And if, instead, it came about through another agency, then if this other agency came about through the first (1), a vicious circle of prior dependence would follow; and if it came about (2) through yet another agency, an infinite regress in finite matters would follow. Both are false. It is therefore known that the servant’s obedience and disobedience proceed from him, such that he deserves praise or blame, reward or punishment for them, yet this does not preclude the servant from being in need of Allah in every respect and never being independent of Allah in any respect whatsoever (3); nor does it preclude Allah from being the Creator of all his affairs, or the servant’s own act from being among the originated and contingent things that depend upon Allah’s power and will.

[A Section from the Rāfidī’s Discussion of Ahl al-Sunnah’s Doctrine of Divine Decree: The Unbeliever Is Obedient by His Unbelief Because He Does What Allah Most High Wills]

(Section)

[The Rāfidī] (4) said:

“Another consequence is that the unbeliever would necessarily be obedient by virtue of his unbelief, for he has done what Allah Most High willed: Allah willed him to disbelieve, and he did so, while he did not embrace the faith that Allah disliked from him (5). He would therefore have obeyed Him, because he did what He willed and did not do what He disliked (6). The Prophet would likewise be disobedient, because he commands him to embrace the faith that Allah dislikes [from him] (7) and forbids him from the unbelief that Allah wills from him” (8).