94 - الْهَادِي

[Bint e Aisha]

الْهَادِي

 

 

Translation

الْهَادِي is translated as The Guide and The Leader on the Right Path.

 

Definition

It is The One Who guides His creation towards Ma’arifat (Knowing Him). It is The One Who guides His slave towards Al-Siraatal Mustaqeem (The straight path).

 

In the Qur'an

 

Allah ta’ala says in Surah Yoosuf (Verse 25),

وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ

“and guides whom He pleases to the Right Way”.

 

It is that being Who guides His servant to doing good deeds which brings the person close to Him.

Allah ta’ala is not just the Guide to humans but He also gives general guidance to even the smallest creatures. In Surah Taha Allah ta’ala says, 

 

قَالَ رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ 

He replied: “Our Rabb is He Who has given a distinctive form to all creatures and then rightly guided them.” [Surah Taha: 50]

 

Scholars say the Hidaayah of all life form includes survival skills i.e. a baby animal learns how to get the milk from its mother, a chick knows it has to peck for food, bees are inspired to make hives in a perfect manner etc. No one taught them these skills. Only Allah ta’ala guided them.

 

Du’a for Hidaayah

We should have desire for Hidaayah. We ask Allah ta’ala for Hidaayah in every Rakat of every Salaah when we recite Surah Faatihah. Every Prophet was an embodiment of Hidaayat yet they also made Du’a for Hidaayah. 

 

What does اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ mean? 

Technically Hidaayah means to take someone to their desired destination. In this Du’a we are asking Allah ta’ala for the road /path where there is no deviation, extremes, dead ends, etc. and that is the path of the Nabiyyeen, Shuhadaa and Saaleheen mentioned in verse 69 of Surah Nisaa’,

 

وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُولَٰئِكَ رَفِيقً

 

“Whosoever obeys Allah and the Rasool will be in the company of those whom Allah has blessed - the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous: What excellent companions they will be!”

 

Levels of Hidaayah

There is a general level of Hidaayah which all creatures have i.e. all the divine creation of Allah ta’ala who have their own survival skills. Thereafter there is special Hidaayah for all humanity and Jinn. This Hidaayah is given through the Ambiyaa and the Holy Books.

 

The highest level of Hidaayah is the Hidaayah granted to the Believers for extra Tawfeeq. This is to those who yearn to better themselves for which there is no pinnacle and we should make Du’a for it.

 

Allah ta’ala guides the hearts of those who have Imaan

Allah ta’ala says in Surah Taghaabun (verse 11),

 

وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ - And whosoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart.

 

Imaan can fluctuate and the more Imaan one has, the more Allah ta’ala guides them. In Surah Ankaboot (verses 69) Allah ta’ala says, 

 

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

“As for those who strive in Our cause, We will surely guide them to Our ways; rest assured that Allah is with the righteous.” 

 

Therefore the more a person struggles/strives towards Allah ta’ala (which includes many different things i.e. striving to be righteous), the more He will open doors of Hidaayah for them. 

 

In Surah Fath the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, who is the embodiment of Hidaayah is told he may be guided to the straight path. 

 

وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا - that He may guide you on a right path. [Surah Fath:20]

 

This shows that Hidaayah has multiple layers and degrees and therefore we should continue striving and asking for Hidaayah for ourselves and our children. We should not remain complacent.

 

Correct Aqeedah

قُلْ هَلْ مِنْ شُرَكَائِكُمْ مَنْ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ ۚ قُلِ اللَّهُ يَهْدِي لِلْحَقِّ

Say: Is there of your partners (whom ye ascribe unto Allah) one that leads to the Truth? Say: Allah leads to the Truth
[Surah Yunus: 35]

 

We should also remain clear in our beliefs. We should know that no one can guide except Allah ta’ala and if anyone helps others towards guidance they are the means. No one can say he/she guided me as it is only Allah ta’ala Who guides. Being clear in this belief saves one from hidden Shirk.

