My dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam! In my khutba today, I intend to discuss briefly the concept of guidance in Islam. We as Muslims beg Allah to be guided to the straight path at least seventeen times a day due to the obligation of reciting Surat al-Fatiha in our five daily prayers. We are taught to say,
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
“Guide us to the straight path” (al-Fatiha, 1:6).
Have we ever reflected upon the nature of this guidance and the straight path that we are supposed to be upon? In Arabic, the word hidaya means guidance. The word hadiyya or gift also comes from the same root letters as the word for hidaya. Religious guidance is the greatest gift that a person can possess. It is also something that we do not control or own, but rather it is bestowed upon us in an act of infinite mercy and grace by Allah (SWT). The best explanation of the word, hidaya has been offered by Imam Raghib al-Isfahani in his Mufradat al-Qur’an, according to which hidaya or guidance signifies leading someone towards his destination, gently and kindly. It has several degrees.
The first degree of guidance is general, given to all creation and covers everything that is in the universe. By this guidance, animals, plants, minerals and all other inanimate objects fulfill the purpose for which they are created. Thanks to this general guidance, everything in the universe is performing its allotted function with precision and efficiency. That is to say, Allah has given every created thing a particular nature and function, and guided it in a way which should correspond to its station in the scheme of things. When Firaun asked Musa (AS) to tell him who his Lord was, Musa (AS) said,
رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى
“Our Lord is He who gives each thing its created form and then guides it” (Ta Ha, 20:50).
The Qur’an also makes it quite clear that all forms of existents in the universe, and every particle of dust possesses life, sensitivity, and even consciousness and understanding in its own degree and according to its own sphere of existence. An ayah in Surat a-Isra’ informs us,
وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ
“There is not a single thing that does not celebrate His praise, though you do not understand their praise” (al-Isra’, 17:44).
The Second Degree of Guidance unlike the first is not general but particular. It is limited to those creatures which are considered to be rational; that is, endowed with the faculty of reason. These include the humans and jinns. This kind of guidance comes to every human being through prophets and revealed books. Some accept this guidance, and become believers; others reject it and become disbelievers. This is the type of hidaya or guidance referred to in Surat al-Insan, where Allah (SWT) says,
إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا
“We have guided him to the path, whether he be one who is thankful or ungrateful” (al-Insan, 76:3).
The Third Degree of guidance is still more particular, being special to the true believers, to the God-fearing, and to the virtuous among people. Like the first degree, the third kind of guidance also descends directly to the individual from Allah, and it is called tawfiq, that is to say, Allah’s grace provides an individual with means and circumstances that make it easy, and even pleasant for him or her to accept and act upon the divine guidance, and difficult to ignore or oppose it. The scope of the third degree of guidance is limitless. Increase in virtuous deeds brings with it an increase in divine guidance. The Qur’an itself gives us the promise of such increase:
وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَآتَاهُمْ تَقْوَاهُمْ
“And those who are guided, He increases their guidance, and grants them piety and protection from sinning” (Muhammad, 47:17).
وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
“As for those who strive in our cause, We will guide them to Our paths. For God is with those who do good” (al-‘Ankabut, 29:69).
It is in this field of progress that we see the prophets and their followers striving; seeking increase in divine guidance and help till their last breath. The Qur’an reports Shu’aib (AS) as saying,
وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
“And my guidance (or success) can only come from Allah” (Hud, 11:88).
Keeping in mind the three distinct degrees of guidance, one can easily see that guidance is a thing which everyone does possess in some way, and yet everyone requires to attain more of its advanced and higher stages. Hence, of all the prayers man can address to Allah, the most important is the prayer for guidance, which has been taught to us in the very first Surah of the Qur’an; and this prayer is as necessary for the greatest of prophets and men of Allah as for an ordinary Muslim.
To avoid any confusion, it is important to note that the Qur’an sometimes speaks of divine guidance as being general and common to believers and non-believers, in fact to all creatures, and sometimes makes it out to be particular and special to the God-fearing. On the one hand, the Qur’an reminds us that Allah does not grant guidance to the transgressors and the unrighteous; on the other hand, it declares that Allah guides all. The misunderstanding which may arise here is removed by knowledge of the degrees of guidance. The general guidance is given to all without any distinction, but the third and very special degree of guidance is not granted to those who don’t want to be guided or to the rebellious.
The first and the third degrees of guidance pertain to a direct act of divine grace, and no prophet can have anything to do with it, for the function of the prophets is related only to the second degree; that is they are guides.
وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ
“And for every people there is a guide” (ar-Ra’d).
