The question of predestination requires belief both in Allah’s decree and in His revealed law. One group placed overwhelming emphasis on affirming the commands and prohibitions, the promises of reward and threats of punishment. They thought this could only be upheld by denying predestination, and they erred in denying it.

Another group thought that belief in predestination could only be upheld by saying that the Lord Most High creates and commands neither for a wise purpose nor out of mercy, and that He does not treat like cases alike, but acts by a will that gives precedence to one of two equal alternatives without a determining factor.

Both groups shared the view that an agent endowed with power and choice gives precedence to one of two acts within his power over the other without a determining factor. This is the foundational principle of the doctrine of the Qadarīs who deny predestination. Hence they said that, in preferring one of two acts within his power over the other, the servant needs no determining factor for which he depends upon Allah Most High. They also said that Allah has not favored the obedient person with a blessing, withheld from the disobedient, by which he became obedient. They imagined that this would be an injustice that must be denied of Allah.

The other group thought that their position could only be refuted by saying that injustice is intrinsically impossible, and that any possible act one might posit is just—even tormenting the prophets and the righteous, and granting bliss to the disbelievers and the defiantly disobedient. These and similar matters into which people have delved concerning predestination have been among the greatest causes of ignorance and injustice.

This was most prominently manifested among the people of Basra whom Ibn ‘Abbās addressed.

The same applies to the question of the children of polytheists. One group says that He will punish them all, or that He may punish them all, basing this on a will that gives precedence without any cause, wisdom, or mercy.