Quran Universe
9:115

وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوۡمَۢا بَعۡدَ إِذۡ هَدَىٰهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ يُبَيِّنَ لَهُم مَّا يَتَّقُونَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ

Wama kana Allahu liyudilla qawman baAAda ith hadahum hatta yubayyina lahum ma yattaqoona inna Allaha bikulli shayin AAaleemun

And Allah would not let a people stray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them what they should avoid. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of all things.

Word by word
  1. وَمَاAnd not
  2. كَانَis
  3. ٱللَّهُ(for) Allah
  4. لِيُضِلَّthat He lets go astray
  5. قَوۡمَۢاa people
  6. بَعۡدَafter
  7. إِذۡ[when]
  8. هَدَىٰهُمۡHe has guided them
  9. حَتَّىٰuntil
  10. يُبَيِّنَHe makes clear
  11. لَهُمto them
  12. مَّاwhat
  13. يَتَّقُونَۚthey should fear
  14. إِنَّIndeed
  15. ٱللَّهَAllah
  16. بِكُلِّ(of) every
  17. شَيۡءٍthing
  18. عَلِيمٌ(is) All-Knower
At-Tawbah · 9:115Madinah

Allah makes clear what to avoid before He holds you to it.

Guidance comes before accountability

The order of things
guidanceHe shows the way
then
claritywhat to avoid
only then
accountabilityfor what you knew
How Allah deals with people
trapped unawarespunished for unknown rules
told firstjust and clear

Ibn Abbas said some believers used to pray for relatives who died opposing Allah, until the verses before came. Ibn Jarir explained: before He informs you an action is not allowed, you have not disobeyed Him. Mujahid said it is also a general call: beware of disobeying Him and be eager to obey.

You learn something new about your faith and feel a wave of panic about all the years you did not know. The verse is a calm hand on your shoulder. Allah is just. What matters is what you do now that you know.

I am guilty for everything I did before I knew better.

Allah makes things clear first; what I do after knowing is what counts.

Try this

Act on one thing you learned recently, without dwelling on the years before.

Related41:17
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And Allah will never lead a people astray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them what they should avoid. Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of everything (115)Indeed to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, He gives life and He causes death. And besides Allah you have neither any protector nor any helper (116)

Recompense comes after Proof is established

Allah describes His Honorable Self and just judgment in that He does not lead a people astray but after the Message comes to them, so that the proof is established against them. For instance, Allah said,

وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ

(And as for Thamud, We showed and made clear to them the path of truth ...)[41:17].

Mujahid commented on Allah's saying;

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْمًا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَاهُمْ

(And Allah will never lead a people astray after He has guided them)

"Allah the Mighty and Sublime is clarifying to the believers about not seeking forgiveness for the idolators in particular, and in general, it is an exhortation to beware of disobeying Him, and encouragement to obey Him. So either do or suffer.

Ibn Jarir commented, "Allah says that He would not direct you to misguidance, so that you invoke Him for forgiveness for your dead idolators, after He gave you guidance and directed you to believe in Him and in His Messenger ﷺ! First, He will inform you of what you should avoid, so that you avoid it. Before He informs you that this action is not allowed, you would not have disobeyed Him and fallen into what He prohibited for you [if you indulge in this action]. Therefore, in this case, He will not allow you to be misguided. Verily, guidance or misguidance occurs after commands and prohibitions are established. As for those who were neither commanded nor prohibited, they can neither be obedient nor disobedient in doing what they were neither ordered nor prohibited from doing."

Allah said,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ۚ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ

(Indeed to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, He gives life and He causes death. And besides Allah you have neither any protector nor any helper.)

Ibn Jarir commented, "This is an encouragement from Allah for His believing servants to fight the idolators and chiefs of disbelief. It is also a command for them to trust in Allah's aid, for He is the Owner of the heavens and earth, and not to fear His enemies. Verily, they have no protector besides Allah, nor a supporter other than Him."