Man’s choice controlled by the Will of Allaah

26-1-2011 | IslamWeb

Question:

We were once discussing the issue of whether man is driven or free to choose his actions and we came up with three different scenarios:
1- Man is more free to choose than driven in his actions.
2- There is no specific ratio between the two.
3- Man is more driven than free to choose.
Which of these opinions is the soundest? Is it a debatable issue among the scholars of jurisprudence? If so, what are their opinions?

---

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

According to the consensus of Ahlus-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah (the mainstream people of the Sunnah), man is free to choose his actions; however, his choice does not transcend the power and will of Allaah The Almighty.

Allaah Knows best.