religious innovation and misguidance. This comes about by following whatever truth one knows. Whoever acts upon what he knows, Allah grants him knowledge of what he did not know, as He, exalted is He, says:
“As for those who are guided, He increases them in guidance and grants them their piety.”
He, exalted is He, also says:
“If they had done what they were instructed to do, it would have been better for them and would have strengthened them more firmly. Then We would have granted them a great reward from Us and guided them to a straight path.”
He, exalted is He, also says:
“O you who believe, fear Allah and believe in His Messenger. He will grant you a double share of His mercy, provide you with a light by which to walk, and forgive you. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
He, exalted is He, also says:
“Allah is the Protector of those who believe. He brings them out of darkness into the light.”
He, exalted is He, also says:
“There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book, through which Allah guides those who seek His pleasure to the paths of peace, brings them out of darkness into the light by His permission, and guides them to a straight path.”
There is abundant evidence for this in the Quran and the Sunnah.
Likewise, whoever turns away from following the truth he knows, in pursuit of his own desires, thereby brings ignorance and misguidance upon himself, until his heart becomes blind to the clear truth. As He, exalted is He, says:
“When they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.”
He, exalted is He, also says:
“In their hearts is a disease, so Allah increased their disease.”
He, exalted is He, also says:
“They swear by Allah their most solemn oaths that if a sign came to them, they would surely believe in it. Say, ‘Signs are only with Allah.’ And what makes you know that, if it came, they would not believe? We turn their hearts and eyes away, just as they did not believe in it the first time, and leave them wandering blindly in their transgression.”
This is a question expressing negation and denial. That is: “How do you know that, if it came, they would not believe, and that We would turn their hearts and eyes away, just as they did not believe in it the first time?” On the reading of those who recite innahā with a kasrah, it is