It is neither the function of a prophet nor is it in his power to provide tawfiq to anyone, or to make it easy for anyone to accept guidance. Addressing the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Allah says,
إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ
“You cannot guide those you would like to but Allah guides those He wills. He has best knowedge of the guided” (al-Qasas, 28:56).
Those of us who invite or guide others to Islam should be humbled and should internalize the fact that we have no real power over this matter, and that true guidance is the sole dominion of Allah, the ‘turner of hearts.’ However, on the other hand, that should not make us lose hope in the work we do, for which our reward is with Allah; but rather it should increase our confidence in inviting others, knowing that the result is not dependent on our da’wah or speech, which is full of weakness and defects, but is in the hands of Allah who can instantly change the hearts of the most wicked and tyrannical into the most pure and righteous.
We ask Allah (SWT) to turn our hearts to His deen and to His obedience. .
يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قُلُوبَنَا عَلَى دِينِكَ \ اللَّهُمَّ مُصَرِّفَ الْقُلُوبِ صَرِّفْ قُلُوبَنَا عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ
“O, Turner of the hearts, keep our hearts firm on your deen (religion).” “O Allah, the Turner of the hearts, turn our hearts to your obedience.
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين.
My dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam! We have a divine principle mentioned in Surat al-Najm, which is very clear and straight forward, and that is:
لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ
“Man can have nothing but what he strives for” (al-Najm, 53:39).
Applying this general rule, one has to strive hard to qualify to become the recipient of the precious gift of guidance. It does not come to the one who does not want to be guided or who does not work hard enough to be guided. That is why the special degree of guidance is not granted to the unjust and the unrighteous.
Another important point is that we should first and foremost; seek guidance in every matter with Allah, before turning to others. This is why it is recommended to offer Salat ul Istikhara whenever we have to make life-changing decisions. Istikhara means to ask Allah to guide one to the right thing concerning any affair in one’s life, especially when one has to choose between two permissible alternatives; whether to undertake a major project or not, whether to change career or not, whether to invest in a certain company or not, whom to get married to, etc..
We are instructed by Allah to ask for guidance to the straight path (al-Sirat al-Mustaqim). A path (sirat) needs to possess five qualities for it to be called a sirat. The path needs to be: (1) straight, (2) easy to travel upon, (3) a familiar well-trodden path, (4) wide and spacious, and (5) one which leads to the desired destination.
Since the path that we are asking guidance to is Islam itself, we should notice and reflect on how these qualities apply to Islam. Islam is straight as it is a correct and firmly established way, pure and protected from any crookedness or deviation from the truth. Islam is also easy as Allah (SWT) has said,
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ
“Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you” (al-Baqarah, 2:185).
According to a hadith, “The deen is easy. Anyone who makes the deen too hard on himself will find that it becomes too much for him. So aim for what is right, follow a middle path, and head for the goal in the morning, evening and some of the night and you will reach the goal.” The Qur’an clearly says,
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity” (al-Baqarah, 2:286).
There will be challenges, temptations and difficulties in living as a Muslim but they are things that we ultimately have the capacity to bear. Everything in Shari`ah (Islamic law) benefits us or wards off harm from us. Islam, which is submission to the commands of Allah (SWT), is also a familiar and well-trodden path, the path of all the Prophets and their followers. As Allah (SWT) says,
وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَٰئِكَ رَفِيقًا
“Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger will be with those whom Allah has blessed: the Prophets and the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous. What excellent company such people are!” (al-Nisa’, 4:69).
The final, universal revelation of Islam is wide and spacious and accommodates all, regardless of color, race or social status. And indeed the path of Islam leads to the desired destination, which is Allah’s pleasure gained by obeying Him. Allah says,
فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَاعْتَصَمُوا بِهِ فَسَيُدْخِلُهُمْ فِي رَحْمَةٍ مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلٍ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَيْهِ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا
“Allah will admit those who believe in Him and hold fast to Him into His mercy and favor; He will guide them towards Him on a straight path” (al-Nisa’, 4:175).
The one who is guided in this life to the Straight Path will be guided to the straight path in the Hereafter that leads to Paradise. What is the ultimate destination that each one of us desires—paradise; and the Qur’an tells us that the believers while entering paradise will say:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هَدَانَا لِهَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْلَا أَنْ هَدَانَا اللَّهُ
“Praise be to Allah who has guided us to this! We would not have been guided, had Allah not guided us” (AL-A’raf, 7:43).
May Allah (SWT) make us among those who are truly guided; Ameen ya Rabb al-‘Alameen.
