Guidance Is the Divine Gift.

Guidance Is the Divine Gift!

By Ahmad Saad

Question: Please enlighten me the definition of “hidāyah”, its meaning and importance, and how one may get or lose it.

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

All the praise and Thanks are due to Allāh, the Lord of al-'ālameen. There is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam, is His Messenger.

Allāh Subhānahu wa ta‘ala states that it is Him Who opens the hearts, the ‘hidayah’ of whom He Wills and likewise Seals the hearts of others. The Arabic term ‘hidāyah’ means ‘guidance’. The verb ‘yahdi’ means 'to grant guidance'. Indeed it is Almighty Allāh who grants guidance to mankind. Thus hidāyah is a God-given gift, which Almighty Allāh alone who places in the heart of whomever He wants to provide guidance. And, Allāh Almighty does what He Wills.

Allāh said to His Messenger (Sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam):

“And the Jews will not be pleased with thee, nor will the Christians, till thou follow their creed. Say: Lo! The guidance of Allāh (Himself) is Guidance. And if thou shouldst follow their desires after the knowledge which hath come unto thee, then wouldst thou have from Allah no protecting guardian nor helper.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:120]

 “Verily, you (O Muhammad) guide not whom you like, but Allāh guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided” [Al-Qasas, 28:56]

This phrase that Allāh guides whom ‘He’ wills is repeated many times in the Qur’an. Some scholars who interpret the Qur’an [the exegesis of the Qur’an] grasp the meaning of this phrase as: “God guides ‘he’ who wants to be guided.”  Allāh is Al‘Adl, the Just. Allāh cannot and does not do anything unjust.

Hidāyah is mentioned in so many places in the Qur'an and the hadith. It is in fact the merit that elevates Man and makes him distinguished from animals. Thus, the Qur'an describes those who lack guidance and those who are cut from their Lord as being degraded to the level of animals in the sense that they will be looking only for fulfilling the lusts and needs of the flesh. Hidāyah is always associated with the spiritual elevation of a person when Almighty Allāh helps him or her offer a good deed or finding a right way to his or her solutions.

The Qur'an itself is described, before all, as ‘Huda’ (guidance). Like the beacon that shows us the way in the darkness, the solace for the agonized hearts, and the rope of salvation for a drowning person, hidāyah plays a vital role in our lives. It separates those who lead an animalistic life from those who are liked to their Lord, those who know their way from those who are lost in the jungle.

Seek guidance from Allāh

The Qur'an makes it clear that there are certain conditions and qualifications to gain hidāyah. In the very beginning of Surat al-Fatihah, believers are instructed to seek guidance from Allāh.

Almighty Allāh says:

“Show us the straight path. The path of those whom Thou hast favored; not [the path] of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who astray.”

[Surah Al-Fatihah, 1:6-7]

And Allāh also says:

“The foolish of the people will say: What hath turned them from the qiblah which they formerly observed? Say: Unto Allah belong the East and the West. He guideth whom He will unto a straight path.” 

[Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:142]

The Qur'an also clarifies that those who gain guidance and feel its sweetness are not the sleepy, the lazy or the advocates of the evil, but it is the pious and the devout who spend their all for the sake of Allāh. Almighty Allāh speaks of the Qur'an as being ‘hudan li-l-muttaqeen’ guidance unto those who ward off - evil.) Simply, because Allāh helps only those who want to help themselves.

Again the Qur'an states that those who seek guidance will be elevated in guidance and given more of it. Thus, two facts are to be considered; hidāyah is the divine gift which Almighty Allāh gives to whomever He loves and people should be qualified with piety and Allāh fearing in order to gain it.

Of course people differ in regards to their reception of guidance; some people are ready and fast in achieving guidance while others are too slow. In the hadith, The Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) categorizes people, in respect of receiving and accepting the guidance he brings, into three categories: those who benefit the guidance themselves and help others get it, those who just help others but are not able to practice it themselves, and those who are like barren land, they do not accept guidance nor do they help people find it.

Abu Musa Al-Asha'ari, (radhiallāhu‘anhu), reported that the Prophet (Sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam) said:

"The similitude of that guidance and knowledge with which Allāh, the Exalted and Glorious, has sent me is that of rain falling upon the earth. There is a good piece of land which receives the rainfall readily and as a result of it there is grown in it herbage and grass abundantly. Then there is a land hard and barren that retains water and the people derive benefit from it and they drink and make the animals drink.

