowing
  2. Most Muslims believe that Allah has predestined what will happen.
  3. Some Muslims view total predestination as in conflict with the idea of free will.
  4. There are different solutions to the issue of predestination and free will in Islam.

Keywords

  • Decree - a command or order that must be followed

  • Free will - being able to choose between different actions

  • Omnipotent - Allah is all powerful

  • Omniscient - Allah is all knowing

  • Predestination - Allah has pre-decided everything that happens

Common misconception

That Sunni Muslims believe we have no free will due to predestination, or that Shi'a Muslims believe there is no predestination due to free will.

Most Muslims take a middle ground between them when considering the relationship between free will and predestination in Islam.


To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: Predestination and human freedom, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Students can consider the development of Islamic thought as scholars considered the relationship between predestination and free will in the past through reseaching the positions of the Asharite and Mutazilite schools of thought.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words with the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:akhirah,beliefs about life after death in Islam
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beliefs about life after death in Islam

Correct Answer:tawhid,belief in Allah’s oneness and unity
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belief in Allah’s oneness and unity

Correct Answer:risalah,belief in prophets as Allah’s messengers
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belief in prophets as Allah’s messengers

Q2.
Select the statement that is correct.
All Muslims agree on what the most important article of faith is.
All Muslims agree that all articles of faith are equally important.
Correct answer: Muslims can have different views on what the most important article of faith is.
Q3.
The angel who will sound the trumpet announcing the Last Day is ...
Correct Answer: Israfil
Q4.
The Arabic word for angels is ...
Correct Answer: malaikah
Q5.
On the Last Day, all people will gather on Mount to be judged.
Correct Answer: Arafat, arafat
Q6.
Which of the following is a key belief about resurrection in Islam?
only the soul is resurrected
resurrection is symbolic and not physical
Correct answer: both the body and soul are resurrected
only prophets will be resurrected

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the Islamic belief in predestination (al-Qadr)?
humans have complete control over their future
Correct answer: Allah has already decided everything that will happen
every person’s destiny is unknown to Allah
actions are random and have no consequence
Q2.
Which name of Allah means ‘the all-knowing’?
Al-Qadir
Al-Adl
Correct answer: Al-Amin
Al-Rahman
Q3.
How do many Muslims reconcile belief in predestination with human freedom?
by denying that humans have free will
Correct answer: by believing that Allah knows their choices but does not force them
by rejecting the idea of Allah’s omniscience
by arguing that Allah controls every action directly
Q4.
The belief that Allah has already decided all that will happen is called ...
Correct Answer: predestination, Predestination
Q5.
The idea that humans can choose between different actions is known as ...
Correct Answer: free will, Free Will, Free will, free Will
Q6.
A Muslim who believes Allah is all-powerful would refer to Him as Al- ...
Correct Answer: Qadir, qadir