When Allah says ‘We lead them astray’ or ‘We made them go astray’, what does that actually mean? Is it that Allah compels people to go astray?
فَمَا لَكُمۡ فِی ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِینَ فِئَتَیۡنِ وَٱللَّهُ أَرۡكَسَهُم بِمَا كَسَبُوۤا۟ۚ أَتُرِیدُونَ أَن تَهۡدُوا۟ مَنۡ أَضَلَّ ٱللَّهُۖ وَمَن یُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُۥ سَبِیلࣰا
[Surah An-Nisāʾ: 88]
So, what is the matter with you that you have become two groups about the hypocrites, while Allah has reverted them because of what they did. Do you want to guide the one whom Allah has let go astray? The one whom Allah lets go astray, you shall never find a way for him.
وَٱلَّذِینَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔایَـٰتِنَا صُمࣱّ وَبُكۡمࣱ فِی ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِۗ مَن یَشَإِ ٱللَّهُ یُضۡلِلۡهُ وَمَن یَشَأۡ یَجۡعَلۡهُ عَلَىٰ صِرَ ٰطࣲ مُّسۡتَقِیمࣲ
[Surah Al-Anʿām: 39]
Those who gave the lie to Our signs are deaf and dumb, in layers of darkness. He lets whomsoever He wills go astray, and brings whomsoever He wills on the straight path.
مَن یَهۡدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلۡمُهۡتَدِیۖ وَمَن یُضۡلِلۡ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرُونَ
[Surah Al-Aʿrāf: 178]
The one whom Allah gives guidance is the one on the right path. As for those whom Allah lets go astray, those are the losers.
وَلَا یَنفَعُكُمۡ نُصۡحِیۤ إِنۡ أَرَدتُّ أَنۡ أَنصَحَ لَكُمۡ إِن كَانَ ٱللَّهُ یُرِیدُ أَن یُغۡوِیَكُمۡۚ هُوَ رَبُّكُمۡ وَإِلَیۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ
My good counsel will not profit you, even though I wish you the best, if Allah wills to let you go astray. He is your Lord, and to Him you shall be made to return.”
[Surah Hūd: 34]
وَیَقُولُ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوۡلَاۤ أُنزِلَ عَلَیۡهِ ءَایَةࣱ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦۚ قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یُضِلُّ مَن یَشَاۤءُ وَیَهۡدِیۤ إِلَیۡهِ مَنۡ أَنَابَ
[Surah Ar-Raʿd: 27]
The disbelievers say, “Why is it that no sign (of their choice) has been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say, “Allah lets go astray whom He wills and gives guidance to those who turn to Him,
بَلِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوۤا۟ أَهۡوَاۤءَهُم بِغَیۡرِ عِلۡمࣲۖ فَمَن یَهۡدِی مَنۡ أَضَلَّ ٱللَّهُۖ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّـٰصِرِینَ
[Surah Ar-Rūm: 29]
But the wrongdoers have followed their desires without knowledge. So who can guide the one whom Allah leaves astray? For such people there are no helpers.
أَلَیۡسَ ٱللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبۡدَهُۥۖ وَیُخَوِّفُونَكَ بِٱلَّذِینَ مِن دُونِهِۦۚ وَمَن یُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنۡ هَادࣲ . وَمَن یَهۡدِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّضِلٍّۗ أَلَیۡسَ ٱللَّهُ بِعَزِیزࣲ ذِی ٱنتِقَامࣲ
[Surah Az-Zumar: 36-37]
Is Allah not sufficient for (the protection of) His slave? They are frightening you of those (false gods whom they worship) other than Him. Whomsoever Allah would let go astray, for him there is no one to guide. And whomsoever Allah gives guidance, for him there is no one to misguide. Is it not that Allah is Mighty, Powerful to avenge?
Like in the above Ayaat the words اضل الله and يضلله effectively mean that ‘He made/makes them go astray’. Which seems somewhat inconsistent with Allah’s mercy and forgiveness. Though the translator has translated these words as ‘let them go astray’, it is more of an interpretation than a translation, so the word ‘let’ should have been in parentheses.
So when Allah says ‘We lead them astray’ or ‘We made them go astray’, what it means is that for Humans to act, both their will and Allah’s will is required, so when they want to go astray they cannot go astray without Allah’s will and likewise for being guided.
وَلَوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ مَاۤ أَشۡرَكُوا۟ۗ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَـٰكَ عَلَیۡهِمۡ حَفِیظࣰاۖ وَمَاۤ أَنتَ عَلَیۡهِم بِوَكِیلࣲ
If Allah willed, they would not have associated. We have not appointed you as a guard over them, nor are you a taskmaster for them.
