knowledge that you can produce for us?’”—that Allah has prescribed associating partners with Him and forbidding what you have forbidden.

“You follow,” in this matter, “nothing but conjecture”—namely, your supposition that whatever He has decreed, He has also prescribed. “And you do nothing but lie”—that is, you lie and fabricate, thereby setting His law aside.

“Say, ‘Allah’s is the conclusive argument’”—against His creatures, for He sent them messengers who called them to worship Him alone and follow His law. Nevertheless, had He willed, He would have guided all creatures to follow His law. Yet He bestows His favor upon whomever He wills, guiding them out of His grace and kindness, and withholds it from whomever He wills. For one who bestows a favor may either bestow it or refrain from doing so. His withholding His favor from those He deprives of it is just and equitable, and He has consummate wisdom in doing so.

He punishes His creatures for contravening His command and His legislative will, even though their doing so occurs by His decretive will. For just as disobedience occurs by divine decree, so too does its punishment. Likewise, He, glorified be He, may decree that a servant suffer illnesses that bring pain: the illness is by His decree, and the pain is by His decree.

If a servant says, “It was already willed that I should sin, so I will not be punished,” this is like a sick person saying, “It was already willed that I should become ill, so I will not feel pain”; or saying, “It was already willed that I should eat something hot, so my constitution will not become overheated”; or, “It was already willed that the blow should be struck, so the person struck will not feel pain.” Besides being ignorance, this does not benefit the person who says it. Rather, invoking divine decree as an excuse is a second sin for which he will also be punished.

It was Iblīs who invoked divine decree as an excuse when he said:

“Because You have led me astray, I will surely make evil appealing to them on earth.”

Adam, by contrast, said:

“Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.”

When Allah wills blessedness for someone, He inspires him to say what Adam—peace be upon him—said, or words to that effect.