Kitāb al-Fiqh al-Absaṭ - Abu Hanifa - (148)

—namely kufr (disbelief). Yet He is pleased to punish them and to exact retribution from them for abandoning obedience and engaging in sin.

I asked, “Did Allah will kufr for the believers?”

He replied, “No. Rather, He willed iman (faith) for the believers, just as He willed kufr for the unbelievers; just as He willed fornication for those who commit fornication, theft for those who steal, knowledge for those endowed with knowledge, and goodness for the people of goodness. Indeed, Allah had willed—before He created them—that the unbelievers would be unbelievers, astray.”

I said, “Does Allah punish the unbelievers for what He is pleased to create, or for what He is not pleased to create?”

He answered, “Rather, He punishes them for what He is pleased to create.”

I asked, “Why?”

He responded, “Because He punishes them for kufr.”

من الْكفْر وَلَكِن يرضى ان يعذبهم وينتقم مِنْهُم بتركهم الطَّاعَة واخذهم بالمعصية قلت شَاءَ الله للْمُؤْمِنين الْكفْر قَالَ لَا وَلَكِن شَاءَ للْمُؤْمِنين الْإِيمَان كَمَا شَاءَ للْكَافِرِينَ الْكفْر وكما شَاءَ لأَصْحَاب الزِّنَى الزِّنَى وكما شَاءَ لأَصْحَاب السّرقَة السّرقَة كَمَا شَاءَ لأَصْحَاب الْعلم الْعلم وكما شَاءَ لأَصْحَاب الْخَيْر الْخَيْر لِأَن الله شَاءَ للْكفَّار قبل ان يخلقهم ان يَكُونُوا كفَّارًا ضلالا قلت يعذب الله الْكفَّار على مَا يرضى ان يخلق ام على مَا لَا يرضى ان يخلق قَالَ بل يعذبهم على مَا يرضى ان يخلق قلت لم قَالَ لِأَنَّهُ يعذبهم على الْكفْر