Apart from being in conflict with rational ( ‘aqlī ) and...

Apart from being in conflict with rational ( ‘aqlī ) and textual ( naqlī ) proofs regarding the natural causes and factors as well as the human agency ( fā‘iliyyah ), the first view necessitates human compulsion ( jabr ), and compulsion in actions are inconsistent with the concepts of duty, retribution and reward. The theory of mufawwiḍah is also at loggerheads with the Divine Unity in creation and the universality of the Divine Power.

The source of mistake of both groups is in supposing that the natural causes or human actions are within the level of God’s agency and causality ( sababiyyah ). This is so while such an interpretation of the natural and supernatural causes and factors is not correct.

Their relationship with the agency and causality of God is a vertical one; that is, God is the Independent ( mustaqil ) and Essential ( bi ’dh-dhāt ) Agent while they are agents and causes that are dependent ( ghayr mustaqil ) and subordinated ( musakhkhar ) by God. For this reason, in the Holy Qur’an an action may sometimes be attributed to God and at other times the attribution is to natural and supernatural causes.

For instance, it says regarding the following verse: ﴿ أَللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا ﴾ “God takes the souls at the time of their death.” [^8] It also says: ﴿ قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴾ “Say, ‘You will be taken away by the angel of death, who has been charged with you.

Then you will be brought back to your Lord.’” [^9] And it thus says regarding the movement of clouds: ﴿ أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُزْجِي سَحَابًا ثُمَّ يُؤَلِّفُ بَيْنَهُ ﴾ “Have you not regarded that Allah drives the clouds, then He omposes them?” [^10] And the Qur’an also says: ﴿ اللَّهُ الَّذِي يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا ﴾ “It is Allah who sends the winds.

Then they raise a cloud.” [^11] The Dualists and the Misgiving of Evils In the history of religions and sects, there is mention about the dualists who believe in two creators, viz. the creator of good and the creator of evils. The creator of good is called Yazdān (Light) and the creator of evils Ahrimān (Darkness).

The source of this incorrect doctrine is their assumption that evils are part of the reality of existence and against good, and since God ( Yazdān ) is Pure Good, it is impossible for Him to be the origin of evils. For this reason, there must be another source and originator of evils.

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