Walaw shaa rabbuka laamana man fee al-ardi kulluhum jameeAAan afaanta tukrihu annasa (surah Yunus: 99)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(10:99) Had your Lord so willed, all those who are on the earth would have believed. *101 Will you, then, force people into believing? *102

Wa law shaaa`a Rabbuka la aamana man fil ardi kulluhum jamee`aa; afa anta tukrihun naasa hattaa yakoonoo mu`mineen

*101). Had it been God's will that only those who are true believers and obey God should inhabit the earth and that there should remain no trace of unbelief and disobedience, God would have caused only the faithful and obedient ones to be born. Nor would-it have been difficult for Him to providentially direct everyone to faith and obedience in such a manner that it would have been impossible for people to do otherwise. However, there is a profound wisdom underlying man's creation which would have been totally defeated by such a compulsion. For it was God's will to grant man the free-will to make his choice between faith and unbelief, between obedience and disobedience.
*102). What has been said here does not mean that the Prophet (peace be on him) sought to compel people into believing whereas God had dissuaded him from doing so. The technique employed in the above verse is the same as employed at many places in the Qur'an, viz. that although at times certain things are addressed apparently to the Prophet (peace be on him), they are meant, in fact, for the instruction of others. What is being said here is that the Prophet (peace be on him) had been assigned the task of making the right way abundantly clear to people with the help of convincing arguments. Thus the Prophet (peace be on him) had fulfilled the task assigned to him. Now, if they have no intent to follow the right way, and they feel sure that unless they are overpoweringly compelled to they should know well that it is no part of a Prophet's task. Had God desired that people be made to have faith compulsively, He could have done so without raising any Prophet.