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A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.

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The Sunnah regarding guidance and misguidance.

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There is no doubt that guidance or misguidance

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are both by the will of Allah the Exalted and His prevailing decree.

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Allah the Exalted said:

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“Those who deny Our revelations are deaf and dumb in darkness. Whom Allah will sendeth astray, and whom He will He placeth on a straight path.” (6:39)

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And He the Exalted said:

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“And whomsoever it is Allah's will to guide, He expandeth his bosom unto the Surrender, and whomsoever it is His Will to send astray, He maketh his bosom close and narrow as if he were engaged in sheer ascent. Thus Allah layeth ignominy upon those who believe not.” (6:125)

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“And whomsoever it is Allah's will to guide, He expandeth his bosom unto the Surrender, and whomsoever it is His Will to send astray, He maketh his bosom close and narrow as if he were engaged in sheer ascent. Thus Allah layeth ignominy upon those who believe not.” (6:125)

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“And whomsoever it is Allah's will to guide, He expandeth his bosom unto the Surrender, and whomsoever it is His Will to send astray, He maketh his bosom close and narrow as if he were engaged in sheer ascent. Thus Allah layeth ignominy upon those who believe not.” (6:125)

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No one, whoever they may be, has the power to guide those whom Allah has decreed to be misguided,

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nor to misguide those whom Allah has decreed to be guided.

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Allah the Exalted said:

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"And whoever Allah leaves to stray, there is none to guide him."

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"And whoever Allah guides, there is none to lead him astray."

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And He the Exalted said:

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“Lo! thou (O Muhammad) guidest not whom thou lovest, but Allah guideth whom He will. And He is Best Aware of those who walk aright.” (28:56)

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"And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided."

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However, this will and volition of Allah the Exalted

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is linked to His supreme attributes,

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such as knowledge, wisdom, mercy, grace, and justice.

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Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, places guidance only in the heart of one who deserves it,

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from among those whom He, Glory be to Him, knows to love guidance,

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and to be submissive and repentant to the truth once it becomes clear to them.

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Thus, He aids and grants them success in that.

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Just as He places misguidance in the heart of one who deserves it,

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from among those whom He knows to turn away from the guidance for which He sent the messengers.

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Thus, He forsakes them and leaves them to themselves.

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And whoever Allah abandons,

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he is undoubtedly misguided and lost.

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So, just as guidance is in accordance with the will and power of Allah,

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it is also a requirement of His grace, mercy, knowledge, and wisdom.

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For this reason, Allah said regarding those who deserve guidance:

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“He hath ordained for you that religion which He commended unto Noah, and that which We inspire in thee (Muhammad), and that which We commended unto Abraham and Moses and Jesus, saying: Establish the religion, and be not divided therein. Dreadful for the idolaters is that unto which thou callest them. Allah chooseth for Himself whom He will, and guideth unto Himself him who turneth (toward Him).” (42:13)

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And He said:

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“While as for those who walk aright, He addeth to their guidance, and giveth them their protection (against evil).” (47:17)

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And He, the Almighty and Majestic, said:

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“Whereby Allah guideth him who seeketh His good pleasure unto paths of peace. He bringeth them out of darkness unto light by His decree, and guideth them unto a straight path.” (5:16)

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“Whereby Allah guideth him who seeketh His good pleasure unto paths of peace. He bringeth them out of darkness unto light by His decree, and guideth them unto a straight path.” (5:16)

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“Whereby Allah guideth him who seeketh His good pleasure unto paths of peace. He bringeth them out of darkness unto light by His decree, and guideth them unto a straight path.” (5:16)

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And just as misguidance is in accordance with the will and power of Allah,

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it is also a requirement of His justice, knowledge, and wisdom.

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For this reason, Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, said regarding those who deserve misguidance:

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“And (remember) when Moses said unto his people: O my people! Why persecute ye me, when ye well know that I am Allah's messenger unto you? So when they went astray Allah sent their hearts astray. And Allah guideth not the evil-living folk.” (61:5)

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"And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people."

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And He the Exalted said:

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“Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah, Allah guideth them not and theirs will be a painful doom.” (16:104)

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And He the Exalted said:

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“Surely pure religion is for Allah only. And those who choose protecting friends beside Him (say): We worship them only that they may bring us near unto Allah. Lo! Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Lo! Allah guideth not him who is a liar, an ingrate.” (39:3)

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Thus, the absolute divine will

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does not conflict with the knowledge and wisdom of Allah,

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nor with His justice, grace, and mercy.

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And Allah the Exalted has said:

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“Whoso doeth right it is for his soul, and whoso doeth wrong it is against it. And thy Lord is not at all a tyrant to His slaves.” (41:46)

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The human intellect, limited by the constraints of time and space,

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is not in a position to judge the relationships and connections

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between the divine will and human activity and orientation.

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Rather, all of this is left to the governing, all-encompassing volition

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and the absolute, perfect knowledge.

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This is the mystery of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, in His decree and His prevailing judgment.

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So, let no one occupy themselves with that to the neglect of the purpose for which they were created.

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And let them be certain that Allah would never burden them with a matter beyond their capacity.

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Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, said:

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“Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope. For it (is only) that which it hath earned, and against it (only) that which it hath deserved. Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark! Our Lord! Lay not on us such a burden as thou didst lay on those before us! Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear! Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us, Thou, our Protector, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk.” (2:286)

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“Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope. For it (is only) that which it hath earned, and against it (only) that which it hath deserved. Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark! Our Lord! Lay not on us such a burden as thou didst lay on those before us! Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear! Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us, Thou, our Protector, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk.” (2:286)