This is among the things that were enumerated regarding the types of their disbelief and obstinacy, from their associating partners with Allah and denying His oneness after the evidence had been established, and denying the resurrection and hastening it, mocking Him and denying the Messenger, and their opposition and arrogance in accepting the truth. It means that they associated partners with Allah and prohibited what Allah has made lawful, such as the al-bahīrah and al-sā'ibah and others. Then they attributed their actions to Allah and said: 'If He had willed, we would not have done it.' This is the doctrine of the compellers in its entirety. [The phrase 'And they said: If Allah had willed, we would not have done it. This is the doctrine of the compellers in its entirety' means the people of the Sunnah, and it is not as he said, but rather the polytheists said it in mockery, while the people of the Sunnah believe it, as indicated by al-Nasafi. Everything that Allah wills happens, and what He does not will does not happen, whether it is evil or good. Every matter is by His decree and destiny, whether it is evil or good. He is the Creator of the actions of the servants, even if they are by their own earning and choice, contrary to the Mu'tazilah in all of that, as he elaborated on it in what will come here in defense of the Mu'tazilah. (A)] Likewise, those before them acted. That is, they associated partners and prohibited the lawful of Allah. [Mawlana said: 'It means that they associated partners with Allah and prohibited what Allah has made lawful... etc.' Ahmad said: This section has been repeated similarly in the verse preceding it in Surah Al-An'am, and we have presented what is sufficient in that regard, if Allah wills. What he added here affirms his belief, as he claims, by His saying: 'And We certainly sent to every nation a Messenger, saying: Worship Allah and avoid the tyrant.' The point of his argument is that Allah divided worship into two categories: what is commanded and what is prohibited. The command and prohibition, according to the author, relate to the will based on the claim of the Qadarites in denying the speech of the soul and attributing the necessity to the will. Thus, the result of this addition is that Allah willed the worship of His creation and willed their avoidance of the worship of the tyrant, and He did not will for them to associate partners with Him. He informed of this will through the tongue of every Messenger He sent to a nation, so the addition came translated from the meaning of the beginning of the verse, confirmed by its implication. This is what the author added here, and we have clarified that its foundation is based on denying the speech of the soul, which is established with certainty, so it is utterly false. It is astonishing that Allah clarified in both verses that what He denied from those who said: 'If Allah had willed, we would not have associated partners' is merely their argument against Allah with His will, which they have no proof for, along with what He created for them of choice, as He said here: 'So among them are those whom Allah has guided, and among them are those upon whom the misguidance has been justified.' And in the last verse of Al-An'am: 'So Allah has the decisive argument. If He had willed, He would have guided you all.' It becomes clear in both that He is the one who willed their associating partners and misguidance, and if He had willed to guide them all, they would have been guided completely. From this clarification, the denial against them is directed to not attributing the will to Allah, and that is what we have presented in their establishing the argument against Allah with His will, while their argument in that regard is invalid, and Allah has the clear, decisive proof against them. And Allah is the Grantor of success.] So when they were alerted to the ugliness of their actions, they attributed it to their Lord. [The phrase 'and they attributed it to their Lord' means they accused Him of it. (A)] So is there upon the Messengers except to convey the truth, and that Allah does not will associating partners and sins through clarification and proof? And they inform of the invalidity of associating partners and its ugliness and the innocence of Allah from the actions of the servants, and that they perform them with their intention, will, and choice. And Allah is the One who inspires them towards good and grants them success in it, and He warns them against its ugliness and promises them for it.