reason establishes as obligatory or forbidden. Yet, [among](1) the reprehensible notions they included in this were those founded on their innovation of denying divine decree and its implications.

The other extreme is that of those who went too far in refuting them. They said that no action is to be ruled out as unworthy of the Lord, and that the only basis on which we know that He cannot perform an action is His declaration that He will not perform it, which accords with His knowledge that He will not perform it.

These people denied the reality of what He has declared: that He has prescribed mercy for Himself and forbidden injustice to Himself. Allah Most High says:

“When those who believe in Our revelations come to you, say, ‘Peace be upon you. Your Lord has prescribed mercy for Himself.’”

In the two Sahīh collections, Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reports that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“When Allah completed creation, He wrote a decree for Himself, which is kept with Him above the Throne: ‘My mercy prevails over My wrath.’”

These people did not realize that a mere declaration corresponding to knowledge does not explain why He acts or refrains from acting, for knowledge corresponds to what is known. His knowledge that He will do one thing and will not do another does not address His having prescribed the former for Himself and forbidden the latter to Himself. Likewise, if He were to declare of any being, whoever it might be, that it does one thing and does not do another, this would not explain its being praiseworthy and deserving of commendation for doing the former and refraining from the latter. Nor would it explain the presence of a reason prompting the former or a restraint preventing the latter. A mere declaration discloses what is being reported; it does not explain what prompts action or abstention. This is unlike His statement:

“He has prescribed