distress in your heart because of it, so that you may warn thereby, and as a reminder for the believers. * Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and do not follow protectors other than Him.”
[al-A‘rāf: 1–3]
And He says:
“And this is a blessed Book which We have revealed, so follow it and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy. * Lest you say, ‘The Scripture was revealed only to two groups before us, and we were unaware of their studies.’ * Or lest you say, ‘Had the Scripture been revealed to us, we would have been better guided than they.’ Now clear evidence has come to you from your Lord, and guidance and mercy. Who, then, is more unjust than one who denies Allah’s signs and turns away from them? We shall repay those who turn away from Our signs with grievous punishment for turning away.”
[al-An‘ām: 155–157]
Thus He, glorified be He, states that He will repay anyone who turns away from His signs, without qualification—whether he denies them or not—with grievous punishment for turning away. This makes clear that anyone who does not acknowledge what the Messenger brought is an unbeliever. Grievous punishment for turning away; this makes clear that anyone who does not acknowledge what the Messenger brought is an unbeliever, whether he believes it to be false, is too arrogant to believe in it, turns away in pursuit of his desires, or doubts what the Messenger brought. Everyone who denies what the Messenger brought is therefore an unbeliever, yet someone who does not deny it may also be an unbeliever if he does not believe in it.
For this reason, Allah declares in several places in His Book that those who abandon following what He has revealed are astray and face punishment, even if they engage in reasoning, debate, and diligent inquiry into rational questions and other matters. He identifies such abandonment as a characteristic of unbelievers and hypocrites.
Allah Most High says:
“And We gave them hearing, sight, and hearts; yet their hearing, sight, and hearts availed them nothing, because they denied Allah’s signs, and they were engulfed by what they used to mock.”
[al-Ahqāf: 26]
And Allah Most High says:
“When their messengers came to them with clear proofs, they rejoiced in what