Eternal Knowledge Implies Eternal Will:
Abu Hasan al-Ashʿari argues that if Allah has always been All-Knowing about something not existing at a certain time, He must also have always been Willing that it not exist at that time.
The Muʿtazilah say Allah’s will is created, unlike His knowledge.
Abu Hasan al-Ashʿari responds that this is like the Jahmiyyah claiming Allah’s knowledge is created. If created knowledge is impossible because it implies prior knowledge in an endless chain, the same applies to will. If originating will after not willing implies deficiency, then will is eternal just like knowledge.
The Problem Of Events Without His Will
Abu Hasan al-Ashʿari says that if disbelief and sin occur without Allah’s will, then most of what He wills does not occur, and most of what He does not will does occur. This contradicts the consensus of Muslims that whatever Allah wills happens and whatever He does not will does not happen.
Iblis’s Will Made Greater Than Allah’s
Abu Hasan al-Ashʿari says that according to the Muʿtazilah, disbelief (willed by Iblis) occurs more than belief, making Iblis’s will more effective than Allah’s. This would make Iblis more deserving of qudrah than Allah, which is kufr.
Qudrah And Effectiveness Of Will
Abu Hasan al-Ashʿari asks: Who is more deserving of qudrah — one whose will is always effective, or one whose will fails most of the time?
The Muʿtazilah must admit the former is more deserving.
Abu Hasan al-Ashʿari then says that by their own logic, they would make Iblis more deserving of qudrah than Allah. This is false; Allah’s will is always effective.
Ulūhiyyah Is Linked To Will
Abu Hasan al-Ashʿari says that just as Allah’s ulūhiyyah means nothing occurs outside His knowledge, it also means nothing occurs outside His will. If the Muʿtazilah accept this for knowledge, they must accept it for will, or contradict themselves.
Weakness, Forgetfulness, and Incapacity
Abu Hasan al-Ashʿari says that claiming something occurs in Allah’s dominion without His will implies either He was heedless or forgetful, or He was weak or incapable. Both are impossible for Allah.
Evidence From The Qur’an For Will Over All Events
Abu Hasan al-Ashʿari quotes “فَعَّالٌ لِمَا يُرِيدُ” (al-Buruj: 16) — “Doer of whatever He wills” — if He willed something in His own action and it did not occur, this implies deficiency. If this is impossible for His own actions, it is also impossible for the actions of His servants.
Examples given: Fighting occurred, so Allah willed it “وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ” (al-Baqarah: 253). He withheld universal guidance because of His decree to fill Hell “وَلَكِنْ حَقَّ الْقَوْلُ مِنِّي لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ” (al-Sajdah: 13), proving He willed misguidance. He could have given disbelievers silver palaces if not for the risk of uniting mankind in disbelief “وَلَوْلَا أَنْ يَكُونَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً” (al-Zukhruf: 33).
Their Objection: “Willing Sin Is Foolish”
The Muʿtazilah say that willing disbelief is foolish, so Allah does not will it. Abu Hasan al-Ashʿari refutes this: The son of Adam willed his brother to kill him so his brother would bear more sin (al-Maʾidah:28), he was not foolish.
Yusuf عليه السلام preferred prison (their wrongdoing) to sin (Yusuf:33), he was not foolish. Allah is not under any higher authority or Sharīʿah, so willing disliked acts does not imply foolishness. Even humans may will disliked acts for wise purposes without being foolish.
Speech on the Will and the refutation of the Muʿtazilah in that matter
It is said to them: Do you not claim that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has always been All-Knowing? They will say: Yes. It is said to them: Then why did you not say that the One who has always been All-Knowing, that something will not exist at a certain time, has always been Willing that it should not exist at that time? And whatever He has always known will not exist, He has always been Willing that it should not exist at that time. (The Muhaqiq says: The attributes of will and mashīʾah are two established active attributes of Allah. Will is of two types: a universal will, which is in the meaning of mashīʾah and must occur, though it is not necessarily beloved to Allah, for He may will something that is detested in the Sharʿ, such as disbelief; and a legislative will, meaning love, which relates to what is beloved to Him, even if it does not occur.) (The Ahl al-Sunnah have unanimously agreed upon affirming the attribute of will for Allah. See Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 8/459, al-Asfahāniyyah p. 20, al-ʿUluw by al-Dhahabi 2/1055, al-Sabūni in ʿAqīdah Aʾimmat Ahl al-Hadīth p. 165, al-Ashʿari in his Risālah to Ahl al-Thaghr p. 214, al-Asfahāni in al-Hujjah 1/231, 244, and see al-Intisār fī al-Radd ʿalā al-Muʿtazilah 2/342, and al-Iqtiṣād p. 119.)
