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.