World Dawah Quran & Sunnah through understanding of Salaf
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, whose mercy encompasses all things, whose knowledge encompasses all things, and who perfected everything He created. He is not questioned about what He does because of the perfection of His wisdom and justice, whereas they will be questioned. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner—the True Sovereign, the Manifest Reality, who does not wrong anyone even by the weight of an atom. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, sent with guidance and the religion of truth. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, his family, his Companions, and all who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
The Claim That Allah Misguides People Unjustly
Introduction
Among the objections raised by some Christians and those who follow them is the claim that the Qur’an attributes misguidance to Allah, citing verses such as His statement:
“Whomever Allah leaves astray, none can guide.”
And His statement:
“He leaves astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills.”
They then argue that this means human beings are compelled to disbelieve, and that Allah—far exalted is He above what they claim—forces His servants into disbelief and then punishes them for what He compelled them to do. They present this as an objection to the perfect justice of Allah.
This objection arises from ignorance of the true meanings of the Qur’anic language, from isolating certain verses while ignoring others, and from confusing Allah’s universal will (al-mashī’ah al-kawniyyah) with His legislative command (al-amr al-sharʿī). It also stems from confusing the misguidance that Allah decrees as an act of justice and recompense with the misguidance to which Satan and his allies invite people.
Had the objector gathered together all the relevant texts on this subject and interpreted the ambiguous passages in light of the clear ones—as is the methodology of the scholars—it would become evident that the Qur’an affirms the perfect justice and mercy of Allah and categorically denies that He commits injustice. Allah never misguides anyone unjustly. Rather, He guides those who seek and accept the truth, and He abandons those who deliberately turn away from it and choose misguidance after the proof has been established against them. Allah is not questioned about what He does because of the perfection of His wisdom, and He wrongs none of His creation, as He says:
“Indeed, Allah does not wrong people in the least, but it is people who wrong themselves.” (Qur’an 10:44)
The answer to this objection may be presented from three perspectives:
- Explaining the verses they cite in light of the explanations of the leading scholars of Qur’anic exegesis, demonstrating that Allah’s misguiding is always an act of justice and wisdom, never of injustice or coercion.
- Showing that the Qur’an also attributes misguidance to Satan, where it refers to his calling people toward error and making it appear attractive—not to any independent power to guide or misguide. Thus, there is no contradiction between these two attributions.
- Answering the objector by pointing to passages in his own Scripture that attribute to God matters far more difficult than anything objected to in the Qur’an. This is not offered as an argument establishing Islamic belief, but merely as an argument of consistency (ilzām) against the critic and as a demonstration of the inconsistency of his objection.
The First Response: Explaining the Verses Cited by the Objectors in Light of the Explanations of the Scholars of Tafsīr
Before addressing the verses cited by the objector, an important principle must first be established: the verses of the Qur’an are not to be interpreted in isolation from one another. Rather, all of them must be gathered together. Ambiguous passages are referred back to the clear ones, concise statements to the texts that explain them, and unrestricted statements to those that qualify them. This is the methodology of the righteous early generations.
No one may take Allah’s statement:
“He misguides whom He wills”
while ignoring His statement:
“And He misguides by it none except the defiantly disobedient.”
Nor may one cite His statement:
“Whomever Allah misguides, none can guide”
while disregarding His statement:
“So when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate.”
Likewise, no one may isolate a single verse while ignoring the many other verses that explicitly state that Allah wrongs no one and that He recompenses His servants only for their own deeds.
Indeed, one of the greatest causes of the people of innovation falling into error was that they accepted some revealed texts while neglecting others. The Qadariyyah went to excess in affirming human ability until they denied the universality of Allah’s will, while the Jabriyyah went to excess in affirming divine decree until they stripped the human being of all genuine choice. Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah, however, affirm everything Allah has affirmed. They affirm that the servant possesses a real will and ability, both of which remain under the will of Allah, without excess or negligence.