Then it is said to them: Has He not always been Willing that what He knows should be as He knows?
If they say: We do not say that Allah has always been Willing, because Allah is Willing by a created will, it is said to them: Why did you claim that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is Willing by a created will?
And what is the difference between you and the Jahmiyyah in their claim that Allah is Knowing by a created knowledge?
If it is not permissible for the knowledge of Allah to be originated, then why do you not forbid that His will be created?
If they say: It is not permissible for the knowledge of Allah to be originated, because that would require it to have occurred through another knowledge, and so on without end, it is said to them: Then why do you not forbid that the will of Allah be originated and created, because that would require it to have occurred through another will, and so on without end?
If they say: It is not permissible for the knowledge of Allah to be originated, because whoever was not knowing and then became knowing is subject to deficiency,
It is said to them: And why is it not the same that the will of Allah cannot be originated and created, because whoever was not willing and then became willing is subject to deficiency? And just as it is not permissible for His will to be originated and created, likewise it is not permissible for His speech to be originated and created.
Another proof: It is said to them: When you claim that in the dominion of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, there is disbelief and disobedience that He does not will, and that He willed for all creation to believe yet they did not believe, then on your view it follows that most of what Allah willed to be did not occur, and most of what He willed not to be did occur.
This is because disbelief, which occurred without His will according to you, is greater in amount than the belief which occurred while He willed it. Thus most of what He willed to be did not occur, and this is a denial of what the Muslims have unanimously agreed upon, that whatever Allah wills to be, is, and whatever He does not will, is not.
Another proof: It is said to them: From your words it is understood that most of what Iblis willed occurred, because disbelief is greater than belief, and most of what occurred was what he willed. So you have made the will of Iblis more effective than the will of the Lord of the worlds, Mighty and Majestic, because most of what he willed occurred, and most of what occurred was what he willed. In this is the implication that you have given Iblis a rank in will that you have not given to the Lord of the worlds. Exalted is Allah above the statement of the wrongdoers in great exaltation.
Another proof: It is said to them: Which is more deserving of the attribute of qudrah (perfect power)?
One who, when he wills something to be, it necessarily is, and when he does not will it, it is not?
Or one who wills for something to be that does not occur, and for something not to be that does occur?
If they say: The one for whom most of what he wills does not occur is more deserving of the attribute of qudrah, they have spoken falsehood. It is said to them: If what you say is allowed, it would be allowed for one to say that the one for whom what he does not know occurs is more deserving of knowledge than the one for whom only what he knows occurs.
If they retract from this falsehood and claim that the one who, when he wills something, it is, and when he does not will it, it is not, is more deserving of the attribute of qudrah, then according to their own principles, Iblis – may Allah curse him – would be more deserving of qudrah than Allah, Mighty and Majestic, because most of what he willed occurred, and most of what occurred was what he willed.
It is then said to them: If the one who, when he wills something, it is, and when he does not will it, it is not, is more deserving of the attribute of qudrah, then it necessarily follows that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is the one who, when He wills something, it is, and when He does not will it, it is not, for He is most deserving of the attribute of qudrah.
A question: It is said to them: Which is more deserving of the attribute of ulūhiyyah and sovereignty:
One for whom nothing occurs except what He knows, and nothing escapes His knowledge, and this cannot be impossible for Him?
Or one for whom things occur that He does not know, and most things are hidden from His knowledge?
If they say: The one for whom nothing occurs except what He knows, and nothing escapes His knowledge, is more deserving of ulūhiyyah, it is said to them: Likewise, the one for whom nothing occurs except what He wills, and nothing occurs except what He wills, and nothing escapes His will, is more deserving of ulūhiyyah, just as you said that in the matter of knowledge.
When they say this, they abandon their original statement and return from it, and affirm that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is willing for everything that occurs, and that nothing occurs except what He wills.
Another issue: It is said to them: When you say that in the dominion of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, there occurs what He does not will, then there necessarily occurs in His dominion what He hates. They must say: Yes. It is said to them: If there occurs in His dominion what He hates, then why do you not allow that there occurs in His dominion what He refuses to exist? If they accept this, it is said to them: Then sins occur whether Allah wills them or refuses them, and this is the attribute of weakness and incapacity. And whatever angers Him when it is done, then it has been done against His will, and this is the attribute of being overpowered. Exalted is Allah above that in great exaltation.
It is said to them: Has it not happened that the servants did what angers Him, and that He is displeased with when they do it? They must say: Yes. It is said to them: If the servants did what He does not will and what He hates, then they have overpowered Him, and this is the attribute of being subdued. Exalted is Allah above that in great exaltation.
