34وَلا يَنفَعُكُم نُصحي إِن أَرَدتُ أَن أَنصَحَ لَكُم إِن كانَ اللَّهُ يُريدُ أَن يُغوِيَكُم ۚ هُوَ رَبُّكُم وَإِلَيهِ تُرجَعونَMuhammad Asadfor, my advice will not benefit you much as I desire to give you good advice - if it be God's will that you shall remain lost in grievous error.1 He is your Sustainer, and unto Him you must return."According to some commentators, the expression an yughwiyakum - which literally means "that He shall cause you to err" - is to be understood as "that He shall punish you for your sins" (Al-Hasan al-Basri, as quoted by Razi), or "that He shall destroy you" (Tabari), or "that He shall deprive you of all good" (Al-Jubba'i, as quoted by Razi); this last interpretation is similar to the one adopted in my rendering of aghwaytani ("Thou hast thwarted me") in 7:16 and explained in the corresponding note 11. However, in the present context I prefer the rendering "if it be God's will that you shall remain lost in grievous error", inasmuch as it is in conformity with the Qur'anic doctrine of "God's way" with regard to those who persistently refuse to acknowledge the truth (see surah 2, note 7). This interpretation is, moreover, supported by Zamakhshari in his commentary on the above verse: "When God, knowing the persistence [in sinning] on the part of one who denies the truth (al-kafir), leaves him in this condition and does not compel him [to repent], this [act of God] is described [in the Qur'an] as 'causing [one] to err' (ighwa') and 'causing [one] to go astray' (idlal); similarly, when He, knowing that a person will repent, protects him and is kind to him, this [act of God] is described as 'showing the right direction' (irshad) or '[offering] guidance' (hidayah)." (See also surah 14, note 4.)