What does Islam say about destiny and fate?

Praise be to Allah.

Belief in destiny and fate is one of the basic beliefs of Islam. It means that Allah is the Knower of all things and the Creator of all things; nothing exists outside of His will and decree. He wrote down all things with Him in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz (the Preserved Tablet), and this was fifty thousand years before He created the universe. Everything in the universe, every creature and the things it does, is the creation of Allah. Whatever He wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not happen. If something happens to a person, it could not have missed him, and if something does not happen to him, it could not have happened to him. A person is not forced to obey or disobey Allah – he has free will as befits his state, but it is subject to the will of the Creator. And Allah knows best..