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Once this is established, it is well known that one must believe in Allah’s creation and command: in His decree and His revealed law.

The misguided who delve into divine decree have divided into three groups: the Magian group, the polytheistic group, and the followers of Iblīs.

The Magian group consists of those who deny Allah’s decree, even though they believe in His commands and prohibitions. Their extremists deny His foreknowledge and the written decree, while their less extreme adherents deny the all-encompassing scope of His will, creation, and power. These are the Muʿtazilah and those who agree with them.

The second group, the polytheistic group, consists of those who acknowledge divine ordainment and decree but deny commands and prohibitions. Allah Most High says:

“Those who associate others with Allah will say, ‘If Allah had willed, neither we nor our fathers would have associated others with Him, nor would we have forbidden anything.’”

Whoever invokes divine decree to justify setting aside commands and prohibitions belongs to this group. This has become widespread among those Sufis who claim to have attained spiritual reality.

The third group, the followers of Iblīs, consists of those who acknowledge both, but regard them as a contradiction on the part of the Lord—glorified and exalted is He—and impugn His wisdom and justice. Such views are related of Iblīs, their leader, as recorded by writers on sectarian doctrines and transmitted from the People of the Book.