What is the difference between Allah's universal will and His religious will?
2026-09-21
T90 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Selected explanation · Selected source passage(s) — fully translated
Selected continuous passage; light punctuation normalization has been applied for reading. The English translates every displayed Arabic paragraph; this selection is not the complete surrounding work. Square brackets identify translator-supplied clarification.
النص العربي
المقتطف
أَحَدُهُمَا: الْإِرَادَةُ الْكَوْنِيَّةُ، وَهِيَ الْإِرَادَةُ الْمُسْتَلْزِمَةُ لِوُقُوعِ الْمُرَادِ الَّتِي يُقَالُ فِيهَا: مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ كَانَ وَمَا لَمْ يَشَأْ لَمْ يَكُنْ. وَأَمَّا النَّوْعُ الثَّانِي: فَهُوَ الْإِرَادَةُ الدِّينِيَّةُ الشَّرْعِيَّةُ، وَهِيَ مَحَبَّةُ الْمُرَادِ وَرِضَاهُ وَمَحَبَّةُ أَهْلِهِ وَالرِّضَا عَنْهُمْ. وَهَذِهِ الْإِرَادَةُ لَا تَسْتَلْزِمُ وُقُوعَ الْمُرَادِ إلَّا أَنْ يَتَعَلَّقَ بِهِ النَّوْعُ الْأَوَّلُ مِنْ الْإِرَادَةِ.
English translation
English translation reviewed against the displayed Arabic by SalafAlSalih editorial preparation (AI-assisted); explanatory additions appear in square brackets or separate notes.
Selected explanation
One of the two is the universal will: the will that necessarily entails the occurrence of what is willed, concerning which it is said, “Whatever Allah wills occurs, and whatever He does not will does not occur.” The second kind is the religious, legislative will: loving and being pleased with what is willed, and loving and being pleased with those who fulfill it. This will does not necessarily entail the occurrence of what is willed, unless the first kind of will also relates to it.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 8/188
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic passage checked against the cited volume and printed page. English reviewed against every displayed Arabic paragraph on 14 October 2026.