And He also says: “He has guided one group, while for another the sentence of misguidance has been fulfilled, because they took the devils as allies instead of Allah” (Al-Aʿrāf 7:30). Thus He makes clear that Allah guides by means of the Quran anyone whose intention is sound, who seeks what is good, and who pursues Allah’s pleasure; whereas He leaves astray all who deviate from His wise path, rebel against Him, befriend His enemies from the devils of humankind and jinn, and are content with their patronage in place of the patronage of the Lord of all worlds.
Equally telling are His words: “So when they swerved, Allah caused their hearts to swerve, and Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people” (As-Saff 61:5); and: “We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, because they refused to believe in it the first time” (Al-Anʿām 6:110).
In other verses He spells out the causes by which forgiveness and mercy are won, and the causes that make the decree of punishment binding, such as: “Yet I am indeed All-Forgiving to anyone who repents, believes, acts righteously, and then remains on guidance” (Tā Hā 20:82);
“My mercy encompasses everything; I shall ordain it for those who are mindful of Me, who give the prescribed alms, and who believe in Our signs—those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet…” (Al-Aʿrāf 7:156-157);
“Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good” (Al-Aʿrāf 7:56);
and: “Hasten toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the God-fearing” (Āl-ʿImrān 3:133).
He then lists the qualities that bring about forgiveness and mercy—namely, the traits of taqwā mentioned here and elsewhere: “Those who believe, migrate, and strive in the path of Allah—such people hope for Allah’s mercy” (Al-Baqarah 2:218); and: “When the Quran is recited, listen to it attentively and keep silent so that you may be shown mercy” (Al-Aʿrāf 7:204).
More comprehensive than all of this is His statement: “Obey Allah and the Messenger so that you may receive mercy” (Āl-ʿImrān 3:132). In general, then, the road to mercy and forgiveness is to obey Allah and His Messenger, while these specific verses lay out its particular causes.
He further informs us that punishment has numerous causes, all of which reduce to two: denying Allah