He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was asked about someone who believes that good comes from Allah and evil comes from Satan, and that evil lies in the servant’s hands: if he wishes, he does it, and if he wishes, he refrains. When challenged about this, he says:

Allah Most High says:
“Indeed, Allah does not command indecency.”

“Indeed, Allah has no need of you, and He does not approve of disbelief for His servants.”

This person believes that good comes from Allah and that evil lies in his own hands, so that whenever he wants to do evil, he does it. He says: “I have a will, and whenever I want to do evil, I do it.” Does he have an effective will or not?

He replied:

All praise is due to Allah.

This matter rests upon two premises.

The first is that the servant should know that Allah commands faith and righteous deeds; that He loves and approves of good deeds, honours those who perform them, rewards them, takes them as His allies, and is pleased with them. He loves them, and they love Him. They are Allah’s army, granted victory, and Allah’s party, who prevail. They are His God-fearing allies, His successful party, and His righteous servants, the people of Paradise. They are the prophets, the steadfastly truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. They are those who follow the straight path—the path of those whom You have blessed, not those who have incurred Your anger or those who have gone astray.

The servant should also know that Allah has forbidden evil deeds—disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience—and that He hates these things and detests those who commit them. He curses them, is angry with them, punishes them, and is their enemy. They are the enemies of Allah and His Messenger, the allies of Satan, and the people of the Fire