The affirmation of the promise and the threat: 2 The promise and the threat are a condition for the obligation of the commandment. For it is through them that one distinguishes that an action is associated with reward and recompense, and that its omission is associated with blame and punishment. If the reward were not attached to the action and obedience, and the punishment to the omission and neglect, then action and omission would be equal. For if the commanded person is told to do something and asks, "Is there a reward for doing it, or punishment for omitting it?" and is told, "Doing and omitting are the same; there is no reward for doing and no punishment for omitting," this would lead to abandoning the action and neglecting the divine law. But when the reward was attached to the action and the punishment to the omission, this became the fruit and benefit of action and omission. Therefore, obedience became obligatory in anticipation of the reward for the action and in fear of the punishment for the omission.

This attachment of the principles and the commandment to the promise and the threat, as affirmed by Al-Mahdi, approaches the doctrine of the Mu'tazila in their linking of the commandment to reward and punishment, and their making it the purpose for which it is good. Without it, it would be an ugly matter and thus not issued by God Almighty. This is what Qadi Abd al-Jabbar expressed in his statement: "We have previously explained that if God Almighty is established as wise, and if He had no purpose in the commandment, it would be ugly. And since it is not permissible for His purpose to be benefits accruing to Him, as that is impossible for Him, it is established that His purpose must be the benefit of the commanded person. And it is not permissible for Him to intend by the commandment a benefit that is not deserved by it and not obtained. Therefore, His purpose must be that the commanded person, by doing what he is commanded, attains what he deserves of reward."

This view of the Mu'tazila is consistent with their belief in the necessary execution of the promise and the threat, and the inevitable occurrence of reward and punishment. As for what Ibn Tumart held, it is not consistent with what he holds, namely, the possibility of rewarding the sinner and punishing the obedient, as the Ash'aris hold. If the commandment of the principles is operative upon a person, and their obligation upon him is established, while he believes that he may be punished if he obeys and rewarded if he disobeys, then it should also be operative when there is no... (The text is cut off here, but the implication is that the principles would be less important or less binding in such a scenario).

The most sought-after thing: Ibn Tumart (150) Qadi Abd al-Jabbar, Al-Mughni: (151) See what preceded, page (152) 271 354