Answer
Short Answer: Guidance to Islam is absolutely a divine gift from Allah. But we, as human beings, are responsible for heeding that guidance or not, and we must face the consequences of that choice, good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant.
Salam Dear Sister,
Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.
It is very sad to see that your friend has these ideas about God and Islam.
I wish that I could tell you it is rare to find people born into Muslim families who have these attitudes and beliefs.
Unfortunately, there are too many who are far from having a solid understanding of God and Islam.
Because Islam is more a way of life than a religion, we often look to those who were raised in Muslim countries for guidance and leadership.
We assume that because they grew up in a society where Muslims are the majority, they had an opportunity to live and breathe Islam in their daily lives.
A Shallow View of Life: Serving Desires, not Allah
Yes, there are many people in Muslim-majority countries that realize this to be a blessing.
But, there are many that are mesmerized by the advancements of the secular world and find religion to be an obstacle to achieving their goals in life.
They have a very narrow understanding of life in general.
Their attitude is along the lines of, “This must be good because it makes me feel good; what makes me feel bad, is bad.”
They merely follow what their hearts and desires tell them and are not open to truth and reason.
They are only happy when they receive what they want, not caring if it is harmful or not. They only follow the urges of their appetites for food, wealth, power, and so on.
But if they hearken not to thee, know that they only follow their own lusts: and who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, devoid of guidance from God? For God guides not people given to wrong-doing. (Quran 28: 50)
This leads them to follow one thing one day, and something else another day.
What is good today may be bad tomorrow because their mood has changed or because what other people are practicing has changed.
These types of people are easily influenced by others and unfortunately can be misled just as easily.
They justify their actions to themselves in many ways but it all boils down to doing only what makes them feel comfortable and avoiding what makes them uncomfortable.
In their minds, if everyone is doing it, it must be right.
Yes, Only Allah Guides People (and we’re responsible!)
When your mother says that Islam only enters the hearts of people by God’s Will, she is absolutely correct.
Is one whose heart God has opened to Islam, so that he has received Enlightenment from God, (no better than one hard-hearted)? Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against celebrating the praises of God! They are truly wandering (in error)! (Quran 39: 22)
I do not think that your mother is trying to say there is no responsibility to act correctly for those who are not guided. What is right is right and what is wrong is wrong.
Each one of us is responsible for our own actions and God will hold us to account for all that we have done in this life.
But, until a person’s heart is opened to Islam, there will be no change in their behavior or attitude, no matter what we advise them.
… On the contrary their hearts became hardened, and Satan made their (sinful) acts seem alluring to them. (Quran 6:43)
What hardens their hearts is the choices they have made. Unless God wants to guide people, there is no one who can do or say anything to change their minds.
Islam is not inherited. It must be taught continuously.
We also need guides and reminders to help us stay on the straight path, the path that leads to true success in this life and the life hereafter.
Trust The Process of Self-Realization In Others
Some of us have strong convictions about what is right and what is wrong.
It is not easy to sway our hearts and minds because we have been blessed by God with understanding and wisdom.
However, there are some of us who do not have strong convictions and are easily swayed by our desires or by the society around us.
If we see results of our efforts to guide people to what is right, that is a great blessing because we are impatient by nature.
But if we do not see immediate results we should not give up hope. A good word always leaves an impression on others.
Sometimes the truth of what we say is preserved in the hearts of others until the right circumstance comes in their lives when they are ready to understand it.
It is at that moment that God shows them the reality of what you said and they realize the truth, by His Grace.
Truly you will not be able to guide whom you love; but God guides those whom He wills and He knows best those who follow guidance. (Quran 28:56)
Some will be guided, some never will. But only God knows who they are.
We need to set good examples for people to follow. If people see us as successful, well-rounded individuals, they will want to follow our example.
If we do our best to guide people, we will have lived up to our responsibilities to God to improve the world around us.
If we act according to the best of our abilities, we can stand before God with a clear conscience on the Day of Judgment.
We know that we did our best and we left it up to God to open their hearts.
I hope this has been beneficial to you. May God guide us all to what pleases Him and open our hearts to wisdom and understanding.
Please keep in touch.
Salam.
(From AboutIslam’s archives)
Read more…
https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/is-guidance-a-divine-gift/
https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/gods-guidance-reach-everyone/