its outcome is better. No one, then, does anything voluntarily unless he loves what he wills or loves what it leads to, such that its existence is dearer to him than its nonexistence. Its existence and nonexistence are not equal in his regard.

The third is their claim that a resolute will may fail to bring about what is willed despite the presence of power.

This too is false. Rather, whenever complete power and resolute will are present, what lies within that power must come into existence. Where this does not necessarily follow, it is only because of deficient power or the absence of complete will. As for the Lord, Exalted is He, whatever He wills comes to pass, and whatever He does not will does not come to pass. In several places, He declares that, had He willed, He would have done things that He has not done, as He says:

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

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

“Had Allah willed, they would not have fought one another.”

He thus makes clear that, were He to will that, He would have the power to do it. Yet He does not do it because He has not willed it, since not willing it is more consonant with wisdom, even though He would have the power to do it were He to will it. What these people and others say about power and will has been discussed at length elsewhere.

Some of these people say that His power extends only to things distinct from Him, not to acts subsisting in Himself. This is the position of the Mu‘tazilah, the Jahmiyyah, and those among the Ash‘ariyyah and others who agree with them.

Others say that His power extends both to acts subsisting in Him and to things distinct from Him, as is reported of the Karrāmiyyah.