a believer; and this includes his will to believe (1). They count this will as part of the capacity concomitant with the act. This is merely a verbal disagreement, and it has been explained elsewhere (2), as noted above.

Accordingly, the position of the majority of Ahl al-Sunnah, who maintain that the disbeliever is capable of believing, invalidates this objection. Those who hold the other position (3), however, accept its implication. Whichever of the two positions is correct, it does not fall outside the positions of Ahl al-Sunnah (4). All praise belongs to Allah.

The second response (5) is as follows: Imposing an obligation that cannot be fulfilled falls into two categories. The first (6) is what cannot be done because one lacks the ability to do it, such as requiring a disabled person to walk or a human being to fly, and similar things (7). According to the [great majority] (8) of Ahl al-Sunnah who affirm divine decree, this does not occur in the Sharia. Nothing he mentioned entails the necessity (9) of its occurrence.

The second is what cannot be done because one is engaged in its opposite, such as the disbeliever’s engagement in disbelief (10), for this is what turns him away from faith; or a seated person while he is sitting, for his engagement in sitting (11)