seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 16:35. The idolaters say, “Had God willed, we would not have worshiped anything besides Him, neither us, nor our ancestors, nor would we have prohibited anything besides His prohibitions.” Those before them did likewise. Are the messengers responsible for anything but clear communication?
36. To every community We sent a messenger: “Worship God, and avoid idolatry.” Some of them God guided, while others deserved misguidance. So travel through the earth, and see what the fate of the deniers was.
37. Even though you may be concerned about their guidance, God does not guide those who misguide. And they will have no saviors.
38. And they swear by God with their most solemn oaths, “God will not resurrect anyone who dies.” Yes indeed, it is a promise binding on Him, but most people do not know.
39. To clarify for them what they differed about, and for the faithless to know that they were liars.
40. When We intend for something to happen, We say to it, “Be,” and it becomes.
Not many verses in today's portion. The commentary to go thru the next set of verses would be to long.... so here we are.
They would not give a serious thought to the Prophet’s message that evil works bring an evil consequence, but met it with the rejoinder that, if Allåh did not like evil, He could have diverted them from evil ways. They are told in reply that Allåh’s pleasure is not exercised by compelling people to adopt one way or the other, but by sending His messengers in every age and to every nation to point out the right way to the people, and by clear messages through the mouths of His ministers to warn people to avoid evil.
Ïaqqa ‘alai-hi means a thing was suitable to the requirements of justice, etc., to take effect upon him There were some people who did not care for the Prophet’s warning and adhered to error. Justice therefore required that they should be left in error. The message was sent by God; the choice was man’s own to accept or reject it. The words do not mean that Allåh had foredoomed some people, for then the sending to them of messengers would have been absurd.
I think there has been a great misunderstanding in the interpretation of the words man yu˙illu, which clearly mean who leads (others) astray. The meaning is, therefore, that those who do not only walk in error themselves, but have grown so hostile to the cause of Truth that they mislead others, cannot find the right way, however much the Prophet may be anxious for them.
Let me see if I can explain the message I got this morning.
God designed us to make choices. We can choose to follow the path God wants us to follow.... and... instead... we can choose to do it our own way.
Our way might be a long and winding path that eventually gets to the path we need to be on to get to the Heavenly level.
Our way may be a tangled mess that will never ever get where to the Heavenly level.... bringing us to the Hades level.
Our way may be a straight path right to the Hades level.
Like a video game.... you either choose the right path.... or you lose.
Now.... apparently there were, or are, some people who claim that if God wants them to do something different... then God would have them doing something different already. Like Judas.... when he turned Jesus over to the Roman Soldiers..... that was God doing His will through Judas. God was controlling Judas. This is indeed what we are taught.... so I see their point. But Judas was already on that road..... Judas was a thief. He was already on the road straight to Hades.... so God used him.
Now.... let's go back to my friend's brother. I had a friend who lived up on the hill. Her mother had polio and her mom lived in an iron lung. My friend's brother played with toy soldiers out in the back yard on a big mound of dirt. He chose where all of his soldiers would stand and he would choose which of his toy soldiers were going to be knocked down by the dirt clod bomb.
Like God.... my friend's brother has the opportunity to run the world of those toy soldiers. He knows who is going to win the battle before it begins. He can change the way the battle is going at his whim. My friend's brother is God of that hill just like God is God of our everything.
Only in God's everything.... we can choose to change sides. Some of us will change our own course and get on another tangled path that leads to the Heavenly level rather than the Hades level that ends the game. We are not little green plastic soldiers who only come alive in a movie or in a child's imagination. We are living humans, created by God.... not Mattel.
We are all humans with the same choice. Some will choose one way and some.... no matter how many times they are invited to the party.... will refuse the invitation with a smirk.... and those are the humans who are headed to Hades.... God will stop sending warnings.
Some humans just won't listen.
