imagine things that have no reality. All of this (1) is discussed fully in its proper place. The point here is merely to illustrate the matter through the statements of the disputants (2), all of which are false.
An example of this is when the Qadariyya among the Mu‘tazilites and others dispute over divine decree with the compulsionist Qadariyya (3) among the Jahmites and others. They all say:
Allah’s will is His love and His pleasure (4).
The Mu‘tazilites then say:
He—Glorified is He—loves faith and righteous deeds, and He hates disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience; therefore, He does not will any of them.
They say that the evidence for this is His statement:
“He does not approve of disbelief for His servants.”
[Surah al-Zumar: 7]
And His statement:
“When they devise by night words that do not please Him.”
[Surah al-Nisā’: 10]
And His statement:
“Allah does not love corruption.”
[Surah al-Baqara: 205]
The jurists agree that acts of righteousness fall into the obligatory and the recommended; that the recommended is what Allah and His Messenger love; and that everything forbidden (5) is disliked—Allah and His Messenger dislike it.
Dislike is of two kinds: prohibitive dislike and non-prohibitive dislike.
When Allah Most High mentioned the forbidden things, He said:
“The evil of all these things is hateful to your Lord.”
[Surah al-Isrā’: 38]
It is also reported in the two Sahih collections that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:
“Indeed, Allah dislikes for you idle talk, excessive questioning, and wasting