This statement is broadly worded and includes a point on which there is agreement: through the messengers He has sent, the proofs and signs He has established, and the intellects He has granted them, He makes clear to people the paths of good and evil, as in His words:

“As for Thamūd, We guided them.”

As for including guidance in the sense of inspiration—meaning that He guided the believer to believe and do righteous deeds, thereby attaining felicity, and guided the disbeliever to the deeds through which he becomes wretched—some, such as Mujāhid and others, include this in the verse’s meaning. They also include it in His words:

“Indeed, We guided him to the way.”

‘Ikrimah and others exclude this from the meaning of this verse, although they affirm divine decree.

According to those who understand “guided” to mean only “made clear,” He has guided every servant to both the path of good and the path of evil—that is, He has made both paths clear to him.

Those who include felicity and misery in its meaning say that a distinction is involved here: this guidance is general and shared by all, while He has singled out the believer for guidance to the path of good and the disbeliever for guidance to the path of evil.

Those who do not include this in the verse’s meaning may cite a hadith reported by al-Hasan directly from the Prophet without naming an intermediary. He said: “It was related to us that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say:

‘O people, there are only two paths: the path of good and the path of evil. What, then, makes the path of evil dearer to you than the path of good?’”