Allah guides whom He wills through His wisdom and mercy, and He misguides whom He wills through His justice. Nothing occurs except according to His prior knowledge, perfect wisdom, and complete justice. Allah says:
“And your Lord is never unjust to His servants.” (Qur’an 41:46)
And He says:
“Indeed, Allah does not wrong people in the least, but it is people who wrong themselves.” (Qur’an 10:44)
And He says:
“And He misguides by it none except the defiantly disobedient.” (Qur’an 2:26)
And He says:
“So when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate.” (Qur’an 61:5)
These clear and decisive verses demonstrate that Allah’s misguiding is neither an act of injustice nor something imposed upon a person without cause. Rather, it is a recompense for the one who turns away from the truth and chooses misguidance after the proof has been established against him. By contrast, Allah’s guidance is a favor and mercy granted to the one who turns to Him and seeks His pleasure.
Having established this principle, we may now examine the verses cited by the objector one by one. It will then become clear that he has understood them neither according to the meaning intended by Allah nor according to the explanations of the leading scholars of tafsīr.
The First Verse
The objector cites Allah’s statement:
“I will surely mislead them, fill them with false hopes, command them to slit the ears of cattle, and command them so that they will alter Allah’s creation. And whoever takes Satan as a protector instead of Allah has certainly suffered a manifest loss.” (Qur’an 4:119)
This argument is among the strangest of all, for the verse has nothing whatsoever to do with Allah misguiding people. Rather, it is quoting the words of Satan and his threat to mislead the children of Adam, as is made perfectly clear by the surrounding context. Allah says:
“They invoke besides Him none but female deities, and they invoke none but a rebellious Satan, whom Allah has cursed. He said, ‘I will surely take from among Your servants a fixed share. I will surely mislead them, fill them with false hopes…’” (Qur’an 4:117–119)
Imām Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī commented:
“His statement, ‘I will surely mislead them,’ means: I will turn that allotted portion of Your servants whom I have taken away from the path of guidance into misguidance, and from Islam into disbelief. As for His statement, ‘I will surely fill them with false hopes,’ it means: I will cause them to stray through the false hopes I cast into their hearts, diverting them from obedience to You and Your Oneness toward obedience to me and associating partners with You… The accursed one merely intended that he would call them to these things, and they would respond to him and act upon them in obedience to him.”
Source: Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī (5/281).
The verse therefore clearly demonstrates that it is Satan who threatens to mislead mankind, and that his method of misguidance consists of inviting people to falsehood and making it appear attractive to their hearts, until those who choose to follow him respond of their own free will.
Accordingly, this verse has no relevance whatsoever to the claim that Allah misguides people unjustly. On the contrary, it is one of the clearest verses demonstrating that Satan is the one who calls people to misguidance, while the servant himself chooses to respond to that call—a point that will be discussed in greater detail under the second response.
The Second Verse
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“Whomever Allah wills to guide, He opens his heart to Islam. But whomever He wills to leave astray, He makes his chest tight and constricted, as though he were ascending into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe.” (Qur’an 6:125)
The “will” referred to in this verse is Allah’s universal, decretive will (al-irādah al-kawniyyah al-qadariyyah)—the divine will from which nothing in the universe can escape. However, Allah wills nothing except according to perfect wisdom. He is far above all injustice. He does not misguide anyone unjustly or without cause. Rather, He abandons the one who chooses misguidance and turns away from the truth, while He grants success to the one who loves the truth and sincerely seeks it. All of this occurs in accordance with His prior knowledge, perfect wisdom, and complete justice.
The Qur’an explains this principle in numerous places. Allah says:
“As for the one who gives, fears Allah, and believes in the best reward, We shall ease him toward ease. But as for the one who withholds, considers himself self-sufficient, and denies the best reward, We shall ease him toward hardship.” (Qur’an 92:5–10)
Here, Allah first mentions the actions and choices of His servants and then makes the corresponding facilitation contingent upon them. Whoever follows the path of faith, Allah makes that path easy for him. Whoever chooses the path of disbelief and misguidance, Allah abandons him to what he himself has chosen.
Allah also says:
“Say: Whoever remains in error, let the Most Merciful extend his respite… And Allah increases those who are rightly guided in guidance.” (Qur’an 19:75–76)
Thus, Allah increases the guided in guidance, while allowing those who choose misguidance to continue upon the path they have selected until they meet the consequence of their deeds.
