Yunus 10:99
Jonah · Juz 11 · Page 220
وَلَوۡ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَأٓمَنَ مَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ كُلُّهُمۡ جَمِيعًاۚ أَفَأَنتَ تُكۡرِهُ ٱلنَّاسَ حَتَّىٰ يَكُونُواْ مُؤۡمِنِينَ ٩٩
And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely. Then, [O Muḥammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers?
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 10:99–100
It is not Part of Allah's Decree to compel Belief
Allah said:
وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ
(And had your Lord willed) meaning `O Muhammad, if it had been the will of your Lord, He would make all the people of the earth believe in what you have brought to them. But Allah has wisdom in what He does.' Similarly, Allah said:
وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلاَ يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ
إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّكَ وَلِذلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْ وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لاّمْلاّنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ
(And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one Ummah, but they will not cease to disagree. Except him on whom your Lord has bestowed His mercy and for that did He create them. And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled (His saying): "Surely, I shall fill Hell with Jinn and men all together.") (11:118-119) He also said,
أَفَلَمْ يَاْيَْسِ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَن لَّوْ يَشَآءُ اللَّهُ لَهَدَى النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا
(Have not then those who believed yet known that had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind) (13:31) Therefore, Allah said:
أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ
(So, will you then compel mankind) and force them to believe.
حَتَّى يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
(until they become believers.) meaning, it is not for you to do that. You are not commanded to do that either. It is Allah Who
يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ
(sends astray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills.)(35:8).
فَلاَ تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَتٍ
(So do not destroy yourself in sorrow for them.)
لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ
(It is not up to you to guide them, but Allah guides whom He wills.)2:272.
لَعَلَّكَ بَخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ أَلاَّ يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
(It may be that you would kill yourself with grief because they are not believers.) 26:3
إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ
(you guide not who you like..) 28:56
فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ
(Your duty is only to convey, and it is up to Us to reckon. ) 13:40
فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ - لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُسَيْطِرٍ
(So remind, you are only one who reminds. You are not a dictator over them.) 88:21-22 There are other Ayat besides these which prove that Allah is the doer of what He wants, guiding whom He wills, leading whom He wills to stray, all out of His knowledge, wisdom, and justice. Similarly, He said,
وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَن تُؤْمِنَ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَيَجْعَلُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ
(It is not for any person to believe, except by the leave of Allah, and He will put the Rijs) That is, disorder and misguidance
عَلَى الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ
(upon those who do not reason) meaning, Allah's proofs and evidences, and He is the Just in all matters, guiding whom He wills to guide, and leading whom He wills astray.
Page 220
10:98
فَلَوۡلَا كَانَتۡ قَرۡيَةٌ ءَامَنَتۡ فَنَفَعَهَآ إِيمَٰنُهَآ إِلَّا قَوۡمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّآ ءَامَنُواْ كَشَفۡنَا عَنۡهُمۡ عَذَابَ ٱلۡخِزۡيِ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَمَتَّعۡنَٰهُمۡ إِلَىٰ حِينٖ ٩٨
Then has there not been a [single] city that believed so its faith benefited it except the people of Jonah? When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in worldly life and gave them enjoyment [i.e., provision] for a time.
10:99
وَلَوۡ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَأٓمَنَ مَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ كُلُّهُمۡ جَمِيعًاۚ أَفَأَنتَ تُكۡرِهُ ٱلنَّاسَ حَتَّىٰ يَكُونُواْ مُؤۡمِنِينَ ٩٩
And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely. Then, [O Muḥammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers?
10:100
وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفۡسٍ أَن تُؤۡمِنَ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَيَجۡعَلُ ٱلرِّجۡسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ ١٠٠
And it is not for a soul [i.e., anyone] to believe except by permission of Allāh, and He will place defilement1 upon those who will not use reason.
1 translator’s note
- Among its meanings are filth, wrath, punishment, disbelief, confusion and error. ↩
10:101
قُلِ ٱنظُرُواْ مَاذَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَمَا تُغۡنِي ٱلۡأٓيَٰتُ وَٱلنُّذُرُ عَن قَوۡمٖ لَّا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ١٠١
Say, "Observe what is in the heavens and the earth." But of no avail will be signs or warners to a people who do not believe.
10:102
فَهَلۡ يَنتَظِرُونَ إِلَّا مِثۡلَ أَيَّامِ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوۡاْ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ قُلۡ فَٱنتَظِرُوٓاْ إِنِّي مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمُنتَظِرِينَ ١٠٢
So do they wait except for like [what occurred in] the days of those who passed on before them? Say, "Then wait; indeed, I am with you among those who wait."
10:103
ثُمَّ نُنَجِّي رُسُلَنَا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْۚ كَذَٰلِكَ حَقًّا عَلَيۡنَا نُنجِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١٠٣
Then We will save Our messengers and those who have believed. Thus, it is an obligation upon Us that We save the believers.1
1 translator’s note
- From Allāh's punishment. ↩
10:104
قُلۡ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمۡ فِي شَكّٖ مِّن دِينِي فَلَآ أَعۡبُدُ ٱلَّذِينَ تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنۡ أَعۡبُدُ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِي يَتَوَفَّىٰكُمۡۖ وَأُمِرۡتُ أَنۡ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١٠٤
Say, [O Muḥammad], "O people, if you are in doubt as to my religion - then I do not worship those which you worship besides Allāh; but I worship Allāh, who causes your death. And I have been commanded to be of the believers
10:105
وَأَنۡ أَقِمۡ وَجۡهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفٗا وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ ١٠٥
And [commanded], 'Direct your face [i.e., self] toward the religion, inclining to truth, and never be of those who associate others with Allāh;
10:106
وَلَا تَدۡعُ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكَ وَلَا يَضُرُّكَۖ فَإِن فَعَلۡتَ فَإِنَّكَ إِذٗا مِّنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ١٠٦
And do not invoke1 besides Allāh that which neither benefits you nor harms you, for if you did, then indeed you would be of the wrongdoers.'"2
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy