The human being does not have an independent will, his will is subject to Allah’s (swt) will. The servant does not will unless Allah (swt) wills him to have a will. That is why Allah’s description as –Lord of the worlds- came after it. If a person to contemplate his life, he will find that he has a free will in some matters and does not in others; that which are out of his control, such as breathing, day and night times…, Hence, the free will does exist when there are alternations that the mind comprehends.

So, the human being is not absolutely free, nor absolutely restricted. Meaning, the absolute power is for Allah (swt), not for the human beings. Allah (swt) is the One Who restricts the human’s will in regards of the out-of-control and the non-subjected to accountability issues. The assignment is the choosing of matters that are in the range of: Do and do not do, such as prayer, alms giving, Hajj and fasting …. When the matter is not in the restriction range, then I have a free will to do it or not to do.

Allah (swt) clarifies that the will is two wills, if He (swt) wills, he would have made you incapable of choosing anything or He (swt) would have made you like the angels, who do not disobey Allah’s (swt) commands and do whatever they are commanded, but, Allah (swt) made you suitable to do and not to do. This is from the deep will of Allah (swt), hence, you did not move out of His will. So, let no one say: “I chose despite the will of Allah (swt)”, because you can never do anything albeit Allah’s (swt) will. So let no one say: Allah (swt) willed me not to be a believer, this is unacceptable words since Allah (swt) has willed to give you a free will to take decisions in regard what is subjected to accountability, which are do and do not do, this is lawful and this is forbidden, this is permissible and that is not, this is straight and that is wrong. Thus, the religion is manners, values, righteousness, as the Prophet (saws) explained when he was asked about virtue and sin:

((Virtue is noble behaviour, and sin is what rankles in your heart and you do not like people to know about it.”[1]

Accordingly, man’s behaviours are reflected through his accepting and applying of Allah’s commands.

This is the cornerstone of faith, when choosing between the alternatives; to choose between belief in Allah (swt) and disbelief. This is the Trust of choosing, the religion is the most important Trust. Allah (swt) says:

   ﴾إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الْإِنسَانُ ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولً ﴿

(Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant.)
(A-Ahzab: 72)

This Trust is the assignment Trust, choosing Trust. The mind is the one which decides, so let no one says that: Islam has spread by force. It could not be spread by force because the cornerstone of accountability is the mind. Hence, Islam had spread by excellent pattern, not by the force. The excellent pattern is the symbol that the mind, logic, thought and knowledge accept him. At the beginning of the Arabic and Islamic civilization, the power was with Muslims, so if anyone to say that they spread Islam by force , we say to him: Force has gone and Islam remains, if what you say was true, then Islam would have ended with the power that spread it, but, Islam entered the hearts and minds of people by people’s will.

[1] Sahih Muslim, The Book of virtues, Good manners and Joining of the ties of Relationship, hadith No. 2553