from God's side. We have already said that in repentance, faith, and good works, men, according to the Qur'an, require and experience the help of God. It is this point which we must now more fully consider.

God demands repentance and faith, but He assists men to repent and to believe. The operation of God's grace whereby He does this may be described as the bestowal of awakening grace, though we must remember that the distinction is nowhere clearly made in the Qur'an between the various operations of God's grace. To bring into view the position of the Qur'an on this point it may be well to re-quote some of those passages which we have already considered when speaking of the relation between the operation of man's will and the working out through man's actions of the divine will and purpose. 'Verily, this is an admonition, and whoso willeth, taketh the way unto his Lord: but ye shall not will unless God willeth: for God is knowing and wise.' ¹ 'This (is) no other than an admonition to all creatures; to him among you who willeth to walk in a straight path but will it ye shall not, unless God willeth it, the Lord of the worlds.' ²

Not merely has God, in His mercy and grace, vouchsafed to man a direction whereby he may know how to please Him and attain to salvation, but it is one of the effects of God's grace that man is inclined to will to accept the proffered mercy. In effecting this, God's grace, which, although it is one and indivisible, may be called awakening grace. It is wholly of God's mercy and grace that some are led to see their danger and

turn unto the Lord with repentance and faith. None can turn another from the way of death into the way of life. 'Of God it is to point out "the way", some turn aside from it: but had He pleased, He had guided you all aright.' ¹

The presentation of truth to man and the appeal of the preacher and his exhortation to his fellowmen can have no effect unless the grace of God prepare and incline the heart to accept the invitation. The 'guidance' may be offered and made known to man without its being effectual; thus, 'God guideth whom He pleaseth'. In such a way and in no other can it be explained how when God's offer is made known to men, some accept it and others reject it. ' For God is surely the guider of those who believe, into the straight path.' ² 'God guideth whom He will to His light.' ³

These and similar passages teach that in some way, which, in the Qur'an, there is no attempt to define or even describe, the grace of God which is offered to all is not effectual in all. Those in whom His grace has acted effectually have been, by that very grace itself, awakened. But we must again note that this awakening cannot in any sense be described as regeneration. Man's capacity and desire for higher things has been quickened. The capacity and desire are clearly inherent, but require to be aroused. 'But God hath endeared the faith (habbaba) to you, and hath given it favour in your hearts; and hath made unbelief, and wickedness, and disobedience hateful (karraha) to you.' ⁴ The meaning