faith, and apostasy from faith to disbelief can occur. Thus, it was like the knowledge of Allah’s oneness that comes about by choice.

He, glorified be He, says:

‘Some of them believed, and some of them disbelieved.’

He did not say, ‘Some of them I created as believers, and some I created as disbelievers.’

He, glorified be He, also says:

‘Had the people of the towns believed and feared Allah, We would have opened for them blessings from the heavens and the earth. But they denied, so We seized them for what they used to earn.’

He thus informs us that their denial and disbelief were their own acquisition, which deprived them of blessings and for which He threatened them with punishment. To say that a disbeliever was created a disbeliever is to affirm compulsion outright. Yet whoever says, ‘It was not foreknown or foreseen, nor does it fall within divine decree and predestination,’ is a reprehensible Qadarī.

The Qadariyyah and the Murji’ah have been cursed, as have the proponents of compulsion. Allah does not compel anyone to act, for if He did, they would fall outside the scope of religious obligation, just as the angels are innately disposed to obedience.

Sufyān, Ahmad, Sahl, the Imam, and the scholars have said:

‘Allah does not compel anyone to obedience or disobedience. He is the Compeller, who compelled hearts to conform to their innate disposition.’”

He went on to say:

“He, glorified be He, says:

‘Your Lord is never unjust to His servants.’

Yet He, glorified be He, does whatever He wills. ‘He willed’ does not mean ‘He knew,’ nor does ‘He knew and willed’ mean ‘He created.’ Thus, He willed them and knew them