Ibn Taymiyyah's response on divine predetermination in human act : a critical analysis

Abstract

This dissertation attempts to explore Ibn Taymiyyah's thought on the involvement of divine predetermination in human acts. The researcher used the descriptive qualitative method to gather the required data and the deductive and comparative approaches to analyse the data related to Islamic theological groups, namely the Qadarites, Jabarites, and Ash'arites. These three groups dominate the debate on the relation of human agency to divine determination. However, they address the issues in different ways. The Jabarites believe in determinism and deny effort, while the Qadarites believe in libertarian freedom and therefore, deny predetermination. The study finds lbn Taymiyyah strictly refuting the Qadarites, Jabarites, and Ash'arites. He, however, adopts a few selected arguments from these three groups and then builds his own methodology in an attempt to provide a compatibility between divine determination and human choice.