Then there is another land which is barren, no water is retained, nor is the grass grown. And that is the similitude of the first one who develops the understanding of the religion of Allāh and benefits from the knowledge with which Allāh sent me. He acquires the knowledge of religion and imparts it to others. [Then the other type is] one who does not pay attention to [the revealed knowledge] and thus does not accept guidance of Allāh with which I have been sent."

[Reported in Sahih Muslim]

The Ways to gain Hidāyah:

1- Having a deep and strong relation with Allāh Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, resorting to Him for needs and fearing Him in secret, as well as in public.

2- Seeking knowledge and purifying one’s intention for Allāh in every word and deed.

3- Strict obedience to Allāh and following His commands and teachings.

A Muslim should always be eager to gain hidāyah and spend his other life asking Allāh for it. The one who is granted hidāyah is really the successful and the happy person, simply because he or she will find him or herself leading a peaceful life. Seeking hidāyah is the command of Allāh and His messenger (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam).

Allāh Subhanahu wa Ta’ala says:

“O ye who believe; Obey Allāh, and the messenger when He calleth you to that which quickeneth you, and know that Allāh cometh in between the man and his own heart, and that He it is unto Whom ye will be gathered.”

[Surah Anfāl, 8:24]

When one of us has a precious stone, he or she will cherish it and look after it all the time. By the same token, when Allāh grants you guidance, then you are gifted with something very precious. You should care for it, die but never lose it, for the moment you lose it, you lose yourself, you lose your heart and you lose your soul.

To keep this Ni’mah (blessing), a Muslim should always show gratefulness to Allāh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala for it, since Allāh says:

“And when your Lord proclaimed: If ye give thanks, I will give you more; but if ye are thankless, lo! My punishment is dire.”[Surah Ibrahim, 14:7]

It is clear that when a person shows thankfulness, Allāh will grant him or her more. Also, showing obedience to Allāh Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala is the highest way to keep this blessing of hidāyah.

A poet says:

If you are enjoying a blessing, take care of it,

And bear in mind that sins will remove blessings.

And protect that blessing with obeying Allāh,

For He is always swift in punishing wrongdoers.

When Imam Ash-Shāfi‘ie looked at the ankle of a woman, he was deprived from the Noor (light) and found it difficult to memorize. When he complained to Wakī’, he said to him that he should seek Allāh's forgiveness for the action of disobedience he did so as to regain that light in the heart and the mind.

Imām Ash-Shāfi‘ie (rahimahullāh) wrote in this:

To Wakī` I complained my inability to memorize,

He instructed me to give up any sin.

He also said: “Knowledge is a Divine light

Which Allāh grants not to a sinful man.”

So, a Muslim should keep himself remote from disobedience as far as he can so as to gain hidāyah, find his or her way and lead his or her life in peace and tranquility. May Allāh purify our hearts and guide us to the best of deeds in this world and in the afterlife, amen!

Allāh the Exalted Knows Best.

[Excerpted with minor modification from Q&A published in Islam Online (Ask About Islam) dated 3 Sep 2003]

Punishment in the Afterlife.

Punishment in the Afterlife

Waleed Ahmed Najmeddine

Question: Why do Muslims believe that there is severe punishment in the life after? If God is so merciful – as Islam claims – why did He create hellfire punishment?

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

All the praise and Thanks are due to Allāh, the Lord of the al-'ālameen. There is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam, is His Messenger.

Allāh’s mercy is granted to all of His creatures. He created them and provides for all of their needs, even though some of them deny His existence and work against those who believe and worship Him!

Allāh has given us life, knowledge and everything we need to sustain and enjoy, to the utmost degree possible. He has given us a free will and a choice of paths to follow. Those who follow His guidance, which in itself is a mercy from Him, will lead happy lives, but those who reject His guidance will remain astray.

Allāh is the Most Knowledgeable, Who created our “very selves” and who knows what benefits and harms us, to the minutest detail.

