He hates and is displeased with; all these are alike in relation to Him.

This group has thus closed the door to wisdom and the explanation of divine actions in terms of their purposes.

The Qadariyyah answer according to their own principles: He—glorified is He—did not actually hold them back or prevent them. Rather, they prevented themselves, discouraged themselves from setting out, and did what He did not will.

Since their setting out would entail the harm Allah—glorified is He—mentioned, He instilled in their souls an aversion to setting out with His Messenger.

They say: “He—glorified is He—described His instilling an aversion to setting out in their hearts as an aversion pertaining to His will, without Himself disliking their setting out, for He commanded them to do so.”

They say: “How could He command them to do something He dislikes?” Anyone whose insight Allah has illuminated can plainly see the unsoundness of these two answers and how far they depart from what the Quran indicates.

The correct answer is that He—glorified is He—commanded them to set out in obedience to His command, following His Messenger ﷺ and supporting him and the believers. He loved this from them and approved it for them as an act of religion. Yet He—glorified is He—knew that, if they set out, they would not do so in this manner. Rather, they would set out only to forsake His Messenger and the believers. Their departure would therefore involve the opposite of what He loves and approves of, and would necessarily bring about what He dislikes and hates. Thus, He disliked it in this respect, while loving it in the form in which [His allies] set out. He knew that they would set out only in the manner He disliked, so He disliked it and punished them for failing to set out in the manner He loves and approves of—not for failing to set out in the manner He hates and is displeased with.

Accordingly, the setting out that He disliked from them was not an act of obedience. Even had they done it, He would not have rewarded them for it or approved it from them. This setting out that He disliked has two opposites.

The first is setting out in the manner He approves of and loves. This is the opposite that He loves.

The second is staying behind rather than accompanying His Messenger, and refraining from going on campaign with him. This opposite He also hates and dislikes. His dislike of their setting out in the manner in which they would have set out