Assalamu alaikum! 

Please explain verse 125 of Soorat al-Anām and also give its correct English meaning. Does the verse imply that Allah misguides some people, or that He allows some people to go astray?

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Grantor of Mercy

All praise belongs to Allah, and may prayers and peace be upon Allah’s final Messenger. The verse says,

"فَمَن يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِي السَّمَاءِ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ"

{So whoever Allah wants to guide, He expands his breast to [contain] Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide, He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe.} [Qur’an 6:125, Sahih International]

The verse reiterates what is established by many other verses and hadiths: that Allah is omnipotent and nothing happens in His dominion outside of His full control. Believing otherwise would be dualism. Dualism is a corrupted belief that is also illogical.

Having said that, we must also believe in Allah’s justice and that he is All-Fair. This means those who were misguided deserved to be misguided. Finally, the issue of predestination is a very delicate and sensitive one and may not be easily comprehended by all. Studying it under a qualified teacher is helpful, and our humble submission to Allah (even when we do not fully understand something He has revealed) is necessary, since there is so much in the universe that we cannot completely comprehend. 

Allah knows best. 

Related fatawa: 79200, 81271, 84900