from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said:

“I asked my Lord for three things. He granted me two and withheld one. I asked Him not to give an enemy from outside their ranks power over them, and He granted me that. I asked Him not to destroy them through a general famine, and He granted me that. I asked Him not to let them turn their violence against one another, but He withheld that from me.”

In several places in the Quran, He mentions things that will not occur, stating that, had He willed, He would have done them. For example, He says:

“Had We willed, We would have given every soul its guidance.”

And He says:

“Had Allah willed, those who came after them would not have fought one another after clear proofs had come to them. But they differed: some believed and some disbelieved. Had Allah willed, they would not have fought one another, but Allah does whatever He wills.”

And He says:

“Had your Lord willed, He would have made mankind one community.”

These and similar verses make clear that, had He willed to do things that have not occurred, He would have done them. This indicates that He has power over what He knows will not occur. For if He lacked the power to do it, He would not do it even if He willed it, since doing it is possible only with the power to do so. Thus, when He declares—and He is truthful in what He declares—that He would do it if He willed, it is known that He has the power to do it, even though He, glorified be He, knows that it will not occur. It is also known that what is contrary to what is known may nevertheless lie within one’s power.

If it is said to be impossible, this is an impossibility arising from the Lord’s not willing it, not from its being intrinsically impossible or beyond His power. The term “impossible” is ambiguous, as explained earlier. As for what is called impossible in the sense that it will not occur, even though