his ability to pay it without any excuse, and although the person entitled to it (1) demanded payment from him, he would not have broken his oath. If the divine will meant the command, he would have broken it (2), for he was commanded to do so. The same applies to every other (3) oath to perform a commanded act when it is made conditional upon the divine will.

Furthermore, Allah Most High says:

“Had your Lord willed, all those on earth would have believed—all of them together.”

[Surah Jonah: 99]

Although He commanded them to believe, it is thus known that He commanded them to believe but did not will it. Likewise, His statement:

“Whomever He wills to lead astray, He makes his breast tight and constricted.”

[Surah Cattle: 125]

is evidence that He willed his going astray (4), although He did not command him (5) to go astray.

Third:

The position of the leading jurists (6), the scholars of hadith, many speculative thinkers, and others is that the will mentioned in the Book of Allah is of two kinds: a will (7) pertaining to command and a will pertaining to creation. The will pertaining to command means that He wills the servant to do what He has commanded him to do (8), whereas the will pertaining to creation means that He wills what He Himself does. The will pertaining to command entails love and approval, and it is the religious will. The second, which pertains (9) to creation, is the divine volition—that is, the universal, decretive will.