The Will

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Will

Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih Al-Uthaymeen



Everything exists or does not exist by the Will of Allah. The Muslims are largely unanimous on this issue and all of them agree, “Whatsoever Allah Wills happens and what He does not Will does not occur.”
Everything occurs by the Will of Allah. The Actions of Allah are without doubt by the Mashee'ah (Will) of Allah like creation, provision, life and death. Similarly actions of the creation are also by the Mashee'ah (Will) of Allah.
The proof from the Qur’an is the Saying of Allah, “If Allah had willed, succeeding generations would not have fought against each other after clear Verses of Allah had come to them but they differed – some of them believed and others disbelieved. If Allah had willed, they would not have fought against one another but Allah does what He likes.” [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 253]
Fighting is the action of the creation which Allah caused (to occur) by His Mashee'ah (Will).
Allah says,
“We have appointed enemies for every Prophet Shayateen among mankind and jinn, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion. If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it,” [Surah al-An'aam (6): 112]
“If Allah had willed they would not have done so.” [Surah al-An'aam (6): 112]
“To whomsoever among you who wills to walk straight * and you will not unless (it be) that Allah wills, the Lord of the Alameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists).” [Surah at-Takwir (81): 29]
Our actions thus occur by the Will of Allah.
Rational proof (that everything – the good and evil - exists by the Will of Allah),
Question: Is the creation the dominion of Allah?
Reply: Yes.
Question: Can there be anything in the dominion of Allah which Allah does not want?
Reply: No. As long as the thing belongs to Allah, there cannot be anything in His Dominion that Allah does not want.
Thus, everything that is in Allah's Dominion is by His Will and Decision. There can never be anything in His Dominion that which He does not want.
If there were in His Dominion that which He does not will then His Dominion would be deficient, (because) there would be in His dominion that which would occur without His Knowledge and be beyond His *******.