administers justice between two disputants over a deceased person’s estate.
Furthermore, a statement entails knowledge of what is reported, while a command entails a demand and a will for what is commanded, even if this does not entail willing its actual execution. Allah Most High commanded His servants to do what He commanded them, but He aided the obedient and thus willed to create their performance of those acts. He did not aid the disobedient and thus did not will to create their performance of them. This creative, decretive will does not necessarily entail a command. As for will in the sense that He loves the performance of what He commands, approves of it when it is performed, and wills that the person commanded perform it insofar as that person is commanded, this is indispensable to a command. Accordingly, Allah affirmed this kind of will in relation to His commands, but not the former kind. Some people, however, erred and denied will altogether. Neither group distinguished between creative will and prescriptive will.
The Quran distinguishes between these two kinds of will. Concerning the first, Allah says:
“Whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his heart to Islam; and whoever He wills to lead astray, He makes his heart tight and constricted.”
Noah said:
“My counsel will not benefit you, even if I wish to advise you, if Allah wills to lead you astray.”
Allah says:
“If Allah had willed, they would not have fought one another, but Allah does whatever He wills.”
And He says:
“Why, when you entered your garden, did you not say, ‘What Allah wills comes to pass; there is no power except through Allah’?”
Hence the Muslims say: “Whatever Allah wills comes to pass, and whatever He does not will does not come to pass.”
Concerning the second kind, He says:
“Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you.”
And He says:
“Allah intends only to remove impurity from you, people of the Household, and to purify you thoroughly.”
And He says:
“Allah does not intend to impose hardship upon you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favour upon you.”