do not believe in His perfect power, His all-encompassing will, or His creation of everything; and those who corrupt Allah’s religion by holding that the servant has neither will, nor power, nor action. They thus nullify commands and prohibitions, reward and punishment, becoming like the polytheists who said:

“If Allah had willed, we would not have associated partners with Him, nor would our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything.”

The people of the Sunnah believe that Allah has power over all things: He is able to guide His servants and turn their hearts. Whatever Allah wills comes to pass, and whatever He does not will does not come to pass. Nothing occurs in His dominion that He does not will, nor is He unable to secure what He wills. He is the Creator of everything—entities, attributes, and movements.

They also believe that the servant has power, will, and action, and that he acts by choice. They do not describe him as compelled, for someone who is compelled is forced to act against his choice. Allah, glorified is He, has made the servant choose what he does: he chooses and wills, while Allah is his Creator and the Creator of his choice. There is no parallel to this, for nothing is like Allah, whether in His essence, His attributes, or His actions.

In “matters concerning designations and rulings, promises and threats,” they occupy a middle position between the Wa'īdiyyah, who hold that Muslims who commit major sins will remain in the Fire forever, exclude them entirely from faith, and deny the intercession of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; and the Murji'ah, who say: “The faith of sinful people is like the faith of the prophets, and righteous deeds are not part of religion or faith.” They deny threats of punishment and punishment altogether.