Al Bada’ and the Effect of Supplication

Al Bada’ is the core of Al Naskh (abolition) where Al Bada’ is used for creation issues and Al Naskh is used for legislatives issues where Al Bada’ is related to the system of creation; God almighty has created the universe according to the law of causality through finding the requirements and conditions and removing preventives so that if the cause is fulfilled, it won’t prevent the effect from being accomplished.

Therefore, Al Bada’ doesn’t mean to interfere in the norms of creation regardless of the reasons and causes, but it agrees with these norms. The aim of the issue is to be accomplished through the fulfillment of requirements and missing causes, and its failure.

Based on that, Al Bada’ cannot take place after the complete fulfillment of causes, and this is what is expressed by judgment and conclusion in the legal terminology derived from the sayings of the imams (peace be upon them), rather it is the source of incomplete causes and equipment, and what is expressed in predestination.

Al Imam Al Kazem (pbuh) has detailed this issue, in a way that removes all confusion from it. It was narrated by Ma’la bin Muhammad that he said: “The scholar (pbuh) asked how God knew? He (pbuh) said: He knew, willed, wanted, decreed, performed and fulfilled, so he fulfilled what he decreed, decreed what he performed, and decreed what he wanted. With His knowledge was the desire, and with His desire was the will, and with His will was the determination, and with His determination was the decree, and with His decree was the completion where knowledge precedes the desire, the desire is second, and the will is the third, and the estimation is based on the decree by the completion.

God, Blessed and Exalted, can change the destiny of what he knows whenever he wants, and whatever he wants to estimate issues. So, if destiny is fulfilled in completion then no change will take place because knowledge about what is known before it comes into being, the will is in the origin before its very nature, the will is in the desired before it takes place, the appraisal of this information before it is detailed and communicated in person and time, and the decree by completion is the final effect of the actions, those with bodies that are perceived by the senses, of color, wind, weight, agent, and what has moved and graded from human being with all what is alive from Jinn, birds, lions, and other things that are perceived by the senses.

God, Blessed and Exalted, can change the destiny of that He has no eye (oversight) on it, so if his oversight falls into the perceptible concept, then there is no Bada’, and God does what He wills. Through knowledge, he knows issues before its existence, and through desire he knows their traits and limits. He created them before showing them, and through the will he distinguished them by colors and traits, and through completion he expected their livelihood and knew their beginning and ends. Through destiny, he showed people their places and implied them; and through completion, He explained and illustrated them, that’s the completion of the Honorable and the Omniscient. 1

Through what was mentioned before, it is clear that Al Bada’ that Al Imams call for, are mentioned in many holy verses, that explains God’s knowledge, as: (We appointed the Qibla to which thou wast used, only to test those who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their heels (From the Faith).2

And his holy saying: (Without doubt We shall test you until We know those who struggle and are patient among you, and make clear your news).3

Just as it is not possible to attribute the knowledge of God almighty to the attainment after its absence, so is the case in Al Bada’, for what is meant by it is to make visible to the eye what is in the hidden knowledge of the Him, so its reality is clarification, manifesting and indication.

Al Bada’ and the effect of supplication:
We mentioned before that the knowledge of God almighty is related to the phenomena of creation, its causes and results which is entrusted in a holy creature called “the saved board” (Al Lawh Al Mahfouz) and whoever is able to connect with this board can know the creation phenomena with their past, present and future. But there are other boards of ranks lower than the saved board where phenomena are saved with conditions and uncompleted ways related to other issues where the fulfillment of this phenomenon and its existence in the materialistic reality is based on accomplishing these conditions or removing the supposed contraindications. It was clear through what was mentioned before that Al Bada’ takes place in these levels, in the subordinate boards, and this is what is described in some stories as the “suspended destiny”. It was narrated by Hamran that Abu Jaafar (pbuh) said: I asked him about God almighty saying: a fulfilled fate and a determined fate by Him, so he said: there are two fates: a predetermined fate and a suspended fate. 4

Al Foudail said:” I heard Abu Jaafar (pbuh saying: some issues are suspended by God where he proceeds what he wants and delays what He wants”. 5

Some conditions are related to man’s behavior and preferences because his behavior affects the world of creation where he can accomplish conditions or remove preventives to descend either mercy or torture through it. This what the holy verse sheds light on through the story of Nouh (pbuh): I said, ‘Ask your Lord for forgiveness; He is Forgiving, He will let loose the sky upon you in abundant rain, And will supply you with wealth and children, and will give you gardens, and will give you rivers.6

These verses showed that Istighfar (asking God for forgiveness) and supplication have an effective impact on the world of creation where they are among the requirements that affect the causes. This is what many holy stories have affirmed. Thus, if the issues didn’t reach completion yet, then it can be changed or replaced. It was narrated by Abi Al Hasan Mousa (pbuh):'' you should resort to supplication because praying for God and asking him prevent the occurrence of misfortunes where if He estimates and puts destiny but His completion is still needed, if He was asked to expel the misfortune, He will expel it”. 7

Abi Abd Allah (pbuh) said:” Supplication can expel a destiny after it is deeply approved”. 8
The mentioned hadith (stories) that show changing destinies and fulfillment of Al Bada’ are many and distributed in different domains.

His Eminence Al Shaikh Hatem Ismael

[1]Ousul Al Kafi, part 1, page 148, footnote 16
[2] Surah Al Baqara, 143
[3] Surah Mohammad, 31
[4] Usul Al Kafi, part 1, page 147, footnote 4
[5] Same Source, footnote 7
[6] Surah Nouh, 10-12
[7] Usul Al Kafi, part 2, page 470, footnote 7
[8] Usul Al Kafi, part 2, page 470, footnote 7