WHAT IS BADA'?

Bada’ means “To Appear”. It is a process in which Allah makes known His Plan to the Prophets, Imams, or Angels only to the extent which is beneficial to the man kind or which is necessary to make a test meaningful. When the time comes for the Prophet or the Imam concerned to think that the plan of work is nearing its end, a new development extends the plan or brings it to an unexpected end.

The concept of Bada’ will be cleared by the following illustrations:

                The story of Prophet Ibrahim responding to a dream in which he saw that he was sacrificing                 his beloved son Prophet Isma’il. He narrated his dream to Prophet Isma’il, who agreed,                       being a Prophet he knew that their dreams are the Commands of Allah. Prophet Ibrahim did                 what he saw in the dream as doing; he bound the hands and feet of the child, placed him in                  the position of prostration; and blindfolding himself, put the knife and cut the throat. After                   removing the blindfold from his eyes, he saw Isma’il smiling and a goat was slaughtered                    in his place. Allah did not inform him of the events up to the last stage. If Ibrahim would                      have known that Isma’il would be saved, or if Isma’il would have known that he would be                  saved, there would have been no meaning in the test. So Allah showed Ibrahim the events                    up to a stage but kept him unaware of the final stage; not informing him how the whole                        episode was to end. Since they did not know the result, Ibrahim and Isma’il were  able to                     show how willingly they were to obey the Command of Allah even to the extent of                               sacrificing their lives and the lives of their dear ones in His name.

                The story of the people of the Prophet Younus as detailed in Surah al-Younus Ayah 98.                       Except two people; one of them a pious person without knowledge and the other a                               righteous man with knowledge, rest of the tribe rejected him. When Prophet Younus prayed                 to Allah to send punishment to his people because of their disbelief, Allah promised him                      that on certain day, affliction would visit them. Prophet Younus along with his pious                            companion went away. The learned man did not go but remained with the people and tried                 to put the fear of Allah in their hearts. He told them that there was still time to repent from                   their Kufr, believe in Allah and His Prophet and pray to avert that affliction.

                On the appointed day, to enhance desperation, children were removed from their mothers;                   everybody fasted and came out of the village, there they prayed and cried, prostrated and                     asked His forgiveness and prayed for the aversion of that affliction. The sky was covered                    with black clouds, day became like night, and lightning and thunder was shattering the                         atmosphere. It was fortunate that they had repented before seeing the affliction, and                    therefore, Allah,  in His Mercy forgave them and they were saved. Allah knew before                  hand that the people of Prophet Younus would accept the true faith, but He did not                      reveal the whole event to Younus. Naturally, he thought that the affliction would wipe out                the whole community. He was not told that the community would  repent and the affliction                  would be avoided. If the learned companion would have known that the affliction would                      clear away, then he would not  have exhorted them so sincerely. It was because Allah in His                infinite Wisdom wanted them to listen to the voice of wisdom. Allah did not tell Younus a                  lie but intend to keep the promise.

               Similarly, Prophet Musa was ordered to go to Mount Sinai, fast there for thirty days. On the                thirtieth day, he cleansed his teeth and went to Mount Sinai. Allah asked him as to why did                   he cleanse his teeth. He replied that he thought that he was going to a holy place and hence                 wanted to be neat and clean. Allah told him that the smell of a fasting person was sweeter                   before Him than musk. Hence, Musa was ordered to return to his place and fast for ten                more days and return to Mount Sinai without cleansing his teeth.Thus it was on the                      fortieth day he was given the Tablets of Tawrat. The Bani Isra’il left the path of true religion                in the presence of his vice- gerent Prophet Harun, started idol-worshiping just because Musa               was delayed by few days! This test of faith could not be completed if Allah would have                   told Musa that he was supposed to stay for forty days; or if he would have been told                     him not to clean his teeth on the thirtieth day.

Source used:

The Justice of God                                                                      by Allama Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi