Jabariyah

Jabariyah is a designation in Islamic theology for a strand that emphasizes divine predestination. The term derives from jabr, meaning compulsion or coercion, and refers to the belief that God is the ultimate creator of all actions, leaving humans with little or no real power to choose. In this view, individuals appear to act freely, but their deeds are ultimately determined by God's will.

Origins and development: The label emerged in the early centuries of Islam, roughly the 8th–9th centuries CE, amid debates over free will and divine justice. It was often used polemically by opponents of free will to describe those who argued for total determinism; adherents did not form a single formal school, and multiple groups have been described as Jabariyah to varying extents. The central claim is that God creates both good and evil actions, and humans do not originate their deeds.

Relation to other schools: Jabariyyah stood in opposition to the Qadariyya, who affirmed human freedom and responsibility. Later Sunni orthodoxy—especially Ash'ari and Maturidi thought—sought a middle ground, teaching that God creates actions but humans acquire them (kasb), thereby preserving accountability while maintaining divine sovereignty.

Legacy and reception: The predestination emphasis faced criticisms from Mu'tazilites and others who argued for human initiative and moral responsibility. The term Jabariyah remains a polemical label in discussions of early Islamic theology, and its precise boundaries are debated. In modern scholarship, it is often used to describe predestinationist tendencies without implying a single unified doctrine.