Locating the Islamic Concept of Qadar: Page | 46 Journal of Humanity & Islam, Volume 3, Issue 1, April 2013 An International Journal HATAM Publishers J. Hum. & Islam 3(1), 46-52, April 2013 Journal homepage: http://www.hgpub.com/jhi.html Locating the Islamic Concept of Qadar (Predestination) in the African Worldview: A Philosophical Inquiry Luqman Lekan Adedeji, Saheed Ahmad Rufai* Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education, University of Lagos, Nigeria *Corresponding author, Phone:+ 234-8033077359, Email: ahmadrufaisaheed@yahoo.com ARTICLE INFORMATION ABSTRACT Article history Received 24 May 2011 Revised 10 Feb 2013 Accepted 15 Feb 2013 Available online 01 April 2013 Qadar is one of the Islamic Philosophical concepts that have variants and equivalents in various cultures and civilizations of the World. It is equally one of the Islamic concepts that have attracted considerable attention and contributions from scholars across disciplines and across the ages. Yet it has remained one of the Islamic concepts that are regarded as both perturbing and controversial. The purpose of this paper is to articulate the place of Qadar in the African Worldview. To fulfill its aim, the paper employs analytic philosophy as a tool for the study. With specific illustrations from some of the dominant African cultures, the paper highlights the Islamic concept comparatively and contrastingly alongside the concept of predestination in those cultures. The paper underscores the similarities and dissimilarities in the Islamic view of the concept of predestination and the African view as well as the Western view of the same concept. It also offers some critical but Islamic-based explanation on some of the controversies surrounding the concept, among some leading Islamic philosophico-religious schools of thought. Keywords Qadar African Worldview Analytic philosophy Predestination Western view Islamic concept © 2013 HATAM Publishers. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Qadar, as a concept, has attracted a multiplicity of interpretations from various quarters. The degrees to which such diverse interpretations capture the essence of the Islamic concept vary. Some are elastic enough to have made possible the inference or conclusion that all the experiences being recorded in the life of man are undoubtedly a product of his Qadar. To this end, it is rationalized that whatever happens to man in terms of fortune or misfortune is a product of Allah’s decree. Yet there are others who maintain a medial view by holding an in-between stance, between the life of man and his efforts or actions. The diverse nature of views on Qadar accounts for the disparate nature of interpretations attracted thereby. It is therefore not uncommon to find students who fail examinations, traders who incur losses, individuals who are befallen by one calamity or another, attributing all the unfavourable experiences to Qadar. Similarly, is it not uncommon to hear people attribute to Qadar progress, success and any other form of accomplishment for that matter. The irrational use of the word has assumed an alarming dimension, having been extended to justifying any atrocity committed Journal of Humanity & Islam ISSN 2231-7252