Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Allah تعالى knows the deeds of His servants before they occur through His encompassing and eternal knowledge. As for visual sight, it is connected to existing things; therefore, He سبحانه sees the deed when it exists and proceeds from the servant. There is no contradiction between this and His prior knowledge, just as this does not mean that a person is compelled in his actions.
It is obligatory to believe that Allah’s knowledge is comprehensive and all-encompassing. Nothing is hidden from Him. He سبحانه knows what was and what will be, and what would have been, had it occurred, and how it would have been.
Allah تعالى says:
{Whether you conceal your speech or state it openly, surely He knows what is in the hearts. Would He not know what He created, while He is the Most Subtle, All-Aware?} [Al-Mulk: 13–14].
And He سبحانه says:
{And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls except that He knows it, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry except that it is recorded in a clear Book.} [Al-An‘am: 59].
And Allah تعالى says:
{So that you may know that Allah is over all things competent and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge.} [Al-Talaq: 12].
Part of His knowledge of His servants’ deeds is that He knows what acts of obedience and disobedience, happiness and misery, and all their circumstances will proceed from them. He wrote this before creating the heavens and the earth, just as He wrote for the fetus its deeds, provision, lifespan, and whether it would be miserable or blessed.
Knowledge and sight are not the same thing.
Allah’s knowledge relates to what exists and what does not exist, to the past, present, and future, and to what is possible and impossible, because He سبحانه is Knowing of all things.
As for visual sight, it relates to existing things that can be seen.
Therefore, Allah تعالى knows what the servant will do before creating him. When the servant exists and his actions proceed from him, Allah sees them in a manner befitting Him, just as He hears his words and holds him accountable for them.
Allah تعالى says:
{And say, “Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and so will His Messenger and the believers. And you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do.”} [Al-Tawbah: 105].
And He سبحانه says:
{And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives, and that his striving will be seen, then he will be rewarded with the fullest reward.} [Al-Najm: 39–41].
And Allah تعالى says:
{He said, “Do not fear. Indeed, I am with you both; I hear and I see.”} [Ta-Ha: 46].
And He سبحانه says:
{Does he not know that Allah sees?} [Al-‘Alaq: 14].
Thus, saying that Allah sees the deed when it occurs does not contradict His prior knowledge of it, because knowledge is one thing, and sight is another.
One of the characteristics of knowledge is that it can relate to things that do not yet exist. Therefore, Allah تعالى knows what has not occurred and, if it were to occur, how it would be.
He سبحانه says:
{And if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden from.} [Al-An‘am: 28].
And Allah تعالى says:
{And even if We had sent down to them the angels and the dead spoke to them and We gathered before them every thing in front of them, they would not believe unless Allah willed.} [Al-An‘am: 111].
Al-Saffarini رحمه الله stated that knowledge relates to everything. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin رحمه الله explained that Allah’s knowledge relates to the past, present, and future, and even to the impossible.
As for hearing and sight, each has its own objects: hearing relates to things heard, while sight relates to things seen. Thus, statements are among the objects of hearing, while actions are among the objects of sight insofar as they are seen.
There is no connection between the issue of seeing deeds after they occur and whether a person is free or compelled.
The correct position is that a person is directed by Allah in one respect and has choice in another.
He is directed in the sense that he is created by Allah تعالى and does not escape His dominion, will, or power. None of his actions occurs outside Allah’s prior knowledge and will.
At the same time, he is free in his voluntary actions. Allah has given him reason, hearing, sight, and will, through which he chooses obedience or disobedience and faith or disbelief.
Allah تعالى says:
{So whoever wills—let him believe; and whoever wills—let him disbelieve.} [Al-Kahf: 29].
And He سبحانه says:
{For whoever wills among you to take a straight path. And you do not will unless Allah wills, Lord of the worlds.} [Al-Takwir: 28–29].
Thus, the servant’s will is real, but it does not exist outside Allah’s will.
No.
The fact that Allah تعالى knew what the servant would choose does not mean that He forced him to choose it.
When a person prays, fasts, buys and sells, or gets married, he does so through his own will and choice. This is why deeds are attributed to him, and why he deserves reward or punishment for them.
If a person were compelled in his voluntary actions, punishing him for them would be injustice, while Allah تعالى is far above injustice.
As for Allah’s prior knowledge, it does not mean that the servant knows what has been written for him. Therefore, a sinner may not use divine decree as an excuse for his sin, because he does not know what Allah has written for him until the matter occurs.
The servant is commanded to act and choose, while Allah تعالى already knows what His servant will choose.
Allah تعالى knows the deeds of His servants before they occur through His encompassing prior knowledge, and He sees their deeds when they exist and proceed from them. There is no contradiction between the two.
Knowledge relates to what exists and what does not exist, whereas visual sight relates to existing things that can be seen. Allah’s prior knowledge of the servants’ actions does not mean that He compels them to perform them. Rather, the servant chooses his voluntary actions through his will and ability, while his entire choice remains within Allah’s knowledge and will.
Therefore, it is not correct to use the distinction between knowledge and sight as evidence for compulsion or for denying human choice. A person is free in his voluntary actions while nevertheless remaining within Allah’s decree and will.
And Allah knows best.