Karma Or Qadr?

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

As a Muslim, don't say: Karma

But say:

قدر الله وما شاء فعل

Qadr of Allaah, and He does what He intends.

 

PART 1:

It is not Karma, rather, it is the Qadr of Allaah that we Muslims believe in. Why would the Muslims be so interested in using the terminology which originated from Hinduism/Buddhism?

We have even seen a lot of Muslims using the word Karma due to their ignorance of its meaning and origin. The death of some “famous” Kaafir is always introducing something new to this Ummah. First, whenever a known Kaafir personality died, it was the “R.I.P.”, then when another famous Kaafir personality passed away, some Muslims prayed for their forgiveness and entrance into Paradise, and now Karma! Moreover, the use of the word Karma on social media and short clips has catapulted this word, far and wide.

Part of the belief in Karma is the concept of rebirth. If a person was good in his first life, he would be born again in a good family and have a prosperous life. But if he was evil or did bad, he would, in his rebirth, be having a miserable life or even be born as a dog or some other creature.

All this only proves how much we need to go back to learning the BASICS of our Deen.

 

PART 2: 

Karma VS. Kaffaarah

The second misunderstanding which the belief in “Karma” leads to is about Kaffaarah (atonement / expiation).

Kaffaarah is atonement, which is compensation for a wrong.

Examples:
(1) If a person breaks his oath, then as expiation he has to feed 10 poor people, or clothe them, or manumit a slave, or fast 3 days.
[Surah al-Maaidah (5): 89]

(2) If a person speaks ill about someone, he has to repent to Allaah and speak well of him in the same or similar gatherings.

The difference between “Karma” and Kaffaarah is that in “Karma” a person believes that something bad will happen on its own which will be a retribution for the mistake, whereas Kaffaarah is an action which a person does willingly as expiation for his mistake(s).

SO “KARMA” IS NOT SAME AS QADR AND IT IS NOT SAME AS KAFFAARAH.

Which leaves to the third point, `Iqaab (عقاب), which will be explained in the next post, In shaa Allaah.

PART 3:

Karma VS. `Iqaab (العقاب)

The third misunderstanding:

Karma in oppose to Jazaa’ (recompense) and `Iqaab (retribution / punishment).

Karma is a term derived from Buddhism who do not believe in Ilaah (إله God) and have no concept of the afterlife. They only believe in the concept of rebirth.

So this leads them to the belief in: “as you sow, so shall you reap”, either a person will be punished in this life or that if a person was good in his first life, he will be born again in a good family and have a prosperous life. But if he was evil or did bad, he would, in his rebirth, be having a miserable life or even be born as a dog or some other creature.

So, from their false belief is:
1. Denying the existence of Ilaah (God).
2. Denying the concept of repentance and forgiveness.
3. That things happen by themselves.
4. Denying the concept of the Hereafter.
5. Believing in rebirth and reincarnation.
6. Believing that the world is ever existent without an end.
7. Everything a man does, he will be rewarded or punished in this life only.

On contrary to the Buddhists' belief, in Islaam, the Muslims believe in the following:
1. They believe in God (Allaah).
2. They believe in the concept of repentance, forgiveness, and mercy.
3. They believe that nothing happens except by Allaah’s Will.
4. They believe in the concept of the Hereafter.
5. They believe that the world will come to an end.
6. They believe that man may be rewarded or punished in this world or the Hereafter, or that Allaah تعالى will pardon whomever He تعالى Wills.

In Islaam we believe in the principle: “The reward is of the same type as the action” (الجزاء من جنس العمل), which might seem closer to the concept of “as you sow, so shall you reap”, but the concept of forgiveness in missing in Karma.

Allaah تعالى says:

وَمَا أَصَابَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ

{And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. AND HE PARDONS MUCH} 
[Surah al-Shooraa (42): 30]

 

وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّـهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا مَا تَرَكَ عَلَىٰ ظَهْرِهَا مِن دَابَّةٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ بَصِيرًا

{And if Allaah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving (living) creature on the surface of the earth, but He gives them respite to an appointed term, and when their term comes, then verily, Allaah is Ever All Seer of His slaves.} 
[Surah Faatir (35): 45]

فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاءُ

{He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills} 
[Surah al-Baqarah (2): 284]

Moreover, the concept of Karma is incomplete and cannot explain the fact that many people in the past had committed mass murders and major crimes and have gone away with it without facing any retribution, as there is no concept of the punishment in the Hereafter in Buddhism.

Another thing, Karma does not explain the fact that Allaah gives enormous wealth and worldly glitters as a form of punishment: 

فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا فَرِحُوا بِمَا أُوتُوا أَخَذْنَاهُم بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْلِسُونَ

{So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened to them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them to punishment, and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and sorrows.} 
[Surah al-An`aam (6): 44]

Conclusion:

The word Karma is alien to Islaam, and it has a specific meaning in another religion, which is against the beliefs of Islaam and Muslims. There are many atheist, as well as many ignorant Muslims, who do not make the connection between The Creator and the nature. For them, nature by itself is everything. For many, the principle of cause and effect (Karma) is the only religion because they do not believe in the hereafter and life after death.

So its usage should be completely avoided by the Muslims, and furthermore, it is advisable to be specific and clear that all these things happen by the Will of Allaah and not by itself.