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A very misconception regarding the teachings of the Koran is that it ascribes to God the attributes of leading astray. Nothing could be farther from truth. While al-Hadi, or the One Who guides, is one of the ninety-nine names of God, al-Mudzill, or One Who leads astray, has never been recognized as such. If leading astray were an attribute of God, as guiding certainly is, the name al-Mudzill should have been included in the list of His names, as al-Hadi is. But the Koran which repeatedly says that God's are all the excellent names, could not ascribe to Him what it has plainly ascribed to the Devil, viz. the leading astray of men. This fact is conclusive so far as the leading astray of men is concerned, but there are several other considerations which confirm it. The sinners' own confession, as repeatedly mentioned in the Koran is that their great leaders misled them, or that the Devil misled them. Not once do they put forward the excuse that it was God Himself Who misled them: "When they have all come up with one another into it (the fire), the last of them shall say with regard to the foremost of them, Our Lord! These led us astray, so give them a double chastisement of the fire" (7:38), "O woe is me! Would that I had not taken such a one for a friend! Certainly he led me astray from the reminder after it had come to me" (25:28-29), "And none but the guilty led us astray" (26:99), "And they shall say, Our Lord! Surely we obeyed our leaders and our great men, so they led us astray from the path. O our Lord! Give them a double chastisement and curse them with a great curse" (33:67-8), and "And those who disbelieve shall say, Our Lord! Show us those who led us astray from among the jinn and the men that we may trample them under our feet so that they may be of the lowest" (41:29).

Now if God had really led men astray, their best excuse on the day of judgment would have been that they did not deserve to be punished, because it was God Himself Who led them astray. But not once is that excuse advanced, and it is always the guilty leaders, both from among men and jinn, who are denounced by the guilty followers as having misled them. This is another conclusive argument that it is not God Who leads men astray.

In the third place, the Koran is full of statements to the effects that God sends His prophets and grants revelation for the guidance of the people. The general rule laid down with regard to Divine dealing with humanity is thus made clear in the very beginning: "Surely there will come to you a guidance from Me, so whoever follows My guidance, no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve" (2:38).

It is impossible that God, Who is so solicitous for the guidance of man, should Himself lead him astray. Guiding and leading astray are two contradictions, which could not be gathered together in one being. The Koran itself draws attention to this point: "And it is not attributable to God that He should lead people astray after He has sent them a guidance; He even makes clear to them what they should guard against" (9:115). The argument is evident. The Being Who sends guidance to a people could not lead them astray; how, then, could it be ascribed to God that He makes men fall into evil when He sends His messengers to explain to people that they should guard against evil?