them. Their evil deeds and their unbelief are not of God.¹

It is from this point we must start when we seek to understand the Qur'anic teaching that God causes men to err or leads them astray.

The proffered mercy of God is twofold in its effects on mankind. It leads some, it hardens and thus misleads others. When accepted, it leads to light and truth and happiness; when rejected, it becomes the means of searing the conscience, of hardening the heart, of blinding the spiritual insight, and of causing to err. God does not act in one way with some, and in another way with others. The same 'act' of God leads some and causes others to err.

The passages which make this clear are many, and we cannot do more than quote a few.

'That which hath been sent down to thee from thy Lord will surely increase the rebellion and unbelief of many of them.' ²

'Whenever a Sura is sent down, there are some of them who say, "Whose faith hath it caused to increase?" It will increase the faith of those who believe, and they shall rejoice; but as to those in whose hearts is a disease, it will add to their doubt: and they shall die infidels.' ³

'Verily God is not ashamed to set forth as well the instance of a gnat, as of any nobler object: for as to those who have believed, they know it to be the truth from their Lord; but as to the unbelievers, they will say: "What meaneth God by this comparison?"

Many will He thereby mislead and many guide: but none will He mislead thereby except the wicked.' ¹

'Say: It is to those who believe, a guide and a remedy; but to those who believe not, there is a thickness in their ears, and to them it is a blindness: they are like those who are called to from afar.' ²

'Thou wilt mislead by it whom thou wilt and guide whom thou wilt.' ³

Through all these passages it is clear that this hardening of the heart, this blinding of the inner eye, this deafening of the spiritual ear, is a punishment on those who will not believe. It is but the confirmation of the sentence that those who, following the suggestions of Satan, will not open their hearts to divine truth, with them hell shall be filled. 'God said: Go forth from it, a scorned, a banished one! Whosoever of them shall follow thee, I will surely fill hell with you, one and all.' ⁴

The hardening, the misleading, is the punishment, and yet the result of obstinate unbelief and culpable disregard of the 'signs' of God, which should have led to repentance and faith. ⁵

That the effect of the offer of mercy depends on the reception which it meets on the part of man, is made clear in the following passage: 'Verily thou canst not guide whom thou desirest; but God guideth whom He will; and He best knoweth who will yield to guidance'. ⁶