Previous Chapter -- Next Chapter
The Guidance of Allah
In Sura al-Ma'ida 5:46, we read twice that the Gospel of Christ contains the guidance of Allah. The Almighty guides the readers of the Gospel in His straight path. He does not mislead the followers of Christ, like those, about whom we read five times in the Qur'an that they are led astray by Allah (Suras al-Ra'd 13:27; Ibrahim 14:4; al-Nahl 16:93; al-Fatir 35:8; al-Muddaththir 74:31).
"… Allah misleads whom He wills, and guides whom He wills." (Sura Ibrahim 14:4)
ا ... فَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ. (سُورَة إِبْرَاهِيم ١٤ : ٤)
Christians are not slaves, but have received a free will. The Lord guides them to heaven if they read the life-giving Gospel and act accordingly.
In these verses about the right guidance, we see the Qur'anic echo of the good news of the redemption of Christ. His Gospel does not only contain His new law, but also the good news of deliverance from sin and death, and the free offer of God's grace to whoever accepts it. Christ declared clearly, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me!" (John 14:6)
He who listens to Christ's teaching, believes in Him, and lives according to what is written, will receive from Christ heavenly power, so that eternal life will dwell in him. Then he will recognize that Allah the Almighty is his spiritual Father. Christ will guide him in the right path that brings him home to the heavenly Father. He has opened to him the door to eternal life (John 3:16; 5:24; 11:25-26; etc.). He who follows the guidance of Allah, revealed in the Gospel of Christ, will live with the Father, as Christ lives with His spiritual Father forever. His eternal life establishes in us love, truthfulness, purity, service and patience. He who follows the guidance of Christ will be changed into His image.