The Difference Between the Will and the Decree of Allah the Exalted?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question : May Allah reward you. The questioner asks: What is the difference between the will (iradah) and the decree (mashiyah) of Allah, Mighty and Majestic?
Answer : Good, the difference between them is that the decree (mashiyah) is a ruling of divine decree (qadar). A ruling of divine decree: what Allah willed came to be, and what He did not will did not come to be. The decree (mashiyah) applies to what Allah loves and to what He does not love. So if we asked a questioner: Do acts of obedience occur by the decree (mashiyah) of Allah? Answer.
Do acts of obedience occur by the decree (mashiyah) of Allah? Yes. Do sins occur by the decree (mashiyah) of Allah? Yes. Perfect. So the decree (mashiyah) relates to divine decree and destiny (qada' wa qadar). For this reason, the Muslims agreed on the statement: "What Allah willed came to be, and what He did not will did not come to be." Good, what about the will (iradah)?
No, it is divided into two categories: will (iradah) in the sense of decree (mashiyah), which relates to the divine decree (qadar), and will (iradah) in the sense of love, which relates to the Shari'ah. Is that clear? The will (iradah) is divided into what? Into two categories: will (iradah) in the sense of decree (mashiyah), which relates to the divine decree (qadar) and is the same as the decree (mashiyah), and will (iradah) that relates to the Shari'ah, which is in the sense of love. Good, look at the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He.
[Al-Baqarah 2:253] How do you interpret the will (iradah) here?
It is a will of divine decree (qadar) in the sense of decree (mashiyah), as He, the Exalted, said:[Ibrahim 14:27] And look at the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: [An-Nisa 4:26] You will find it in the sense of love, meaning that Allah loves to make things clear to you, and He, the Exalted, has made them clear. And He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Baqarah 2:185] This is a will (iradah) of what?
It is a will of the Shari'ah in the sense of love. So this is the difference between the decree (mashiyah) and the will (iradah). So the decree (mashiyah) is divided into two categories? The will (iradah) is the decree (mashiyah)? Yes, the decree (mashiyah) is one category, and it is a cosmic, divine decree (qadar) decree (mashiyah). And the will (iradah) is divided into two categories: a Shari'ah will in the sense of love, and a divine decree (qadar) will in the sense of decree (mashiyah).
Answer : Good, the difference between them is that the decree (mashiyah) is a ruling of divine decree (qadar). A ruling of divine decree: what Allah willed came to be, and what He did not will did not come to be. The decree (mashiyah) applies to what Allah loves and to what He does not love. So if we asked a questioner: Do acts of obedience occur by the decree (mashiyah) of Allah? Answer.
Do acts of obedience occur by the decree (mashiyah) of Allah? Yes. Do sins occur by the decree (mashiyah) of Allah? Yes. Perfect. So the decree (mashiyah) relates to divine decree and destiny (qada' wa qadar). For this reason, the Muslims agreed on the statement: "What Allah willed came to be, and what He did not will did not come to be." Good, what about the will (iradah)?
No, it is divided into two categories: will (iradah) in the sense of decree (mashiyah), which relates to the divine decree (qadar), and will (iradah) in the sense of love, which relates to the Shari'ah. Is that clear? The will (iradah) is divided into what? Into two categories: will (iradah) in the sense of decree (mashiyah), which relates to the divine decree (qadar) and is the same as the decree (mashiyah), and will (iradah) that relates to the Shari'ah, which is in the sense of love. Good, look at the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He.
If Allah had willed, those [generations] succeeding them would not have fought each other after the clear proofs had come to them. But they differed, and some of them believed and some of them disbelieved. And if Allah had willed, they would not have fought each other, but Allah does what He intends.
وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن بَعْدِهِم مِّن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَلَٰكِنِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ آمَنَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن كَفَرَ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُوا وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُIt is a will of divine decree (qadar) in the sense of decree (mashiyah), as He, the Exalted, said:
And Allah does what He wills.
وَيَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُAllah wants to make clear to you [the lawful from the unlawful] and guide you to the [good] practices of those before you
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ سُنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْAllah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَIt is a will of the Shari'ah in the sense of love. So this is the difference between the decree (mashiyah) and the will (iradah). So the decree (mashiyah) is divided into two categories? The will (iradah) is the decree (mashiyah)? Yes, the decree (mashiyah) is one category, and it is a cosmic, divine decree (qadar) decree (mashiyah). And the will (iradah) is divided into two categories: a Shari'ah will in the sense of love, and a divine decree (qadar) will in the sense of decree (mashiyah).
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، لقاء[47 من 216] الفرق بين الإرادة والمشيئة لله تعالى؟!! الشيخ ابن عثيمين - مشروع كبار العلماء — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.