Allāh has reserved a special mercy for those who believe in Him and struggled to stay on the path of righteousness throughout their lives. Those who were patient with the trials of life and its difficulties, along with those whose faith was not shaken easily, will receive a reward without limits.

Allāh has sent many signs to remind us and help us understand the truth. He has shown us the problems that result from following the path of evil in this life and the hereafter, as He has shown us the benefits of following the path of righteousness.

He asks nothing from us in return except that we believe in Him alone and worship none other than Him. Major sins are truly harmful to others and ourselves around us. Indulging in alcohol, illicit sex, lying, cheating, fitnah, stealing, corruptions, killing etc. inflict tremendous damage on our societies and God alone knows the full consequences and ramifications of our actions.

Following Allāh’s path ensures that we will live in peace and prosperity in this life and receive a great reward in the next. He commands us only to do what is beneficial for us. Yet, even after falling into numerous mistakes and shortcomings, we find that Allāh is Most Merciful and Most Forgiving with those who turn to Him in sincere repentance.

There is one thing, however, that Allāh has told us He will not forgive, that is to associate partners with Him in his Sovereignty and Majesty. Those who die in this state of belief have truly gone astray and have not given Allāh His due.

So, after receiving countless messages, bounties, blessings and warnings, we still refuse to follow good advice out of our own free will, what should be the result? Would a person not have resigned his or her own fate to eternal misery, having refused to strive towards paradise? Were there no reward for good, what would encourage us to do good? Was there no punishment for evil, what would discourage us from doing evil things?

If Allāh were to treat the evil and the good in the same manner, there would be no justice. Even in this worldly life, we must differentiate between the two. This is in order to maintain a peaceful and just society.

Evil and good are not the same for them to be afforded the same treatment by us and certainly Allāh is more Just than we can ever be. Where would justice be in rewarding someone with paradise, while he did nothing to deserve it?

Allāh Almighty Knows best.

[Excerpted with minor modification from Q&A published in Islam Online(Ask About Islam), 18 Dec 2002.]

The Burden of a Muslim

The Burden of a Muslim

Shahul Hameed

 Question: There is so much to know about Islam. How can I possibly learn everything to teach my children? How can I know what is right or wrong in the name of Allah, the All-Knowing? It makes me very sad that people don’t know about so many different small and big things in life.

In the Name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

All praise and thanks are due to Allāh, May Allāh blessings and peace be upon His Messenger.

Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear, as said in the Qur’an:

“On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns.”[Al-Baqarah, 2:286]

If you study all those things said in the Qur’an and the hadith, along with all the explanations, interpretations, details of law, jurisprudence and so on and so forth, you will be one of the greatest scholars the world has ever seen.

Once you understand the fundamental principles of Islam and the practical aspects of religious duties, everything else follows naturally. But you may have doubts in certain circumstances, whether some particular thing is proper from the Islamic point of view or not. In such cases, you need to consult someone you know to be knowledgeable, that is all.

Understand that Allah will not do even an atom’s weight of injustice. Allah says in the Qur’an:

“.. I do not the least injustice to My servants.”[Surah 5:29]

“And the Book [of deeds] will be placed [before you]; and you will see the sinful in great terror because of what is [recorded] therein; they will say: "Ah! Woe to us! What a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they did, place before them: And not one wills your Lord treat with injustice.”[Surah Kahf,18:49]

Allah is Just and Merciful at the same time. He knows what you reveal and what you hide. He knows your strength and weakness; he knows the circumstances which compel you to fall into error. He will not punish for your errors, unless you are really responsible for such actions.

The Qur’an says Allah repeatedly, is Forgiving and Merciful. He never punishes any one for the things they do unknowingly, unwittingly.

Allah does not look at your external beauty or appearance, or into your wealth. He looks into your hearts and your actions. Or, rather He checks your actions and the intents behind the actions. It is on the basis of the intention behind the action, that every action is judged.

The foregoing means that in most cases you simply follow the dictates of your commonsense, the reason that Allah has given you. In cases where you are doubtful, you ask the opinion of someone who can help you in the matter.

But, spend a part of your time for study too. The rest is with Allah. Depend on Him and pray to Him for forgiveness, for guidance.

Of course you must have a desire to do good and avoid evil, a desire to obey Allah, and not to obey the Devil. That is all you have to do.