The Qur’an also affirms that human beings possess a real will and choice. Allah says:
“Say: The truth is from your Lord. So whoever wills—let him believe; and whoever wills—let him disbelieve.” (Qur’an 18:29)
Yet the servant’s will is not independent of the will of his Lord. Rather, it exists under Allah’s supreme will, as He says:
“For whoever among you wills to remain upright. But you do not will except that Allah, the Lord of the worlds, wills.” (Qur’an 81:28–29)
Among the clearest verses explaining this subject is Allah’s statement:
“So when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate.” (Qur’an 61:5)
Here Allah makes clear that their own deviation came first, and only afterward did He cause their hearts to deviate as a just punishment.
Likewise, Allah says:
“And He misguides by it none except the defiantly disobedient.” (Qur’an 2:26)
Thus, Allah restricts His misguiding to the defiantly disobedient, not to mankind indiscriminately. This is a clear refutation of those who claim that Allah misguides His servants unjustly or without cause.
Accordingly, this verse provides no support whatsoever for the doctrine of compulsion, nor does it attribute injustice to Allah. Rather, it affirms the perfection of His sovereignty and the perfection of His knowledge. He guides whom He wills out of His mercy and abandons whom He wills out of His justice, while never wronging anyone, just as He says:
“And your Lord is never unjust to His servants.” (Qur’an 41:46)
The Third Verse
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“And Moses chose from among his people seventy men for Our appointed meeting. Then, when the earthquake seized them, he said, ‘My Lord, if You had willed, You could have destroyed them before and me as well. Will You destroy us because of what the foolish among us have done? This is nothing but Your trial by which You leave astray whom You will and guide whom You will. You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us, for You are the Best of those who forgive.’” (Qur’an 7:155)
This verse likewise contains nothing to suggest that Allah misguides people unjustly or compels them to disbelief. Rather, Moses (peace be upon him) declares that what befell his people was a fitnah—that is, a trial and a test from Allah.
Imām Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī commented:
“As for His statement, ‘This is nothing but Your trial,’ it means: This deed which my people committed by worshipping what they worshipped besides You was nothing but a trial from You that befell them. By ‘trial’ He means a test and examination. That is, You tested them through it so that it would become evident who would stray from the truth by worshipping it and who would remain rightly guided by refraining from its worship. Moses attributed both their misguidance and their guidance to Allah because what occurred among them took place through a cause established by Him, exalted is He.”
Source: Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī (9/77).
Imām Ibn Kathīr likewise wrote:
“His statement, ‘This is nothing but Your trial,’ means: Your test, examination, and trial. This was the explanation given by Ibn ʿAbbās, Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, Abū al-ʿĀliyah, Rabīʿ ibn Anas, and many other scholars among both the early and later generations… That is, the affair is entirely Yours, and all judgment belongs to You. Whatever You will comes to pass. You leave astray whom You will, and You guide whom You will.”
Source: Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr (2/251).
The verse therefore establishes that the trial experienced by the Children of Israel was a divine test through which Allah distinguished the believer from the disbeliever and the obedient from the disobedient. It does not mean that Allah compelled them to worship the calf. Rather, they themselves committed that act by their own choice and consequently deserved the punishment that followed.
For this reason, the Qur’an lays down another fundamental principle on this subject. Allah says:
“Indeed, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.” (Qur’an 13:11)
Thus, Allah makes clear that a people’s condition changes only after a change originates from them. Whoever replaces obedience with disobedience and guidance with misguidance, Allah changes his condition in accordance with His perfect justice and wisdom. Conversely, whoever sincerely turns to Allah, He grants him success, assists him, and increases him in guidance.
Accordingly, this verse is evidence for the perfect justice of Allah—not against it—for it demonstrates that trials are part of Allah’s universal way, and that He recompenses His servants according to what they themselves manifest of faith or disbelief, obedience or disobedience.
The Fourth Verse
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“Had Allah willed, He could have made you one nation. But He leaves astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do.” (Qur’an 16:93)
This verse affirms the perfection of Allah’s absolute sovereignty. All creation exists under His will: whatever He wills comes to pass, and whatever He does not will can never occur. Had Allah so willed, He could have made all people believers. However, His perfect wisdom decreed that they be tested, commanded, and prohibited; that He guide whom He wills through His mercy, and abandon whom He wills through His justice; and that He then hold them accountable for their deeds.
