And as for the second kind—the will pertaining to decree—it encompasses all beings and every event. In this sense, rather than the first, Allah has willed that His creatures do what they actually do. As He, Most High, says:

“Whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens their heart to Islam; and whoever He wills to lead astray, He makes their heart tight and constricted.”

And He says:

“My advice will not benefit you, even if I wish to advise you, if Allah wills to lead you astray. He is your Lord.”

Likewise, Muslims say: “Whatever Allah wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not happen.” There are many similar examples.

This will encompasses acts of obedience and disobedience that actually occur, but not those that do not occur. The first will, by contrast, encompasses acts of obedience whether they occur or not. The blessed person is one from whom Allah wills, by His decree, what He wills for him through His legislation. The wretched servant is one for whom He wills, by His decree, what He does not will for him through His legislation. Judgment proceeds in accordance with these two wills. Whoever views deeds with both these eyes sees clearly; whoever considers divine decree without divine legislation, or divine legislation without divine decree, sees with only one eye. Such were the Quraysh, who said:

“If Allah had willed, neither we nor our forefathers would have associated partners with Him, nor would we have forbidden anything.”

Allah Most High said:

“Likewise, those before them denied the truth until they tasted Our punishment. Say, ‘Do you have any knowledge that you can produce for us? You follow nothing but conjecture, and you do nothing but lie.’”

These people believed that everything Allah willed to exist and occur—this being His decretive will—He had also commanded and approved, without regard to His legislative will. Then they saw that their associating partners with Him without any revealed authorization was among the things Allah had willed to exist. They therefore said: “Then He must have approved and commanded it.” Allah said:

“Likewise, those before them denied”—the revealed laws, with their commands and prohibitions—“until they tasted Our punishment. Say, ‘Do you have any