Aslam

Praise be to Allah.Allaah

is the One Who gives precedence to whatever has to be given precedence

with regard to rulings and the order of things, as and how He likes.

Whatever He gives precedence to should be given precedence, and whatever

He gives less priority to should be given less priority. He is the One

Who puts back what has to be put back, and there is wisdom and goodness

in whatever He does, even though the purpose of that wisdom and goodness

may be hidden from us.

Allaah

is the One Who sends down events, expediting or delaying them as He

wills, in accordance with His decree which came before He created all

things. He gives preference to those among His close friends (awliya’)

whom He loves over others among His slaves; He raises some of His created

beings above others in status; He brings forward those whom He wills

to higher ranks and He keeps down those whom He wills; He postpones

things from their expected times because in His wisdom He knows the

consequences of the delay. None can bring forward what He puts back

and none can put back what He brings forward.

Taqdeem

(expediting, bringing forward) includes:

Al-taqdeem

al-kawni

(universal bringing forward): such as creating some created beings over

others, making cause precede effect, conditions precede results, etc.

Al-taqdeem

al-shar’i

(preference in status): such as giving a higher status to some Prophets

over others, and giving all Prophets a higher status than other people,

and giving a higher status to some people than others, all in accordance

with His Wisdom.

Ibn

al-Qayyim said:

He

is the Expediter and the Delayer, and these are two qualities of His

deeds

As

well as being attributes of His Essence.