925 - Abu Bakr al-Marwudhi informed us, saying: 'Abd al-Wahhab wrote to me regarding the matter of Husayn ibn Khalaf ibn al-Bakhtari al-'Ukbari, and he said: "He has refrained from his father's inheritance." A Qadari (adherent of the doctrine of free will denying divine decree) said: "Allah has not compelled (jabara) the servants to commit sins." Ahmad ibn Raja' retorted to him, saying: "Verily, Allah has compelled the servants," intending thereby to affirm the Qadar (divine decree). Ahmad ibn 'Ali then authored a book in which he argued [this position]. I brought it to Abu 'Abd Allah (Imam Ahmad), and I informed him of the story. He said: "And he writes a book?" Abu 'Abd Allah disapproved of both of them: of Ibn Raja' when he said, "[Allah] has compelled the servants," and of the Qadari who said, "[Allah] has not compelled the servants." He also disapproved of Ahmad ibn 'Ali for his writing of the book and his arguing, and he ordered that he be shunned for his authorship of that book. He said to me: "It is incumbent upon Ibn Raja' to seek forgiveness from his Lord for what he said: 'He has compelled the servants.'" I said to Abu 'Abd Allah: "Then what is the answer to this issue?" He replied: "'Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills' (Surah al-Muddaththir: 31)."