so that if it is not achieved, what He intends is not achieved. It is impossible for someone to act for an intended end while knowing that it will not be achieved.

This invalidates the position of the Qadariyyah, who say:

“He wills only what He commands; whatever else occurs does so without His willing it. He created creation for that very intended end, despite knowing that it will not come to pass.”

This is a contradiction. They say:

“He wills what does not come to pass, and what He does not will comes to pass.”

As for Ahl al-Sunnah, who say, “Whatever Allah wills comes to pass, and whatever He does not will does not come to pass,” and affirm that nothing occurs except what He wills, their position entails no difficulty. Even when something occurs that He does not love or command, He has a wise purpose in it, in view of which He created it. Were it not for the end He intends thereby, He would not have created it.

Once it is understood that the Lord has an intended end in what He commands and an intended end in what He creates, then, if what He commands does not come about, what He creates has nevertheless come about. Thus, nothing has occurred except what He willed. He did not create that particular thing which He commanded, lest it preclude another intended outcome that He loves more—namely, what He did create. Moreover, carrying out that command may entail forgoing another commanded act that He loves more.

For example, had Pharaoh obeyed, those great signs would not have occurred—signs through which obedience to Allah’s commands came about that was greater than Pharaoh’s belief.

Likewise, had the leading men of Quraysh obeyed, there would not have been the manifestation of the Messenger’s signs and the miracle of the Quran,