In Thy Name, we live..
Episode 14: The Guide
In the name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful, praise be to Allah the Lord of the whole universe, and all Prayers and Blessings of Allah be upon our master, the most noble Prophet Muhammad (SAWS).
Today's episode is about the Name of Allah "The Guide". It covers five main points: an introduction, the meaning of Allah's Name "The Guide", the types of guidance, how Allah (SWT) guides us, and the features of the straight Path.
Introduction
To begin, we would like to introduce some questions:
1. What is meant by the "straight Path"?
2. Allah says what can be translated as, “He (Pharaoh) said, ‘Who then is the Lord of both of you, O Musa?’ (Moses). He said, ‘Our Lord is He Who gave everything its creation (and) thereafter guided (it)’.” (TMQ, 20: 49 – 50). What does this ayah indicate?
3. Is guidance restricted to human beings only, or does it encompass all other creatures?
4. How would you respond to those who say that they do not follow the straight Path because Allah (SWT) has not yet guided them?
The meaning of Allah's name "The Guide"
Linguistically, the word "guidance" means to direct someone to the right path gently. Notice that the word "guidance" is associated to the word "path". Accordingly, Allah's Name "The Guide" means that He guides all the creatures to the straight Path.
The above-mentioned ayah denotes that Allah guides all the creatures to the proper means of living and performing their role in the worldly life, and He also guides people to the Path of jannah (paradise). Hence, guidance is not restricted to man, but it embraces all the creatures in the universe.
The message of our episode today is directed towards three types of people:
1. Those who are astray from the straight Path: Allah, The Guide, calls you to His guidance.
2. Those who are already following the straight Path: strive to gain more guidance.
3. Those who have been guided, and guide others gently to the straight Path: have good tidings of great reward from Allah (SWT).
Types of guidance
There are four types of guidance. Firstly, a general guidance for all the creatures to live aptly and to accomplish their specified function in life. Secondly, a guidance to have faith in Allah's straight Path. Thirdly, a guidance to a reach a higher degree of faith. Allah says what can be translated as, "And Allah increases the ones who have been guided in guidance…" (TMQ, 19:76). Fourthly, a guidance to jannah. Allah says what can be translated as, "…and they will say, “Praise be to Allah, Who guided us to this; and in no way could we have been guided, unless Allah has guided us..." (TMQ, 7:43).
For those who feign that Allah (SWT) has not guided them, I would say that Allah (SWT) has granted all creatures a general guidance to know instinctively how to live, so how would He deny you guidance while you are more precious to Him than these lowly creatures?! In fact, Allah (SWT) has guided all people, through their natural disposition, to faith. Moreover, He has guided them with a special yearning to get closer to Him.
In this film we see Allah's greatness in bestowing all creatures with a general guidance. For example, we see how birds and fish migrate every year over very long distances without ever losing their way! Additionally, we see how certain groups of bees seek out flowers, and then indicate to the rest of the bees in their hives their location. Notice how they perform very accurate movements to communicate the quantity of the nectar, the direction of the places of flowers, and the distance between the hives and these places!
How Allah guides us
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Man is guided by his natural disposition; Allah says what can be translated as, "And (remember) as your Lord took from the Seeds (Or. sons) of Adam, from their backs, their offspring, and made them bear witness concerning themselves, “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes indeed, we bear witness.” (So) that you should not say on the Day of the Resurrection, “Surely we were heedless of this,” (TMQ, 7:172). The Prophet (SAWS) emphasized the same meaning, saying that every child is born with a natural disposition (Islam), but his parents turn him into a Christian or Jew. Moreover, Allah (SWT) revealed the way of goodness and the way of evil to man. Allah says what can be translated as, "And (by) the self and That (i.e., The Command) which molded it, So He inspired it to its impiety and piety!" (TMQ, 91:7-8). Thus whenever an act of wickedness is committed one feels ashamed and upset. This inspiration is from Allah (SWT) The Guide to show you the right way. Allah (SWT) has instilled within us the ability to differentiate between good and bad. Do not say, “I have not received guidance,” for Allah (SWT) guides all. For those who do not feel that they are instinctively guided, it is their sins and lusts that estrange them from their good nature. Just as an abandoned route through the desert becomes covered with sand, a heart without guidance becomes full of sins. This ayah affirms the fact that every human being is instinctively guided. Therefore never say, “I have not been guided.” Ask Allah for forgiveness.
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There are various means to help guide you to the straight Path, one of which is to reflect upon this immense universe. Look around you. Contemplate the heavens and earth. Allah says what can be translated as “…and whoever is in them extol to Him…” (TMQ, 17:44). Then Allah says to those who do not find guidance in the universe in what can be translated as “…And in no way do the signs and warnings avail a people who do not believe” (TMQ, 10: 101).
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Another way to receive guidance in through the Qur'an. Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “Surely this Qur’an guides to (the way) that is more upright, and gives good tidings to the believers who do deeds of righteousness that they will a great reward (TMQ, 17: 9). And in another ayah, “They said, ‘O our people, surely we have heard a Book that was sent down even after Mûsa, (Moses) sincerely (verifying) what was before it, (Literally: between its two hands) guiding to the Truth and to a straight road’” (TMQ, 46:30). The vast universe and the Qur’an complement one another in providing guidance to the straight Path.
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Another means to guide you to the straight Path is through people. Whoever calls people to Allah receives a great reward. Indeed, a most esteemed form of worship is to guide people to Allah in a lenient and gentle way.
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Another form of guidance from Allah is through actions, signs, or even words. Abdullah Ibn-Masoud (RA), one of the Prophet's companions, once passed by a group of people and heard a man singing. He turned to the person next to him and remarked if only the lovely voice were reciting Qur'an. When the man heard what was said about him, he ran to Ibn-Masoud asking to be taught Qur’an. This shows how Allah wishes for you to be guided. He wants you to enter jannah.
It is important that you guide people gently to the path of Allah. A polytheist was told that the Prophet (SAWS) was possessed by the jinn. Being an exorcist, he approached the Prophet and asked what ails him. Look at the Prophet’s manners. He was not abusive, nor did he send him away. Instead, he told the man that we praise Allah, thank Him, and seek His help, guidance and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil in our souls and the sinfulness of our deeds. As Allah says what can be translated as, "…whomever Allah guides, then he is right-guided, and whomever He leads away into error, then you will never find for him a right-minded patron" (TMQ, 18:17). After hearing this, the man embraced Islam.
In the Qur’an, Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “Guide us in the straight Path” (TMQ, 1: 6). Just as the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, the straight Path is the shortest and surest way to guidance. That is why when praying we recite what can be translated as, “In The Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful. Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful. The Possessor of the Day of Doom. You only do we worship, and You only do we beseech for help. Guide us in the straight Path. The Path of the ones whom You have favored, other than that of the ones against whom You are angered, and not (that of) the erring (TMQ, 1:1-7). Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds, You only do we worship and You only do we beseech for help. Guide us in the straight Path. This straight Path leads to the gates of paradise.
