( كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً  ) (Mankind was [of] one religion..): When Adam and Eve came down there were one nation, there was no difference between people. Difference and troubles arise when there are multiplicity of benefits and when the cupidities exceed the benifits. The earth was wide, and humans were few, Adam and Eve and the two sons of Adam and their wives. The earth was vast, and livelihood was available, and everything was abundant, so normally, no reason for the dispute to happen at that time. The word (Mankind) refers to Adam and Eve. Their faith in Allah (swt) was by instinct; because Adam and Eve came down with the divine approach. Allah (swt) says:

{ قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ }

(We said, “Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.)  (Al-Baqara: 38)

( فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ ) (..then Allah sent the prophets as bringers of good tidings and warners and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between the people concerning that in which they differed…): When people increased and disagreement began to appear as a result of the greedy, Allah (swt) sent the prophets as bringers of good tidings and warners -always the glad tiding comes before warning and sent down with them the Scriptures in truth. The Scriptures refer to the Torah, the Bible, the Holy Qur’an, the Scripture of Abraham. The Scripture is what Allah (swt) has revealed to His creation of His words. It is to guide people so that they do not disagree, and to control their movement and behavior in life, so that there will be no oppression between people and no greedy. Hence, the scripture was revealed in truth because truth is the unchangeable fact that is undisputed and the false is the opposite of it.

( وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ ) (And none differed over the Scripture except those who were given it – after the clear proofs came to them – out of jealous animosity among themselves..): Animosity is to go beyond the limitation among people such as, some want to take unjustly the inheritance, others want to steal other’s money or take bribes. Some of them steal, and others assault people’s honor or occupy the lands of people with force…… This animosity happened after the clear proofs came to them, after the Prophets and the messengers came and clarified the rules and showed the way of guidance to humans, however people differed because of jealous animosity among themselves, because of going beyond the truth, beyond the limitations and other’s rights.

( فَهَدَى اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ ) (..And Allah guided those who believed to the truth concerning that over which they had differed, by His permission..): The truth came down with these clear proofs. There are two types of guidance: Directional Guidance and Supportive Guidance:

 وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمَىٰ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَاعِقَةُ الْعَذَابِ الْهُونِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ

(And as for Thamud, We guided them, but they preferred blindness over guidance, so the thunderbolt of humiliating punishment seized them for what they used to earn.)  (Fussilat: 17)

The guidance in this verse is the Directional one which is for all people in general, Allah (swt) says:

{ إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا }

(Indeed, this Qur’an guides to that which is most suitable and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward.)  (Al-Israa: 9)

The Holy Quran guides people to the right and straight way. If people accept this guidance, Allah (swt) supports them in following it, this is called the Supportive guidance:

 {وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَآتَاهُمْ تَقْوَاهُمْ }

(And those who are guided – He increases them in guidance and gives them their righteousness.)  (Muhammad: 17)

Therefore, Allah (swt) addressed His Prophet saying:

 {إنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ }

(Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.)  (Al-Qasas: 56) And says:

{ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ }

(And indeed, [O Muhammad], you guide to a straight path.)  (Ash-Shura:  52)

When you read these two verses, you think that they contradict each other, the first one says: (you do not guide) and the second says: (you guide)!! The answer is: In the second verse (you guide to the straight path), this is the Directional guidance, that is, you guide by your sayings, your doings, by your Sunna, by the Holy Qur’an that revealed to you. Whereas, in the first verse (you do not guide whom you like), meaning, you will not enter the Supportive guidance, which is placed in the heart, to the people you love. This is the difference between the Directional guidance and the Supportive guidance.

( وَاللَّهُ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ) (..And Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path.): No one may think that he is out of the will of Allah (swt), and that the one who went astray is out of the divine will. It is Allah’s will to make you have a will. Did the man who go astray and chose the path of disbelief over faith go out of Allah’s will? The answer is ‘ definitely No’. No one has to say: Allah guides whom he will and did not guide me, so this not my fault! Allah (swt) clarify guidance to all people and they choose and they will be judged according to their choice. However, who chose to go astray and did not choose guidance, he did not exceed the will of Allah (swt), that is because Allah (swt) wills you to choose and if He does not want you to have the ability to choose, He would  have forced you to obey as He (swt) did with the angels:

 {لا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ }

(they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.)  (Al-Tahrim: 6)

This is the meaning of the (will) in this verse under study.