Ibn Al Qayyim: Does Allah Misguide People & What Does This Mean?

What It Means For Allah To Misguide

Ibn al Qayyim explains that when the Quran says Allah misguides a person, it means that Allah, with full knowledge, turns that person away from guidance, narrows his chest, seals his heart, and leaves him on the path he himself has chosen, a path of disbelief, wrongdoing, open sin, lying, arrogance, and breaking the covenant.

This is never random and never without wisdom. Allah misguides while knowing the person, his inner state, his words, and what suits him and fits him before his creation and after it. If Allah were to guide such a person, that would be placing guidance in a place that does not suit it and giving it to someone who does not deserve it. Allah is wise and only puts things in their proper places, so His misguidance of such a person is a just and wise act. (Shifa al Alil, pp. 70 to 90)

He centres this on the verse “Have you seen the one who has taken his desire as his god, and Allah has led him astray upon knowledge” (al Jathiyah: 23).

He says that, according to most of the early scholars, “upon knowledge” means that Allah misguides him based on His previous knowledge of the servant and his final state. Allah knows that this person is among the people of misguidance and that guidance does not suit him. Allah therefore leaves him to his desire and seals him in that path. This verse, in this reading, brings together belief in decree and belief in the wisdom behind misguidance.

Does Allah really misguide people

Ibn al Qayyim shows that Allah clearly ascribes misguidance to Himself in many verses. Allah says “So whoever Allah wants to guide, He expands his chest for Islam, and whoever He wants to lead astray, He makes his chest tight and constricted as if he were climbing into the sky” (al Anam: 125).

• Allah says “He leads many astray by it and guides many by it, and He does not lead astray by it except the defiantly disobedient” (al Baqara: 26 to 27).
• He also says “And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people” (as Saff: 7),
• “And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people” (as Saff: 5),
• “Indeed Allah does not guide the one who is a liar, a great disbeliever” (az Zumar: 3),
• “And Allah leads the wrongdoers astray” (Ibrahim: 27),
• “Thus does Allah lead astray the one who is extravagant and doubtful” (Ghafir: 34),
• “Thus does Allah seal every heart of an arrogant tyrant” (Ghafir: 35),
• and “Thus does Allah seal the hearts of those who do not know” (ar Rum: 59).

All these verses show that misguidance is a real act of Allah that happens by His will and power, but that it has clear reasons and conditions in the servant.

He explains that misguidance comes in two main stages. First, there is an earlier misguidance, by which a person is kept away from accepting guidance in the first place and from being guided by it. This comes from the previous knowledge of Allah that this person is not fit for guidance and that his heart is not a place that can receive it.

Second, there is a later misguidance which comes as a punishment after the person has broken the covenant of Allah, cut what Allah has commanded to be joined, and spread corruption on the earth. Allah first describes their crimes, then He mentions that He misguides them, seals their hearts, and turns them away.

Two kinds of misguidance in the servant

Ibn al Qayyim then explains another reading of “Allah led him astray upon knowledge” (al Jathiyah: 23). Some scholars said that “upon knowledge” means that Allah misguides the person while the person himself has knowledge that establishes the proof against him.

The servant knows that his idol does not benefit or harm, knows the truth of the message, yet still turns away. Allah does not misguide him in a state of total ignorance and absence of any sign, but misguides him while clear knowledge, proofs and signs have reached him.

On this basis Ibn al Qayyim says that right guidance is to know the truth and to act upon it, so its opposite has two sides. One side is misguidance in knowledge, which is ignorance of the truth.

The other side is misguidance in intention and action, which is leaving action upon what one already knows is true.

The first is a darkness in the mind, the second is a corruption in the will. A person can be misled because he does not know, or because he knows but follows his desire.

Both fall under the misguidance of Allah, but the one who turns away after knowledge is more severe, because his misguidance is “upon knowledge”. 

The two main types of misguidance from Allah

Putting these texts together, Ibn al Qayyim shows that there are two main kinds of misguidance that Allah creates in people. The first is the original misguidance that prevents a person from accepting the truth at the beginning.

This comes from the previous knowledge of Allah that this servant is not fit for guidance, that guidance does not suit him, and that his heart is not a place that holds it. Allah knows best where He places His message, and says “Allah knows best where He places His message” (al Anam: 124) and “And We certainly chose them, upon knowledge, over the people of the universe” (ad Dukhan: 32). Not every heart is suited to carry the message and convey it, and not every heart is suited to receive it and believe it.

The second kind is misguidance as punishment. This comes after the person has already turned away, broken the covenant, cut what Allah has commanded to be joined, and spread corruption on the earth. Allah then increases their deviation and seals their hearts because of what they have done.

• He says “Because of their breaking of their covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard” (an Nisa: 155).
• He says “And We will turn their hearts and their eyes, just as they did not believe in it the first time, and We will leave them in their transgression wandering blindly” (al Anam: 110).
• He says “So when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate, and Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people” (as Saff: 5).
• He says “In their hearts is a disease, so Allah increased their disease” (al Baqara: 10).

These verses show that this second misguidance comes after their own choice and stubbornness.

Why Allah misguides and the wisdom behind it

Ibn al Qayyim explains that Allah misguides out of wisdom, not out of injustice. Allah is wise and only puts things in their proper places. When He misguides someone, it is because His knowledge has shown that this person is worthy of misguidance and not worthy of guidance, and that nothing else suits him.

If He were to guide such a person, it would be placing guidance in a place that does not suit it and giving good to one who does not deserve it. Misguidance in this sense is a just and fitting decision that matches the real state of the person.

He also says that Allah often links misguidance to qualities like wrongdoing, open sin, lying, kufr, arrogance, breaking the covenant, cutting ties and spreading corruption. He guides those whose hearts are suited to gratitude, humility and iman, and misguides those whose hearts are suited to pride and refusal.

In the verse “And thus We tested some of them by means of others so that they would say: Are these the ones whom Allah has favoured from among us. Does not Allah know best those who are thankful” (al Anam: 53).

Ibn al Qayyim says that Allah is telling us He knows best which hearts recognise blessings, value them, thank Him for them, humble themselves, and love Him. If their hearts were like the hearts of the thankful, they would receive the same guidance. Since they are not, He favours the thankful instead.

He also links misguidance to the general purpose of creation, which is testing. Allah says “Indeed We have made what is on the earth an adornment for it so that We test them as to which of them is best in deed” (al Kahf: 7). He says “And He is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days and His Throne was over the water so that He might test you which of you is best in deed” (Hud: 7). Through this test, what Allah knew in His previous knowledge about each servant becomes visible in real actions. Misguidance and guidance are part of this test, not random acts without purpose.

Misguidance and the two kinds of will and permission

A central part of Ibn al Qayyim’s reconciliation is his explanation of Allah’s will. He says that the word “will” in the Quran has two main uses. One is a universal will that covers everything Allah creates. This is the meaning in verses such as “He does what He wills” (al Buruj: 16), “And when We intend to destroy a town” (al Isra: 16), and “If Allah wants to lead you astray” (Hud: 34). Whatever exists in creation, including disbelief and sin, only exists by this universal will and power.

The other is a religious will based on command, love, and approval. This is the meaning in verses such as

• “Allah wants ease for you” (al Baqara: 185) and
• “And Allah wants to turn to you in forgiveness” (an Nisa: 27).

What Allah wills in this religious sense does not always occur, because people may disobey His commands.

Disbelief and sins are willed with the first meaning but not with the second. That is, Allah wills disbelief and misguidance as part of His universal decree and plan, but He does not will them as His religion, and He does not love or approve them.

He applies a similar distinction to the word “permission”. There is a universal permission, as in

• “They cannot harm anyone with it except by the permission of Allah” (al Baqara: 102),
• and a religious permission based on command, as in “Say: Have you seen what Allah has sent down for you of provision, and you made some of it haram and some of it halal.
• Say: Did Allah give you permission” (Yunus: 59),
• and “Permission has been given to those who are fought because they have been wronged” (al Hajj: 39).

Disbelief and misguidance only fall under the first permission, not under the second. Allah therefore misguides and allows misguidance in the sense of universal decree, not in the sense of approval and command.

Ibn al Qayyim then answers an objection of the Qadariyyah who say: if disbelief and sins are under Allah’s “choosing”, then everything He chooses must be loved and preferred by Him.

