And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He manages it with a capable and wise management. He forgives and punishes by His will. [Mahamud said: "He forgives and punishes by His will... etc." Ahmad said: Similar statements have preceded, and the claim that the cause of wisdom is what has been mentioned is a presumption. This, and the decisive evidences of the Shari'ah come upon what is believed, so nothing remains or is left. How many evidences are there that forgiveness does not depend on repentance, and how many seek to follow the Qur'an with corrupt opinions, thus restricting the unrestricted and limiting the vast. And Allah is the grantor of success.] And His will is subordinate to His wisdom. His wisdom is to forgive the repentant and to punish the persistent. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. His mercy precedes His anger, as He expiates the sins by avoiding the major sins, and He forgives the major sins through repentance.