 

إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

O Prophet, you cannot give guidance to whom you wish, it is Allah Who gives guidance to whom He pleases, and He is quite aware of those who are guided. [Surah Qasas: 56]

 

Story - Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr and the beautiful woman

The Taabi’ee, Ubayd bin Umayr (Rahimahullah) was a well-known pious Scholar in Makkah. He was a good speaker and Abdullah bin ‘Umar RA used to attend his gatherings and cry (their humility made them attend the gatherings of Tabi’een).

 

“There used to be a very beautiful woman in Makkah. And she had a husband. One day she looked at her face in the mirror [admiring her beauty] and turned and asked her husband:

‘Do you think there is anyone who will look at this face and not be seduced by it?’

He replied: ‘Yes’

She asked: ‘Who is that person?’

He replied: “Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr.’

She asked: ‘Permit me to go and seduce him.’

He replied: ‘I permit you.”

And thus she went to him as if she was one of those who were seeking a fatwa. And so he went with her in a side of al-Masjid al-Haram [Makkah].

There, she exposed to him her face -which was like the beauty of the full moon.

He said to her: ‘O female servant of Allaah! Fear Allaah!’

She said: ‘Indeed am attracted by you. So fulfill my need!’

So he said: ‘Okay, I am going to ask you something. If you prove to be sincere, I will look into your matter [of fulfilling what you wish].’

Thus she said: ‘Surely you will not ask me in any matter, except that I will speak the truth.”

So he asked: ‘Tell me, if the angel of death comes to take away your soul, will it please you that I have fulfilled this need of yours?’

She replied: ‘By Allaah, No.’
He said: ‘You have spoken the truth.

[And] Tell me, when you have been buried and are made to sit up for the questioning [by the two angels] : will it please you that I had fulfilled this need of yours?’

She replied: ‘By Allaah, no.’
He said: ‘You have spoken the truth.

Now tell me, if the people are being given their books of deeds; and you do not know whether you will take your book of deeds with your right hand or left hand, will it still please you that I fulfilled this need of yours?’ 

She said: ‘By Allaah, no.’
He said: ‘You have spoken the truth.

Now tell me, if you were walking across the Siraat and you do not know whether you will cross safely or not, will it still please you that I have fulfilled this need of yours?’

She said: ‘By Allaah, no.’
He said: ‘You have spoken the truth.

Now tell me, if the scales are brought; and you are brought forward, and you do not know whether your scale of deeds will be heavy or light, will it still please you that I fulfilled this need of yours?’

She replied: ‘By Allaah, no.’
He said: ‘You have spoken the truth.

Now tell me, when you are made to stand before Allaah; for being questioned, will it still please you that I have fulfilled this need of yours?’

She replied: ‘By Allaah, no.’
He said: ‘You have spoken the truth.’

Thus, he then said: ‘ [So] Fear Allaah, O female servant of Allaah! Surely Allaah has favoured you and bestowed bounties for you.’

The narrator says: ‘So she then returned to her husband.

And he [the husband] asked her: ‘What happened?’

She said: ‘You are in falseness and we indeed have been in vain [indulging in things which don’t benefit].’

Thus she turned back and devoted to prayers, and fasting and acts of worship.

[Thereafter the incidents] Her husband used to say:

‘What is with me and ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr? He has changed my wife?

Indeed she used to be like a bride - every night - and now he has turned her into a worshipper!” 

 

She came with the intention to misguide him however Allah ta’ala is الْهَادِي and she left being guided herself. 

 

Counsel

• Make Du’a for Hidaayah for ourselves, our families, teachers and the Ummah.  

 

• Avoid obstacles to Hidaayah i.e. ignoring religious talks, disrespecting and being overly critical of Scholars of Deen, showing lack of respect to teachers of Deen, etc. 

 

• If someone in the family is not on Hidayah, then do not argue with them when trying to bring them to Hidaayah and instead make Du’a for Hidayah for them. Hidaayah does not come from debating  or being strict. It comes from Allah ta’ala being الْهَادِي. 

 

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