He answers that the word “choosing” in the Quran and in Arabic speech means a special type of choosing that includes preference, selection, and raising one thing above another. It comes in verses such as

• “Allah knows best where He places His message” (al Anam: 124),
• “And We certainly chose them, upon knowledge, over the people of the universe” (ad Dukhan: 32),
• and “And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses” (al Qasas: 68).

This “choosing” is more specific than the general word “will”. In this sense, disbelief and sins are not “chosen” by Allah, even if they fall under His universal will. The word “choosing” belongs to things like prophethood, guidance, and special favour, not to kufr and misguidance.

Misguidance as a punishment after clear proof

A major part of Ibn al Qayyim’s answer is to stress that Allah never misguides people without first making clear what they should do and what they should avoid. He quotes the verse

• “Allah was not to lead a people astray after He has guided them until He clarifies to them what they should fear” (at Tawbah: 115).

Misguidance after guidance only happens once Allah has explained, sent messengers, given signs, and shown what is forbidden and what is allowed. At that point, if people turn away, He misguides them as a punishment, not as the first act against them.

• He also brings many verses where Allah describes people who know yet turn away. “So do not set rivals for Allah while you know” (al Baqara: 22).
• “So he turned them away from the path, while they were seeing clearly” (al Ankabut: 38).
• “They denied them while their souls were certain about them” (an Naml: 14).
• “And We gave Thamud the she camel as a visible sign, but they wronged her” (al Isra: 59).
• Musa says to Pharaoh “You have certainly known that none has sent these down except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as clear proofs” (al Isra: 102).
• Allah says about the people of the Book “Those to whom We gave the Book recognise him as they recognise their sons, but a group of them hide the truth while they know” (al Anam: 20).
• He says to the Prophet “They do not call you a liar, but the wrongdoers reject the signs of Allah” (al Anam: 33).

These verses show that many who are misled are not simple people with no access to truth, but people with knowledge who freely choose denial, and Allah misguides them upon this knowledge. 

He also links misguidance of punishment to people’s reaction to blessings.

• Allah says about the human “And if We let him taste a mercy from Us after harm has touched him, he will surely say: This is for me” (Fussilat: 50).
• He says about Qarun “He said: I was only given it because of knowledge I have” (al Qasas: 78).
• He says about those who are tested with wealth and poverty “As for the human, when his Lord tests him and honours him and gives him blessings, he says: My Lord has honoured me. But when He tests him and restricts his provision, he says: My Lord has humiliated me” (al Fajr: 15 to 16).

When people use blessings in arrogance and attach them to themselves or to their idols, this false reaction becomes a cause for further misguidance and punishment.

How Allah is good and just while He misguides

In the end, Ibn al Qayyim shows how Allah remains perfectly good, wise, and just, even though He misguides. First, Allah’s misguidance is never without knowledge. He misguides while knowing the inner states of His servants, their past, their future, and what suits them, and He knows that guidance is not fit for certain hearts.

Misguidance is therefore part of His wisdom in placing things where they belong and putting each person in the station that fits him.

Second, misguidance of punishment always comes after crimes and stubbornness. Allah first sends messengers, books, signs, and clear proofs.

He commands and forbids. He warns. Only after people break the covenant, cut ties, reject clear verses, harm the prophets, and turn away from the call, does He curse them, harden their hearts, turn their hearts away, seal their hearts, increase their disease, and leave them in their transgression.

He does not misguide them while they are innocent, but after they have freely chosen corruption. This makes His misguidance a pure justice and a fitting repayment.

Third, Allah does not love disbelief, sin, or misguidance. He does not “will” or “choose” them in the sense of religion, love, and approval. He only decrees them in His universal will as part of a wider plan that includes tests, the showing of His attributes, the clear distinction between the people of truth and the people of falsehood, and the full display of His justice on the Day of Resurrection.

Disbelief and misguidance are hated to Him, even though He creates them and uses them as means for higher wisdoms.

Fourth, for the believers who respond with gratitude and patience, all decree is good. The Prophet says “Allah does not decree anything for the believer except that it is good for him. If something good happens to him, he thanks, so that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he is patient, so that is good for him.

This is only for the believer” (Muslim 2999). In this way, even the trials, losses, and hardships that Allah decrees become paths to completion and happiness for the people of faith, while misguidance is reserved for those who insist on turning away. This shows that the overall Allah’s decree is filled with mercy and goodness, even though it contains misguidance for those who choose corruption.

The levels of decree and predestination, which whoever does not believe in them has not believed in decree and predestination, are four levels.

The first level is the knowledge of the Lord, exalted is He, of things before they exist.

The second level is His writing of them before they exist.

The third is His will for them.

The fourth is His creating of them.

As for the first level, which is the previous knowledge, the messengers from the first of them to the last of them agreed upon it, and all the companions and those who followed them from the ummah agreed upon it, and only the Magians of this ummah opposed them.

His previous writing points to His knowledge of them before they exist. Allah, exalted is He, said:

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“Remember when your Lord said to the angels: I am placing a khalifa [successor] on the earth. They said: Will You place in it one who will make corruption in it and spill blood, while we glorify You with Your praise and we declare Your purity? He said: I know what you do not know.” (al Baqara: 30)

Mujahid said: He knew from Iblis the disobedience and He created it for him.

Qatadah said: It was in His knowledge that from that khalq (creation) there would be prophets and messengers and righteous people and the people of Jannah.

Ibn Masud said: I know what you do not know from Iblis.

Mujahid also said: He knew from Iblis that he would not prostrate to Adam.

Allah, exalted is He, said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ إِنّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

“Indeed with Allah is the knowledge of the Hour, and He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in which land it will die. Indeed Allah is All Knowing, All Aware.” (Luqman: 34)

In the Musnad, from the hadith of Laqit ibn Amir, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked: O Messenger of Allah, what is with you from the knowledge of the unseen? He said: From your Lord are five keys of the unseen that no one knows except Allah, and he pointed with his hand.

So I said: What are they? He said: Knowledge of death, He has known when the death of each one of you will be and you do not know it, and knowledge of the sperm when it is in the womb, He has known it and you do not know it, and knowledge of what is in tomorrow, He has known what you will eat and you do not know it, and knowledge of the day of rain, it rises upon you while you are in fear, then he remains laughing, He has known that your relief is near, and knowledge of the Day of the Hour. (It was narrated by Ahmad in the Musnad (13/4), and by al Hakim in al Mustadrak (4/561) from the hadith of Laqit ibn Amir. Al Haythami mentioned it in Majma al Zawaid (10/338) and attributed it to Abdullah and to al Tabarani with a similar wording. He said: The chain of Abdullah’s route is connected and its narrators are trustworthy, and the other chain and the chain of al Tabarani is mursal from Asim ibn Laqit from Laqit. It was also mentioned by al Muttaqi al Hindi in Kanz al Ummal, hadith number 39802. Al Hakim said: This is a comprehensive hadith in this chapter, with a chain that is authentic; all of them are Medinese, and the two Shaykhs did not narrate it. Al Dhahabi said in his Talkhis: Yaqub ibn Muhammad ibn Isa al Zuhri is weak.)

The agreed upon hadith of Ali has preceded, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “There is none among you, there is no soul breathed into, except that its place in Jannah or Hell has been known.” (Its takhrij has preceded.)

Al Bazzar said: Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Hiyaj al Kufiyy narrated to us, Ubaydullah ibn Musa narrated to us, al Fudayl ibn Marzuq narrated to us from Atiyyah, from Abu Saeed, from the Prophet, I think he said: “The one who died in the fatrah (interval between messengers), and the idiot, and the child will be brought.

The one who died in the fatrah will say: A Book and a messenger did not come to me. The idiot will say: My Lord, you did not give me a mind with which I could understand good and evil. The child will say: My Lord, I did not reach the age of action. Then a fire will be raised for them, and it will be said to them: Go back to it, or he said: Enter it.

So the one whom Allah knew in His knowledge would be happy if he had reached the time of action will go back to it, and the one whom Allah knew in His knowledge would be miserable if he had reached the time of action will hold back from it. Then the Blessed and Exalted will say: You disobeyed Me, so how would you have treated My messengers in the unseen?” (Al Haythami mentioned it in Majma al Zawaid (10/216) and attributed it to al Bazzar. He said: In its chain is Atiyyah, and he is weak. It is from the hadith of Abu Saeed al Khudri.)

