The condition 'unless as God willeth' limits not the power of men to will the acceptance of His offer of salvation, but the time and manner and way in which men will. In fact, the meaning, at bottom, is very much the opposite to that which is generally supposed to be attached to the expression. It is an encouragement to men rather than a ground for their doubt or even hopelessness. If a man feels inclined to accept the offer of salvation, he may be certain that the inclination is in accordance with God's will, and if he accept it he may rest assured in his own mind that the divine will is leading and guiding him.

The mistake commonly made in the interpretation of this and similar passages is akin to, if not identical with, the false view so long taken by Calvinists of the doctrine of election. The doctrine of election in both the New Testament and the Qur'an, is a doctrine to comfort and encourage those who feel drawn towards the truth. They may rest assured that the very fact that they desire to follow the guidance of God is proof that they are called of God. We are not here reading into the Qur'an any teaching borrowed from Christian theologians, but are simply trying to explain what the text of the Qur'an appears itself to teach.

Nowhere in the Qur'an are men taught that they must first become assured that God has chosen them as individuals, in other words, that God has willed their personal salvation, before they can of their own will accept His guidance. It is all the other way about. Men may rest assured that God has willed their salvation when they feel drawn towards Him, and, as an act of their own will, consciously yield themselves to His guidance.

None need ever despair of the mercy of God, thinking that the mercy of God is not for him. Even to Pharaoh, in his arrogance and sinful opposition, the guidance of God is offered.¹

Another point in the teaching of the Qur'an on this question must now be considered.

God appropriates this mercy to whom He pleaseth. We read, 'It is not the desire of the unbelievers, either among those unto whom the Scriptures have been given, or among the idolaters, that any good should be sent down unto you from your Lord: but God will shew His special mercy to whom He will; for He is of great bounty'. ² The 'mercy' here spoken of is not specially the mercy of guidance, but refers generally to the blessings of God; yet the truth taught in this verse does lie at the base of all the teaching of the Qur'an as to the appropriation by God of His mercy (His direction unto salvation) to those whom He pleaseth.

God is not moved by those considerations which might move men to grant or to withhold mercy. It is as He pleaseth, and not as man pleaseth or deemeth fit that He bestows His grace and mercy. And many passages in the Qur'an show that the thought which underlay the teaching of Muhammad, when he spoke of God's guiding whom He pleaseth, or leading into error whom He pleaseth, was that the conditions on which the direction and guidance of God become available and practically beneficial to the individual are of God's own choice. None can secure the direction of God on