He Most High also said:

“Whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his heart to Islam; and whoever He wills to lead astray, He makes his heart tight and constricted, as though he were climbing into the sky.”

[Surah al-An'ām: 125]

It is therefore known that He wills misguidance just as He wills to open the heart to Islam.

Noah said:

“My counsel will not benefit you—even if I wish to counsel you—if Allah wills to lead you astray.”

[Surah Hūd: 34]

This indicates that He wills to lead astray those who go astray.

He Most High has also said:

“Allah is the Creator of all things.”

[Surah al-Ra'd: 16]

Thus, everything that comes into existence—whether the acts [of the servants](1) or anything else—is created by Allah.

[They said](2): Whatever He wills, He loves and is pleased with. As for His statement:

“He does not love corruption.”

[Surah al-Baqara: 205]

It means corruption from someone who does not commit it, or that He does not love it as a religion(3).

Likewise, His statement:

“He is not pleased with disbelief for His servants.”

[Surah al-Zumar: 7]

It means disbelief from someone who does not disbelieve, or that He is not pleased with it(4) as a religion—just as He does not love faith from someone who does not believe, or does not love it except as a religion.

Their opponents among the Mu'tazila and others said: Yet He has said:

“When they conspire by night to utter words that do not please Him.”

[Surah al-Nisā': 108]

Those people are hypocrites, and those words are forbidden to them, yet they actually utter them. Allah has stated that He is not pleased with them. It is therefore known that He(5) is not pleased with the sins that actually occur.

Likewise, His statement:

“If you disbelieve, Allah has no need of you, and He is not pleased with disbelief for His servants.”