of it—unless it actually occurs. For whatever He wills occurs, and whatever He does not will does not occur. Likewise, according to them, whatever He loves and approves of occurs, and whatever He does not love or approve of does not occur. They interpreted His words:
“He does not approve of disbelief for His servants”
as referring to those who have not committed disbelief, or as meaning that He does not approve of it as a religion. Similarly, they say that He did not will it for those who have not committed it, or that He does not will it as a religion. For they agreed with the Jahmiyyah and the Qadariyyah that there is no distinction between love and will.
Yet Allah Most High says:
“If you disbelieve, Allah has no need of you, and He does not approve of disbelief for His servants. But if you are grateful, He approves of that for you.”
Thus He states that when His servants disbelieve, He does not approve of their disbelief. Likewise, He says:
“When they plot by night to say what He does not approve of.”
And He says:
“Allah does not love corruption,”
while also saying:
“And whoever He wills to send astray, He makes his heart tight and constricted.”
And (the decisive resolution is this: a command does not necessarily entail that the commanding Lord wills to create the commanded act, or intends to bring it about. Rather, He may command something that He does not create. His command does, however, necessarily entail that the Lord loves and approves of His servant’s performing it, in the sense that, if the servant performs it, He loves and approves of it. He intends it from the servant as one who commands intends the person commanded to do what he has commanded for that person’s benefit—even if He does not intend to create it or help the servant perform it, because of His wisdom in withholding that help. For His wisdom is perfect in what He creates and in what He does not create.
There is a difference between His intending to create the act Himself and make another its doer, showing him kindness and favour by helping him attain what benefits him, and His commanding another to do what is good for him and explaining what will benefit him if he does it—even though He Himself does not intend to help him, because of what is involved in withholding His assistance