“Pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to Allah by all who are able to make their way to it.”

[Surah Āl Imrān 97]

Thus, He made pilgrimage obligatory for those capable of undertaking it. If only those who actually performed pilgrimage were capable of doing so, pilgrimage would have been obligatory only upon those who performed it, and no one (1) would be punished for failing to perform it. This contradicts what is necessarily known in the religion of Islam.

Likewise, Allah Most High says:

“So fear Allah as much as you are able.”

[Surah al-Taghābun 16]

Thus, He made fear of Allah obligatory according to one’s capacity. If those who did not fear Allah were incapable of doing so, He would have made fear of Allah obligatory only upon those who feared Him and would not punish anyone who failed to fear Him (2). This contradicts what is necessarily known in the religion of Islam.

These people adopted this position only because the Qadariyya, the Mu‘tazila (3), the Shia, and others said that capacity exists only before the act, so that it may apply to both alternatives: acting and refraining. As for the time of the act (4), [only the act can occur. They therefore claimed—or those among them who made this claim did—that at that point] (5) a person is not capable, because one who is capable must (6) be capable both of acting and refraining. Yet at the time of acting, he is incapable of refraining and is therefore not capable.

As for Ahl al-Sunnah, they say that a person must be capable at the time of the act. Their imams further said that he is also capable before the act. A group among them maintained (7) that he is not