—Allah alone.
There are, then, a number of levels in this regard:
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The first level is to say, “Whatever Allah alone wills.” This wording places the entire affair in Allah’s hands. The Muslims are unanimously agreed on it; every Muslim says, “Whatever Allah wills comes to pass, and whatever He does not will never occurs.”
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The second level is to say, “Whatever Allah wills, and then whatever so-and-so wills.” This is permissible; the Prophet ﷺ approved of it and directed us to use it.
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The third is to say, “Whatever Allah wills and whatever so-and-so wills.” This is prohibited, because the speaker has made a created being equal to the Creator in the matter of will.
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The fourth is to say, “Whatever Allah wills, so (fa) so-and-so willed.” This requires further consideration. The particle fa does indicate sequence, but unlike thumma (“then”) it conveys immediacy rather than a delay. For that reason it remains questionable, and the Prophet ﷺ did not recommend it.
This hadith also shows that when a person tells people something is impermissible, he should explain to them the permissible alternative. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Do not say, ‘Whatever Allah wills and whatever so-and-so wills’; rather say, ‘Whatever Allah wills, and then whatever so-and-so wills.’” Likewise, anyone who teaches people, when he informs them