The Response to the Jabriyyah’s Denial of Free Will

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, many people among us in the awakening—two thousand out of two thousand—come and say, “If Allah has decreed severe guidance and diverted it by a sign of looking to reliance (tawakkul), that is a comprehensive term for these people, and then they will doubt them. This is the statement.”

Answer:
The Jabri who says, “If Allah wills, it is decreed for me that I will become a believer,” or “I, or you, if Allah wills, it is decreed for me that I will not become a believer, I will not believe”—this is the statement of the Jabriyyah, may Allah protect us from it. He says, “I have no choice.” This is denying the choice, movement, ability, and capabilities that Allah has given him. So he is a Jabri. This is the statement of the Jabriyyah. If he wants to go with Jahm ibn Safwan, let him go and listen. This is the statement of Jahm ibn Safwan and others.
As for the people of truth and the people of the Sunnah and the community, they say: “You are currently able to pray, able to fast, and able to repent to Allah. You are not incapable. The incapable person, the infant, or the insane person who has no mind is not held accountable. The pen is lifted from three: the sleeper until he wakes up, the insane person until he regains his senses, and the child until he reaches puberty. So this person denies that he has a mind, denies that he has a choice, and denies that he has ability, and he denies these things. This is stubbornness. This is stubbornness. He says, ‘I am a prisoner. I am a prisoner. I cannot move, and I cannot do anything.’ Is this correct? He cannot move, he cannot pray, he cannot fast, he cannot worship Allah. This is a liar, may Allah protect us from it, a denier of Allah’s blessing upon him. Yes. Then we say to this Jabri who says, ‘If Allah wanted to guide me, I was guided,’ we say to him: “You are contradicting yourself in your speech. Yes, if you say this, sit down and say, ‘If Allah wants me to have dinner, the food will come to me and I will eat it, and I am from the rest.’ I, by Allah, have children who want me. The wife wants to come to me and enter upon me, and I do not move and I do not cause anything. He never says this. He must go look for food, he must go look for trade, he must propose to a woman and marry and make the causes. He says to her, ‘Yes, do nothing. Yes, sit down. Do not go ask for food or drink, do not marry, and do not make any movement, because if Allah is sick with something He wants you, and you are sitting.’ Does he adhere to this? He does not adhere to this, unless he is insane and has no mind. The insane person has no sanity and no consideration. If someone hits him, if someone hits him, does he not get angry and demand retribution and retaliation?
You say to him, “No, this is fate. What is it?” He says, “Retribution is decreed for you. This is decreed for you. Do not demand retribution or anything. Let the people hit you. Let the people kill you. Let the people take your money. Let the people enter your house. He says this is fate and decreed. Does he incite the whole world with this? Is this statement correct? Yes.