Question:

One of the Ayat discussing people who have focused on materialistic aspects of life is “Surely We have created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not… etc.” (7:179).

I have a question regarding the fact that the Ayah mentions ‘we have created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell’, does this indicate most people were created for hell, may you please enlighten me on this Ayah?

Answer:

The main and real purpose of the creation is the demonstration of divine Mercy as stated in Surah 11 Ayah 111: الا من رحم ربک و لذلک خلقهم which is eternity in Heaven and all its bliss. The path to that is servitude to God which is mentioned as another purpose of creation in Surah 51 Ayah 56:  و ما خلقت الجن و الانس الا لیعبدون

However, the Almighty God due to His eternal wisdom knows that because of the free will He has bestowed upon man and the Jinn, some of them will not choose the path of worshipping to gain Paradise. But because the law of ‘freewill’ also is a divine law, it is correct to say what God has said in Surah 7, Ayah 179, that He has created them for Hell. Note the reason they are hell bound is also mentioned in the Ayah that they had eyes, ears and heart, so the means of prosperity wasgiven to them but they abused them until they lost them and as such end up in Hell. Therefore, it is correct to say they are created for Hell (as God knows the destination they choose) but God is not responsible for their wrong choice.

All similar Ayaat that sound like ‘Allah guides and misguides’, must be understood in the sense that ‘God guides’ meaning provides facilities for guidance, and misguides meaning He has created a law that abusing facilities leads to going astray.

Answered by: Sheikh Mansour Leghaei