Did Jesus Redeem Mankind? — Page 53
? COERCION RULED OUT (7) God accordingly says: 46 46 وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَأَتَيْنَا كُلَّ نَفْسٍ هُدْهَا وَلَكِنْ حَقَ الْقَوْلُ مِنِّي لَأَمْلَكَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ. i. e. , if we had so desired, we would have granted every soul its guidance (32:14). Apparently, the content of this verse is contradictory to that of the preceding verses but in truth it is not so. But وَلَوْشِتُنَا لَهَدَيْنَاكُل نَفْسٍ : Allah the Excellent does not say even if He had uttered these words, the content would have not been contrary to that of the preceding verse. On the contrary the words here are i. e. , every soul that we have created, We have placed in it the means of his guidance. Some persons however throw away this guidance. Had We so wished, We could have forced back on them this guidance? But since coercion would defeat the object of the creation of man, We therefore, did not employ force. This is yet another argument in favour of the thesis that the human mind has been created pure and every man is sent out with the light of guidance inherent in him. But some persons force it out through their own folly and ignorance. In this context, God observes: Had We wished We could have given back to them their internal