( مَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ ) (Whoever Allah sends astray – there is no guide for him): Someone may ask: ‘Why is there a calling for guidance and why would Allah (swt) hold people accountable for their misguidance while Allah (swt) says: (Whoever Allah sends astray – there is no guide for him)’. We say: Firstly, we have to pay attention to the fact that everything related to the Attributes, Names, Actions, and Words of Allah (swt) must not be measured according to those of humans; taking into consideration that the Attributes of Allah (swt) are Attributes of Perfection, and they are Absolute. If we say that Allah (swt) is alive, it means He (swt) is eternally alive and does not experience death. In contrast, when we describe a human as alive, it implies they will eventually die. If we say a person is generous, his generosity is within a limited scope and depends on available resources. Unlike how it is for the Owner of the Dominion; Allah (swt), the Ever-Living, possesses the treasures of heavens and earth.

In fact, Allah (swt) invites us to guidance and when He (swt) ordains that a person be guided and another be astray, this stems from the individual’s deeds himself. For His (swt) Knowledge is revealing, not influencing. Second, Allah (swt) says: (Whoever Allah sends astray – there is no guide for him) and states clear rules accordingly:

 إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ

(Indeed, Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.)

(Al-Maaida: 67)

 إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

(Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.) (Al-Maaida: 51)

 وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

(and Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.)

(Al-Maaida: 108)

Thus, when Allah (swt) says: (Whoever Allah sends astray – there is no guide for him), this means that whoever chooses the path of corruption, polytheism, and injustice falls within this meaning. Generally speaking, if Allah (swt) had willed the misguidance of all humanity, it would have happened, and if He (swt) had willed guidance, humanity would have collectively found guidance:

 وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَآمَنَ مَن فِي الْأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا

(And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed – all of them entirely) (Yunus: 99)

The clear fact; Allah (swt) commands us to seek guidance and provides with the means of finding the guidance leading to the ultimate goal of pleasing Him (swt) and attaining Paradise. He (swt) gave us Directional Guidance through clear signs, revealed divine Scriptures, and sent Messengers (PBUT) to guide humanity.

(وَيَذَرُهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ) (And He leaves them in their transgression, wandering blindly): (Blindness) is the loss of insight or understanding in the heart. In the Arabic language, there is a similar word for (blindness) but they differ in the last letter of the word, and there is a difference in meaning, as the other word represents the physical loss of vision in the eyes. The word (blindness) here refers to the heart losing insight, which one reflects upon, as the Prophet (saws) said:

“There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.”[1]

 

[1] Sahih Al-Bukhari, the Book of Faith, no. 52.