In the two Sahihs from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said: “Every newborn is born upon the fitrah [natural pattern of Islam]. Then his parents make him a Jew, or a Christian, or a Magian, just as an animal gives birth to its young whole, do you find in it any cut off ear until you yourselves cut off its ear?”

They said: O Messenger of Allah, what about the one who dies among them while he is small? He said: “Allah knows best what they would have done.” (This was narrated by al Bukhari in the Book of Qadar, chapter “Allah knows best what they would have done”, hadith 6599, and by Muslim in the Book of Qadar, chapter “The meaning of every newborn is born upon the fitrah”, hadith 2658, and by Ahmad in the Musnad (2/346–347), and by Abu Nuaym in al Hilya (9/26), and by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih (1/128–129), from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah.)

The meaning of the hadith is: Allah knows best what they would have done if they had lived.

Allah, exalted is He, said:

أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى عِلْم

“Have you seen the one who has taken his desire as his god, and Allah has led him astray upon knowledge?” (al Jathiyah: 23)

Ibn Abbas said: He knew what will be before He creates him. He also said: Upon a knowledge that had preceded with Him. He also said: He means the matter that has preceded for him in the Mother of the Book. Saeed ibn Jubayr and Muqatil said: Upon His knowledge of him. Abu Ishaq said: That is, upon what had preceded in His knowledge that he is astray before He creates him.

This is what the majority of the scholars of tafsir mentioned. Al Tha’labi said: Upon a knowledge from Him of his end result. He said: It was also said: Upon what had preceded in His knowledge that he is astray before He creates him. Al Bagawi and Abu al Faraj ibn al Jawzi mentioned the same and said: Upon His previous knowledge of him that he will not be guided.

A group of them, among them al Mahdawi and others, mentioned two sayings in the verse, this being one of them. Al Mahdawi said: So Allah led him astray upon a knowledge, that is, upon His knowledge of him that he does not deserve it. He said: It was also said: Upon knowledge from the idol worshipper that his idol does not benefit and does not harm.

On the first saying it will be “upon knowledge” as a circumstantial phrase from the doer, so the meaning is: Allah led him astray while knowing that he is from the people of misguidance in His previous knowledge.

On the second, it will be a circumstantial phrase from the object, meaning: Allah led him astray while the disbeliever is in the state of knowing that he is astray.

I say: Upon the first view, the meaning is: Allah led him astray while knowing him and knowing his sayings and what suits him and fits him and that nothing else is fit for him before his creation and after it, and that he is worthy of misguidance and not worthy of being guided. If he were guided, that would be placing guidance in a place that does not suit it, and placing it with one who does not deserve it.

The Lord, exalted is He, is wise, He only places things in their proper places. So this verse, upon this saying, combines the affirmation of qadar [decree] and the wisdom for which misguidance was decreed upon him.

He mentioned knowledge here because it is the one that exposes and clarifies the realities of things and that places the thing in its proper place, and that gives good to the one who deserves it and withholds it from the one who does not deserve it, for this cannot be without knowledge.

So He, exalted is He, led him astray based on His knowledge of his conditions which suit his misguidance and require it and call for it. He, exalted is He, very often mentions that along with His telling that He led the disbeliever astray, as He said:

فَمَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ وَمَنْ يُرِدْ أَنْ يُضِلَّهُ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِي السَّمَاءِ كَذَلِكَ يَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

“So whoever Allah wants to guide, He expands his chest for Islam, and whoever He wants to lead astray, He makes his chest tight and constricted as if he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place filth upon those who do not believe.” (al Anam: 125)

And He, exalted is He, said:

يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيرًا وَيَهْدِي بِهِ كَثِيرًا وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِ إِلَّا الْفَاسِقِينَ * الَّذِينَ يَنْقُضُونَ عَهْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مِيثَاقِهِ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

“He leads many astray by it and guides many by it, and He does not lead astray by it except the fasiqun [defiantly disobedient], those who break the covenant of Allah after its tying, and cut what Allah has commanded to be joined, and cause corruption on the earth. Those are the losers.” (al Baqara: 26–27)

And He, exalted is He, said:

وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

“And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.” (as Saff: 7)

And He, exalted is He, said:

وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

“And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.” (as Saff: 5)

And He, exalted is He, said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ

“Indeed Allah does not guide the one who is a liar, a great disbeliever.” (az Zumar: 3)

And He, exalted is He, said:

وَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ الظَّالِمِين

“And Allah leads the wrongdoers astray.” (Ibrahim: 27)

And He, exalted is He, said:

كَذَلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ مُرْتَابٌ

“Thus does Allah lead astray the one who is extravagant and doubtful.” (Ghafir: 34)

And He, exalted is He, said:

كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ جَبَّارٍ

“Thus does Allah seal every heart of an arrogant tyrant.” (Ghafir: 35)

And He, exalted is He, said:

كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُون

“Thus does Allah seal the hearts of those who do not know.” (ar Rum: 59)

He has told, exalted is He, that He does that as a punishment for those who commit these crimes. This is a second misguidance after the first misguidance. Allah, exalted is He, said:

فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مِيثَاقَهُمْ لَعَنَّاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً

“Because of their breaking of their covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard.” (an Nisa: 155)

And He said:

وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَا إِذَا جَاءَتْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ * وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَنَذَرُهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ

“And what will make you perceive that when it comes they will not believe. And We will turn their hearts and their eyes, just as they did not believe in it the first time, and We will leave them in their transgression wandering blindly.” (al Anam: 109–110)

And He said:

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ لِمَ تُؤْذُونَنِي وَقَدْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ فَلَمَّا زَاغُوا أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

“And when Musa said to his people: O my people, why do you harm me while you know that I am the messenger of Allah to you? So when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate, and Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.” (as Saff: 5)

And He said:

فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ اللَّهُ مَرَضًا“In their hearts is a disease, so Allah increased their disease.” (al Baqara: 10)

And He said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَأَنَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

“O you who have believed, answer Allah and the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life, and know that Allah comes between a man and his heart, and that to Him you will be gathered.” (al Anfal: 24)

That is, if you leave answering Allah and His Messenger, He will punish you by coming between you and your hearts so you will not be able to answer after that. This resembles, if it is not exactly, His saying:

وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا وَجَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا

“And We certainly destroyed the generations before you when they did wrong and their messengers came to them with clear proofs, and they were not to believe.” (Yunus: 13)

And in another place He said:

تِلْكَ الْقُرَى نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنْبَائِهَا وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا بِمَا كَذَّبُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِ الْكَافِرِينَ

“Those are the towns, We relate to you some of their stories, and their messengers certainly came to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe because of what they had denied before. Thus does Allah seal the hearts of the disbelievers.” (al Araf: 101)

In this verse there are three sayings. The first: Abu Ishaq said: This is information about people who will not believe, just as He said about Nuh:

أَنَّهُ لَنْ يُؤْمِنَ مِنْ قَوْمِكَ إِلَّا مَنْ قَدْ آمَنَ

“None of your people will believe except those who have already believed.” (Hud: 36)
He argued for this by His saying: “Thus does Allah seal the hearts of the disbelievers,” which shows that He had sealed their hearts.

Ibn Abbas said: They were not going to believe, at the time the messengers were sent to them, because of what they had denied on the Day He took their covenant, when He brought them out from the back of Adam. They believed unwillingly and confessed with the tongue and hid denial.

Mujahid said: If We gave them life after their destruction, they would not believe in what they had denied before their destruction.

I say: This is similar to His saying:

وَلَوْ رُدُّوا لَعَادُوا لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ

“And if they were returned, they would go back to what they were forbidden from.” (al Anam: 28)

Others said: When their messengers came to them with the signs which they had demanded and asked for, they would not believe after seeing them and witnessing them, in what they had denied before seeing them and witnessing them.

Their previous denial of the truth prevented them from believing in it when they later recognised it. This is a punishment for the one who repels the truth or turns away from it and does not accept it, for he will then be turned away from it and a barrier will be placed between him and it and his heart will be turned away from it.

This is the misguidance of punishment, and it is from the justice of the Lord with His servant. As for the previous misguidance, by which he was misled from accepting it in the first instance and from being guided by it, then this is a misguidance that arises from the previous knowledge of Allah in His servant that he is not fit for guidance, and that it does not suit him, and that his place is not one that receives it.

Allah is most knowing where He places His guidance and success, just as He is most knowing where He places His message. He is most knowing where He places it originally and as a measure, and just as not every place is fit to carry the message from Him and to convey it to the creation, not every place is fit to receive it and believe it.

