have guided you all. ” The conclusion is clear. If it were the Divine will that people should be compelled to one course that would have been the course of guidance. But men are not compelled to accept even the right way: much less could they be compelled to follow the wrong course. This is clearly laid down: “We have truly shown him the way, he may be thankful or unthankful” (76:3). And again: “The truth is from your Lord, so let him who please believe, and let him who please disbelieve” (18:29). The Divine will is therefore exercised in the raising up of prophets, and in the pointing out of the courses of good and evil, and human will is exercised in the choice of one course or the other.

It is this very law that is expressed at the end of ch. 76: “Surely this is a Reminder, so whoever will, let him take a way to his Lord. And you will not, unless Allāh please” (76:29, 30). And again to the same effect: “It is naught but a Reminder for the nations, for him among you who will go straight. And you will not, except Allāh please, the Lord of the worlds” (81:27-29). In both these places, the Holy Qur’ān is spoken of as having been revealed for the upliftment of man, yet, it is added, only he will derive benefit from it who chooses to go straight or takes a way to his Lord, that is, exercises his will in the right direction. Thus man is left to make his choice after God has sent down a revelation, and the will of man to make a choice is thus exercised only after the will of God has been exercised in the sending down of a revelation. If God had not pleased to reveal the reminder, man would have had no choice. Thus the words “you will not, unless Allāh please,” mean only this that if God had not pleased to send a revelation, man would not have been able to make his choice of good or evil.6

Foreknowledge of God

The doctrine of predestination, or the decreeing of a good course for one man and an evil course for another, thus finds no support from the Holy Qur’ān which gives to man the choice to follow one way or the other. But, it is said, the doctrine of the decreeing of good and evil follows from the doctrine of the foreknowledge of God. If God knows what will happen in the future, whether a particular man will take a good or an evil course, it follows that, that man must take that