Source: Fatāwā ʿUlamāʾ al-Ḥadīth
The Qur’an says:
﴿ وَاللّٰہُ یَھْدِیْ مَنْ یَّشَآءُ – یُضِلُّ بِه مَنْ یَّشَآءُ ﴾
“Allah guides whom He wills and misguides whom He wills.”
If guidance and misguidance are both in Allah’s control, then why is man considered blameworthy?
Al-ḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʿammā baʿd!
The words you quoted in your question are not found exactly as such in the Qur’an. Please indicate the surah and verse for clarity.
But as for the essence of the question:
The Qur’an explicitly states that sustenance comes solely from Allah:
﴿إِنَّ اللَّـهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ﴾ (الذاریات: 58)
“Indeed, Allah is the [only] Provider, the Possessor of strength and firmness.”
Yet man still opens shops, works in factories, takes up jobs, or farms. Why? Because though provision is decreed by Allah, man must still choose and strive.
The verses ﴿یُضِلُّ اللّٰہُ مَنْ یَّشَآء﴾ and ﴿یَھْدِیْ مَنْ یَّشَآء﴾ do not mean man has no choice. The phrase “whom He wills” does not negate human will and decision.
Allah said:
﴿وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّـهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ (التکویر: 29)
“And you cannot will unless Allah, the Lord of the worlds, wills.”
This means man chooses freely, but his choice exists within Allah’s greater Will.
Other verses show the opposite:
Man is blameworthy because he chooses misguidance by his own free will, through wrongdoing and disobedience — not by compulsion. Guidance and misguidance are under Allah’s Will, but man’s responsibility lies in the fact that he decides and acts with his own choice, within that Divine Will.
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
◈ Question:
The Qur’an says:
﴿ وَاللّٰہُ یَھْدِیْ مَنْ یَّشَآءُ – یُضِلُّ بِه مَنْ یَّشَآءُ ﴾
“Allah guides whom He wills and misguides whom He wills.”
If guidance and misguidance are both in Allah’s control, then why is man considered blameworthy?
◈ Answer:
Al-ḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʿammā baʿd!
The words you quoted in your question are not found exactly as such in the Qur’an. Please indicate the surah and verse for clarity.
But as for the essence of the question:
❀ 1. Provision (rizq) is only from Allah
The Qur’an explicitly states that sustenance comes solely from Allah:
﴿إِنَّ اللَّـهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ﴾ (الذاریات: 58)
“Indeed, Allah is the [only] Provider, the Possessor of strength and firmness.”
Yet man still opens shops, works in factories, takes up jobs, or farms. Why? Because though provision is decreed by Allah, man must still choose and strive.
❀ 2. Divine Will and Human Choice
The verses ﴿یُضِلُّ اللّٰہُ مَنْ یَّشَآء﴾ and ﴿یَھْدِیْ مَنْ یَّشَآء﴾ do not mean man has no choice. The phrase “whom He wills” does not negate human will and decision.
Allah said:
﴿وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّـهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ (التکویر: 29)
“And you cannot will unless Allah, the Lord of the worlds, wills.”
This means man chooses freely, but his choice exists within Allah’s greater Will.
❀ 3. The Qur’an explains the basis of guidance and misguidance
- ﴿اللَّـهُ يَجْتَبِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يُنِيبُ﴾ (الشوریٰ: 13)
“Allah chooses for Himself whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back to Him.” - ﴿الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ أُولَـٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّـهُ﴾ (الزمر: 18)
“Those who listen to speech and follow the best of it — those are the ones Allah has guided.” - ﴿وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا﴾ (العنکبوت: 69)
“And those who strive for Us — We will surely guide them to Our ways.”
Other verses show the opposite:
- ﴿وَيُضِلُّ اللَّـهُ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾ — Allah misguides the wrongdoers.
- ﴿وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِ إِلَّا الْفَاسِقِينَ﴾ — He only misguides the defiantly disobedient.
- ﴿وَاللَّـهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ﴾ — Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.
❖ Conclusion:
Man is blameworthy because he chooses misguidance by his own free will, through wrongdoing and disobedience — not by compulsion. Guidance and misguidance are under Allah’s Will, but man’s responsibility lies in the fact that he decides and acts with his own choice, within that Divine Will.
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