Allah Almighty knows best.

[Excerpted with minor modification from QA published in Islam Online -- Ask About Islam, 11Aug 2003.]

Conditions of Dua' To Be Accepted By Allah

Conditions of Duā’ Would Be Accepted By Allāh

Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Hamad

What are the conditions of duā’ so that would be answered and accepted by Allāh?

 In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

All praise and thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-‘ālameen. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam is His Messenger.

There are many conditions of duā’, are including the following: 

1. To ask upon no one except Allāh alone.

The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “If you ask, then ask from Allāh, and if you seek help, then seek the help of Allāh.”  [Narrated by al-Tirmidzi, 2516: sahih] 

Allāh Says: “And the masajid are for Allāh (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allāh” [Al-Jinn, 72:18] 

This is the most important condition of duā’, without which no duā’ will be accepted and no good deed taken up. There are some people who make duā’ to the dead and regard them as intermediaries between them and Allāh. They claim that these righteous people will bring them closer to Allāh and intercede for them with Him, and they claim that their sins are so great that they have no status before Allāh, and that is why they set up these intermediaries and pray to them instead of Allāh. But Allāh says: 

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor)”

[Al-Baqarah, 2:186] 

2. You should seek to draw close to Allāh in one of the ways that are prescribed in syarī’ah. 

3. Be Patient and should avoid seeking a quick response.

This is one of the cause that may prevent the duā’ from being accepted. In the hadith it says: “One of you may be answered so long as he is not hasty and says, ‘I said duā’ but I got no response.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 6340; Muslim, 2735.] 

The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “A man’s (duā’) may be answered so long as it does not involve sin or severing the ties of kinship or hastening.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allāh, what does hastening mean?” He said: “When he says, ‘I made duā’ and I made duā’ but I did not see any response,’ so he gets discouraged and stops making duā’.” [Narrated by Muslim (2736)]

4. The duā’ should not entail sin or severing of the ties of kinship.

The hadith as quoted above: “A man’s (duā’) may be answered so long as he does not involve sin or severing the ties of kinship …” 

5. You should believe positively of Allāh.

The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “Allāh, the Exalted, says: ‘I am as My slave thinks I am.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 7405; Muslim, 4675].

According to the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (radiallāhu`anhu): “Make duā’ to Allāh when you are certain of a response.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidzi: hasan] 

Whoever thinks well of his Lord, Allāh will bestow His bounty upon him and give him in abundance.  

6. You should be focused, aware of the greatness of Allāh.

The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Know that Allāh does not answer a duā’ from a distracted heart.”  [Narrated by al-Tirmidzi, 3479: hasan] 

7. Ensuring that one’s food comes from halal sources.

Allāh says: “Verily, Allāh accepts only from those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious)” [Al-Ma’idah, 5:27] 

The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) stated that a response was unlikely for one who eats drinks and wears haram things. In the hadith it says: [The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam)] mentioned the man who undertakes a lengthy journey and is disheveled and covered with dust, and he stretches his hands towards heaven saying, ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ when his food is harām, his drink is harām, his clothes are harām. He is nourished with harām, so how can he be granted a response? [Narrated by Muslim, 1015] 

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah)  said: Thus eating harām things saps the strength of the duā’ and weakens it. 

8. You should avoid elements of aggression in duā’, for Allāh does not like aggression in duā’.

Allāh says:  “Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors” [Al-A’rāf, 7:55] 

9. You should not let duā’ distract you from an obligatory duty.

A duty such obligatory prayer that is due, and you should not neglect parents’ rights on the basis of duā’. This is indicated by the story of Juraij, when he did not answer his mother’s call and turned instead to his prayer. She prayed against him and Allāh tested him sorely. 

Imam Al-Nawawi (rahimullāh) said: The scholars said: This indicates that what he should have done is to answer her, because he was offering a supererogatory (nāwafil prayer), continuation of which was voluntary, not obligatory, whereas answering his mother and honouring her was obligatory and disobeying her was haram. [Sahih Muslim bi Sharh al-Nawawi, 16/82] 

And Allāh Almighty knows best.

[ See: Kitab al-Duā’ by Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Hamad].

[Via Islam Q&A]