1300—‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Ja‘far mentioned: Ahmad ibn Muhammad related to us; Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Samad related to us; ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman related to us; Baqiyyah related to us, saying: I asked al-Awza‘i and al-Zubaydi about compulsion. Al-Zubaydi said: “Allah’s command is too great, and His power too great, for Him to compel or coerce. Rather, He decrees, determines, creates, and fashions His servant according to what He loves.”

Al-Awza‘i said: “I know of no basis in the Quran or the sunnah for compulsion, and so I hesitate to speak of it. Rather, decree, predestination, creation, and fashioning—these are known in the Quran and in hadiths from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I have only described this in this manner for fear that a man from the people of the community and affirmation might fall into doubt.”

1301—I found in the handwriting of Abu Ahmad ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Fara’i ⦗776⦘—who had granted me authorization to transmit from him—that he said: I read to Abu Bakr al-Abhari the book Sharh Ibn ‘Abd al-Hakam, from Malik, who said concerning the Qadarites: “They are to be called upon to repent; if they repent, [they are spared], but if not, they are executed.” I asked him: “Who, according to Malik, are the Qadarites concerning whom he made this statement?” He replied: Ibn Wahb narrated from him that he said: “They are those who say that Allah did not create acts of disobedience.” ‘Abd al-Razzaq also narrated from him that they are those who say: “Allah does not know a thing before it comes to be.”