[Surah Al-Anʿām: 107]
قُلۡ فَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡحُجَّةُ ٱلۡبَـٰلِغَةُۖ فَلَوۡ شَاۤءَ لَهَدَىٰكُمۡ أَجۡمَعِینَ
[Surah Al-Anʿām: 149]
Say, “Then, Allah’s is the conclusive proof. So, had He willed, He would have brought all of you on the right path”.
وَلَوۡ شَاۤءَ رَبُّكَ لَـَٔامَنَ مَن فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ كُلُّهُمۡ جَمِیعًاۚ أَفَأَنتَ تُكۡرِهُ ٱلنَّاسَ حَتَّىٰ یَكُونُوا۟ مُؤۡمِنِینَ
Had your Lord willed, all those on earth would have believed altogether. Would you, then, compel people, so that they become believers?
[Surah Yūnus: 99]
وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفۡسٍ أَن تُؤۡمِنَ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَیَجۡعَلُ ٱلرِّجۡسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِینَ لَا یَعۡقِلُونَ
It is not (possible) for any one that he believes except with the will of Allah. And He makes filth settle on those who do not understand.
[Surah Yūnus: 100]
{ وَلَوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمۡ أُمَّةࣰ وَ ٰحِدَةࣰ وَلَـٰكِن یُضِلُّ مَن یَشَاۤءُ وَیَهۡدِی مَن یَشَاۤءُۚ وَلَتُسۡـَٔلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ }
If Allah so willed, He would have made all of you a single community, but He lets whom He wills go astray and takes whom He wills to the right path; and surely you will be questioned about.
[Surah An-Naḥl: 93]
وَلَوۡ شِئۡنَا لَـَٔاتَیۡنَا كُلَّ نَفۡسٍ هُدَىٰهَا وَلَـٰكِنۡ حَقَّ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ مِنِّی لَأَمۡلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ ٱلۡجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ أَجۡمَعِینَ
[Surah As-Sajdah: 13]
And if We had so willed, We would have led everybody to his right path (by force), but the word from Me had come to pass: “I will certainly fill the Jahannam with jinn and human beings together.”
So in effect when they go astray or be guided, it is also by Allah’s will. So Humans cannot will anything if Allah does not will it. Allah’s will called ‘مشيئة’ is a necessary condition.
وَمَا تَشَاۤءُونَ إِلَّاۤ أَن یَشَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِیمًا حَكِیمࣰا
[Surah Al-Insān: 30]
And you will not so wish unless Allah so wills. Indeed Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
وَمَا تَشَاۤءُونَ إِلَّاۤ أَن یَشَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ
[Surah At-Takwīr: 29]
And you cannot intend (to do anything) unless it is so willed by Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.
A thing to note is that Allah’s will (مشيئة) is different from Allah’s approval (رضا).
إِن تَكۡفُرُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِیٌّ عَنكُمۡۖ وَلَا یَرۡضَىٰ لِعِبَادِهِ ٱلۡكُفۡرَۖ وَإِن تَشۡكُرُوا۟ یَرۡضَهُ لَكُمۡۗ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةࣱ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَیُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِیمُۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ
If you disbelieve, then, Allah does not need you at all, however He does not like for His servants to be disbelievers; and if you are grateful, He will like it for you. No one will bear the burden of someone else. Then, to your Lord is your return; so He will tell you about what you used to do. He is aware of whatever lies in the hearts.
[Surah Az-Zumar: 7]
And the polytheists could not differentiate between the two or deliberately mingle up Allah’s will with his pleasure and used this as a scapegoat for their polytheism.
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِینَ أَشۡرَكُوا۟ لَوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا عَبَدۡنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَیۡءࣲ نَّحۡنُ وَلَاۤ ءَابَاۤؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمۡنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَیۡءࣲۚ كَذَ ٰلِكَ فَعَلَ ٱلَّذِینَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ فَهَلۡ عَلَى ٱلرُّسُلِ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَـٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِینُ
The polytheists said, “If Allah had so willed, we would have not worshipped anything other than Him – neither we nor our forefathers – nor would we have made anything unlawful without (a command from) Him.” Similar was the reaction of those who were before them. Therefore, the messengers’ obligation is no more than to convey the message clearly.
[Surah An-Naḥl: 35]
وَقَالُوا۟ لَوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ مَا عَبَدۡنَـٰهُمۗ مَّا لَهُم بِذَ ٰلِكَ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِنۡ هُمۡ إِلَّا یَخۡرُصُونَ
They say, “Had the RaHmān so willed, we would not have worshipped them.” They have no knowledge of that. They do nothing but make conjectures.
[Surah Az-Zukhruf: 20]
Fiqh ud deen 