does anything fall outside His will and power. Thus, when He commands people to observe the prescribed limits and fulfill their obligations for their own welfare, this is an act of beneficence toward them and a means of informing them of what benefits them. If He creates other things, and they then become negligent and transgress because His creation of those other things (1) brings about (2) the harm arising from their negligence and transgression, while He has another wise purpose and benefit in creating the second thing (3), He is just and wise (4) in creating the one and the other, and in commanding the one and the other. This remains so even if He does not provide the first group with additional aid by which they might guard themselves (5) against negligence and transgression—especially when He knows that, had He created that additional aid, it would necessarily have caused the loss of a benefit weightier than it (6), for two opposites cannot coexist.

The point here is that no one invokes divine decree except as a plea explaining his failure to follow the truth made clear by knowledge (7), for the human being is alive and sentient and acts by volition.

For this reason, the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said:

“The truest names are al-Hārith and Hammām.” (8)

Al-Hārith is one who earns and acts, while Hammām is one who constantly forms intentions, and an intention is the beginning of