They are clear in that Allah...

They are clear in that Allah, the Exalted, has the absolute power over the universe, nothing can delimit Him, render Him incapable, or stop Him from doing what He wishes. He has power over everything; He does what He wants and He is not questioned about anything, but they are questioned. The Jews had a belief that the will ( iradah ) of Allah is subject to the general system of causality which reigns over the universe and history.

According to them, Allah has no control on the universe or history after He has created them. Referring to this view, the Qur’an says: “The Jews say, ‘Allah’s hand is tied up.’ Tied up be their hands, and cursed be they for what they say! Rather, His hands are wide open.” [^11] Hence, there is no doubt in whatever we have mentioned above, and the Qur’an is clear in all that and in condemning the Jews for what they believe in.

The Relation between the Divine Will and the Law of Causality In the light of this power which the Qur’an affirms for the Divine will in the universe, history, and society, it is natural for us to ask about the relation of the Divine will to the law of causality. Does it mean suspension ( ta’til ), in the sense that the will of Allah suspends the law of causality whenever He wills that?

The answer to this is of course negative; for it is He who is the creator of the cause ( ‘illah ) and none other than Him. Creating the ‘cause’ is necessarily creating its causality ( ‘illiyyah ). If He creates fire, then He has created the heat also.

The creation of fire without heat is similar to the creation of an even number without its being even![^12] Accordingly, it is not possible that Allah creates the fire without it being the cause of heat, unless if He changes its entity to something other than fire but which resembles fire. Therefore, there is no way to entertain the opinion that the dominion of the will of Allah over the universe and history implies the suspension of the law of causality.

In this case, what then can be the relation between the Divine will and the principle of causality? The Reign of the Divine Will over the Law of Causality by Itself The Qur’an elucidates this relation and defines it in many places, stating that Allah, the Exalted, has absolute control and power over the law of causality by the very law of causality, without suspending or nullifying it.