Imām Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī commented:
“Allah, Exalted is He, says: Had your Lord willed, O people, He would have graciously granted you success from Himself, so that you would all have become one community, adhering to a single religion without disagreement or division. But He, Exalted is He, made you differ. Thus He made some people believers through His granting of success, and others disbelievers through His withholding of it. Then Allah will surely question all of you on the Day of Resurrection concerning what you used to do in this worldly life—regarding what He commanded and prohibited—and He will recompense the obedient among you for their obedience and the disobedient for their disobedience.”
Source: Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī (14/168).
This is itself part of Allah’s perfect justice. He is the true Sovereign, and nothing occurs within His dominion except by His will. Yet despite His absolute sovereignty, He is completely free from injustice. He does not punish anyone except for a sin, nor does He abandon anyone except after the proof has been established against him. As Allah says:
“Indeed, Allah does not wrong people in the least, but it is people who wrong themselves.” (Qur’an 10:44)
And He says:
“And your Lord is never unjust to His servants.” (Qur’an 41:46)
Consider an earthly ruler who judges among his subjects: he punishes criminals, honors the obedient, draws near those who are faithful, and distances those who are treacherous. No reasonable person would describe such conduct as injustice. Rather, it is the very essence of justice, for treating the righteous and the wicked alike would itself be true injustice.
To Allah belongs the highest example. He is the True King and the Best of judges. Therefore, He does not treat the obedient and the disobedient alike, nor the believer and the disbeliever. Allah says:
“Shall We then treat the Muslims like the criminals? What is the matter with you? How do you judge?” (Qur’an 68:35–36)
And He says:
“Is one who is a believer like one who is defiantly disobedient? They are not equal.” (Qur’an 32:18)
Accordingly, it is part of His perfect justice that He recompenses every person according to his deeds. Allah says:
“Those who strive against Our signs, seeking to frustrate them—for them is a painful punishment of torment.” (Qur’an 34:5)
And He says:
“This is guidance. But those who disbelieve in the signs of their Lord will have a painful punishment of torment.” (Qur’an 45:11)
Finally, reflect upon the concluding words of the very verse cited by the objector:
“And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do.”
Had Allah compelled His servants to disbelief and then punished them for it, there would be no meaning in questioning them about their deeds, nor any basis for reward or punishment. Rather, Allah concludes the verse in this manner to demonstrate that human beings act by their own choice, after which He holds them accountable for what they have done, even though all of it occurs within His will, His wisdom, and His perfect justice.
The Second Response: The Verses That Attribute Misguidance to Satan
Having established that the Qur’an attributes misguidance to Allah in the sense of perfect justice and wisdom—and that He never misguides anyone unjustly or without cause—it remains to explain that the Qur’an also attributes misguidance to Satan.
There is no contradiction between these two attributions, for the misguidance attributed to Allah is fundamentally different from the misguidance attributed to Satan.
Allah’s misguidance is decretive and retributive. It consists of abandoning those who choose misguidance, withholding His divine assistance from them, and leaving them to the path they themselves have chosen—all as an act of perfect justice.
Satan’s misguidance, on the other hand, consists only of inviting people to falsehood, making sin appear attractive, whispering evil suggestions, and stirring doubts and desires. He has no power to compel anyone to disbelief or disobedience, nor can he create misguidance within anyone’s heart.
For this reason, after judgment has been passed, Satan himself will confess this reality when addressing the people of Hell. Allah says:
“And Satan will say, when the matter has been decided: ‘Indeed, Allah promised you the promise of truth, and I promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me, but blame yourselves…’” (Qur’an 14:22)
This is among the clearest verses refuting the doctrine of compulsion. Satan openly admits that he possessed no authority by which he could force people into disbelief, nor any power by which he could compel them to commit sin. His role was merely to invite them to falsehood, and they responded to him by their own free choice. They therefore deserved punishment because of the choices they themselves made.
