The philosophers who say that He is an absent cause are worse than the Qadarites. They do not regard Him as the Creator of any event in the world—neither the movements of the celestial spheres nor those of any other moving things—nor as the Creator of what arises through them. Nor do they regard Him as having power over any of this or knowing its details.

Allah, glorified and exalted, says:

“Allah is the One who created seven heavens, and likewise of the earth. His command descends among them so that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah encompasses all things in knowledge.”

[al-Talāq: 12]

Yet these people examine the world without knowing that Allah has power over all things or that Allah encompasses all things in knowledge.

Another respect is this: if we suppose two sovereigns, one of whom wills something that does not come to pass while what he does not will does come to pass, whereas the other wills nothing except that it comes to pass and nothing occurs except what he wills, we necessarily know that the latter is more perfect.

In sum, the position of those who affirm divine power entails that He is the Creator of all things, their Lord and Sovereign; that He has power over all things; and that whatever He wills comes to pass. This affirms the perfection of His creating, power, and will, whereas those who deny divine decree strip Him of these perfections.

As for the assertion that punishment for what has been predestined is injustice on His part, this is merely an unsupported claim. Their only basis for it is an analogy between the Lord and themselves.

No rational person maintains that whatever constitutes an imperfection in any being whatsoever must necessarily constitute an imperfection in Allah. Indeed, even for a human being, this is not reprehensible in every circumstance. If he has an interest in causing some animal to suffer and in doing something to it that entails suffering, it may be proper for him to do so—as in the case of someone who produces silk,