and their attributes and actions. Nothing that has occurred or will occur lies outside His decree and predestination; yet Allah has made events follow their causes and depend on the will and capability of the agents who perform them.

Thus, the many verses that refer matters to His universal decree establish the first principle, while the many verses that attribute them to their doers establish the second. There is no contradiction between the two: people’s deeds, for example, take place through their own action, choice, and power—yet Allah is their Creator, and the Creator of their power and will. Whoever creates the complete cause necessarily creates its effect. Still, He has made them free in what they do and leave undone, not compelled.

Benefit: When Allah explains beneficial fundamentals and rulings, He often ends the verse with, “so that you may reason.” This points to several matters:
• First: Allah wants us to grasp His rulings, directives, and teachings—to memorize, understand, and internalize them, and to reinforce that understanding by acting upon them.
• Second: Just as He wishes us to comprehend the specific ruling clarified in a given verse, He likewise wants us to understand the rest of what He has revealed of the Book and the wisdom, and to reflect on both His audible signs (revelation) and His visible signs (creation).
• Third: This provides the clearest proof that knowing what Allah has sent down is among the greatest means of cultivating our intellects, enabling them to discern beneficial from harmful realities, prefer the former, and remain unmoved by whims, ulterior motives, fantasies, and destructive superstitions that corrupt the mind.

If you wish to assess the true measure of people’s intellects, look at the minds of those guided by the Quran and the Sunnah and compare them with the minds of those who have turned away—you will see an immense difference.