Allah, the Truth. Thus, through the baseless ellipsis he posits, despite nothing in the context indicating it, he turns Allah’s truthful words, which He commends and approves, into a statement by disbelievers which He declares false, condemns, and abhors.

These people’s ignorance is also evident in their supposition that this verse supports the Qadariyyah, and in some Qadariyyah’s use of it as evidence. For there is no disagreement that acts of obedience and disobedience stand on the same footing with respect to divine decree.

Whoever says that the servant, rather than Allah, brings his own actions into existence, or that he creates his own actions and Allah has not created His servants’ actions, makes no distinction in this respect between obedience and disobedience. Likewise, whoever affirms that actions are created—whether he affirms compulsion, denies it, or refrains from either affirming or denying it categorically, and whether he clarifies its meaning or not—makes no distinction in this respect between obedience and disobedience.

It is therefore clear that bringing this verse into the debate over divine decree displays the utmost ignorance. The good and evil mentioned in the verse mean favourable and adverse circumstances, not acts of obedience and disobedience, as in the words of the Most High:

“We tested them with good times and bad, so that they might return.”

These are the evil and good mentioned in His words:

“We test you with evil and good as a trial.”

Likewise, He says:

“If something good befalls you, it grieves them; but if misfortune befalls you, they rejoice in it.”

And the Most High says:

“And if We let him taste prosperity after adversity has touched him, he will surely say, ‘My troubles have gone away.’”

And the Most High says:

“And We never sent to