Allah, exalted is He, said:

وَكَذَلِكَ فَتَنَّا بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لِيَقُولُوا أَهَؤُلَاءِ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ بَيْنِنَا أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِالشَّاكِرِينَ

“And thus We tested some of them by means of others so that they would say: Are these the ones whom Allah has favoured from among us? Does not Allah know best those who are thankful?” (al Anam: 53)

That is, We tested and tried some of them by means of others. He tested the leaders and chiefs with the followers and slaves and weak ones. When the chief and the obeyed one looked at the slave and the weak one, he was too proud to submit and said: This one is the one whom Allah favours with guidance and happiness instead of me?

Allah said: “Does not Allah know best those who are thankful?” They are the ones who recognise the blessing and its value and thank Allah for it by admitting it and by humility and servitude.

If your hearts were like their hearts, recognising the worth of My blessing and thanking Me for it, remembering Me with it, humbling yourselves to Me as they humble themselves, and loving Me as they love Me, I would have granted it to you as I granted it to them. But My favour and My blessings have places that suit them and do not befit others.

For this reason He often connects decisions and knowledge, as He said here: “Does not Allah know best those who are thankful?” and as He said:

وَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ قَالُوا لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ حَتَّى نُؤْتَى مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ

“And when a sign comes to them they say: We will never believe until we are given like what the messengers of Allah were given. Allah knows best where He places His message.” (al Anam: 124)

And He, exalted is He, said:

وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَخْتَارُ مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ * وَرَبُّكَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُكِنُّ صُدُورُهُمْ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

“And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses. They have no choice. Glorified is Allah and exalted above what they associate with Him. And your Lord knows what their hearts conceal and what they reveal.” (al Qasas: 68)

That is, glorified is the One who is alone in creating and decisions from what He has created. This decisions is the selection and favouring. The complete pause is at His saying “and chooses.” Then He negated from them the choice that they claimed by their desire and said that it is not for them, but it is for the Creator, the All Knowing, who knows best the places of decisions and the places for it, not as those who said:

لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ

“Why has this Quran not been sent down upon a great man from one of the two towns?” (az Zukhruf: 31)

He informed, exalted is He, that He does not send messengers by their choice, and that human beings do not choose for Allah. Rather, He is the One who creates what He wills and chooses. Then He negated that they have the choice just as they do not have the creation.

Whoever claims that “what” is the object of the verb “chooses” has made a mistake, for if that were what is meant, then “the choice” would be in the accusative as the predicate of “was,” and the meaning “they did not have the choice in it” would not be correct by omitting the pronoun that returns to the relative, for that pronoun here is in the genitive with a preposition that is different from the one attached to the relative.

If it and its preposition were omitted there would be nothing in the language to point back to it, so it cannot be omitted.

Nor did the one who said that the decisions here means “will” understand the verse, as some theologians say that He, exalted is He, is one who acts by choice, for this terminology is something later that they produced, and the speech of Allah is not to be forced into their terminology.

The word “decisions” in the Quran is in line with its meaning in the Arabic language, which is to prefer something over something else. It implies preferring and specifying and raising that chosen thing above another, and this is something more specific than general “will” and “want”.

In as Sahah it says: al khirah is the noun from your saying: khara Allahu laka fi hadha al amr [may Allah choose what is good for you in this matter].

And al khirah is also: it is said Muhammad is khiratullahi min khalqih (the chosen one of Allah from His creation).

And khiratullah also with a still middle letter, and al ikhtiyar is selection, and likewise at takhyir and al istikharah is seeking the choice.

It is said: istakhirillah yakhir laka (seek the choice from Allah, He will choose for you), and khayyartuhu bayn al shayayn (I gave him the choice between two things) meaning I handed the choice over to him. End of quote.

So this is decisions in the language, and it is more specific than what the people of kalam use it for. From this is His saying:

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ

“It is not for a believing man or a believing woman that when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter they should have any choice in their affair.” (al Ahzab: 36)

And His saying:

وَاخْتَارَ مُوسَى قَوْمَهُ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلًا لِمِيقَاتِنَا

“And Musa chose from his people seventy men for Our appointed time.” (al Araf: 155)
meaning he chose from them.

With this the answer is given to the question which the Qadariyyah put forward. They say about disbelief and sins: Are they under the decisions of Allah or not under His choosing?

If you say they are under His decisions, then everything chosen is pleasing and selected and loved, so they would be pleasing and loved to Him. If you say they are not under His choosing, then they are not under His will and decisions.

The answer is that it is said: What do you intend by “choosing”? Do you intend the general meaning in the terminology of the people of kalam, which is will and wish, or do you intend the specific choosing which occurs in the Quran and Sunnah and the Arabic language?

If you mean by choosing the first meaning, then they are under His choosing in that sense, but it is not allowed that this word be applied to them because the word choosing contains the meaning of preference and selection and love. Rather, it is said: They occur by His will and His power. If you intend by choosing its meaning in the Quran and in the Arabic language, then they do not occur by His choosing in this meaning, even though they occur by His will.

If it is said: Do you say that they occur by His will or do you not use this word?

It is said: The word “will” in the Book of Allah is of two types. A will which is universal, which includes all created things, as in His saying:

فَعَّالٌ لِمَا يُرِيدُ

“He does what He wills.” (al Buruj: 16)

And His saying:

وَإِذَا أَرَدْنَا أَنْ نُهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً

“And when We intend to destroy a town.” (al Isra: 16)

And His saying:

إِنْ كَانَ اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُغْوِيَكُمْ

“If Allah wants to lead you astray.” (Hud: 34)

And similar verses. And a will which is religious and based on command, whose intended things do not have to occur, as in His saying:

يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ

“Allah wants ease for you.” (al Baqara: 185)

And His saying:

وَاللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ

“And Allah wants to turn to you in forgiveness.” (an Nisa: 27)

So disbelief and sins are willed with the first meaning and are not willed with the second meaning.

Likewise if it is said: Are they under His permission or not? Permission is also of two types. A universal permission like His saying:

وَمَا هُمْ بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

“They cannot harm anyone with it except by the permission of Allah.” (al Baqara: 102)

And a religious permission based on command, like His saying:

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ فَجَعَلْتُمْ مِنْهُ حَرَامًا وَحَلَالًا قُلْ آللَّهُ أَذِنَ لَكُمْ

“Say: Have you seen what Allah has sent down for you of provision, and you made some of it haram and some of it halal. Say: Did Allah give you permission?” (Yunus: 59)

And His saying:

أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا

“Permission has been given to those who are fought because they have been wronged.” (al Hajj: 39)

The word “choosing” is taken from “good” which is the opposite of “evil”. Since the original state of a living being is that he wants what benefits him and what is good, the will was called choosing. This shows that the will does not prefer one type over another except with a reason that makes that type preferred to the doer. The point is that He, exalted is He, mentions knowledge along with these special selections, as in His saying:

وَلَقَدِ اخْتَرْنَاهُمْ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

“And We certainly chose them, upon knowledge, over the people of the universe.” (ad Dukhan: 32)

There is no disagreement among people that the meaning is: upon a knowledge from Us that they are worthy of being chosen.So the sentence is in the place of a circumstantial phrase, meaning: We chose them while knowing them and their conditions and what requires their being chosen, before their creation. He, exalted is He, mentioned His deciding of them and His wisdom in deciding them, and His knowledge which shows the places of His wisdom and His decisions.

From this is His saying:

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَالِمِينَ

“And We certainly gave Ibrahim his right guidance from before, and We were knowing of him.” (al Anbiya: 51)

The strongest saying about the verse is that the meaning of “from before” is from before the revelation of the Torah, because He, exalted is He, said before it:

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ الْفُرْقَانَ وَضِيَاءً وَذِكْرًا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

“And We certainly gave Musa and Harun the Furqan and a light and a reminder for the muttaqin [people of taqwa].” (al Anbiya: 48)

Then He said:

هَذَا ذِكْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ أَفَأَنْتُمْ لَهُ مُنْكِرُونَ

“This is a blessed reminder which We have sent down, will you then deny it?” (al Anbiya: 50)

Then He said:

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَالِمِينَ

“And We certainly gave Ibrahim his right guidance from before, and We were knowing of him.” (al Anbiya: 51)

That is, from before that. For this reason “before” was cut off from addition and was treated as a noun on its own, because the thing it was being added to is intended and known even if it is not mentioned in wording. He mentioned these three, and they are the imam of the messengers and the noblest of the creation to Him, Muhammad, Ibrahim and Musa.

