for you, and you are commanded to bear patiently whatever befalls you.” The father has disobeyed Allah through his wrongdoing and squandering, and he is blameworthy for it. The prior decree does not exempt him from Allah’s condemnation and punishment. If, however, the father has sincerely repented, and Allah has accepted his repentance and forgiven him, he may no longer be condemned or blamed in any way: neither with regard to Allah’s right, since Allah has forgiven him, nor on account of the calamity his actions brought upon others, since he had not wronged them and that calamity had been decreed for them.

This is analogous to “the story of Adam”: Adam did not wrong his children; rather, they were born only after his descent from Paradise. Only Adam and Eve descended, with no children accompanying them, so it cannot be said that their sin extended to their children. Their children came into being after their descent to earth. Thus, Adam had not wronged his children in any way that entitled them to blame him. Their being in this world rather than Paradise was something decreed for them, for which they had no right to blame Adam. As for Adam’s sin, he had repented of it.

Allah Most High said:

“Adam disobeyed his Lord and went astray.”

“Then his Lord chose him, accepted his repentance, and guided him.”

He also said:

“Then Adam received words from his Lord, and He accepted his repentance.”

He therefore no longer deserved condemnation or punishment. Moses knew better than to blame him, on account of Allah’s right, for a sin that he knew Adam had repented of. Moses himself had also repented of a sin he had committed, and he said:

“You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us. You are the best of those who forgive.”

Adam likewise knew better than to invoke the decree to argue that a sinner is not to blame. How could he do so, when he knew that Allah had cursed Iblīs because of