وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَـَٔامَنَ
مَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ
جَمِيعًا ۚ أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ
ٱلنَّاسَ حَتَّىٰ يَكُونُوا۟
مُؤْمِنِينَ
وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ
أَن تُؤْمِنَ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ
ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَيَجْعَلُ ٱلرِّجْسَ
عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
And had your Lord
willed, those on earth
would have believed,
all of them together.
So, will you then
compel mankind, until
they become believers.
It is not for any
person to believe,
except by the leave
of Allah, and He will
put the Rijs on those
who do not reason.
It is not Part of Allah’s Decree to compel Belief
Allah said:
وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ
And had your Lord willed
meaning `O Muhammad, if it had been the will of your Lord, He would make all the people of the earth believe in what you have brought to them. But Allah has wisdom in what He does.’ Similarly, Allah said:
وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ
لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً
وَاحِدَةً وَلاَ يَزَالُونَ
مُخْتَلِفِينَ
إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّكَ
وَلِذلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْ وَتَمَّتْ
كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لاّمْلاّنَّ
جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ
وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ
And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one Ummah, but they will not cease to disagree. Except him on whom your Lord has bestowed His mercy and for that did He create them. And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled (His saying): “Surely, I shall fill Hell with Jinn and men all together.” (Hud 118-119)
He also said,
أَفَلَمْ يَاْيْـَسِ الَّذِينَ
ءَامَنُواْ أَن لَّوْ يَشَآءُ اللَّهُ
لَهَدَى النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا
Have not then those who believed yet known that had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind (Ar-Rum 31)
Therefore, Allah said:
أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ
So, will you then compel mankind
and force them to believe.
حَتَّى يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
until they become believers.
meaning, it is not for you to do that. You are not commanded to do that either. It is Allah Who
يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ
وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ
sends astray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills. (Fatir 8)
فَلاَ تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ
عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَتٍ
So do not destroy yourself in sorrow for them
لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ
وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى
مَن يَشَآءُ
It is not up to you to guide them, but Allah guides whom He wills. (Al-Baqarah 272)
لَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ
أَلاَّ يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
It may be that you would kill yourself with grief because they are not believers. (Ash-Shu’ara 3)
إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ
you guide not who you like. (Al-Qasas 56)
فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ
وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ
Your duty is only to convey, and it is up to Us to reckon. (Ar-Rum 40)
فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ
مُذَكِّرٌ – لَّسْتَ
عَلَيْهِم بِمُسَيْطِرٍ
So remind, you are only one who reminds. You are not a dictator over them. (Al-Ghasiyah 21-22)
There are other Ayat besides these which prove that Allah is the doer of what He wants, guiding whom He wills, leading whom He wills to stray, all out of His knowledge, wisdom, and justice. Similarly, He said,
وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَن
تُؤْمِنَ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ
وَيَجْعَلُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى
الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ
It is not for any person to believe, except by the leave of Allah, and He will put the Rijs
That is, disorder and misguidance
عَلَى الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ
upon those who do not reason
meaning, Allah’s proofs and evidences, and He is the Just in all matters, guiding whom He wills to guide, and leading whom He wills astray.