Allah guides whom He wills

Allah the Almighty stated:

"Verily, you (O Muhammad) guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided."

(Surat Al-Qasas, 28:56)

In the Sahih, Ibn Al-Musaiyab has reported from his father:

When death approached Abu Talib, Allah's Messenger (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) came to him and found `Abdullah bin Abi Umaiyah and Abu Jahl in his company.

The Prophet said, "O uncle, say: 'There is no true god except Allah', a word which will enable me to plead for you with Him." The two of them said, "Would you forsake the religion of (your father) 'Abdul Muttalib?"

The Prophet repeated (the request) and the two of them also repeated (their question). The final word of Abu Talib was about being on the religion of' Abdul-Muttalib and he refused to say: La ilaha ilIa-Allah. The Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said, "But I shall continue to pray for your forgiveness as long as I am not prohibited to do so." It was then that Allah the Almighty revealed the verse: "It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe, to ask Allah's forgiveness for the Mushrikin even though they be of kin." (Surat At-Taubah, 9:113)

Allah also revealed concerning Abu Talib: "Verily, you (O Muhammad) guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided ones."

(Surat Al-Qasas, 28:56)

Important issues:

1) Explanation of the verse:

"Verily, you (O Muhammad) guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided ones."

(Surat Al-Qasas, 28:56)

2) Explanation of the verse:

"It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah's Forgiveness for the Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are the dwellers of the Fire (because they died in a state of disbelief)." (Surat At-Taubah, 9: 113)

3) It is a major issue in the explanation of the statement of the Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) "Say La ilaha illa-Allah." Differing with those who claim to be possessing (religious) knowledge. (They claim it sufficient to be forgiven by merely uttering Kalimah).

4) Abu Jahl and those who were with him knew full well the intent of the Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) when he said to the man (his uncle) "Say La ilaha illa-Allah." May Allah denounce the ones who were less knowledgeable than Abu Jahl regarding, Islam.

5) The eagerness and intense desire of the Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) to convert his uncle to Islam.

6) The denial of those who claim that Abdul-Muttalib and his forefathers were Muslims.

7) Allah did not forgive Abu-Talib despite the Prophet's initially asking forgiveness for him. On the contrary, he (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) was forbidden to do so.

8) The harmful influence that evil companions can have on people.

9) The harm of over praising ancestors and important personalities.

10) The arguments of falsifiers are the arguments of Jahiliyah (pre-Islamic period).

11) An attestation to the weight of the final deeds in one's life because had Abu-Talib confessed it that there is no true God but Allah, he would have been benefited by it.

12) The consideration of the magnitude of this false argument in the hearts of the misguided, because in the story they did not argue except with it despite the intense effort of the Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) and his repetition (of the Kalimah). Because of their tremendous pride (in ancestry) and its distinction among them, they were content with it.