Another issue: It is said to them: Has not Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: “Doer of whatever He wills” (al-Buruj: 16)? They must say: Yes. It is said to them: Whoever claims that Allah is the Doer of whatever He wills, and that He willed for His action to include something that did not occur, must accept that it occurred due to heedlessness or forgetfulness, or that weakness or incapacity to achieve what He willed befell Him. They must say: Yes. It is said to them: Likewise, whoever claims that in the dominion of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, there occurs what He does not will from His servants, must accept one of two things:
Either he claims that this occurred due to heedlessness and forgetfulness,
Or he claims that weakness and incapacity to achieve what He willed befell Him.
Another issue: It is said to them: Is it not that whoever claims that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, does what He does not know has ascribed to Allah what is impossible for Him, which is ignorance? They must say: Yes. It is said to them: Likewise, whoever claims that the servant of Allah does what Allah does not will has ascribed to Allah heedlessness and incapacity to achieve what He wills. If they say: Yes, it is said to them: Likewise, it necessarily follows that whoever claims that the servants do what Allah does not know has ascribed ignorance to Allah. They must say: Yes.
It is said to them: Likewise, if in existence there is something which is the action of Allah, but which He does not will, then this necessitates heedlessness, weakness, and incapacity to achieve what He wills. Likewise, if from another there occurs what He does not will, it is necessary to affirm heedlessness and forgetfulness or weakness and incapacity to achieve what He wills. There is no difference in this between what is from Him and what is from other than Him.
Another issue: It is said to them: If there occurs in the dominion of Allah what He does not will, while He knows it, and weakness and incapacity to achieve what He wills do not befall Him, then why do you not allow that in His dominion there occurs what He does not know, without that implying deficiency? If this is not permissible, then what you have said is not permissible.
Another proof: If someone were to say: Why do you claim that Allah wills every existing thing, or for everything that does not occur, that it should not occur?
It is said to him: The proof for that is that the evidence has described that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, created disbelief and acts of disobedience (and we will explain that later in the designated section of our book), and when it is established that Allah, Glorified is He, is the Creator of that, it is therefore necessary that He willed it, for it is not permissible that He create something He does not will.
Another response: It is not permissible that within the dominion of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, there should occur from the acquisition of the servants something that He does not will, just as it is not permissible that from His own action — and there is consensus that it is His action — something occurs that He does not will. For if something were to occur from His action that He does not know, this would entail attributing deficiency to Him. Likewise, if something were to occur from His servants that He does not know, then similarly it is not permissible that from His servants there occurs something He does not will, because this would necessitate one of two things:
a. That it occurred due to forgetfulness and heedlessness.
b. Or due to weakness and inability to bring about what He wills, just as would necessarily follow if from His own action — and there is consensus that it is His action — something occurred that He does not will. Also, if acts of disobedience occurred while He did not will them, it would mean He disliked their non-occurrence and refused their non-occurrence, which necessitates that those acts of disobedience occurred whether He willed it or refused it, and this is a description of weakness. Exalted is Allah far above that. And we have already made clear that Allah has always been willing in accordance with the reality of what His knowledge is upon. So if disbelief is among the things that occur and He knew that, then He willed its occurrence.
Issue: It is said to them: If Allah, Mighty and Majestic, knew that disbelief would occur and willed that it not occur, then what He knew occurred contrary to what He knew. And if that is impossible, then He willed the occurrence of what He knew just as He knew it.
Issue: It is said to them: Why did you refuse that Allah wills disbelief which He knew would occur, claiming that it would be something reprehensible, corrupt, or contradictory in opposition to faith?
If they say: Because one who wills foolishness is himself foolish. It is said to them: Why did you say that? Did not Allah, Exalted, inform about the son of Adam that he said to his brother, “If you should raise your hand against me to kill me, I shall not raise my hand against you to kill you. Indeed, I fear Allah, Lord of the worlds. Indeed, I want you to bear my sin and your sin so you will be among the companions of the Fire, and that is the recompense of the wrongdoers” (al-Ma’idah: 28).
So he willed that he not kill his brother so as not to be punished, and he willed that his brother kill him so that his brother would bear the sin of killing him along with all his other sins, thereby becoming among the people of the Fire. Thus he willed the killing of his brother, which is foolishness, yet he was not thereby foolish. So why did you claim that when Allah, Glorified is He, wills the foolishness of the servants, it must necessarily be attributed to Him?
Issue: And it is said to them: Yusuf, peace be upon him, said, “My Lord, prison is more beloved to me than that to which they invite me” (Yusuf: 33), and their imprisoning him was an act of disobedience. So he willed the act of disobedience which was their imprisoning him rather than doing what they were calling him to, and yet he was not thereby foolish.
So what prevents you from acknowledging that if the Creator, Glorified is He, wills the foolishness of the servants, it is not necessarily reprehensible in opposition to obedience, such that He would be described as foolish.
