Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
There is no contradiction between the fact that man did not choose his own existence and the fact that he possesses will and choice in the actions for which he is accountable. Man does not choose to come into existence from nonexistence, but he does choose within the sphere of religious responsibility, obedience, and disobedience, and his will occurs under the will of Allah, the Exalted.
It is incorrect to compare the actions of Allah with the actions of human beings. Allah, Glorified and Exalted, is the Creator, Owner, and All-Powerful, and He is not questioned about what He does. Allah says:
“We did not create the heaven and the earth and everything between them in play. If We had intended to take up some amusement, We could have taken it from Ourselves, if We were going to do so. Rather, We strike the truth against falsehood, and it destroys it, and suddenly falsehood vanishes. And woe to you for what you describe. To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth, and those with Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they tire. They glorify Him night and day without ever weakening. Or have they taken gods from the earth who can bring the dead to life? Had there been gods therein other than Allah, both would have been ruined. So glory be to Allah, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe. He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.”
[Al-Anbiya: 16–23]
Therefore, it is not valid to ask: “Why did Allah not ask man for permission before creating him?” Before his creation, man did not exist in the first place, so he had no will or choice.
Allah says:
“Has there not come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing even mentioned? Indeed, We created man from a mixed drop of fluid, testing him, and We made him hearing and seeing. Indeed, We guided him to the way, whether he is grateful or ungrateful.”
[Al-Insan: 1–3]
Nonexistence is not a thing that can be asked whether it wants to exist or not.
The example comparing the creation of man to someone being forced to enter a restaurant and then being held accountable for what he eats is an incorrect analogy. Allah did not create man and then demand from him what he has no ability to do. Rather, He brought him into existence, gave him hearing, sight, and intellect, sent messengers to him, revealed Scriptures, and made the path of good and evil clear to him.
Allah has informed us that He bestowed many blessings upon man and subjected what is in the heavens and the earth to him. He says:
“Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and sent down water from the sky, bringing forth with it fruits as provision for you. And He subjected the ships to you so that they may sail through the sea by His command, and He subjected the rivers to you. And He subjected the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses, and He subjected the night and the day to you. And He gave you of everything you asked Him for. If you were to count the blessings of Allah, you could never enumerate them. Indeed, man is truly unjust and ungrateful.”
[Ibrahim: 32–34]
Man was not created without purpose. Rather, he was created for trial and worship, and he was given sufficient blessings and guidance for the proof to be established against him.
The fact that man is a servant of Allah does not mean that he has no choice whatsoever, just as man is not free in every matter.
Allah has affirmed that man possesses will and choice, while making clear that his will is subject to the will of Allah. He says:
“For whoever among you wishes to follow the straight path. And you do not will unless Allah, Lord of the worlds, wills.”
[At-Takwir: 28–29]
And He says:
“And say, ‘The truth is from your Lord. So whoever wills—let him believe; and whoever wills—let him disbelieve.’ Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a Fire whose walls will surround them. If they cry for help, they will be given water like molten metal that will scald their faces. What a terrible drink, and what an evil resting place!”
[Al-Kahf: 29]
Thus, man is free to choose in actions for which he is religiously accountable. He can obey or disobey, believe or disbelieve, and therefore he deserves reward or punishment.
As for matters over which he has no choice—such as his original existence, the movement of his heart and intestines, the time of his death, and similar matters—these are not within the sphere of choice and accountability.
Instead of viewing his existence as something imposed upon him, man should reflect on the blessings he received simply by being created. Allah brought him into existence from nothing, gave him hearing, sight, and intellect, sent messengers to him, revealed Scriptures, and showed him the path to salvation.
The Prophet ﷺ gave an example clarifying the status of his call. In the hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari (7281), he explained that whoever responds to the call of the Prophet ﷺ enters the abode of Paradise and eats from its table, while whoever does not respond does not enter the abode or eat from the banquet.
Life is therefore not merely being forced to enter a “restaurant” and then being held accountable for the food, as in the example mentioned. Rather, it is a test, guidance, responsibility, and then recompense.
Allah has blessed man and guided him to the path of goodness. Whoever responds succeeds, and whoever turns away loses.
One of the main causes of confusion regarding this issue is comparing the action of Allah to the actions of human beings and then building an objection upon that comparison.
Allah has prohibited making such analogies concerning Him. He says:
“So do not set up comparisons for Allah. Indeed, Allah knows and you do not know.”
[An-Nahl: 74]
Man has limited knowledge and understanding and cannot encompass the wisdom of Allah in all His actions and decrees. Allah says:
“He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.”
[Al-Anbiya: 23]
This does not mean that Allah’s actions are without wisdom. Rather, it means that Allah is the All-Wise, All-Knowing, while the servant cannot encompass all of His wisdom and the secrets behind His actions.
The fact that man was not given a choice before his creation does not conflict with his freedom of choice after his existence. Before his creation, man was nonexistent, and nonexistence has no will or choice with which to answer the question: “Do you want to exist or not?”
After Allah created him, He gave him intellect, hearing, and sight, sent messengers to him, clarified the paths of good and evil, and gave him will and choice in the actions for which he is accountable, while his will remains subject to the will of Allah.
As for the origin of creation, the time of death, and what occurs within a person without his choice, these are outside the sphere of accountability and choice.
Therefore, man must use the intellect and will Allah has given him in obedience to Him, avoid doubts and objections that bring him no benefit, and work for what comes after death.
And Allah knows best.