The Sunni Position on Allah’s (s.w.t.) Will
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Manswur Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Maturidi ( r.a. ) said that Allah ( s.w.t. ) Wills obedience or disobedience for all beings, be they essences or accidents, however; obedience occurs by Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Will and Decree, and His Pre-Ordainment and Predestination, Pleasure, Love and Command. Disobedience occurs by Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Will and Decree, and His Predestination and Pre-Ordainment; not with His Pleasure, Love or Command. In contrast, Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Isma’il al-Ash’ari ( r.a. ) said that Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Love and Pleasure are inclusive of all things just as His Will. Shaykh Sa’id ‘Abd al-Lathif Fawdhah wrote, in Sharh Risalah al-Ikhtilaf bayn al-Asha’ira wa al-Maturidiyyah , “As for Imam al-Ash’ari, the ustadz reported that he believed that Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Love is inclusive of every accident, be it an act of obedience or an act of disobedience. This general statement suggests that Allah...