What is Qadarite?

We have used the word, Qadarite for the advocates of human liberty and free will. This term has been used in this sense by most of the scholastic theologians. In the religious reports also this word mostly has the same meaning. Anyhow, occasionally this term has been applied to the Jabarites also.

On the whole, both the exponents of free will and predestination did not like themselves to be called the Qadarites, and applied this term to their oponents. The reason of this abhorrence was that a hadith was current according to which the Holy Prophet (s) was reported to have said that the Qadarites were the Magians of the Muslim ummah (nation)'. The Jabarites said that the term, Qadarites' referred to those who denied taqdir (destiny). Their opponents held that the Qadarites were those who believed that everything, including human acts, was predestined.

Anyhow, for two reasons this term stuck to those who denied destiny: Firstly because the Ash'arite school became popular and the number of its opponents went on decreasing and secondly because the Qadarites were compared to the Magians, who were known to be confirming Divine destiny to what they called good'. Evil was ascribed by them to Ahriman (Devil).

Adapted from the book: "Man and Destiny" by: "Shahid Mutahhari"