A significant question arises: what is the meaning of this urgent mandate as decreed by the Mahdi, namely: what meaning remains for this mandate if man has already determined his fate in eternity, and it has been written whether he is of the people of happiness or of the people of misery, according to divine decree as affirmed by Ibn Tumart? We find no direct clarification from the Mahdi to this dilemma, explaining the connection between this mandate and human free will, and explaining whether man's ability plays a role in his actions within the scope of divine predestination as he stated. But we will try to discern the outlines of his view on this from his discussion of ability, reward, and punishment.

Ability: Ability, power, or energy are all names indicating capacity, and they have one meaning. However, the term "ability" became famous among the theologians. And the researchers among the theologians differed on man's ability to perform actions: what is its reality? Does it occur before the action or concurrently with it? Is it capable of action and inaction, or of action only? They had various doctrines on this, exceeding in number the fundamental sects, due to the abundance of opinions within a single sect. However, these various opinions draw their general foundations from the acceptance that man creates his actions, or the acceptance that God is their creator.

Some Mu'tazilites, such as Bishr ibn al-Mu'tamir (d. 210 AH / 825 AD) and Abu al-Husayn al-Khayyat (d. 213 AH / 828 AD), and Abu Shurayh (d. 300 AH / 912 AD), went so far as to say that ability is health and soundness of the limbs and their freedom from ailments. Al-Razi, among the Ash'arites, followed them in this, saying: "Our chosen view is that power is an expression of the health of the organs and of a balanced temperament. . . . However, this power is not sufficient at all for the occurrence of action. When a decisive motive is added to it, that power, along with this motive, becomes See: Al-Qadi Abd al-Jabbar: Sharh al-Usul al-Khamsa: 393.

See regarding this: Al-Ash'ari: Al-Maqalat: 2067. Al-Iyji: Al-Mawaqif: 80. Al-Khayyat: Al-Intisar: 1/300.