You Can Warn, but You Cannot Force: Guidance, True Knowledge, and Free Will

12 November 2021

Question: Does wanting someone we love to do what is right mean we have the right to force them?

People want to protect those they love.

They do not want their child to make mistakes. They are saddened when a friend takes a wrong path. They want their family to find what is right.

But good intentions can sometimes turn into a desire to control.

Verse 119 of Surah Al-Baqarah states that the Prophet was sent with the truth as a bearer of good tidings and a warner.

There is warning.

But there is no forcibly taking away a person’s will.

The Boundary Between Explaining What Is Right and Forcing

We can explain the importance of prayer to a child.

We can tell a friend about a behavior we see as wrong.

We can share a truth we know with a relative.

But we cannot choose on their behalf.

Question: When the other person does not listen to us, are we angry truly because of concern for their good, or because our word does not prevail?

This question matters.

Because sometimes, while saying, “I want what is good for you,” we may be trying to protect our own authority.

If even the Prophet’s task is conveying the message and warning, we should not take our own task beyond that.

We explain what is right. We describe its consequences. We try to set an example.

Then the choice belongs to the other person.

This does not mean abandoning responsibility.

It means knowing the limits of responsibility.

Whose Approval Are We Seeking?

Verse 120 of Surah Al-Baqarah states that the Jewish and Christian communities will not be pleased unless their ways are followed, and emphasizes that true guidance is Allah’s guidance.

Let us bring this measure into our own lives.

We may attach great importance to people’s approval of us.

We may change our decisions because of what our family, surroundings, friends, or society might say.

Question: Do we give up a truth we know solely so that people will not exclude us?

When we make people’s desires our measure, our direction continually changes.

Today one group wants one thing; tomorrow another group wants something else.

Yet truth does not change according to people’s satisfaction.

The verse draws attention to not following people’s desires after knowledge has come.

This does not mean quarreling with people.

It means not losing our own standard.

From Whom Do We Expect Help When We Speak of a Wali?

In the source, the word “wali” is considered not merely as a friend, but as one who protects, watches over, and takes care of someone.

People seek support when they struggle.

They may trust money, their social circle, their family, or a powerful person.

All of these can be a means in our lives.

But we cannot put any of them in Allah’s place.

Question: When the means leave our hands, where is our true support?

A person may help us.

But their power is limited, too.

An institution may protect us.

But its circumstances may also change.

Recognizing Allah as our wali does not mean rejecting the means. It means not forgetting the true support above the means.

What Does Reading the Book as It Should Be Read Mean?

Verse 121 of Surah Al-Baqarah states that those among the recipients of the Book who read it as it should be read believe in it.

Here, we should not think of reading merely as vocalizing.

We may pronounce a text beautifully without reflecting on what it says.

We may memorize it without ever asking how it should be applied to our lives.

Question: When reading the Qur’an, do we ask, “Which behavior of mine does this verse change?”

True knowledge is productive.

A true piece of knowledge opens the door to other truths.

When we grasp a verse’s meaning, we may see a new measure in our family relationships, our work, or our relationship with our wealth.

That is why reading the Book as it should be read takes effort.

It requires connecting verses, reflecting, and bringing what we learn into life.

Merely saying, “I have read it,” does not complete the task.

When knowledge begins to turn into behavior, the effect of reading becomes visible.

What Happens When Blessings Are Not Remembered?

Verse 122 of Surah Al-Baqarah calls for remembering the blessings given to the Children of Israel.

People become accustomed to blessings.

Something that delighted them when it first arrived becomes ordinary after a while.

Our home, health, family, knowledge, and opportunities become normal in our eyes.

Then we begin to want more.

That is why remembering matters.

Gratitude means recognizing the presence of a blessing anew.

In times of abundance, people may see themselves as powerful.

When scarcity comes, they remember how dependent they are.

But we do not need to wait for scarcity to be grateful.

It is possible to recognize what we have today and use it rightly.

Knowledge, Guidance, and Choice

Together, these verses establish an important balance.

True knowledge comes. The Prophet warns. Allah’s guidance is shown. The Book is read. Blessings are recalled.

But people still make a choice.

No one is forced to believe.

No one can be forced to become grateful.

Therefore, let us not place responsibility for our own will on someone else.

We cannot explain our entire choice by saying, “That was my environment.”

There may be people who influence us, but there is also an area in which we decide.

Likewise, let us not place someone else’s choice entirely on ourselves.

If we have explained what is right to our child, tried to set an example, and prayed, we cannot forcibly take over their will.

What Will We Do Today?

Let us think of someone.

We very much want them to do what is right.

First, let us look at ourselves: Are we explaining the truth to them, or merely giving orders?

Then let us look at our own lives: Are we giving up truths we know for people’s approval?

Let us choose a verse and try to read it as it should be read.

Let us not merely pronounce it. Let us consider what it says, why it says it, and where it touches our lives.

Question: Today, are we truly asking Allah for guidance, or do we care more about people’s approval of us?

Let us explain what is right, but not force.

Let us acquire knowledge, but not become arrogant.

Let us see the blessing, but not grow accustomed to it and forget its Owner.

Guidance is not imposed by force; the truth is shown, and people bear responsibility for their choice.

Abundance and Scarcity Test the Same Awareness

People easily remember to ask for help when in hardship.

When abundance comes, however, they may see themselves as sufficient.

That is why reminding the Children of Israel of their blessings is not merely information describing the past.

When a blessing is forgotten, a person’s behavior changes.

Someone who was once ready to share may begin holding on to more as their wealth increases.

Someone who was once open to learning may belittle others after acquiring a little knowledge.

Question: As blessings increase, does our humility increase too, or do we see ourselves as more self-sufficient?

Remembering is the first step of gratitude.

The second step is using the blessing rightly.

We use knowledge for benefit, not arrogance.

We use wealth not merely to accumulate it, but to share when needed.

We use authority to take responsibility, not to oppress people.

Thus, the warning in verse 119 and the reminder of blessings in verse 122 meet within the same life.

When hearing the warning, we do not become trapped in fear; when hearing the good tidings, we do not forget responsibility.

Learning true knowledge means being able to carry both the warning and the blessing with the same awareness.