Is there room for free will despite the omnipotence of God? Human freedom in Islam

Abstract

Man and his free will is a crucial topic within the so-called Abrahamic religions: The idea of one God, who is almighty and responsible for the creation of the world as it is, seems to collide with the notion of free will and individual responsibility of mankind. This, however, is essential for the concept of a final judgement of each and every one, which is one of the central presuppositions of these religions. Therefore, this issue is also at the centre of several debates within Islam. The article tries to provide a historically conceptualised overview of the development of the major trajectories, beginning with the basic ideas in the Quran and the later development up to the commonly accepted solution as provided by the influential theologian al-Ash‘arī (873/874– ca. 935/936).