the Qadariyyah:

“The servant possesses complete power and gives preference to one of two possible acts over the other without any newly arising cause, and without any need for Allah to bring about something that determines the performance of one rather than the other. Although he stands in the same relation to the two opposites—faith and disbelief—one is preferred over the other without any determining factor, whether from Allah or from the servant. He needs neither Allah’s help nor for Him to make him willing, make him establish prayer, or make him a Muslim.”

Sound reason establishes the contrary. Allah Most High does whatever He wills and decrees whatever He wishes. Whatever He wills comes to pass, and whatever He does not will does not come to pass. The praise expressed in these words, however, means that His will is unrestricted: nothing can obstruct Him when He wills something. As the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“None of you should say, ‘O Allah, forgive me if You will; O Allah, have mercy on me if You will.’ Rather, let him be firm in his request, for no one can compel Allah.”

He thus explained that Allah acts only by His will. No one can compel Him such that He should be told, “Do it if You will,” nor does He act if He does not will. When He, glorified be He, wills something, He has the power to do it, and nothing can prevent Him.

This does not mean that He acts merely by a will unaccompanied by wisdom. Yet, according to them, He performs acts whose performance and nonperformance are, in relation to Him, alike in every respect. This is no praise; rather, reason recognizes it as a blameworthy attribute. Whoever acts merely because he wishes to act, with no wisdom behind his action and no abstract end that it serves, would be better off not acting. Allah, glorified be He, has condemned in His Book those who attribute this to Him. He Most High said: