What is the meaning of will and decree? And what is the difference between them?
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What is the difference between will and decree?
Will is of two types: legislative and cosmic. The legislative will corresponds to the command, approval, and love, such as His saying: [Al-Nisa: 26], and He the Exalted said: [Al-Ahzab: 33]. This is legislative will, meaning the command and meaning approval.
And cosmic will means decree, as He the Exalted said: [Ya-Sin: 82]. This means decree. [Al-An'am: 125]. This is cosmic will, and there are many similar instances. Most of the wills in the Qur'an are cosmic.
Some people made decree into two categories like will, and some people restricted this to will only. As for decree, it is only cosmic: what Allah willed came to be, and what He did not will did not come to be. However, if both occur sometimes with the meaning of legislative will, there is no harm. Legislative will and legislative decree have the same meaning. It is said that He the Exalted willed legislatively and willed legislatively from the servants that they worship Him and obey Him. But He willed and decreed cosmically from the disbeliever that he disbelieve, and from the sinner that he sin, for a profound wisdom.
Will is of two types: legislative and cosmic. The legislative will corresponds to the command, approval, and love, such as His saying:
Allah 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 مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْAllah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the [Prophet's] household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification.
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًاAnd cosmic will means decree, as He the Exalted said:
His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, "Be," and it is.
إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُSo whoever Allah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide - He makes his breast tight and constricted
فَمَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ وَمَنْ يُرِدْ أَنْ يُضِلَّهُ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًاSome people made decree into two categories like will, and some people restricted this to will only. As for decree, it is only cosmic: what Allah willed came to be, and what He did not will did not come to be. However, if both occur sometimes with the meaning of legislative will, there is no harm. Legislative will and legislative decree have the same meaning. It is said that He the Exalted willed legislatively and willed legislatively from the servants that they worship Him and obey Him. But He willed and decreed cosmically from the disbeliever that he disbelieve, and from the sinner that he sin, for a profound wisdom.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.