Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Good deeds and bad deeds are created, whether what is meant by them is the actions of people in terms of obedience and disobedience, or what results from those actions in terms of reward and punishment. All of this falls within the creation of Allah Almighty. Nevertheless, the servant truly performs his actions, and he has will and choice. Therefore, he deserves praise and reward for obedience, and blame and punishment for disobedience.
Good deeds and bad deeds may refer to the actions of people. A good deed is obedience and righteous action, while a bad deed is disobedience and an evil action.
All these actions are created by Allah Almighty. This is the position of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, in contrast to those who deny that the actions of people are created.
Imam al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, used as evidence the statement of the Prophet ﷺ:
“Indeed, Allah creates every maker and what he makes.”
Evidence is also found in the statement of Allah Almighty:
“And Allah created you and what you do.”
As-Saffat: 96.
Thus, the actions of people are included in the creation of Allah Almighty, just as people themselves are His creation.
Imam al-Bukhari also explained that the movements, voices, acquisition, and writing of people are created, while distinguishing this from the Qur’an that is recited, which is the Speech of Allah Almighty and is not created.
It is incorrect to say: If a person’s actions are created by Allah, then the person has no choice.
Ahl al-Sunnah affirm two matters at the same time:
First: Allah Almighty is the Creator of people and the Creator of their actions, and nothing in the universe falls outside His will and power.
Second: The servant truly performs his action, and he has will, choice, and ability. Therefore, commands and prohibitions, reward and punishment, are connected to him.
This is the middle position between two extremes:
The Jabriyyah went to extremes in affirming divine decree until they denied the reality of a person’s action and choice.
The Qadariyyah denied the universal power and will of Allah regarding people’s actions, making people creators of their own actions.
Ahl al-Sunnah affirm what all the texts indicate: Allah is the Creator of everything, while the servant truly performs his action, chooses it, and is held accountable for it.
The fact that Allah Almighty created the servant’s action does not mean that the servant was forced to perform it.
A person himself can distinguish between an action he performs by his own choice and an action that happens to him without his choice. The movement of a person according to his own will differs from the movement of someone who is trembling or from something moved by the wind.
Therefore, Allah Almighty says:
“Today every soul will be recompensed for what it has earned.”
Ghafir: 17.
And He says:
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.”
Al-Baqarah: 286.
And He says:
“So fear Allah as much as you are able.”
At-Taghabun: 16.
If a person were compelled to perform his actions and had no ability to do them or refrain from them, it would not be valid to hold him accountable for them.
Likewise, before committing a sin, the sinner does not know what Allah has decreed for him. Therefore, it is not permissible for him to commit a sin and then use divine decree as an excuse, because he is able to choose obedience and refrain from disobedience.
Good deeds and bad deeds may also refer to what results from the actions of people in terms of recompense.
In this sense, a good deed is the reward that the servant receives for his obedience, whether it is recorded in his book of deeds or manifested in the bliss of Paradise.
A bad deed is the recompense and punishment resulting from disobedience, whether it is recorded in his book of deeds or occurs in the grave or in the Fire.
These forms of recompense are also created, because they are among the creations of Allah Almighty.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“Reward is one of the creations of Allah Almighty.”
Accordingly, there is no problem in saying that reward and punishment are created, just as there is no problem in saying that the actions of people are created.
Some people may find difficulty in reconciling this with the statement of Allah Almighty:
“Say: All is from Allah.”
An-Nisa: 78.
This is despite the fact that Allah Almighty does not do anything evil or wrong His servants.
The answer is that Allah Almighty created good and evil for a wisdom, and evil is not attributed to Him in the sense of being evil in itself. Rather, a bad deed is attributed to the servant because he performed it, chose it, and deserves recompense for it.
The servant is the one who deliberately commits the sin and intends it. Therefore, he deserves blame and punishment, while the existence of the action and his ability to perform it are included within the creation and decree of Allah.
This is one of the subtle aspects of reconciling divine decree with Islamic law: Allah Almighty is the Creator of the actions of people, while the servant truly performs and acquires them. Therefore, the action can correctly be attributed to the servant in terms of acquisition and choice, and it can correctly be attributed to Allah in terms of creation and decree.
Good deeds and bad deeds are created by Allah Almighty, whether what is meant by them is the actions of people in terms of obedience and disobedience, or the reward and punishment resulting from those actions.
However, saying that people’s actions are created does not mean that a person is compelled to perform them. The servant has will, ability, and choice; he truly performs his actions, and therefore deserves reward for obedience and punishment for disobedience.
The correct position is to affirm both matters: Allah Almighty is the Creator of everything, while people truly perform their actions, choose them, and are held accountable for them.
And Allah knows best.