Allah (swt) tells the Messenger (saws) and the believers that there would be those who would retreat from Islam, and in fact that happened in the era of the Prophet (saws), such as Al-Aswad Al-Ansi in Yemen who converted from Islam at that time and was killed, and Musaylimah the liar who apostatized and claimed prophethood, and was killed in the days of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) as well as Taliha and Sajah at that time, so Allah (swt) gave an immune precaution and said in advance in the Holy Qur’an:
(… يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ ) (O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion …): They will not decrease the believers; Because Allah (swt) will:
(… يَأْتِي اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ …) (…bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him …): As long as Allah (swt) will love them, it is natural that they will love Him. He (swt) loves those who are constantly repentant and those who purify themselves, if the action by you and the love of Allah (swt) will be for your work. According to the human thinking, the sentence could have been (Allah will love them), but He (swt) says: “He will love and who will love Him”. This proves that the Holy Qur’an is miraculous, for with His revealing knowledge, Allah (swt) knows that they will be pious and righteous, and that they will love Him (swt), so Allah will love them.
(… أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ …) (…humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers …): How can they be humble and powerful at the same time? The answer: This is when the emotional reaction is according to events and according to people, when Allah (swt), for example says:
وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ
(And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy) (Al-Israa: 24)
Do you think that when you are humiliated to your mother and father, you have lost your pride, or has your pride been honored? The answer: This humiliation is honor for you, for the believer is humiliated with those who deserve it, and this achieves honor for him and not the opposite, but the hypocrites do not know.
(… يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ …) (…they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic.…): This is a response to the hypocrites, for the true believers are not afraid to openly declare their support for the Prophet (saws). However, the polytheists and the Jewish rabbis in Al-Medina blamed those who stood beside the Prophet (saws).
( ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ … ) (…That is the favor of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing): To be loving and obedient to Allah (swt), and to do good to people, that is a favour from Allah (swt). He bestows upon whomever He (swt) wills. Allah (swt) says:
وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ
(And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.) (Al-Baqara: 264)
وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ
(and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.) (Al-Baqara: 258)
Hence, if you choose disbelieving, wrongdoing or disobeying, Allah (swt) will not guide you, as a result of your choice.