for your Companions to hear it.’” He thus forbade him to let them hear it in a way that would cause more harm than benefit. Likewise, everything Allah commands must have benefits that outweigh its harms. Benefit is what is meant by good, and harm is what is meant by detriment. He is therefore commanded to remind only when the good predominates—that is, when the reminder brings about a benefit that outweighs its harm. This supports both the first and second points. Wherever harm predominates, he is forbidden to do what brings about that greater harm.

Benefit is not confined to everyone accepting the reminder: some accepting it is a benefit; establishing the proof against those who do not accept it is a benefit; his words becoming widely known and reaching those far away is a benefit; and their remaining with those who heard them until they convey them to those who have not heard them is a benefit. Thus, he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, never gave any reminder except one that was beneficial. He never gave a reminder whose harm outweighed its benefit.

This is the position of the majority of Muslims, both earlier and later generations: whatever Allah commands must have a preponderance of good and benefit. As for anything whose harm outweighs its benefit, Allah does not command it.

As for Jahm and those of the Jabriyyah (determinists) who agree with him, they say that Allah may command something that contains no benefit or good whatsoever, but is instead purely harmful if carried out by