It has been said that the meaning of “from before” is in his childhood before puberty. There is nothing in the wording that points to this. The context only suggests “from before that which He mentioned.”

It has also been said that the meaning is: in Our previous knowledge. There is nothing in the verse to show that either, and this is not something special to Ibrahim. Every believer, Allah has written his guidance in His previous knowledge. The point is His saying: “and We were knowing of him.”

Al Bagawi said: That he is worthy of guidance and prophethood. Abu al Faraj said: That is, knowing that he is a place for giving right guidance. The author of al Kashshaf said: The meaning is that He, exalted is He, knew from him wonderful states and amazing secrets and attributes which He was pleased with and praised, so He made him fit for His companionship and closeness. This is like your saying about a noble person: I know so and so. Your speech includes praise of his good attributes. This is like His saying:

اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ

“Allah knows best where He places His message.” (al Anam: 124)

And His saying:

وَلَقَدِ اخْتَرْنَاهُمْ عَلَى عِلْمٍ

“And We certainly chose them, upon knowledge.” (ad Dukhan: 32)

And similar to it is His saying:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ * ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُهَا مِنْ بَعْضٍ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“Indeed Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the family of Ibrahim and the family of Imran over the people of the universe, descendants, some of them from others, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.” (Aal Imran: 33–34)

Close to it is His saying:

وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّيحَ عَاصِفَةً تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَالِمِينَ

“And for Sulayman were the strong wind, running by his command to the land which We had blessed, and We were knowing of everything.” (al Anbiya: 81)

That is, We placed this specific thing in the place which suits it from places and people.

A section: He, exalted is He, just as He is the All Knowing, the Wise, in His choosing whom He chooses from His creation and in His leading astray whom He leads astray from them, so He is the All Knowing, the Wise, in what is in His order and His Sharia from good consequences and great ends.

Allah, exalted is He, said:

كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسَى أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“Fighting has been prescribed for you while it is disliked by you. It may be that you dislike a thing and it is good for you, and it may be that you love a thing and it is evil for you. Allah knows and you do not know.” (al Baqara: 216)

He, exalted is He, made clear that what He commanded them with, He knows the benefit and interest in it which required that He choose it and command them with it, while they may dislike it, either because of their lack of knowledge or because the natural self dislikes it.

This is His knowledge of what is in the consequences of His command which they do not know, and His knowledge of what is in His choosing among His creation which they do not know. This verse contains encouragement to hold fast to the order of Allah, even if it is heavy upon the souls, and to be pleased with His decree, even if the souls dislike it.

In the hadith of al Istikharah (the supplication when seeking guidance) it is said: “O Allah, I seek the best from You by Your knowledge, and I seek ability from You by Your power, and I ask You from Your great favour, for You are able and I am not able, You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen.

O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my worldly life, and the end of my affair, then decree it for me and make it easy for me and bless it for me. And if You know that it is bad for me in my religion, my worldly life, and the end of my affair, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me good wherever it is, then make me pleased with it.” (This was narrated by al Bukhari in the Book of Night Prayer, chapter “What came regarding voluntary prayer two by two”, hadith 1166, and by Ahmad in the Musnad (3/344), and by Abu Dawud in the Book of Prayer, chapter “What came regarding Salat al Istikharah”, hadith 1538, and by at Tirmidhi in the Book of Prayer, chapter “What came regarding Salat al Istikharah”, hadith 480, and by an Nasa’i in the Book of Marriage, chapter “How is al Istikharah”, hadith 3253, and by Ibn Majah in the Book of Iqamah, chapter “What came regarding Salat al Istikharah”, hadith 1383, and by Ibn as Sunni in Amal al Yawm wa al Laylah, hadith 596, from the hadith of Jabir ibn Abdullah. At Tirmidhi said: Hasan sahih.)

Since the servant needs, in doing what benefits him in his life now and later, to know where the benefit is, and to have the power over it and for it to be made easy for him, and he does not have any of that from himself, rather his knowledge is from Him, exalted is He, the One who taught the human what he did not know, and his power is from Him, so if He does not give him power over it he is unable, and its being made easy is from Him, so if He does not make it easy for him it is difficult for him after he has power over it, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, guided him to pure servitude.

This is drawing the best choice from the One who knows the ends of matters and their details and their good and their evil, and asking power from Him, for if He does not give him power he is unable, and asking His favour from Him, for if He does not make it easy for him and prepare it for him, it is beyond his reach.

Then when He chooses it for him He informs him of it and helps him with His power and makes it easy for him from His favour. He then needs Him to keep it for him and to make it last with blessing that He puts in it. Blessing includes its remaining and its growth. This is a degree beyond simply giving power over it and making it easy.

Then when He does all of this for him, he needs Allah to make him pleased with it, for it may be that He makes something easy for him which he dislikes, so he remains displeased while Allah has chosen it for him.

Abdullah ibn Umar said: “A man may seek the best from Allah, and Allah chooses for him, yet he remains angry with his Lord. He does not remain long but that he looks at the end result, and sees that He has chosen the best for him.”

In the Musnad, from the hadith of Sad ibn Abi Waqqas, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: “From the happiness of the son of Adam is his seeking the best from Allah, and from the happiness of the son of Adam is his being pleased with what Allah has decreed, and from the misery of the son of Adam is his leaving seeking the best from Allah, and from the misery of the son of Adam is his displeasure with what Allah has decreed.” (Narrated by Ahmad in the Musnad (1/168), and by at Tirmidhi in the Book of Qadar, chapter “What came regarding being pleased with decree”, hadith 2151, and by al Hakim in al Mustadrak (1/518), from the two narrations of Sad ibn Abi Waqqas. At Tirmidhi said: This is a gharib hadith, we do not know it except through Muhammad ibn Abi Hamid. Al Hakim said: It is sahih according to the condition of the two Shaykhs, and al Dhahabi agreed with him in at Talkhis. Al Haythami mentioned it in Majma al Zawaid (2/279) and said: In it is Muhammad ibn Abi Hamid. Ibn Adi said: He was criticised for what he narrates, and his hadith is close to acceptable. Ahmad, al Bukhari and a group declared him weak.)

His making a person happy is that he chooses before the event and is pleased after the event. His forsaking a person is that he does not seek the best from Him before the event and is not pleased with it after the event.

Umar ibn al Khattab said: “I do not care if I wake up on what I love or on what I dislike, for I do not know the good is in what I love or in what I dislike.”

Al Hasan said: “Do not dislike the trials that happen and the calamities that occur, for perhaps in a matter that you dislike is your salvation, and perhaps in a matter that you love is your destruction.”

A section: From what suits this is His saying, exalted is He:

لَقَدْ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ رَسُولَهُ الرُّؤْيَا بِالْحَقِّ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ آمِنِينَ مُحَلِّقِينَ رُءُوسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ لَا تَخَافُونَ فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا فَجَعَلَ مِنْ دُونِ ذَلِكَ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا

“Allah has certainly made true His Messenger’s vision in truth. You will surely enter al Masjid al Haram, if Allah wills, secure, shaving your heads and shortening, not fearing. But He knew what you did not know, and He made before that a near victory.” (al Fath: 27)

He, exalted is He, clarified the wisdom in what they disliked in the year of al Hudaybiyah, of the polytheists pushing them back until they returned without making umrah. He clarified to them that their request would come after that, and it did occur in the following year. He said: “But He knew what you did not know, and He made before that a near victory.” This is the treaty of al Hudaybiyah. It is the beginning of the opening mentioned in His saying:

إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا

“Indeed We have opened for you a clear opening.” (al Fath: 1)

Because of it there came about for the religion and the life of this world so many benefits, victory and the appearance of Islam and the breaking of kufr that they had not hoped for before it. People mixed with one another and the Muslims spoke openly with the word of Islam and its proofs and evidences and did not fear.

During that time there entered into Islam almost as many people as had entered it before that time. It became clear to everyone the aggression and enmity and stubbornness of the polytheists, and the elite and the common person knew that Muhammad and his companions were the people of truth and guidance, and that their enemies had nothing in their hands except aggression and stubbornness.

