Islam Imploding

Misguiding by Divine Will: Fatalism and Moral Responsibility in Islamic Theology

One of the most theologically troubling claims in the Qur’an is that Allah actively misguides people. It’s not just that some reject faith on their own; rather, Allah chooses whom to guide and whom to lead astray. This doctrine raises serious problems for any concept of free will, moral responsibility, or just judgment in Islam.

Qur’anic Foundation: "He Misguides Whom He Wills"

Multiple verses state the idea in clear, unqualified terms:

Qur’an 16:93 – “And if Allah had willed, He could have made you one nation, but He misguides whom He wills and guides whom He wills.”

Qur’an 14:4 – "So He misguides whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Almighty, the Wise.”

Qur’an 6:125 – "Whomever Allah wants to guide, He opens his heart to Islam; and whomever He wants to misguide, He makes his chest tight and constricted.”

These verses clearly attribute the decision to Allah's will, not human choice. The text does not say that Allah misguides only those who reject Him—it says He wills misguidance.

Classical Tafsir: Do Scholars Affirm This?

📚 Ibn Kathir on Q 14:4:

“This is Allah’s decree. He guides whomever He wills out of His wisdom, and He misguides whomever He wills out of His justice.”

Note that misguidance is considered just, not because of human choices, but because Allah simply wills it.

📖 Al-Tabari on Q 6:125:

"Allah makes the chest of the one He wishes to misguide tight and narrow, meaning He removes the desire for truth from their heart.”

This removes any agency from the individual—the desire for truth is withdrawn by divine choice.

Theological Implications: Fatalism Over Free Will

Islamic scholars have long debated this tension. The majority Sunni position, particularly in the Ash'ari school (influential in mainstream Sunni theology), affirms the following:

All acts, including human choices, are created by Allah.
Humans acquire actions (kasb), but do not create them.
Guidance and misguidance are determined by Allah’s will alone.

As a result, you are held accountable for moral decisions you never truly made.

Imam al-Ghazali, a major Ash‘ari theologian, admitted: “The servant has no part in bringing into existence his own actions... Allah creates them in him.”

Contradiction with Moral Accountability

This deterministic view renders moral accountability incoherent:

How can someone be judged for rejecting faith if Allah preordained that rejection?
What meaning does da’wah (inviting to Islam) have if Allah alone decides who will respond?
Why reward or punish at all if the outcome was fixed from the start?

This is not simply philosophical nitpicking. The Qur’an repeatedly threatens hellfire for disbelief—even while asserting that Allah misled those people Himself.

Apologetic Responses—and Why They Fail

Common defense: "People choose misguidance, so Allah simply lets them follow it."

Rebuttal: That’s not what the text says. It clearly states that Allah causes misguidance—He makes hearts blind (Q 6:110), He seals hearts (Q 2:7), He places veils (Q 17:46).

Another apologist claim: "Misguidance is a punishment for prior wrongdoing."

Rebuttal: That creates a vicious loop: How could someone choose wrongdoing if Allah already sealed their heart?

Alternative Views in Islamic History

The Mu'tazilites, an early rationalist school, rejected this fatalism. They emphasized human free will and held that Allah’s justice required real moral agency. But they were branded as heretics and marginalized.

Sunni orthodoxy ultimately prevailed with a deterministic view, reinforced by scholars like al-Ash‘ari, al-Ghazali, and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi.

Conclusion: A Morally Arbitrary Deity?

Islamic fatalism presents a disturbing vision of God:

He chooses who believes and who disbelieves.
He blinds, seals, and misguides people.
He then punishes them eternally for a fate He decreed.

This contradicts any coherent idea of justice, accountability, or mercy. The Qur’an teaches not just submission to Allah, but resignation to a moral black box: a deity who decides everything, including your eternal damnation, before you were even born.