Establishment of Belief and its Abolishment by Allah

“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘Why is it that a man is a believer before Allah and belief is established for him, then Allah transfers him from belief to disbelief?’ The narrator has said that the Imam said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, is just. He has called the servants to believe in Him, not to disbelief and does not call anyone to disbelieve Him. Whoever believes in Allah and belief is then established for him before Allah, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, does not transfer him thereafter from belief to disbelief.’ I said, ‘If a man is an unbeliever whose disbelief is established before Allah, will He transfer him from disbelief to belief?’ The Imam said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has created people - all of them - with the nature upon which He has fashioned them. They do not know belief in a way of life and a system of laws (is necessary) or that disbelief is denial (of something). Allah sent the Messengers who called people to believe in Him. Certain people are those whom Allah has guided (to the right path) and also among them are those whom He has not guided (to the right path).”’