'This (is) no other than a warning to all creatures, to him among you who willeth to walk in a straight path: but ye shall not will, unless God willeth, the Lord of all creatures'. ¹ The offer is made to all, for the admonition is to all creatures. This can only mean that the guidance of God is in all good faith for all. We are here speaking of the purpose of God. This must be held in mind. We are not speaking of the application of that purpose, which must be considered later.

In God's purpose none are excluded on predetermined grounds, or on foreseen disobedience, from the possibility of participating in the benefits of His guidance, and in the blessings which flow from the following thereof. It cannot be imagined that the last clause of the sentence, 'but ye shall not will, unless God willeth, the Lord of all creatures,' is to be taken in any sense which would be a virtual denial of the first clause. Whatever the meaning of this clause may be, such an explanation is inadmissible. If this were to be admitted the first clause would be absolutely meaningless, if not absurd; while, as a matter of fact, it is the main statement of the verse, which the second clause is meant in some way to modify, but not to deny.

In the purpose of God, His guidance is intended for all men, and is available by all. If any have refused it, that is not to be put down to the divine unwillingness to allow them to participate in it. None are excluded on a priori grounds, so to speak, from participating in the benefits of this offer of salvation.

The one thing which must exist on the part of the individual, is a willingness to accept the guidance. That this willingness on the part of the individual must be enforced is one of the teachings of the Qur'an which stands out clearly and emphatically. It lay within the possibility of the divine omnipotence to over-ride the will of man, and thus make all men of one religion, as the Qur'anic phrase sometimes is; or, as it is sometimes put, God might have led all men. In other words, God could have so forced the will of man that none could have refused to accept His direction and guidance. But Muhammad saw clearly that such was not, as a matter of experience, the way in which God had seen fit to direct mankind.

As regards times and seasons, as regards means and methods, none can will to accept the guidance of God, but as He willeth. God has reserved unto Himself the determination of events so that these impulses and motives, which lead men to accept His guidance, originate and act in His providential dealings with men in such a way that man's willingness to accept the divine guidance depends on and issues forth from the divine will. Man's actual willing in the course of history is dependent on the working out of God's will. And thus man can claim no merit even in that part of his salvation, which consists in the acceptance of the divine offer of mercy.

It is specially to be noted that the expression here translated (lxxxi. 27-9) by Sale 'unless God willeth', does not in the original have such a definite and decided sense. It is not unless if God will, but rather unless as God will. It expresses a condition of means and manner rather than a condition of possibility.