Allah?

“Not of those who have incurred anger, nor of those who are astray.”

Is there anyone among those who have incurred anger or gone astray whose condition—the condition by which he incurred anger or went astray—need not be avoided?

“A guidance for those mindful of Allah.”

“Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend from what We have provided for them”—to the end of the verse.

Is there anyone among these people mindful of Allah who has not been guided by this Book?

“And who believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you.”

Is there anything Allah has revealed in which the believers have believed neither in general terms nor specifically?

“Those are upon guidance from their Lord, and those are the successful.”

Is any one of these people mindful of Allah excluded from guidance in this world and success in the Hereafter?

Then consider His words:

“Indeed, those who disbelieve.”

It has been said that this is a general expression whose scope has been qualified. It has also been said that it identifies a particular, known group, so no qualification is involved: qualification presupposes that the wording has an established general scope. Here many fall into error: they assume that an expression is general, then assume that some cases have been excluded from its scope. Had they examined it carefully, they would have realized from the outset that the wording never encompassed what they excluded. A distinction must therefore be drawn between the conditions for generality and what prevents it, on the one hand, and the conditions for a meaning to fall within the speaker’s intent and what prevents that, on the other.

Then consider His words:

“They will not believe.”

Does this not apply to everyone to whom the pronoun refers, with its general scope fully intact?

“Allah has set a seal upon their hearts, their hearing, and their sight.”

Does this not apply generally to their hearts, hearing, and sight, and to those to whom these are attributed, without any qualification of its scope? The same applies to “And for them.” Likewise, if you reflect upon the remaining verses, you will find the same holds true, down to His words:

“O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you.”

Who, then, is excluded from this second general expression, such that Allah did not create them for Himself? This is a vast subject.