What we have explained is the position of the early generations of this community, its imams, and the majority of the “groups” among the scholars of jurisprudence, hadith, Sufism, speculative theology, and others. Only the extremists among the Qadariyyah disputed this, supposing that prior knowledge precludes commands and prohibitions. They divided into two groups:

One group affirmed commands and prohibitions, reward and punishment, but denied any prior decree, predestination, or written record concerning them. They emerged towards the end of the Companions’ era. When the Companions heard of their innovations, they disavowed them, as did Abd Allāh ibn Umar, Abd Allāh ibn Abbās, Jābir ibn Abd Allāh, Wāthilah ibn al-Asqaʿ, and others, who also refuted them. The “imams,” including Mālik, al-Shāfiʿī, and Ahmad, explicitly declared the disbelief of those who deny Allah’s eternal knowledge.

The second group acknowledges Allah’s prior knowledge and written record, but claims that these dispense with commands, prohibitions, and deeds, and that there is no need to act. Rather, whoever has been decreed to be blessed will enter Paradise without any deeds whatsoever, while whoever has been decreed to be wretched will become wretched without any deeds. These people do not constitute a recognized sect among the doctrinal schools; rather, this is something many ignorant people say. They are greater in disbelief and further astray than the former group. Their position amounts to nullifying commands and prohibitions, the lawful and unlawful, and the promise of reward and threat of punishment. They are far greater in disbelief than the Jews and Christians. These are the people whose position the questioner asked about.

As for the “majority of the Qadariyyah,” they acknowledge prior knowledge and the written record, but they deny