Foundations of Faith (Usul al-Din)
Major Ideologies in the Muslim Ummah Regarding Their Role
The following narrative presents a concise overview of how various schools of thought in Islam have understood and interpreted the relationship between predestination (qadar) and free will (ikhtiyār).
1. Muʿtazili School of Thought
According to the Muʿtazili school, human beings possess complete free will, based on their interpretation of Qur’an 2:256: “There is no compulsion in religion.” In this view, Allah (SWT) does not interfere in human choices, and each individual is entirely responsible for shaping his or her own destiny. This school is also known as Qadariyyah.
2. Mujabbirah School of Thought
In contrast, the Mujabbirah school teaches that human beings have no free will at all. All actions are seen as preordained by Allah (SWT), and individuals are merely tools in the hands of God, with no real agency or accountability. This view removes human responsibility altogether.
3. Jaʿfari School of Thought
The Jaʿfari school, derived from the interpretation of the Qur’an as taught by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his infallible progeny (Aal Muhammad, peace be upon them)—especially Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (AS)—offers a balanced view between predestination and free will.
Imam al-Ṣādiq (AS) taught that:
Human beings have partial free will.
Some aspects of life are predestined, while others are within our control.
He gave an analogy: “You can lift one leg with your will—but you cannot lift both at the same time to walk in air.” In other words, free will exists within Divine boundaries.
Allah (SWT) possesses foreknowledge of our actions, but does not compel us to act. It is this capacity for free worship (ʿibādah) that elevates humans even above angels.
Shi‘a Muslims accept this model, recognizing Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (AS) as a central theological authority—who was also a teacher to the founders of the four major Sunni schools of jurisprudence: Imams Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shāfiʿī, and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.
4. Ashʿarī School of Thought
The Ashʿarī school asserts that while human beings have no real free will, they are still held accountable and can earn rewards for their good deeds.
Al-Ghazālī summarizes this view as follows:
“No act of any individual, even if done for his benefit, occurs independently of Allah’s will. Nothing—whether physical or spiritual, good or evil—happens without His decree, power, and will.”
This includes all actions: righteousness and sin, belief and disbelief.
Reality Check: Why the Differences?
These schools differ primarily because of how they interpret verses of the Qur’an—and whether their interpretations are anchored in authentic ahādīth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) or in fabricated traditions introduced by political rulers.
Corrupt rulers—especially Muʿāwiyah—promoted fatalistic doctrines to justify injustice, claiming:
“We did not kill; Allah willed it.”
This manipulation created a theological cover for oppression, tyranny, and moral deviation.
The Ashʿarī viewpoint was institutionalized to support authoritarian regimes. It enabled leaders to commit atrocities while blaming Allah (SWT). This is the very ideology Yazīd relied upon after the martyrdom (shahādah) of Imam Ḥusayn (AS).
Its modern manifestation—Wahhabism—continues to distort Islamic theology and oppress spiritual, intellectual, and social growth across the Muslim world.