The Quran

179

Preface

ما كانَ اللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ المُؤمِنينَ عَلىٰ ما أَنتُم عَلَيهِ حَتّىٰ يَميزَ الخَبيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ ۗ وَما كانَ اللَّهُ لِيُطلِعَكُم عَلَى الغَيبِ وَلٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَجتَبي مِن رُسُلِهِ مَن يَشاءُ ۖ فَآمِنوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ۚ وَإِن تُؤمِنوا وَتَتَّقوا فَلَكُم أَجرٌ عَظيمٌ

Yusuf Ali

God will not leave the believers in the state in which ye are now, until He separates what is evil from what is good¹ nor will He disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen². But He chooses of His Messenger. (For the purpose) whom He pleases. So believe in God. And His messengers: And if ye believe and do right, ye have a reward without measure.

The testing of good men by calamities and evil men by leaving them in the environment of good things is part of the Universal Plan, in which some freedom of choice is left to man. The psychological and subjective test is unfailing, and the separation is effected partly by the operation of the human wills, to which some freedom is allowed. But it must be effected, if only in the interests of the good.
Man in his weak state would be most miserable if he could see the secrets of the future or the secrets of the Unseen. But things are revealed to him from time to time as may be expedient for him, by Messengers chosen for the purpose. Our duty is to hold fast by faith and lead a good life.