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I went astray for long, not knowing guidance.
This brought darkness into my heart.
And when Allah wanted to drive me towards guidance,
He showed me the path of the truth and guided me.
So, I threw away the darkness of misguidance and ruin,
and turned to the bright light of guidance.
I proceeded towards the religion of Prophet Muhammad,
rightly guided, and became, after the misguidance, a caller to guidance.
Out of Allah’s mercy towards His servants, He rendered guidance in His Hand and He called Himself “Al-Hādi”.
We pause here with this name as we implore Allah Almighty to guide us to the truth and to the straight path.
Allah Almighty says: {...Allah surely guides those who believe to the straight path.} [Surat al-Hajj: 54] He also says: {...but your Lord is sufficient as a Guide and Helper.} [Surat al-Furqān: 31]
Our Lord, Exalted be He, is the One Who guides His servants to bring about benefits and ward off harms and evils and He teaches them what they do not know. He guides them to success, inspires them to be pious, and makes their hearts relenting and submissive to Him.
falls under four categories:
First: General guidance: All beings are guided to their interests in terms of their living and subsistence. Such guidance encompasses all that lives: humans, jinn, animals, birds, etc.
Second: Guidance in which accountable servants are shown the way and things are made clear for them. It is the argument of Allah Almighty against His servants, none will be punished except after it has been established against him.
Allah Almighty says: {As for Thamūd, We showed them guidance, but they preferred blindness over the guidance...} [Surat Fussilat: 17]
Third: Guidance of help, inspiration, and making the heart inclined to accept the truth and be pleased with it. Allah Almighty says: {Whoever Allah guides is truly guided...} [Surat al-Isrā’: 97] {...Whoever believes in Allah, He will guide his heart...} [Surat at-Taghābun: 11]
Hence, Allah Almighty commands His servants to ask Him for guidance. He even instructs them to do so in every Rak‘ah (unit of prayer): {Guide us to the straight path.} [Surat al-Fātihah: 6]
Fourth: Guidance to Paradise and to Hellfire on the Day of Judgment. Allah Almighty says: {He will guide them, and will set their condition right.} [Surat Muhammad: 5] {...They will say, “All praise be to Allah Who has guided us to this, for We would not have been guided to this if Allah had not guided us...} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 43]
As for guidance to Hellfire, Allah Almighty says: {[The angels will be told], “Gather all those who did wrong and their fellows, and whatever they used to worship besides Allah, and lead them to the way of Hell.} [Surat as-Sāffāt: 22-23]
Guidance is the greatest blessing bestowed by Allah, the Guide, upon His servants. All other blessings are transient.
Those versed in knowledge are the most keen on maintaining this blessing, and they supplicate Allah to not let it go away: {Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us...} [Surat Ᾱl ‘Imrān: 8]
Guidance has no maximum limit. No matter how well a person may be guided, there is more and greater guidance. The more a person is heedful of his Lord, the higher he gets to another guidance. He grows in guidance as long as he grows in piety. Allah Almighty says: {Allah increases in guidance those who are guided...} [Surat Maryam: 76]
If he misses a share of piety, he also misses a similar share of guidance. He who attains guidance has obtained eternal bliss. Allah Almighty says: {Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom You have blessed...} [Surat al-Fātihah: 6-7]
The sign of guidance is relief in the heart. Allah Almighty says: {Whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his heart to Islam...} [Surat al-An‘ām: 125] When Allah guides someone, no one can lead him astray, and the opposite is also true. Allah Almighty says: {...Whoever Allah causes to stray, there is none to guide him. And whoever Allah guides, none can lead him astray...} [Surat az-Zumar: 36-37]
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) would often supplicate: “Allāhumma inni as’aluka al-huda wa at-tuqa wa al-‘afāf wa al-ghina (O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and richness).” [Narrated by Muslim] Teaching ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Say: Allāhumma ihdini wa saddidni (O Allah, guide me and keep me steadfast on the right path).” [Narrated by Muslim]
He also taught Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) to say during the supplication of Witr: “Allāhumma ihdini fīman hadayt (O Allah, guide me among those You have guided).” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd; Sahīh (authentic)]
Leading a life between worship and sins carries the risk of ending your life in sins.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “Sins do always accompany man. So, he needs guidance in every moment. In fact, he needs guidance more than he needs food and drink.”
About Ibrāhim (Abraham) (peace be upon him), Allah Almighty says: {He said, “I am going to my Lord; He will guide me...} [Surat as-Sāffāt: 99]
Turn to Allah with your weakness, He will turn to you with His power. Go to Him with your humiliation, He will give you honor.
Go to Allah in loneliness, and He will give you company.
Go to Allah in need, and He will make you self-sufficient.
Go to Allah with your distress, and He will give you relief.
Go to Allah with your grief, and He will grant you joy.
My Lord, save me from Your punishment; I am humbly submissive to You and fearful of You.
Make me taste Your pardon on a Day no children or wealth will be of any avail.
Al-Shīrāzi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “One day I stayed up at night with my father and the people around us were asleep. I said: ‘None of those has got up to offer two Rak‘ahs!’ He said: ‘Son, if you remained asleep, it would be better for you than talking ill of people.’”
Your righteousness does not give you the right to mock the misguidance of others. Indeed, hearts are between the two Fingers of Allah and He overturns them as He wishes. So, do not be deluded by your worship and pious acts for these are only favors from your Lord. Implore Him to make you steadfast on guidance and to guide others. Addressing His Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), Allah Almighty says: {Had We not made you stand firm, you would nearly have inclined to them a little.} [Surat al-Isrā’: 74] So, what about us?!
O Allah, guide us to the truth over which there was disagreement, by Your permission; indeed, You guide whom You will to a straight path.