The sacred house had not been closed in the face of any pilgrim and any person making umrah from the time of Ibrahim. The Arabs realised the stubbornness of Quraysh and their enmity. This called many people to Islam. The stubbornness and transgression of the people increased, which was a great help in their being defeated.

The patience of the believers and their endurance and their holding fast to the judgment of Allah and the obedience of His Messenger increased, which was one of the greatest causes of their victory. Along with other matters that Allah knew and the companions did not know. For this He called it an opening. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked: Is this a victory? He said: “Yes.” (Narrated by Ahmad in the Musnad (3/420, 486), and by Abu Dawud in the Book of Jihad, chapter “Regarding the one who is given a share”, hadith 2736, and by al Hakim in al Mustadrak (2/459), from the hadith of Mujamma ibn Jariyah al Ansari. Al Hakim said: This hadith is sahih according to the condition of Muslim and he did not narrate it. Al Dhahabi said in at Talkhis: Muslim did not narrate anything from Mujamma nor from his father, and both of them are trustworthy.)

A section: Similar to this is the saying of Yusuf as Sadiq (the truthful one):

يَا أَبَتِ هَذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُؤْيَايَ مِنْ قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّي حَقًّا وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِي إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِي مِنَ السِّجْنِ وَجَاءَ بِكُمْ مِنَ الْبَدْوِ مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ نَزَغَ الشَّيْطَانُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِي إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٌ لِمَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

“O my father, this is the interpretation of my vision from before. My Lord has made it true, and He was good to me when He brought me out of the prison and brought you from the desert after Shaytan stirred enmity between me and my brothers. Indeed my Lord is Latif [subtle and gentle] in what He wills, indeed He is the All Knowing, the Wise.” (Yusuf: 100)

He informed that He is Latif in what He wants. He brings it about through hidden ways that people do not know. His name al Latif includes His knowledge of minute things and His bringing mercy by hidden ways. From this is their saying: “Let him be gentle and let no one feel you.” (al Kahf: 19)

The outward side of what Yusuf was tested with, of being separated from his father, thrown into a well, sold as a slave, then the woman whose house he was in seeking to seduce him, her lying against him and his being imprisoned, were all trials and calamities. The inward reality of them was blessings and openings. Allah made them the cause of his happiness in the life of this world and the next.

From this category is what He tests His servants with from calamities, and what He commands them with from difficult matters, and what He forbids them from of desires. They are paths by which He makes them reach their happiness now and later. Jannah has been surrounded with hardships, and the Fire has been surrounded with desires. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Allah does not decree anything for the believer except that it is good for him. If something good happens to him, he thanks, so that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he is patient, so that is good for him. This is only for the believer.” (Sahih Muslim 2999)

So all decree is good for the one who is given gratitude and patience. It brings whatever it brings. The same is true of what He did with Adam and Ibrahim and Musa and Isa and Muhammad from those matters which outwardly are trials and tests, and which inwardly are hidden paths by which He made them reach the height of their completeness and their happiness.

Look at the story of Musa and how He was gentle with him. He brought him out at a time when Pharaoh was slaughtering the children, and He revealed to his mother that she should put him in the river, and He caused him by His subtlety to arrive at the house of his enemy who had been planning his killing, and who was slaughtering children looking for him. He placed him in his house, on his bed. Then He decreed a cause that took him out of Egypt and brought him to a place where Pharaoh had no authority.

Then He decreed for him a cause that led him to marriage and wealth after being unmarried and poor. Then He caused him to go to the town of his enemy and placed His sign against him, then He brought him and his people out of it in the appearance of those running away from him, and that was itself the very victory for them against their enemies and their watching their enemies destroyed with their own eyes.

All of this shows that He, exalted is He, does what He does because of the good consequences and great wisdom that minds cannot grasp in detail, along with the complete mercy and the overflowing blessing and His making Himself known to His servants by His names and His attributes. How much wisdom there is in Adam’s eating from the tree from which he was forbidden and his being made to leave Jannah because of it, which minds cannot reach in detail.

The same is true of what He decreed for the master of his children, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, from those matters by which He made him reach the highest and noblest of his goals, and by which He made him reach the best of ends by hidden paths in them. This is also how He deals with His servants and His allies.

He brings His favours to them and makes them reach their completion and their happiness by hidden ways which they do not come to know except when their ends appear.

This is something that the hearts are too small to know fully and the tongue is too unable to express. The people of Allah most knowledgeable of Him are His prophets and His messengers, and the one among them most knowledgeable of Him is their seal and the best of them. His ummah in knowing Him are at levels and ranks in proportion to their knowledge of Allah and His names and His attributes.

He, exalted is He, has encompassed all of that with His knowledge before the heavens and the earth and He decreed it and wrote it with Him, then He commands His angels to write that from the first book before the creation of the servant, and the state of the servant matches what He wrote in the book and what the angels wrote.

It does not increase or decrease from what He, exalted is He, wrote and recorded with Him. It was in His knowledge before He wrote it, then He wrote it as it was in His knowledge, then it occurs as He wrote it. He, exalted is He, said:

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ فِي كِتَابٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ

“Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and the earth. Indeed that is in a Book. Indeed that is easy for Allah.” (al Hajj: 70)

Allah, exalted is He, knew the conditions of His servants and what they would do and what they would return to, before He brought them into existence. Then He brought them out into this abode so that His knowledge about them would appear outwardly in them, just as He knew it. He tested them with command and prohibition and good and evil, and by that test His knowledge became manifest.

They deserved praise and blame and reward and punishment because of what took place in them of actions and attributes that matched the previous knowledge. They did not deserve that while it was only in His knowledge before they did it. So He sent His messengers and sent down His books and set down His laws and Sharia as an excuse for them and as establishing the proof against them, so that they would not say: How do You punish us for Your knowledge about us, when that does not fall under our acquisition and power?

When His knowledge appeared in them by their actions, then punishment came upon what He had known, now made outward by test and trial. Just as He tried them by His command and prohibition, He also tested them by what He made attractive to them from the dunya [this life] and what He built into them from desires. This is a test by His command and Sharia, and that is a test by His decree and predestination.

He, exalted is He, said:

إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ زِينَةً لَهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا

“Indeed We have made what is on the earth an adornment for it so that We test them as to which of them is best in deed.” (al Kahf: 7)

And He said:

وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا

“And He is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days and His Throne was over the water so that He might test you which of you is best in deed.” (Hud: 7)

He, exalted is He, informed us in this verse that He created the heavens and the earth so that He may test His servants by His command and His prohibition. This is from the truth for which He created His creation. He informed us in the previous verse that He created death and life so that He may test them, so He gave them life to test them by His command and His prohibition, and He decreed upon them death by which they reach the end result of this test in reward and punishment.

He, exalted is He, informed us in the first verse that He made what is on the earth beautiful for them to test them by it, which of them gives preference to what is with Him over it. He tested some of them by others. He tested them by blessings and calamities. By this test He brought His previous knowledge about them out into the open, after it had been unseen in His knowledge.

He tested the father of mankind and the father of jinn, each of them with the other, and by this test He made His knowledge about Adam appear, and by this test He made His knowledge about Iblis appear. For this reason He said to the angels: “Indeed I know what you do not know.”

This test remains in their descendants until the Day of Resurrection. He tested the prophets with their nations, and He tested their nations with them. He said to His servant and His messenger and His Khalil (close friend): “I am testing you and I am testing by you.” He said:

وَنَبْلُوكُمْ بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ

“We test you with evil and good as a trial, and to Us you will be returned.” (al Anbiya: 35)

And He, exalted is He, said:

وَجَعَلْنَا بَعْضَكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ فِتْنَةً

“We have made some of you a trial for others.” (al Furqan: 20)

In the sahih hadith it is mentioned that there were three whom Allah wanted to test, a leper, a bald man and a blind man. He made the test appear and brought out what was in His knowledge about them before creating them. As for the blind man, he acknowledged the blessing of Allah upon him, that he had been blind and poor, then Allah gave him sight and wealth, so he gave the beggar what he asked, thanking Allah.

As for the bald man and the leper, each of them denied what state he had been upon before of bad condition and poverty, and about his wealth he said: “I inherited this from my forefathers.” This is the state of most people. They do not admit what they were upon before of deficiency or ignorance or poverty or sins, and that Allah, exalted is He, transferred them from that to the opposite, and that He blessed them.