Accordingly, Allah said to Iblīs:
“Indeed, over My servants you shall have no authority. And sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian.” (Qur’an 17:65)
And He also says:
“Indeed, he has no authority over those who believe and who place their trust in their Lord.” (Qur’an 16:99)
Thus, Allah categorically denies Satan any authority over His believing servants, for they seek refuge in Allah, place their trust in Him, and rely upon Him for protection against their enemy.
Even in the case of the disbeliever or the sinner, Satan cannot compel anyone to go astray. The utmost he can do is invite and whisper. Allah says:
“And he had no authority over them except that We might distinguish those who believe in the Hereafter from those who are in doubt concerning it. And your Lord is Guardian over all things.” (Qur’an 34:21)
Likewise, the devils among mankind possess no power to force anyone into misguidance. They merely invite others toward it. Allah relates the words of the people of Hell:
“We had no authority over you. Rather, you were a transgressing people.” (Qur’an 37:30)
It therefore becomes clear that the Qur’an distinguishes between two kinds of misguidance:
- The misguidance attributed to Allah: a decreed and retributive misguidance whereby He abandons those who deliberately choose error, withholding His guidance from them as an act of perfect justice.
- The misguidance attributed to Satan: his invitation to falsehood, his beautification of sin, and his whispering of evil suggestions, without possessing any power to compel anyone to follow him.
There is no contradiction between these two attributions, because each is ascribed to its proper agent from a different perspective. This is a manifestation of the Qur’an’s precision and clarity—not the contradiction imagined by the objector.
The Third Response: What Does Their Own Scripture Attribute to God?
From the preceding discussion, it has become clear that the Qur’an does not attribute injustice to Allah, nor does it teach that He compels His servants to disbelief. Rather, it affirms that guidance and misguidance are in His hand: He guides through His wisdom and mercy, and He abandons, in perfect justice, those who deliberately choose misguidance after the proof has been established against them.
This alone is sufficient to refute the objection.
Nevertheless, the Christian objector is confronted by passages in his own Scripture that are even more difficult than the verses to which he objects in the Qur’an. This is presented merely as an argument of consistency (ilzām), not as evidence derived from the Bible itself.
First: The Lord Is Said to Mislead
The Book of Ezekiel states:
“And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet…” (Ezekiel 14:9)
It also states:
“Moreover I gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live.” (Ezekiel 20:25)
If merely attributing misguidance to God constitutes an attack upon His justice—as the objector claims—then why does he not raise the same objection against these passages of his own Scripture?
If he replies that these verses have a sound interpretation consistent with the perfection of God, then we respond: the Qur’anic verses likewise possess a correct interpretation—indeed, with even greater right. For the Qur’an explains itself and explicitly clarifies that Allah never misguides anyone unjustly. Rather, He abandons only those who turn away from the truth and thereby deserve to be forsaken.
Second: The Qur’an Explicitly Declares Allah’s Freedom from Injustice
The belief of Muslims is that Allah, the Exalted, is absolutely free from every imperfection. He wrongs no one, punishes no one without guilt, commands no obscenity, and is never pleased with disbelief for His servants. Allah says:
“Indeed, Allah does not wrong people in the least, but it is people who wrong themselves.” (Qur’an 10:44)
And He says:
“And your Lord is never unjust to His servants.” (Qur’an 41:46)
And He says:
“And He is not pleased with disbelief for His servants.” (Qur’an 39:7)
Thus, Allah commands only that which contains goodness and benefit, forbids only that which contains corruption and harm, and is more merciful to His servants than they are to themselves. He knows best what benefits them and is the Best of judges.
Accordingly, once it is understood that the Qur’an simultaneously affirms the universality of Allah’s will, His perfect justice, and the genuine choice and responsibility of human beings, the objection collapses entirely, and the mistaken interpretation upon which it rests is shown to be without foundation.
Conclusion
After this discussion, it becomes clear that the claim that Allah misguides people unjustly is entirely unfounded. It arises from isolating certain verses while ignoring others, misunderstanding the revealed texts, and failing to interpret the ambiguous passages in light of the clear ones.
The evidence has shown:
- That the verses cited by the objector do not teach that Allah compels His servants to disbelief. Rather, they affirm the perfection of His sovereignty, justice, and wisdom.
