Surah Al-Qasas (28) — Ayah 56

(Ayah 56) ➊ { اِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِيْ مَنْ اَحْبَبْتَ …:} The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was extremely well-wishing towards all people and had a strong desire for them to believe. Especially, due to the feeling of maintaining ties of kinship, this desire was even stronger in his heart regarding his relatives. At this point, mention is made of those among the People of the Book who, upon hearing the recitation of the Book of Allah, immediately believed, so naturally, the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) heart would be affected by the fact that those who were relatively distant took the lead in believing, while his own relatives, even his dear uncle Abu Talib, remained deprived of this blessing. Upon this, Allah Almighty consoled the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that there was no shortcoming in his invitation or well-wishing, rather the matter is that guidance is not in his control, it is in the control of Allah Almighty, and He knows best who are to be guided—whether they are from the People of the Book or Arabs, relatives or distant kin. (Biqā‘ī) No one else even knows who is to be given guidance, so how can they give guidance? All the commentators agree that this verse was revealed regarding the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) uncle Abu Talib.

➋ Sa‘id bin al-Musayyib’s father narrates: [ لَمَّا حَضَرَتْ أَبَا طَالِبٍ الْوَفَاةُ جَاءَهُ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ فَوَجَدَ عِنْدَهُ أَبَا جَهْلٍ وَعَبْدَ اللّٰهِ بْنَ أَبِيْ أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ الْمُغِيْرَةِ، فَقَالَ أَيْ عَمِّ! قُلْ لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ، كَلِمَةً أُحَاجُّ لَكَ بِهَا عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ، فَقَالَ أَبُوْ جَهْلٍ وَعَبْدُ اللّٰهِ بْنُ أَبِيْ أُمَيَّةَ أَتَرْغَبُ عَنْ مِلَّةِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ؟ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَعْرِضُهَا عَلَيْهِ، وَيُعِيْدَانِهِ بِتِلْكَ الْمَقَالَةِ حَتّٰي قَالَ أَبُوْ طَالِبٍ آخِرَ مَا كَلَّمَهُمْ عَلٰی مِلَّةِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، وَأَبٰی أَنْ يَّقُوْلَ لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ، قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَاللّٰهِ! لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ مَا لَمْ أُنْهَ عَنْكَ ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ : «مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْۤا اَنْ يَّسْتَغْفِرُوْا لِلْمُشْرِكِيْنَ» وَ أَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ فِيْ أَبِيْ طَالِبٍ، فَقَالَ لِرَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ : «{ اِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِيْ مَنْ اَحْبَبْتَ وَ لٰكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَهْدِيْ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ}» ] [ بخاري، التفسیر، باب قولہ : «إنک لا تھدی من أحببت… » ۴۷۷۲ ] “When the time of Abu Talib’s death came, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to him and found Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abi Umayyah bin al-Mughira with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘O uncle! Say “La ilaha illallah,” a word by which I will argue for you before Allah.’ But Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abi Umayyah said: ‘Will you turn away from the religion of Abdul Muttalib?’ So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) kept presenting this to him, and they kept repeating their statement, until the last thing Abu Talib said to them was: ‘I am on the religion of Abdul Muttalib.’ And he refused to say ‘La ilaha illallah.’ So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘By Allah! I will surely seek forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden.’ Then Allah the Exalted revealed this verse: «{ مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْۤا اَنْ يَّسْتَغْفِرُوْا لِلْمُشْرِكِيْنَ وَ لَوْ كَانُوْۤا اُولِيْ قُرْبٰى }» [ التوبۃ : ۱۱۳ ] ‘It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they are relatives.’ And Allah the Exalted revealed this verse about Abu Talib and addressed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): «{ اِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِيْ مَنْ اَحْبَبْتَ وَ لٰكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَهْدِيْ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ }» ‘Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills.’

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his uncle: ‘Say “La ilaha illallah,” and I will testify for you with it on the Day of Resurrection.’ He said: ‘If it were not that the Quraysh would blame me, saying that it was only the fear (of death) that led me to it, I would have cooled your eyes with it.’ Upon this, Allah Almighty revealed this verse: «{ اِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِيْ مَنْ اَحْبَبْتَ وَ لٰكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَهْدِيْ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ }» [ مسلم، الإیمان، باب الدلیل علٰی صحۃ إسلام … : 25/42 ]

➌ Some people insist that Abu Talib died upon Islam. They say that Abdul Muttalib was upon the religion of Ibrahim, and {’’عَلٰي مِلَّةِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ‘‘} means ‘I am dying upon the religion of Ibrahim,’ therefore he was a Muslim. But after the words of the hadith, ‘and he refused to say La ilaha illallah,’ there remains no room for such interpretation.

