Naseeb (نصيب)

Naseeb, described by Wikipedia as “an Arabic term used in many languages […] it means destiny or fate. The literal meaning in Arabic is “share”, but it came to be understood as “one’s share in life”, and thus their destiny.”

In other words, it touches on the concept of predestination. I discussed my thoughts on it generally in my input on Qadar (قدر), do we have any specific examples of it in the Quran?

سورة الزمر ٢٧
وَلَقَدْ ضَرَبْنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِي هَـٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

Surah Az-Zumar 39:27
We have put forth for men, in this Qur’an every kind of Parable, in order that they may receive admonition.

Indeed, we do. The life of Prophet Musa, or as he is refered to in Biblical terms, Moses, is a perfect example in so many ways. Put on your thinking hat and consider the following very carefully…

سورة القصص ٧
وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ ۖ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحْزَنِي ۖ إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

Surah Al-Qasas 28:7
So We sent this inspiration to the mother of Moses: “Suckle (thy child), but when thou hast fears about him, cast him into the river, but fear not nor grieve: for We shall restore him to thee, and We shall make him one of Our messengers.”

So the mother was inspired to cast her baby into the river, but informed that he will be restored to her and also told that he will become a messenger of Allah. But why was all this necessary? Why not have him raised under the guardianship of the mother and receive the prophethood when he became an adult? Instead of having to go through a foster home? There is a perfect explanation for this.

It was not just any foster home, but the household of the Pharaoh, the most powerful man in Egypt, to which he would later return as a Prophet of Allah. Having been raised in this houshold, he became known to the people there. They would not allow just any random person in their midst, so in that sense, he would not return as a total stranger but be allowed entry… which brings me to another point which I will mention shortly… but first…

سورة القصص ١٠
وَأَصْبَحَ فُؤَادُ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ فَارِغًا ۖ إِن كَادَتْ لَتُبْدِي بِهِ لَوْلَا أَن رَّبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قَلْبِهَا لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Surah Al-Qasas 28:10
But there came to be a void in the heart of the mother of Moses: She was going almost to disclose his (case), had We not strengthened her heart (with faith), so that she might remain a (firm) believer.

So he was returned to her, exactly as she had been promised in the previous aya I shared… إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ …for We shall restore him to thee…

سورة القصص ١٣-١٢
وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِن قَبْلُ فَقَالَتْ هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَكْفُلُونَهُ لَكُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ نَاصِحُونَ
فَرَدَدْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ أُمِّهِ كَيْ تَقَرَّ عَيْنُهَا وَلَا تَحْزَنَ وَلِتَعْلَمَ أَنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Surah Al-Qasas 28:12-13
And we ordained that he refused suck at first, until (His sister came up and) said: “Shall I point out to you the people of a house that will nourish and bring him up for you and be sincerely attached to him?”…
Thus did We restore him to his mother, that her eye might be comforted, that she might not grieve, and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true: but most of them do not understand.

Then, something important happened in the life of Musa… something that would alter the course of his life…

سورة القصص ١٥
وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَىٰ حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلَانِ هَـٰذَا مِن شِيعَتِهِ وَهَـٰذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ ۖ فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ الَّذِي مِن شِيعَتِهِ عَلَى الَّذِي مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَىٰ فَقَضَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ۖ قَالَ هَـٰذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۖ إِنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ مُّضِلٌّ مُّبِينٌ

سورة القصص ٢٠
وَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ يَسْعَىٰ قَالَ يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنَّ الْمَلَأَ يَأْتَمِرُونَ بِكَ لِيَقْتُلُوكَ فَاخْرُجْ إِنِّي لَكَ مِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ

Surah Al-Qasas 28:15
And he entered the city at a time when its people were not watching: and he found there two men fighting,- one of his own religion, and the other, of his foes. Now the man of his own religion appealed to him against his foe, and Moses struck him with his fist and made an end of him. He said: “This is a work of Evil (Satan): for he is an enemy that manifestly misleads!”

Surah Al-Qasas 28:20
And there came a man, running, from the furthest end of the City. He said: “O Moses! the Chiefs are taking counsel together about thee, to slay thee: so get thee away, for I do give thee sincere advice.”

His accidental killing of a man forced him to run. But… while the killing might have been seen as an accident from his eyes… was there perhaps a deeper meaning behind it? Every act has consequences. Those consequences motivate us to take the next step. Fleeing in fear led him to a new life, his wife and eventually to mount Tur الطور… to his purpose… his Prophetic mission. As I also mentioned earlier about his return to Egypt, he would not come as a total stranger… not just from having been raised there but perhaps more especially because he had killed one of their men. We can imagine that they would be very interested to have him explain his actions…

سورة الشعراء ١٩-١٨
قَالَ أَلَمْ نُرَبِّكَ فِينَا وَلِيدًا وَلَبِثْتَ فِينَا مِنْ عُمُرِكَ سِنِينَ
وَفَعَلْتَ فَعْلَتَكَ الَّتِي فَعَلْتَ وَأَنتَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ

Surah Ash-Shu’araa 26:18-19
(Pharaoh) said: “Did we not cherish thee as a child among us, and didst thou not stay in our midst many years of thy life?
“And thou didst a deed of thine which (thou knowest) thou didst, and thou art an ungrateful (wretch)!”

His life ties back to what we can see from Surah Al-Qasas 28:7… cast him into the river, but fear not nor grieve: for We shall restore him to thee, and We shall make him one of Our messengers.

Everything happening in his life led him on a journey to become the messenger he was destined to be… a logic that is true for all of us. In the end, all things in life, both positive and negative, affects what we do and guides us to the person we are meant to be.

سورة البقرة ١٤٨
وَلِكُلٍّ وِجْهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلِّيهَا ۖ فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ ۚ أَيْنَ مَا تَكُونُوا يَأْتِ بِكُمُ اللَّهُ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Surah Al-Baqara 2:148
To each is a goal to which Allah turns him; then strive together (as in a race) Towards all that is good. Wheresoever ye are, Allah will bring you Together. For Allah Hath power over all things.

I hope you found this an interesting input and that it brought something to consider.

The best of times to you all inshallah.
Peace, happiness, and stay faithful.

Source, (accessed on July 24th 2021):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naseeb