the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”

“I desire no provision from them, nor do I desire that they feed Me.”

This accords with what preceded it and is consistent with it. That is: “These whom I have commanded, I created only to worship Me. I desire nothing else from them—neither provision nor food.”

If it is said that He meant only the believers, this contradicts what preceded it in the surah. It would become something like an excuse for those who do not worship Him, whom Allah has condemned and rebuked. Ultimately, such a person could say: “You did not create me to worship and obey You. Had You created me for that, I would have been a worshipper. You created only these people to worship You. As for me, You created me to disbelieve in You, associate partners with You, reject Your messengers, and worship and obey Satan. I have done what You created me for, just as those believers have done what You created them for. Thus, I bear no guilt and deserve no punishment.”

These and similar implications necessarily follow from this position, whereas Allah’s speech is far above such things. They adopted this view only because Allah Most High does whatever He wills. They said: “Had He willed that they obey Him, He would have made them obedient, just as He made the believers obedient.”

The Qadariyyah say: “He willed nothing but obedience from either group, but He did not make either group obedient. Rather, willing here means commanding: He commands both groups to obey. The former worshipped Him by bringing their own volition and obedience into being, while the latter disobeyed Him by bringing their own volition and disobedience into being.”

Those who held the first position recognized the falsity of the Qadariyyah’s view, since Allah is the Creator, Lord, and Sovereign of everything. Whatever He wills comes to pass, and whatever He does not will does not come to pass. Nothing occurs in His dominion except what He wills, and nothing exists in His dominion except through His power, creation, and will, as indicated by revelation