➍ Abu Talib had immense love for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he protected and defended him in every way, but his love was natural, due to kinship and lineage, not faith-based love, therefore he was not granted guidance.

➎ Although this verse was revealed about Abu Talib, in principle its ruling is general and includes every person about whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wished that he would believe, but he preferred to die upon disbelief. See also Surah At-Tawbah (113).

➏ Here it is said: «{ اِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِيْ مَنْ اَحْبَبْتَ }» and in another place it is said: «{ وَ اِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِيْۤ اِلٰى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيْمٍ }» [ الشورٰی : ۵۲ ] ‘And indeed, you surely guide to the straight path.’ In the first verse, guidance means to make one reach the intended destination. This is the work of Allah alone; it is not the work of anyone else. In the second verse, guidance means to show the way; this is something the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also did.

56-1. This verse was revealed when the compassionate and devoted uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Talib, was about to pass away. The Prophet ﷺ tried that his uncle would say once with his tongue "لاَ اِلٰہ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ" so that on the Day of Resurrection I could intercede with Allah for his forgiveness. But due to the presence of other chiefs of Quraysh there, Abu Talib was deprived of the blessing of accepting faith and he died upon disbelief. The Prophet ﷺ was greatly grieved by this. On this occasion, Allah Almighty revealed this verse and made it clear to the Prophet ﷺ that your duty is only to convey, invite, and guide. But to make someone walk upon guidance is Our task. Guidance will be given only to the one whom We wish to bestow with guidance, not to the one whom you wish to see upon guidance (Sahih Bukhari).

56. (O Prophet!) You cannot guide whomever you wish [76]; it is Allah Who guides whom He wills, and He knows best those who are guided [77].

[76]
The Two Different Meanings of Guidance and the Story of Abu Talib’s Death:

The word “guidance” is used in several senses. One form is that such a change occurs in the heart and mind of a disbeliever that he becomes ready to accept guidance or Islam. This matter is purely within the power of Allah Almighty. As is clearly stated in this verse. The following hadith also supports this meaning. Sa‘id bin al-Musayyib’s father, Musayyib bin Hazn, says that when the time of Abu Talib’s death came, the Prophet ﷺ went to him. There he saw that Abu Jahl and ‘Abdullah bin Abi Umayyah were already sitting there. The Prophet ﷺ said to Abu Talib: “Dear uncle! If you say ﴿لا الٰه الا الله﴾, then I will be able to present an argument before Allah Almighty on the Day of Resurrection.” But Abu Jahl and ‘Abdullah bin Abi Umayyah began to say: “Abu Talib! Will you leave the religion of ‘Abd al-Muttalib?” In the end, the last thing Abu Talib said was that “I die upon the religion of ‘Abd al-Muttalib,” and he did not accept to say ﴿لا الٰه الا الله﴾. The Prophet ﷺ said: “By Allah! I will continue to pray for you until I am forbidden to do so.” Then Allah Almighty revealed this verse: ﴿مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾ and regarding Abu Talib, this verse: ﴿إنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِيْ...﴾ [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير]
2. According to the narration of Tirmidhi, Abu Talib replied to the Prophet ﷺ: “If the Quraysh would not taunt me that fear of death made me say this word, O nephew! I would have said this word and cooled your eyes.” At that time, this verse was revealed. [ترمذي۔ ابواب التفسير]
As for the final outcome of Abu Talib, who supported and protected the Prophet ﷺ until his last breath during the Makkan period and stood by him in every difficult time, consider the following hadiths:
1. Hazrat ‘Abbas bin ‘Abd al-Muttalib ؓ says: I said, “O Messenger of Allah! Will Abu Talib receive any benefit from you? He used to protect you and bore the displeasure of everyone for your sake.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “If it were not for me, he would have been in the lowest depth of Hell.” [مسلم۔ کتاب الایمان۔ باب شفاعۃ النبی لابی طالب]
2. Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri ؓ says that when the Prophet ﷺ’s uncle Abu Talib was mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he said: “Perhaps on the Day of Resurrection, my intercession will benefit him and he will be placed in a shallow fire that reaches his ankles and his brain will boil.” [مسلم۔ حواله ايضاً]
3. It is narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas ؓ that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that the lightest punishment of Hell will be for Abu Talib; he will wear two sandals (of fire) from which his brain will boil. (Muslim. Reference as above) And the second meaning or form of guidance is that those who have already believed are guided to their intended destination. In this sense, you and other prophets, and even the scholars, cannot show the way of guidance, and this is indeed the responsibility of the prophets, as stated elsewhere: ﴿وَاِنَّكَ لَـــتَهْدِيْٓ اِلٰي صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيْمٍ﴾ [52:42] That is, you certainly guide people to the straight path.
[77] That is, Allah grants the ability to believe only to those who themselves seek guidance. He knows such people well and also provides them with the means of guidance.