what He commanded or by doing what He prohibited. On this point, the Muʿtazilah agreed with the main body of Muslims, unlike the Jahmiyyah and their followers among the Ashʿariyyah and others, who said instead that He punishes those who have committed no sin, or words to that effect.

These people then argue against the Muʿtazilah, denying that reason establishes obligations and prohibitions, by citing the words of Allah Most High:

“We never punish until We have sent a messenger.”

Yet this is also evidence against them, ruling out punishment altogether before messengers have been sent, whereas they hold that punishment before the sending of messengers is possible. The former say that He punishes someone to whom He has sent no messenger because that person has committed acts whose evil is known through reason. The latter say that He even punishes those who have never done anything evil, such as children.

This contradicts the Quran, the Sunnah, and reason as well. Allah Most High says:

“We never punish until We have sent a messenger.”

And Allah Most High says of the people of the Fire:

“Whenever a group is cast into it, its keepers ask them, ‘Did no warner come to you?’”

“They will say, ‘Yes, a warner did come to us, but we denied him and said, “Allah has revealed nothing; you are only in great error.”’”

Thus, He—glorified and exalted be He—has stated in universally inclusive terms that whenever a group is cast into the Fire, its keepers ask whether a warner came to them, and they acknowledge that a warner did indeed come to them. Hence, no group enters the Fire without a warner having come to them. Whoever has received no warner will therefore not enter the Fire.

And He says:

“That is because your Lord would not destroy towns unjustly while their people were unaware.”

That is, this is for this reason. Thus, it is known that He does not punish someone who is unaware unless there has come to him