- That the Qur’an explicitly teaches that Allah does not misguide anyone unjustly. Rather, He abandons those who deliberately choose misguidance after the proof has been established against them, as He says: “So when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate,” and “He misguides by it none except the defiantly disobedient.”
- That the Qur’an also attributes misguidance to Satan, while making clear that Satan’s misguidance consists only of inviting people to falsehood, whispering evil suggestions, and making sin attractive. He possesses no power to compel anyone to disbelief, as Allah says: “I had no authority over you except that I called you, and you responded to me.”
- That the objector’s own Scripture contains passages far more difficult than those to which he objects in the Qur’an. It is therefore inconsistent to treat such passages as an objection against Islam while ignoring similar or stronger statements within his own religious texts.
Principles Every Muslim Should Understand Regarding This Subject
First Principle
Allah, the Exalted, is characterized by perfect justice. He wrongs no one and never punishes anyone without guilt. Allah says:
“Indeed, Allah does not wrong people in the least, but it is people who wrong themselves.”
Second Principle
Both guidance and misguidance are in the hand of Allah. However, both occur in accordance with His perfect knowledge, wisdom, and justice. He guides those whom He knows will accept the truth, and He abandons only those who deliberately choose misguidance and turn away from guidance.
Third Principle
Human beings possess a genuine will and real ability, but both exist under the supreme will of Allah, as He says:
“For whoever among you wills to remain upright. But you do not will except that Allah, the Lord of the worlds, wills.”
Fourth Principle
Using divine decree as an excuse for committing sins is invalid. A person does not know what Allah has decreed for him until after it has occurred. Allah has commanded and prohibited, sent messengers, revealed Scriptures, and established the proof against mankind. Therefore, no one may invoke divine decree to justify abandoning Allah’s commands or committing what He has forbidden.
Fifth Principle
The subject of divine decree belongs to the unseen. Therefore, it must be approached with submission to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ by gathering together all the revealed texts and believing in them as they have come, without distortion, denial, or subjecting them to the limitations of human speculation.
For this reason, the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah consistently taught that the texts concerning divine decree never contradict one another. Rather, they confirm and explain one another. Whoever accepts them all will be rightly guided, whereas whoever accepts some while rejecting others will fall into error.
Whoever wishes to study this subject in greater depth and understand how the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah explained guidance, misguidance, divine decree, and human actions should consult Shifā’ al-‘Alīl fī Masā’il al-Qaḍā’ wa al-Qadar wa al-Ḥikmah wa al-Ta’līl by Imām Ibn al-Qayyim, one of the finest works ever written on this subject. Likewise, his Ighāthat al-Lahfān min Maṣāyid al-Shayṭān contains invaluable discussions concerning Satan’s plots and the ways by which he leads the children of Adam astray.
A Final Note
The primary purpose of these articles is to benefit ordinary Muslims. For that reason, we have limited ourselves to what is sufficient to answer the objection while deliberately avoiding many of the detailed theological discussions found in the classical works of creed. This approach was chosen for the sake of clarity and accessibility, so that readers who have not formally studied Islamic theology would not become confused.
Those who have studied the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah, understood the distinction between Allah’s universal will and His legislative will, learned the levels of divine decree, the doctrine concerning the creation of human actions, and the Sunni position regarding guidance and misguidance, and who are familiar with the scholars’ refutations of the Jabriyyah and the Qadariyyah, already know that this objection rests upon no sound foundation. It arises only from quoting some texts while ignoring others or from misunderstanding them, and therefore it poses no difficulty for them, by Allah’s permission.
For this reason, we have confined this article to what is necessary for its intended purpose, while referring readers who wish to study the subject in greater depth to the more comprehensive classical works in which the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah treated these issues in detail, foremost among them Shifā’ al-‘Alīl fī Masā’il al-Qaḍā’ wa al-Qadar wa al-Ḥikmah wa al-Ta’līl, and other authoritative works of Islamic scholarship.
We ask Allah, the Exalted, to guide us to His straight path, to keep our hearts firm upon His religion, and to protect us from trials that lead people astray, whether apparent or hidden.
May Allah send His peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his family, and all of his Companions.
الحمد لله رب العالمين