Because of this He, exalted is He, reminds the human being of the beginning of his creation from weak water, then moves him through the stages of his creation and its forms from one state to another until He makes him a complete human who hears and sees and speaks and grasps and knows. Then the person forgets his beginning and his first state and how he was, and he does not admit the blessings of his Lord upon him.

He, exalted is He, said:

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ * كَلَّا إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

“Does every person among them hope that he will be admitted into a Garden of bliss? No, indeed We created them from what they know.” (al Maarij: 38–39)

If you think about how one of these two sentences is connected to the other, you will find under it a great treasure from the treasures of knowledge and understanding. He pointed, exalted is He, with the beginning of his creation “from what they know” from the sperm and what follows it, to the place of the proof and the sign that points to His existence and His oneness and His perfection and His being alone in rububiyyah (lordship) and uluhiyyah (right to be worshipped).

It is not right with that that He leave them without any purpose, that He does not send a messenger to them and does not send a book down on them. It is not hard for Him with that to create them again after giving them death and to resurrect them to a home where He fully pays them back for their deeds, good and evil.

How do they hope to enter Jannah while they are lying and calling His messengers liars and setting others equal with Him from His creation, while they know from what He created them?

Similar to this is His saying:

نَحْنُ خَلَقْنَاكُمْ فَلَوْلَا تُصَدِّقُونَ

“We created you, so why do you not believe?” (al Waqiah: 57)

They used to believe that He created them, but He argued by His creation of them against them about His oneness and His being known and the truthfulness of His messengers. He called them by that and by His other creation to confess His names and His attributes and His oneness and the truthfulness of His messengers and belief in the resurrection.

He, exalted is He, reminds His servants of His blessings in order to call them by them to know Him and to love Him and to believe His messengers and to believe in meeting Him, as is contained in the surah called the surah of blessings, which is Surah an Nahl, from His saying:

خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ

“He created man from a sperm drop.” (an Nahl: 4)

Until He, exalted is He, says:

وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلَالًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ وَسَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمْ بَأْسَكُمْ كَذَلِكَ يُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُونَ

“And Allah has made for you from what He has created shades, and has made for you from the mountains shelters, and has made for you garments that protect you from heat and garments that protect you from your own violence. Thus does He complete His favour upon you so that you may submit.” (an Nahl: 81)

He reminded them of the roots of blessings and their branches and counted His blessings for them one by one. He informed them that He blessed them with that so that they submit to Him, and that His blessing upon them is completed by Islam, which is the head of blessings.

Then He informed us about those who disbelieved in Him and did not thank His blessings, saying:

وَيَعْرِفُونَ نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنْكِرُونَهَا

“They recognise the blessing of Allah then they deny it.” (an Nahl: 83)

Mujahid said: Homes and animals and garments of cloth and iron. The disbelievers of Quraysh know that then deny it by saying: This belonged to our forefathers and we inherited it.

Awn ibn Abdullah said: They say: If not for so and so, it would not have been like this.

Al Farra and Ibn Qutaybah said: They recognise that the blessings are from Allah then they say: This is by the intercession of our idols.

A group said: The blessing here is Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and their denying it is their rejecting his prophethood. This is reported from Mujahid and as Suddi. This is nearest to the true meaning of denying, for it contains denial of the greatest blessing.

Giving the blessing to other than Allah is denial of the blessing of Allah. The one who says: This was for our forefathers and we inherited it, is denying the blessing of Allah upon them, not confessing it. He is like the leper and the bald man in the story who were reminded by the angel of Allah’s blessings upon them, but they denied and said: We inherited this from our forefathers.

He said: If you are lying, may Allah return you to what you were. That it is inherited from forefathers makes the blessing even greater, for He blessed their forefathers then gave it to them as inheritance. They and their forefathers both enjoyed His blessing.

As for those who say: If it had not been for so and so, it would not have been so, this cuts the connection of the blessing from the One without whom there would be no blessing and connects it to one who cannot benefit or harm himself or anyone else. At most he is one part of the means which Allah has used to bring His blessing.

The means, by itself, does not bring about the thing. Making it a means is itself from the blessings of Allah upon him. He is the One who blessed with that blessing and He is the One who blessed by making that a means for it. He is the One who can bring it without that means. The means does not have any independent effect. He can take away its effect, or He can put in front of it something that cancels it, or He can make the opposite of what is expected result from it. He alone is the true Bestower of blessings.

As for saying: It is by the intercession of our gods, this has shirk [associating partners with Allah] along with attributing blessings to other than the One who is truly their Owner. Those idols that are worshipped with Allah are lower and more humbled than to be able to intercede with Allah. They will be gathered in disgrace along with those who worshipped them.

Those who are closest to Allah and most beloved to Him do not intercede except after He gives permission, and only for those He is pleased with. Their intercession, by His permission, is itself a blessing from Him. He is the One who blesses by the intercession, and He is the One who blesses by accepting it, and He is the One who blesses by making the one for whom intercession is made to be fit for it, for not everyone is fit that intercession be for him. So who is the one truly bestowing all blessings?

Allah, exalted is He, said:

وَمَا بِكُمْ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ

“Whatever blessing you have is from Allah.” (an Nahl: 53)

The servant cannot go outside His blessings and His favour and His giving for even the blink of an eye, neither in this life nor in the next. For this He, exalted is He, criticised the one whom He gave something from His blessings and he said:

إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِنْدِي

“I was only given it because of knowledge I have.” (al Qasas: 78)

In another verse He, exalted is He, said:

فَإِذَا مَسَّ الْإِنْسَانَ ضُرٌّ دَعَانَا ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلْنَاهُ نِعْمَةً مِنَّا قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ

“When harm touches the human he calls upon Us. Then when We give him a blessing from Us he says: I was only given it because of knowledge I have.” (az Zumar: 49)

Al Bagawi said: “Because of knowledge from Allah that I am worthy of it.” Muqatil said: “Because of good that Allah knew I have.” Others said: “Because of knowledge from Allah that I am worthy of it.” The meaning is that Allah gave it to me because of His knowledge that I am worthy and because that is my status with Him. This is supposed to show his nobility with Allah and his high rank.

Others said: The knowledge is his own knowledge, meaning: “I was given it because of knowledge I have of methods of gaining wealth.” This is the saying of Qatadah and others. It was said: “I knew that I had a special status with Allah because He gave me this in this life.” This is the meaning of what Mujahid said: “He gave it to me because of my honour.” Allah, exalted is He, said:

بَلْ هِيَ فِتْنَةٌ

“Rather it is a trial.” (az Zumar: 49)

That is, the blessings which We gave are a trial which We test him with, not a sign that We honour him and are pleased with him and have chosen him above others.

He, exalted is He, said about the story of Qarun:

أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا

“Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations who were stronger than him in power and more in gathering?” (al Qasas: 78)

If giving wealth and power and position were a sign of the pleasure of Allah upon the one whom He gave it to, and of his noble state and high rank with Him, then He would not have destroyed those whom He had given more of these than He gave Qarun.

When He destroyed them, even though He had given them so much, it became clear that His giving was a trial and a test, not a sign that He loved them and was pleased with them and had chosen them above others. For this He said in the other verse:

بَلْ هِيَ فِتْنَةٌ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

“Rather it is a trial, but most of them do not know.” (az Zumar: 49)

Then He confirmed this meaning by His saying:

قَدْ قَالَهَا الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَمَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ * فَأَصَابَهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُ مَا كَسَبُوا

“Those before them said the same. But what they used to earn did not avail them. So the evil of what they had done afflicted them.” (az Zumar: 50–51)

That is, the people before them, when We gave them blessings, said this statement. Ibn Abbas said: “They became proud of the blessing of Allah when He gave them this dunya, and they were happy with it and transgressed and said: This is honour from Allah for us.” His saying: “What they earned did not avail them” means that they thought that what We gave them was because We honoured them. It was not so, because punishment came to them and what they earned did not benefit them at all. It became clear that those blessings were not honour for them with Us, nor humiliation for those whom We prevented from having them.

Abu Ishaq said: The meaning of the verse is that their saying: Allah only gave us this because He honoured us, made their deeds come to nothing. He expressed the bringing to nothing of their deeds by His saying: “What they used to earn did not avail them.”

