and His words:

“His command, when He wills a thing, is only to say to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” (Yā Sīn: 82)

Likewise, His words:

“We are with you, listening.” (al-Shuʿarāʾ: 15)

And His words:

“Say, ‘Work, for Allah will see your deeds, as will His Messenger and the believers.’” (al-Tawbah: 105)

And similar passages. He said:

“Some of Ahl al-Sunnah held that an act of listening arises within Allah’s essence. He mentioned that these people, together with some of the innovators, interpreted this, in relation to will, as referring to occurrences in time.

He said:

‘As for those who claimed adherence to the Sunnah, they intended to affirm divine predestination, saying: Allah’s will, if it arises, arises from a decree preceding that will. Some of the innovators, however, claimed that will is merely an act of creation arising in time: it is not itself created, but through it Allah brought created beings into existence.’

He said:

‘They claimed that the act of creation is distinct from what is created, that the act of creation is will, and that it is not an attribute intrinsic to Allah Himself.’