Al-Khallāl said:

Al-Marwazī informed us: I said to Abū ʿAbd Allāh, “A man says that Allah compels His servants.” He replied, “We do not put it that way.” He objected to this and said:

“He leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills.” [al-Nahl: 93]

He also said:

Al-Marwazī informed us, saying: ʿAbd al-Wahhāb wrote to me concerning Hasan ibn Khalaf al-ʿUkbarī, saying that he refrained from taking his father’s inheritance. A member of the Qadariyyah said, “Allah has not compelled His servants to commit sins.” Ahmad ibn Rajāʾ responded, saying, “Allah compelled His servants to do whatever He willed.” By this, he intended to affirm divine decree.

Ahmad ibn ʿAlī then wrote a book presenting his arguments. I brought it to Abū ʿAbd Allāh and told him what had happened. He said, “And he writes a book?” He condemned both of them: Ibn Rajāʾ for saying, “He compelled His servants,” and the member of the Qadariyyah for saying, “He did not compel them.” He also condemned Ahmad ibn ʿAlī for writing the book and advancing his arguments, and ordered that he be shunned for writing the book,