Does Allah lead whoever He wants to be disorientated? No

Does Allah lead whoever He wants to be disorientated? No

The source of the understanding that Allah leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills, is some translations of the Quran. For example:

“… He leads astray whom He wills (yasha يَشَٓاءُ ) and guides whom He wills. And you will surely be held responsible for what you did.” (The Quran, al-Nahl [16] 93).

The most striking feature of this translation is that Allah leads people astray whom He wills, but they are responsible for it. But how can a person be responsible for something that he cannot choose and is forced to do?

The verb ‘yasha يَشَٓاءُ (to wish)’ can mean two things. That is, the expression can mean either ‘he who wishes / chooses [human]’ or ‘he who wishes [Allah]’. To understand which of these is more appropriate, it is necessary to look at the context of the verse and the entire Quran on the subject. Here are a few verses that are decisive in this regard:

• “…Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve…” (al-Kahf [18] 29. See also al-Naba [78] 29; Yunus [10] 108; al-Zumar [39] 41).
• “…So when they went astray, Allah sent their hearts astray…” (al-Saff [61] 5).
• “…He only misleads the evil doers.” (al-Baqara [2] 26. Also al-Qasas [28] 50; al-Munafiqun [63] 6; Saff [61] 7).

Therefore, when we look at the ertire of the Quran, the translation of the relevant verse in accordance with its context is as follows:

“Allah lets one be disorientated, if one wants to be, and brings one onto the straight path, if one wants to be.”