For these polytheists acknowledged that Allah created the heavens and the earth and created them, and that dominion over all things rests in His hand. Indeed, they also acknowledged divine decree: the Arabs affirmed it in the pre-Islamic age, as is well known from their poetry and prose. Nevertheless, because they did not worship Allah alone, without partners, but worshipped others besides Him, they were polytheists worse than the Jews and Christians. Thus, anyone whose utmost attainment in monotheism and its realization amounts to this has attained nothing beyond the monotheism of the polytheists.

This is a matter of tremendous consequence: here feet have slipped, understandings have gone astray, and the religion of the Muslims has been altered. Here, too, many who claim the highest attainment in monotheism, realization, knowledge, and theological discourse have confused those who worship Allah alone with idolaters.

Everyone who believes in Allah and His Messenger knows that the Mu‘tazilah and the Qadarī Shiites, who affirm divine commands and prohibitions, promises of reward and threats of punishment, are better than those who make no distinction between the believer and the unbeliever, the righteous and the wicked, the truthful prophet and the lying pretender to prophethood, or Allah’s allies and His enemies, and who regard this as the utmost realization and the highest attainment in monotheism. These people fall under the designation “Qadariyyah” whom the early generations condemned. Indeed, they deserve condemnation more than the Mu‘tazilah and others like them.

As Abū Bakr al-Khallāl wrote in Kitāb al-Sunnah (The Book of the Sunnah): “Refutation of the Qadariyyah and their assertion that Allah compelled His servants to commit sins.” He related that al-Marwadhī said: “I said to Abū ‘Abd Allāh, ‘A man says that Allah compelled His servants.’ He replied, ‘Do not put it that way.’ He rejected this and said:

‘Allah leaves astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills.’”

He also related from al-Marwadhī that a man said, “Allah did not compel His servants to commit sins.”