does not guide those He leaves astray.” This offers consolation to His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The verse makes clear to him that, even if conveying the message does not lead them to guidance, it brings other immense benefits. It also makes clear that true guidance is Allah’s guidance:

“Whoever Allah guides is truly guided, and whoever He leaves astray—you will never find for him a protecting ally to guide him.”

He also said to him:

“You cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills.”

This affirms Allah’s oneness and the purpose of the prophetic mission. He, glorified be He, spoke of those who will not believe, saying:

“Indeed, those against whom your Lord’s word has become binding will not believe, even if every sign comes to them.”

And He said:

“So that you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, and who are therefore heedless.”

Then He said:

“The word has indeed become binding against most of them, so they will not believe.”

Thus, in this verse, as in the other, He singles out “those against whom your Lord’s word has become binding.” These are those against whom the word has become binding—that is, what Allah, glorified be He, has said, written and decreed has become binding against them. He thus identifies the determining cause as the prior decree, which is His word.

A statement may be merely a declaration of what will happen, or it may entail other things, like an oath that entails urging or restraining. He has mentioned in several places that an oath had already been made, as in His words:

“Had We willed, We would have given every soul its guidance, but My word has become binding.”

And there are other passages of this kind.