Tafsir of Al-Hadeed 57:9

The Judge (Al-Qadi) stated: By this, it is clarified that His intention by sending down the clear signs—which are the Qur'an and other miracles—is to bring them out from darknesses into the light. He emphasized this by His saying: **{And indeed, Allah, to you, is Kind and Merciful}**. If God intended for some of them to remain steadfast in the darkness of disbelief, creating that within them and decreeing it for them with an unchangeable decree, then this statement would not be sound. If it is argued: Does not the outward appearance indicate that God brings them out from darknesses to light, thus requiring that faith must be His act? We reply: If He intended by this bringing out the *creation* of faith within them, then His saying **{He it is Who sends down upon His Servant clear signs, that He may bring you out...}** would have no meaning. This is because whether this precedes or does not precede, the creation of a thing by Him does not change. Therefore, the intended meaning is that He is gentle with them in bringing them out from darknesses into light. Were it not for this, it would not be more appropriate for Him to describe Himself as bringing them out from darknesses into light than to describe Himself as bringing them out from light into darknesses.

Know that this argument, despite its subtlety and evasiveness, is contradicted by Knowledge (of God). This is because God was fully aware that His knowledge of their lack of faith was established, and He was aware that this knowledge contradicts the existence of faith. If He commands them to actualize one of two opposites while knowing that the other opposite exists in reality in a way that cannot be removed or nullified, can it be conceived that He intends that goodness and benevolence for them? Undoubtedly, no rational person would say this. Once this contradiction is established, that [subtle] power (of interpretation) is removed. As for His saying **{And indeed, Allah, to you, is Kind and Merciful}**, some have restricted its meaning only to the mission of Muhammad (peace be upon him). However, this restriction has no basis; rather, it includes that (the mission) along with all other means by which a person is enabled to fulfill the obligations.