and He says:

“Then Adam received words from his Lord, and He accepted his repentance.”

Adam and Moses knew Allah far too well for either of them to invoke divine decree to excuse his sin and for the other to agree. Had that been so, Adam would not have needed to repent, nor would he have been sent down from Paradise. Moses himself said:

“My Lord, I have indeed wronged myself, so forgive me.”

He also said:

“My Lord, forgive me and my brother, and admit us into Your mercy, for You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.”

And he said:

“You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us, for You are the best of those who forgive.”

And he said to his people:

“So repent to your Creator and kill yourselves. That is better for you in the sight of your Creator.”

If divine decree excused the sinner, he would not have needed any of this. Rather, the appeal to divine decree was in response to Moses’ reproach concerning the calamity decreed to befall him, which Allah had written and ordained.

Part of believing in divine decree is knowing that whatever befalls a servant could never have missed him, and whatever misses him could never have befallen him. The believer therefore patiently bears calamities and seeks forgiveness for sins and faults. The ignorant wrongdoer, however, invokes divine decree to excuse his own sins and misdeeds, yet does not excuse those who wrong him on the grounds of divine decree. Nor does he acknowledge divine decree when Allah enables him to do good. He thus reverses the matter.

Rather, when he does a good deed, he ought to recognize it as a blessing from Allah, who enabled him to perform it and graciously bestowed it upon him. He should not claim credit for it or attribute it to himself as though he were its creator. When he does an evil deed, he should seek forgiveness and repent of it. And when a calamity befalls him, whether through natural causes or human actions, he should know that it had been destined and decreed for him.