Al-Hasan Ibn Abul-Hasan Al-Basri wrote the following missive to Abu Muhammad Al-Hasan Ibn Ali (‘as):
So then, you, the Hashemites, are the progressing ships in the high waves, the celebrated illuminative signs, and the ark of Noah (‘as) on which the believers embark and by which the Muslims are saved. I write to you, son of the Prophet, about out argument about fate and our perplexity about the source of power. I wish you would tell us of the opinion of your fathers and yours. It is surely that your knowledge is a part of God’s, and you are the witnesses on people and God is the witness on you. You are the offspring of one another, and God is All- hearing and All-seeing.
Imam Al-Hasan (‘as) answered:
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
I have received your missive. Only because you referred to the perplexity of you and those who passed, I will explain the question to you. He who does not believe in the fact that God has full acquaintance with the good and the evil of the fate is disbeliever. He who refers the doing of the acts of disobedience to Him is sinful. God has not been obeyed by force and has not been defied due to His being overcome. He has not respited the servants uselessly. He is surely the possessor of what He has given to them in possession and controls what He has empowered. His commandments are optional and His warnings are means of caution. If the servants cling to the obedience to God, they will not find any barrier in their way and if they disobey, God may do them favor by precluding them from doing such acts of disobedience. If he does not do, then it is not He who encourages them committing so by force or compulsorily. On the contrary, He does them the favor of informing, advising, warning, ordering, and telling them not to do so. He does not frame them to obey Him like the angels and does not oblige them to commit acts of disobedience to Him. Final authority belongs only to God. Had He wanted, He would have given you all guidance. Peace be upon those who follow the right guidance.