Another proof: It is said to them: Is it not the case that one among us who sees the wrongdoing of Muslims is not necessarily foolish, and Allah, Glorified is He, sees them and is not described as foolish? They must answer: Yes. It is said to them: So what prevents you from acknowledging that when one among us wills foolishness he is foolish, while Allah, Glorified is He, wills the foolishness of the foolish ones and is not described as foolish? Exalted is Allah above that.
Another proof: It is said to them: The foolish one among us is only foolish because he wills foolishness despite being prohibited from it, and because he is under the Sharia of one above him who sets for him limits and lays down rules. When he does what he has been prohibited from, he is foolish.
But the Lord of the worlds, Glorified and Exalted, is not under a Sharia, nor is there above Him anyone to set for Him limits and rules, nor above Him a permitting or prohibiting authority, nor a commanding or forbidding authority. Therefore, if He wills that, it does not necessitate that it be reprehensible or that He be described as foolish.
It is said to them: Is it not the case that one among us who leaves his male and female slaves together so that some commit fornication with others, while being able to separate them, would be described as foolish, while the Lord of the worlds, Glorified is He, has left His male and female slaves together so that some commit fornication with others, while being able to separate them, and He is not described as foolish?
Likewise, when one among us wills obedience, he is obedient, and when he wills foolishness, he is foolish, while the Lord of the worlds, Glorified is He, wills foolishness and is not foolish.
Another proof: It is said to them: When one among us wills obedience to Allah, he is obedient, just as when he wills foolishness, he is foolish. The Lord of the worlds, Glorified is He, wills obedience and is not described as obedient, so likewise He wills foolishness and is not described as foolish.
Another proof: It is said to them: Allah, Glorified is He, says, “And if Allah had willed, they would not have fought” (al-Baqarah: 253), so He informed that had He willed they not fight, they would not have fought, and He said, “But Allah does what He wills” (al-Baqarah: 253), with regard to the fighting.
Therefore, when fighting occurred, He willed it, just as when He said, “And if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden” (al-An’am: 28), it was necessary that if they were returned to this world, they would return to disbelief, and that when He did not return them, they did not return to disbelief. Likewise, if Allah had willed that they not fight, they would not have fought, and when they fought, He willed that they fight.
Issue: It is said to them: Allah, Glorified is He, says, “And if We had willed, We could have given every soul its guidance, but the word from Me will come into effect that I will surely fill Hell with jinn and people all together” (al-Sajdah: 13). And when that word has come into effect, then He did not will to give every soul its guidance, because He only refrained from giving them guidance due to the fulfilment of His word regarding the punishment of the disbelievers. And when He did not will that, He willed their misguidance.
If they say: Its meaning is, “If We had willed, We would have compelled them to guidance and forced them into it,” it is said to them: If He had compelled them to guidance and forced them into it, would they have been guided? If they say: Yes. It is said to them: If, then, when Allah brought about guidance they were guided, what prevents you from acknowledging that if He brought about the disbelief of the disbeliever, they would be disbelievers? This invalidates their claim, because they asserted that He does not bring about the disbelief of the disbeliever.
It is also said to them: On what basis would they remain upon guidance if He gave it to them and willed that? If they say: By compulsion. It is said to them: If He compelled them to that, would what they did under compulsion benefit them?
If they say: Yes. It is said to them: When He informed that had He willed, He would have given them guidance, were it not for the fulfilment of His word that He will fill Hell with them, and if compulsion would not benefit them nor remove the punishment from them — just as it did not benefit Pharaoh when he said what he said at the time of drowning under compulsion — then your statement has no meaning. For had it not been for the fulfilment of His word, every soul would have been given its guidance, and the giving of guidance in the way you have described would not remove the punishment.
Another issue: It is said to them: Allah, Glorified is He, says, “And if Allah had extended provision for His servants, they would have committed tyranny throughout the earth” (al-Shura: 27), and He says, “And if it were not that mankind would become one community [of disbelievers], We would have made for those who disbelieve in the Most Merciful, for their houses, ceilings of silver and stairways upon which to mount” (al-Zukhruf: 33).
So He informed that were it not for mankind becoming united upon disbelief, He would have extended provision for them and given the disbelievers ceilings of silver and stairways upon which they ascend.
So what prevents you from acknowledging that had He not willed them to be disbelievers, He would not have created them, knowing that if He created them, they would be disbelievers just as He informed that had He willed people to be united upon disbelief, He would have given the disbelievers ceilings of silver and stairways upon which they ascend, so that they might all be united upon disbelief. Since it is known that if He had not done that, they would all be united upon disbelief, it follows that His will encompassed it.
Al-Ibanah an Usul al-Diyanah By Abu Hasan al-Ashari Pg 488-505
