a warning and a clear Qur'an. To warn whoever liveth and, that against the infidels sentence may be justly given (wayahaqqu'l-qaulu'ala'l-kafirina).' ¹

The sentence of doom which is spoken of in the preceding passages is God's judicial decree that the unrepentant unbelievers shall in no wise escape punishment, but shall be cast into Hell with Iblis and all who have followed him. This is clearly brought out in many verses. 'Had We pleased We had certainly given to every soul its guidance. But true shall be the word (haqqa'l-qaulu minni) which hath gone forth from me — I will fill Hell with Djinn and men together.' ² 'Just, now, is Our sentence (laqad haqqa'l-qaulu) against most of them; therefore they shall not believe.' ³

This sentence of judgement is recorded plainly in such terms as to show that it does not refer to any eternal decree of damnation, but is a judicial declaration that those who in spite of the offer of mercy and forgiveness made by God still persist in following Satan and in regarding his lies as truth, and harden their hearts against divine guidance are doomed to eternal torment. 'He said: "It is truth, and the truth I speak. From thee (Iblis) will I surely fill Hell, and with such of them (men) as shall follow thee, one and all," ' ⁴

In other passages the thought that this judgement

included the judicial hardening of the hearts of the unbelieving is clear. 'This God then is your true Lord: and when the truth is gone, what remaineth but error? How then are ye so perverted? Thus is the word of thy Lord made good (haqqat kalimatu rabbika) on the wicked, that they shall not believe.' ¹

The words haqqa, haqqat, are also used to express the justice of God in leaving the obstinately unrepentant to follow the errors of their own choosing. 'Say: My Lord hath enjoined what is right. Turn your faces therefore toward every place where He is worshipped, and call upon Him with sincere religion. As He created you, to Him shall ye return: some hath He guided, and some hath He justly left in error (wafariqan haqqa'ala-ihimu'd-dalalatu), because they have taken the Satans as their tutelars beside God, and have deemed that they were guided aright.' ² 'And to every people have We sent an apostle saying: Worship God and turn away from Taghout. Some of them there were whom God guided, and there were others decreed to err (haqqat 'alaihimu'd-dalalatu). But go through the land and see what hath been the end of those who treated my apostles as liars.' ³ In both these passages the idea is the same not that God has decreed from all eternity that they shall err, but that God has acted justly in leaving them to their errors when they would not listen to the apostles who came to them with the truth. They who will not believe shall not believe.