Does Belief in Predestination Not Entail Compulsion (Jabr)?

Question

Kindly explain in detail the meaning and interpretation of the noble hadith: [ar]لَا يَرُدُّ الْقَضَاءَ إِلَّا الدُّعَاءُ[/ar] “Nothing repels qada (the divine decree) except supplication (du‘a).” This humble one, in his deficient understanding, took its meaning to be that nothing but supplication can repel predestination. Then can something happen contrary to what is written in predestination?

Answer

According to the scholars of verification (ahl al-tahqiq), its meaning is this: qada does not change; and if it were to change, it would change through supplication. That is, the aim is to convey the firmness of qada, and also to impress upon minds the importance of supplication.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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