Allah tells us about the idolators delusion over their Shirk, and the excuse
they claimed for it based on the idea that it is ordained by divine decree. He
says:
[لَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ
مَا عَبَدْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَىْءٍ نَّحْنُ وَلا ءَابَاؤُنَا وَلاَ حَرَّمْنَا
مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَىْءٍ]
((They say:) "If Allah had so willed, neither we nor our fathers would have
worshipped any but Him, nor would we have forbidden anything without (a command
from) Him.'') They had superstitious customs dealing with certain animals, e.g.
the Bahirah the Sa'ibah and the Wasilah and other things that they had invented
and innovated by themselves, with no revealed authority. The essence of what
they said was: "If Allah hated what we did, He would have stopped by punishing
us, and He would not have enabled us to do it.'' Rejecting their confusing
ideas, Allah says:
[فَهَلْ عَلَى
الرُّسُلِ إِلاَّ الْبَلَـغُ الْمُبِينُ]
(Are the Messengers charged with anything but to clearly convey the Message)
meaning, the matter is not as you claim. It is not the case that Allah did not
rebuke your behavior; rather, He did rebuke you, and in the strongest possible
terms, and He emphatically forbade you from such behavior. To every nation -
that is, to every generation, to every community of people - He sent a
Messenger. All of the Messengers called their people to worship Allah (Alone) as
well as forbidding them from worshipping anything or anybody except for Him.
[أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ
اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ]
(Worship Allah (Alone), and shun the Taghut (all false deities).) Allah
continued sending Messengers to mankind with this Message, from the first
incidence of Shirk that appeared among the Children of Adam, in the people to
whom Nuh was sent - the first Messenger sent by Allah to the people of this
earth - until He sent the final Messenger, Muhammad , whose call was addressed
to both men and Jinn, in the east and in the west. All of the Messengers brought
the same Message, as Allah says:
[وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا
مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ
أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ ]
(And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to
him (saying): None has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah), so worship Me
(alone and none else).'') (21:25)
[وَاسْئلْ مَنْ
أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَآ أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَـنِ
ءَالِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ ]
(And ask (O Muhammad) those Messengers of Ours whom We sent before you: "Did
We ever appointed to be worshipped besides the Most Gracious (Allah)'') (43:45)
And in this Ayah, Allah says:
[وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا
فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ
الْطَّـغُوتَ]
(And We have indeed sent a Messenger to every Ummah (community, nation)
(saying): "Worship Allah (alone), and shun the Taghut (all false deities).'') So
how could any of the idolators say,
[لَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ
مَا عَبَدْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَىْءٍ]
(If Allah had so willed, we would not have worshipped any but Him,) The
legislative will of Allah is clear and cannot be taken as an excuse by them,
because He had forbidden them to do that upon the tongue of His Messengers, but
by His universal will [i.e., by which He allows things to occur even though they
do not please Him] He allowed them to do that as it was decreed for them. So
there is no argument in that for them. Allah created Hell and its people both
the Shayatin (devils) and disbelievers, but He does not like His servants to
disbelieve. And this point constitutes the strongest proof and the most
unquestionable wisdom. Then Allah informs us that He rebuked them with
punishment in this world, after the Messengers issued their warning, thus He
says:
[فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ
هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَـلَةُ فَسِيرُواْ فِى
الاٌّرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ]
(Then among them were some whom Allah guided, and among them were some who
deserved to be left to stray. So travel through the land and see the end of
those who denied (the truth).) This means: ask about what happened to those who
went against the Messengers and rejected the truth, see how:
[دَمَّرَ اللَّهُ
عَلَيْهِمْ وَلِلْكَـفِرِينَ أَمْثَـلُهَا]
(Allah destroyed them completely, and a similar (end awaits) the
disbelievers.) (47:10) and,
[وَلَقَدْ كَذَّبَ
الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نكِيرِ ]
(And indeed those before them belied (the Messengers of Allah), so then how
terrible was My denial (punishment)) (67:18) Then Allah told His Messenger that
His eagerness to guide them will be of no benefit to them if Allah wills that
they should be misguided, as He says:
[وَمَن يُرِدِ
اللَّهُ فِتْنَتَهُ فَلَن تَمْلِكَ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئاً]
(And for whoever Allah wills to try with error, you can do nothing for him
against Allah) (5:41). Nuh said to his people:
[وَلاَ يَنفَعُكُمْ
نُصْحِى إِنْ أَرَدْتُّ أَنْ أَنصَحَ لَكُمْ إِن كَانَ اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن
يُغْوِيَكُمْ]
("And my advice will not profit you, even if I wish to give you good counsel,
if Allah's will is to keep you astray.'')(11:34). In this Ayah, Allah says:
[إِن تَحْرِصْ عَلَى
هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى مَن يُضِلُّ]
((Even) if you desire that they be guided, then verily, Allah does not guide
those whom He allowed to stray,) As Allah says:
[مَن يُضْلِلِ
اللَّهُ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ وَيَذَرُهُمْ فِى طُغْيَـنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ ]
(Whomsoever Allah allows to stray, then there is no guide for him; and He
lets them wander blindly in their transgressions.) (7:186)
[إِنَّ الَّذِينَ
حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلَوْ جَآءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ
ءايَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ ]
(Truly! Those deserving the Word (wrath) of your Lord will not believe, even
if every sign should come to them - until they see the painful torment)
(10:96-97).
[فَإِنَّ
اللَّهَ]
(then verily, Allah) meaning, this is the way in which Allah does things. If
He wills a thing, then it happens, and if He does not will a thing, then it does
not happen. For this reason Allah says:
[لاَ يَهْدِى مَن
يُضِلُّ]
(Allah does not guide those whom He allowed to stray,) meaning the one whom
He has caused to go astray, so who can guide him apart from Allah No one.
[وَمَا لَهُم مِّن
نَّـصِرِينَ]
(And they will have no helpers.) means, they will have no one to save them
from the punishment of Allah,
[أَلاَ لَهُ
الْخَلْقُ وَالاٌّمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَـلَمِينَ]
(Surely, His is the creation and commandment. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of
all that exists!) (7:54).
[وَأَقْسَمُواْ
بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـنِهِمْ لاَ يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ مَن يَمُوتُ بَلَى وَعْدًا
عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ الْنَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ - لِيُبَيِّنَ
لَهُمُ الَّذِى يَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَنَّهُمْ
كَانُواْ كَـذِبِينَ - إِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَىْءٍ إِذَآ أَرَدْنَاهُ أَن نَّقُولَ
لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ ]
(38. And they swear by Allah with their strongest oaths, that Allah will not
raise up one who dies. Yes, (He will raise them up), a promise (binding) upon
Him in truth, but most of mankind know not.) (39. In order that He may make
clear to them what they differed over, and so that those who disbelieved may
know that they were liars.) (40. Verily, Our Word to a thing when We intend it,
is only that We say unto it: "Be!'' - and it is.)