Quran Garden

Session 415

Chapter 3

Verse 86

Why would God guide people who deny the truth after they have believed and acknowledged that the messenger is true and after they have been shown clear proof? God does not guide the unjust.  (Chapter 3: Verse 86)

Here we observe the wonderful style of the Quran.  Allah invites you to marvel at the people who chose disbelief after faith.  Had they not been believers, we would have said: they have not tasted the sweetness of faith.  But how could a person who believed and tasted the sweetness of devotion accept disbelief for him or herself? 

Here we should address a common excuse among sinners.  They point to phrases like "God guides whomever He wills" and claim that "I cannot help myself from doing sin.  If God wanted me to be good, He would have guided me!"  We answer that this is a poor justification for sin because, interestingly, such statements are never uttered regarding obedience.  In other words, when a person sins, he or she says, "God wanted me to sin; it is not my fault, I couldn't help it." But, after they help a poor person, they never say, "God wanted me to be good; I couldn't help it, so I do not deserve a reward."  Why do you only attribute your sin to God, and not your virtue? You cannot demand a reward for your obedience and escape the punishment for your sins. 

We have explained earlier that guidance has two levels.  To guide means to highlight the path which takes you to the desired destination.  The first level of guidance is general.  An example of this are road signs which clarify the direction and distance you need to travel to reach your destination city.  Such signs are placed for general guidance.

Similarly, Allah guided all people, the believers, and the disbelievers, and showed them the correct path to paradise.  He sent prophets, messengers, and scriptures to guide everyone.   After that, people became divided into two groups based on their choice: a group that accepted the path shown by God, and a group that rejected it. 

Allah supports those who follow His general guidance with the second level: His divine guidance. He endears faith and piety to their hearts and facilitates the actions that lead to paradise.  It is as if the Almighty says to them, "You have believed in Me and followed My teachings, so you have earned another prize: I will come to your aid and ease matters for you."  This is the divine guidance that God gives only to those who follow His general one.

Let's clarify the difference between general and divine guidance with an example.  Say that you were lost and asked a policeman for directions towards your destination.  The policeman hands you a map; it is the same general map he gives to everyone.  Here, you show your appreciation and say, "Thank you, officer, for your help; you have made things so much easier for me."  Now, the policeman decides to offer help beyond the general map.  He highlights the best way for you to take and warns you about the roads under construction and the areas that are not safe at night.  Then, he volunteers to ride with you and shows you through the best exits and roads.

Hence, guidance sometimes means "indication" and, at other times, it means "aid." I repeat this statement to make it clear that Allah comes to the aid of those who believe in Him.  He says:

As for those who follow true guidance, He leads them far ahead in their right ways and grants them piety and restraints from evil suited to their condition. (47:17)

Just as God comes to aid those who chose Him, He abandons those who reject His teachings or associate partners with Him.  He asks:

Why would God guide people who deny the truth after they have believed and acknowledged that the Messenger is true and after they have been shown clear proof?

Always remember that Allah only abandons a person after he or she rejects His general guidance, as illustrated in the phrase "after they have believed and acknowledged that the Messenger is true and after they have been shown clear proof."

Here you may ask, who are the people implicated in this verse?  We answer that it refers to a few people who embraced Islam then reneged but, mainly, this verse refers to the People of the Book who were given Muhammad's description in their books.  Take the example of Abdullah bin Salam, a Jewish Rabbi in Medina, who said, "I knew Muhammad the moment I saw him as I know my own son; in fact, my knowledge of Muhammad was stronger." God says:

Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whose description they will find written in the Torah and the Gospel with them.  He will enjoin on them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong. He will make lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them only the foul, and he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear. Then those who believe in him, and honor him, and help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him, they are the successful.  (7:157)

The Quranic expression "they will find his description written in the Torah and the Gospel with them" indicates that it was not hearsay or an oral tradition; rather, both holy books described Muhammad in black and white.  It was common knowledge among the People of the Book.  God says:

When a book does come to them from God, confirming what is with them –even though before they were praying for victory over the disbelievers– when there came to them something they knew to be true, they disbelieved in it: God's curse is on those who disbelieve. (2:89)

Before the advent of Muhammad, the Jews and Christians of Arabia sought God's support over the disbelievers.  They used to threaten the pagan Arabs and say, "A prophet will come whom we will follow.  We will fight along his side and kill you like the killing of Iram and 'Aad." Thus, they believed in the Messenger, peace be upon him, before his arrival.  But when he came, they rejected him.  God answers:

Those who disbelieve say, "You are not a Messenger sent by God." Say: "God suffices for a witness between me and you, and anyone else who has knowledge of the Book." (13:43)

It is as if those who took the time to study the Torah and the Gospel would be able to see Muhammad right before their eyes.  Thus, with such strong evidence at hand, isn't fair for Allah to say, "Why would God guide people who deny the truth?"  What more do they need to believe? Haven't they already said that a prophet would come, and they would be by his side? Such people are not worthy of God's help because they put their desires before God's love.  He says:

As for those who disbelieve, it makes no difference whether you warn them or not: they will not believe.  God has sealed their hearts and their ears, and their eyes are covered. They will have great torment. (2:6-7)

And, in verse 88 of Chapter 4:

If God leaves anyone to stray, you will never find the way for him.

Allah laid the foundations of faith before you, and He will respect whatever choice you make.  If you willfully ignore His general guidance, He will abandon you to whatever you choose for yourself.  Allah will not hold anyone's hand and drag them to His path.  On the other hand, if you want God's help, all you need to do is take the first step and follow the guidance of the messengers; Allah will then rush to your aid.  Listen to this beautiful sacred narration (Hadith Qudsi):

"I treat My servant as he hopes that I would treat him. I am with him whenever he remembers Me: if he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in Mine; if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering far better; if he draws near towards Me a hand's span, I draw near towards him an arm's length; if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a mile; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running." 

Allah wants to grant you more but, first, you have to be deserving of such gifts.  So make sure you do not fall into the categories of people Allah does not guide.  The Quran clarified to us three types of people who are deprived of God's divine guidance.  They are listed in the following three verses:

That is because they preferred the worldly life over the Hereafter and that God does not guide the disbelieving people. (16:107)

That will make it more likely they will give true and proper testimony, or fear that their oaths might be refuted by others afterwards. Be mindful of God and listen; God does not guide those who are corrupt. (5:108)

Why would God guide people who deny the truth after they have believed and acknowledged that the Messenger is true and after they have been shown clear proof? God does not guide the unjust.  (Chapter 3: Verse 86)

We understand that the disbelievers, the corrupt, and the unjust are the ones who are expelled from God's divine guidance.