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Fatwa CenterAllah created all things, whether lawful or unlawful
Question
Is it appropriate to say that Allah has given us all things, including sinful things? Like someone says this movie ticket is given to me by Allah, is this correct? Similarly we say that Allah is the creator of all things. So will it be appropriate to say that Allah is the creator of man made things which are sinful i.e. movies etc?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
There is no doubt that Allah, The Exalted, has created all things and gave all things. He says (what means):
- {Indeed, all things We created with predestination.} [Quran 54:49]
- {He said, "Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided (it)."} [Quran 20:50]
- {That is Allah, your Lord, Creator of all things...} [Quran 40:62]
This includes the unlawful things as well. The word "thing" in the verse {Creator of all things} and {He who gave each thing its form} includes both the lawful and unlawful things. No Raaziq (Provider) other than Allah provides these things. It is known that the term Rizq (provisions), according to Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jamaa‘ah, incorporates all things that human beings use whether they are deemed lawful or unlawful; Allah, The Exalted, says (what means): {While Allah created you and that which you do?"} [Quran 37:96]
The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Verily, Allah is the Creator of every maker and what he makes." [Al-Haakim graded it Saheeh (sound), and Ath-Thahabi and Al-Albaani agreed with him]
At-Tabari 
commented on verse [Quran 37:96] saying, "The phrase 'and that which you do' in the verse has two interpretations. It could mean that Allah created you and your actions; and it could also mean that Allah created you and the things you make."
Al-Baghawi wrote, "The belief in Qadar (divine destiny and predestination) is a religious obligation required of each and every Muslim individual. A Muslim must believe that Allah is the Creator of all the actions of His slaves, the good and evil thereof, and that He has written them in the Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooth (the Preserved Tablet) before creating them. Allah, The Exalted, says (what means):
- {Say, "Allah is the Creator of all things.} [Quran 13:16]
- {Indeed, all things We created with predestination.} [Quran 54:49]" [Sharh As-Sunnah]
Al-Qurtubi said, "According to Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jamaa‘ah, the term Rizq refers to what is of use, whether it is lawful or unlawful, contrary to the view of the Mu‘tazilah who held that Rizq does not include the unlawful things because it is deemed prohibited to own such things as per the Shariah and Allah does not grant His slave what He deems unlawful. They claim that the Rizq bestowed by Allah on His slaves refers to the lawful things only as Rizq denotes ownership ..."
The fact that Allah is the One who provides for His creation with sustenance is evidenced by the verses reading (what means):
- {O mankind, remember the favor of Allah upon you. Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heaven and earth? There is no deity except Him, so how are you deluded?} [Quran 35:3]
- {Indeed, it is Allah who is the (continual) Provider, the firm possessor of strength.} [Quran 51:58]
- {And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision.} [Quran 11:6]
These verses decisively underline that Allah provides sustenance for all the creation. However, if the Shariah declares the sustenance lawful for human consumption, it is deemed lawful for the Muslims, and the sustenance that is not permitted by the Shariah is deemed unlawful. However, all things fall into the category of Rizq bestowed upon us by Allah.
Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah wrote, "The term Rizq (provision or sustenance) is of two kinds: the first is whatever is of use to Man and the second is whatever he owns. The second kind in the one referred to in the verses: {and they spend out of what We have provided for them.} [Quran 2:3], {spend from that which We have provided for you.} [Quran 2:254] These verses refer to the lawful provisions that Allah has bestowed upon His slaves. The first kind of Rizq is the one referred to as 'provision' in the following texts:
Allah, The Exalted, says (what means): {And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage.} [Quran 11:6] The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, 'No soul will die until it has received all its provision.'
However, the person may consume what is lawful and what is unlawful and both fall under the heading of Rizq. The unlawful things are considered Rizq in the first sense and not the second and the things the person earns without benefiting from them are classified as Rizq in the second sense and not the first."..." [Majmoo‘ Al-Fataawa]
Allah knows best.
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