He, exalted is He, then destroyed this false belief with His saying:

أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَقْدِرُ

“Did they not know that Allah expands provision for whom He wills and restricts it.” (az Zumar: 52)

The point is that His saying: “because of knowledge I have” if by the knowledge he means his own knowledge, then its meaning is: I was given this because of the knowledge and intelligence and skill I have, by which I reached this and obtained it. If he means the knowledge of Allah, then its meaning is: I was given this because of what Allah knows I have of good and what I deserve and my being worthy of it, and that is because of my honour with Him.

This second meaning might be supported by his saying: “I was given it”, and not “I gained it and earned it with my knowledge and understanding.” This shows that he admits that another gave it to him. This is made clearer by His saying: “Rather it is a trial”, that is, the blessing is a trial, not honour.

Also this agrees with His saying:

فَأَمَّا الْإِنْسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَكْرَمَنِ * وَأَمَّا إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَهَانَنِ

“As for the human, when his Lord tests him and honours him and gives him blessings, he says: My Lord has honoured me. But when He tests him and restricts his provision, he says: My Lord has humiliated me.” (al Fajr: 15–16)

So he admitted that his Lord gave and honoured him, but he thought that was due to his honour with Him.

On the first interpretation, the verse contains blame of the one who attributes blessings to himself and his knowledge and power, and does not attribute them to the favour and giving of Allah. That is complete disbelief in blessings, for the head of gratitude is confessing the blessing and that it is from the Bestower alone. If it is attributed to someone else, that is denying it. If he says: “I was given it by my knowledge and experience by which I obtained it”, then he has attributed it to himself and been deceived by it, just as those who said: “Who is stronger than us in power?” were proud of their power. That did not protect them, nor did this man’s knowledge protect him.

On the second interpretation, it contains blame of the one who thinks that the blessing from Allah is because he is worthy and deserving of it, and that this blessing is a reward from Allah for his goodness and his good attributes, and that it is his right upon Allah. He has made the reason for the blessing something within himself and not something in His Lord from generosity and favour and kindness and giving. He does not realise that it is a test and a trial to see if he will thank or disbelieve.

It is not a reward for something from him. If it were a reward for something from him, then Allah is the One who blessed him with that reason in the first place. He is the One who blessed him with the cause and the result. All of it is pure grace and favour and generosity. The servant has nothing of good from himself, not even the weight of an atom.

On both interpretations he has not attributed the blessing to the Lord from every angle, even if he attributes it to Him from one angle. He, exalted is He, is the One truly bestowing blessings from every angle, by the blessing itself and by its causes. Its causes are from His blessings upon the servant, even if they come through the servant’s effort, because his effort itself is a blessing.

Every blessing is from Allah alone, even the thanksgiving, for it is a blessing and it is from Him, exalted is He. No one can thank Him except with His blessing.

It is narrated that Dawud said: “My Lord, how can I thank You when my thanking You is another blessing from Your blessings upon me which requires another thankfulness?” He said: “Now you have thanked Me, O Dawud.” (Imam Ahmad mentioned it.) He also mentioned from al Hasan that he said: Dawud said: “My God, if every hair of mine had two tongues that remember You, they would not do what is due to You for a single one of Your blessings over all time.” The point is that the state of the grateful person is the opposite of the one who says: “I was only given it because of knowledge I have.”

Similar to it is His saying, exalted is He:

لَا يَسْأَمُ الْإِنْسَانُ مِنْ دُعَاءِ الْخَيْرِ وَإِنْ مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ فَيَئُوسٌ قَنُوطٌ * وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ ضَرَّاءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ هَذَا لِي

“The human does not tire of asking for good, but if evil touches him, he is in despair and gives up hope. And if We let him taste a mercy from Us after harm has touched him, he will surely say: This is for me.” (Fussilat: 49–50)

Ibn Abbas said: He means “from me.” Muqatil said: “I am more deserving of it.” Mujahid said: “This is by my work and I deserve it.” Az Zajjaj said: “This is something that I deserve because of my work.”

He described the human with the worst of attributes. If harm touches him he falls into despair and his face looks like the face of one who has no hope. If good touches him he does not remember that Allah is the One who blessed him and favoured him, so he becomes proud and thinks that he deserves it.

Then he adds to that denying the resurrection, saying:

وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً

“I do not think the Hour will come.” (Fussilat: 50)

Then he adds to that his false claim that if he is resurrected, he will have the best with Allah, saying:

وَلَئِنْ رُجِعْتُ إِلَى رَبِّي إِنَّ لِي عِنْدَهُ لَلْحُسْنَى

“If I am returned to my Lord, I will certainly have with Him the best.” (Fussilat: 50)

After all of that there is no place left for ignorance and delusion.

A section: In His saying, exalted is He:

وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ

“And Allah led him astray upon knowledge.” (al Jathiyah: 23)

there is another saying. That is, that it is “upon his knowledge that he is astray”, as it is said: “upon knowledge from him that his idol does not benefit or harm.” The meaning is then: Allah led him astray while he had knowledge which establishes the proof against him. He did not lead him astray in a state of ignorance and lack of knowledge.

This is similar to His saying:

فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا لِلَّهِ أَنْدَادًا وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

“So do not set rivals for Allah while you know.” (al Baqara: 22)

And His saying:

فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ وَكَانُوا مُسْتَبْصِرِينَ

“So he turned them away from the path, while they were seeing clearly.” (al Ankabut: 38)

And His saying:

وَجَحَدُوا بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنْفُسُهُمْ

“They denied them while their souls were certain about them.” (an Naml: 14)

And His saying:

وَآتَيْنَا ثَمُودَ النَّاقَةَ مُبْصِرَةً فَظَلَمُوا بِهَا

“And We gave Thamud the she camel as a visible sign, but they wronged her.” (al Isra: 59)

And the saying of Musa to Pharaoh:

لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا أَنْزَلَ هَؤُلَاءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ بَصَائِرَ

“You have certainly known that none has sent these down except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as clear proofs.” (al Isra: 102)

And His saying, exalted is He:

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

“Those to whom We gave the Book recognise him as they recognise their sons, but a group of them hide the truth while they know.” (al Anam: 20)

And His saying:

فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَكِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ

“They do not call you a liar, but the wrongdoers reject the signs of Allah.” (al Anam: 33)

And His saying:

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْمًا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَاهُمْ حَتَّى يُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ مَا يَتَّقُونَ

“Allah was not to lead a people astray after He has guided them until He clarifies to them what they should fear.” (at Tawbah: 115)

Similar verses are many.

On this interpretation he has left the path of his right guidance while he sees it clearly, as in the hadith: “The people with the most severe punishment on the Day of Resurrection is a scholar whom Allah did not benefit with his knowledge.” (This was narrated by al Bayhaqi in Shuab al Iman, hadith 1778, and by at Tabarani in as Saghir, hadith 498, and by Ibn Adi in al Kamil (5/158), from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah. Al Haythami mentioned it in Majma al Zawaid (1/185) and attributed it to at Tabarani in as Saghir and said: In it is Uthman al Bari. Al Fallas said: He is truthful but makes many mistakes and has an innovation. Ahmad, an Nasa’i and ad Daruqutni declared him weak. Al Muttaqi al Hindi mentioned it also in Kanz al Ummal, hadith 28977. Al Albani mentioned it in Daif al Jami.)

The one astray from the path may be following his desire while knowing that right guidance is in the opposite of what he does. Since right guidance is knowing the truth and acting by it, it has two opposites. The first opposite is ignorance, and the second is leaving acting by it. The first is misguidance in knowledge, and the second is misguidance in intention and action.

His saying, exalted is He:
﴿عَلَى عِلْمٍ﴾
“Upon knowledge” occurs in His saying:

وَلَقَدِ اخْتَرْنَاهُمْ عَلَى عِلْمٍ

“And We certainly chose them, upon knowledge.” (ad Dukhan: 32)

and in His saying:

وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ

“And Allah led him astray upon knowledge.” (al Jathiyah: 23)

and in His saying:

قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِنْدِي

“He said: I was only given it because of knowledge I have.” (al Qasas: 78)

In the first, the knowledge returns to Allah without any difference, as those of tafsir mentioned. In the second and third there are two sayings.

The strongest for His saying: “And Allah led him astray upon knowledge” is that it is like the first, and this is the saying of the majority of the salaf. In the third there are two possible meanings, and both have been mentioned.

Allah knows best.

The point is to mention the levels of decree and predestination: knowledge, writing, will and creating.

Shifā al-Alīl fī masāil Al-Qaḍā wa Al-Qadar by Ibn Al Qayyim page 70-90