and deny divine decree. It is because of people such as these that the Mu'tazilites and Shiites have been emboldened in their attacks on those affiliated with the Sunnah. For one who affirms the divine command and prohibition, the promise and the threat, the performance of obligatory deeds and the avoidance of forbidden acts, yet does not affirm that Allah created His servants’ actions, has power over them, or willed [acts of disobedience], has sought (1) to uphold the divine command, declare Allah far above injustice, and establish Allah’s proof against himself. However, his outlook was too narrow, and he failed to reconcile Allah’s perfect power, His universal will (2), and His all-encompassing creation with His justice and wisdom, His commands and prohibitions, and His promise and threat (3). Thus, he affirmed that all praise belongs to Allah, but did not affirm His complete sovereignty.

Those who affirm His power, will, and creation, yet use them to oppose His commands and prohibitions and His promise and threat (4), are worse than the Jews and Christians, as this author has said. Their doctrine would leave the messengers with no answer. We reject only what is false in the statements of this author and others. As for the truth, we must accept it from whoever speaks it. No one may refute one innovation with another or counter one falsehood with another. Although those who deny divine decree are guilty of innovation, those who invoke it against the divine command are guilty of an even graver innovation. Although the former resemble the Magians, the latter resemble the polytheists who denied the messengers (5) and said, “Had Allah willed, neither we nor our forefathers would have associated partners with Him, nor would we have forbidden anything apart from Him.”

Near the end of the Companions’ era [may Allah be pleased with them all] (6), there was a group of these Qadarites. As for those who invoke divine decree against the divine command, no sect of theirs is known