As-Sajda (The Prostration)

Verse 13

Table of Contents

    13. “And if We had pleased We would certainly have given to every soul its guidance, but the true word (which has gone forth) from Me, certainly will I fill Hell with the jinn and men together.”

    The acceptance of guidance must be done voluntarily not compulsorily. Since there are abundant persistence and a lot of emphasis for accepting faith, it may bring this allusion that Allah is not able to cast the light of faith into their hearts, then in this verse He says:

    “And if We had pleased We would certainly have given to every soul its guidance…”

    It is sure that Allah has such a power, but the faith which is produced by means of Allah’s prohibition is not so worthy, and Allah’s Will is in that humankind should be honoured with the bounty of being ‘free’ and pave the path of the verse He says:

    “…but the true word (which has gone forth) from Me, certainly will I fill Hell with the jinn and men together.”

    Yes, they have paved this evil way by their own abuse authority and deserve Divine punishment, so Allah has decisively decided to fill Hell with them.

    Regarding to what was said in the above, and regarding to hundreds verses of the Qur’an that have counted man as a free being who has authority, and is obliged to do some duties, and is responsible for his own deeds, and he is worthy of being guided and refined by Divine prophets (as), and is worthy of purification of the carnal soul and self-improvement, so any misconception indicating that the above verse is an evidence upon fatalism, as Fakhr-i-Razi and the like have considered, is not acceptable.

    The above decisive and severe sentence may point to this fact that you should not imagine that the mercifulness and beneficence of Allah (s.w.t.) is a hinder for the guilty and polluted criminals to be punished, and no one should be proud of the verses of Divine mercy so that he exempt himself from the punishment of Allah, because His Mercy has a place and His Wrath another place.

    Regarding to the Arabic signs of emphasis in the Qur’anic term /la’amla’anna/ (certainly will I fill), surely Allah will fulfil His promise and He will fill the Hell with these hellish people, because if He does not, it will be contrary to His wisdom.