Our need for guidance

All praise be to Allah Who guides whomever He Wills to the Straight Path. Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon the Messenger of Allah, who calls for the pleasure of his Lord and guides to the best way.People’s need for guidance is greater than their need for food and water because food and water are needed so that man would lead this short evanescent life; however, guidance is the basis of the everlasting and continuous life.Shaykh-ul-Islam Ahmad ibn Taymiyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: "A servant is always in need that Allah would guide him to the Straight Path. Accordingly, he is forced to fulfil the exact meaning of this invocation, because there is neither salvation from torment nor reaching happiness without this guidance. So, whoever misses guidance shall be either from those upon whom Allah has evoked His Anger or those who are astray, and this guidance can only happen through the Guidance of Allah.”Ibn Taymiyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, also said: "Allah The Exalted said to His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention), after Al-Hudaybiyah Peace Treaty and Ar-Ridwan Pledge of Allegiance: {Indeed, We have given you, [O Muhammad], a clear conquest. That Allah may forgive for you what preceded of your sin and what will follow and complete His favour upon you and guide you to a straight path} [Qur’an 48:1-2]So, if that was the Prophet’s state at the end of his life or close to it, how would be the state of others?Ibn Taymiyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: "The servant’s need for seeking guidance is necessary to achieve happiness, salvation [from punishment], and success unlike his need for sustenance and victory, as Allah provides him with sustenance, and when his sustenance ends, he would die. Death is inevitable so if the servant was of the people of guidance, he would be happy before and after death, and death will be a means to eternal happiness. Victory is likewise if it is predestined for him to be killed after a defeat, he dies as a martyr, and then killing would be a perfect grace."Hence, it becomes evident that the need for guidance is greater than the need for victory and sustenance; rather, there is no comparison between them, because if he is guided, he shall be of the pious people. Allah Says (what means): {And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect.} [Qur’an 65:2-3] He would be of those who support Allah and His Messenger, and whoever supports Allah, Allah would support him and he would be counted from the soldiers of Allah, who are always victorious; therefore, this Du’aa’ (invocation) is needed. The Du’aa’ also includes sustenance and victory, because if a person is guided, and then guides others whether by words, actions or vision, then complete guidance would be the greatest cause to bring about sustenance and victory."So, it becomes clear that this Du’aa’ is comprehensive for every needed matter. This also shows that Surat Al-Faatihah is incomparable and its virtue over other speech is greater than the virtue of Rukoo’ (bowing down) and Sujood (prostration) over other acts of submission.”Therefore, it would be better for a Muslim to persist in invoking Allah for guidance, because asking for guidance from Allah The Exalted, and seeking help from Him to reach guidance makes a person follow the path of pleasing Allah and Paradise. If a person is guided, he still needs day and night to invoke his Lord for guidance and for making him firm on it and increasing in it, and continuing to sticking to it while he is in dire need in every moment for this invocation to be answered.Hence, a Muslim should frequently ask Allah for guidance while he supplicates Him in all his prayers, obligatory or supererogatory, several times a day.Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: "Since invoking Allah for guidance to the Straight Path was the most sublime requests, to obtain the most honorable graces, Allah The Exalted taught His Slaves how to invoke Him and commanded them to begin their invocations to Him by thanking Him, praising Him, and Glorifying Him, then mentioning their worship to Him and singling Him out with monotheism, as these are two means to meet their needs:1- Invoking Allah the Exalted with His Names and Attributes.2- Invoking Allah the Exalted with worshipping and seeking help from Him.Those two means can hardly make invocations unaccepted.The first half of Surat Al-Faatihah included those two types of invocation, then invocation came at the second half with asking Allah The Exalted for guidance and following the Path of those whom Allah granted straightness and happiness in this worldly life and the hereafter.”Allah The Exalted commands us to ask Him for guidance as was reported in the Qudsi Hadith: "O My Slaves all of you are astray except those whom I have guided, so ask Me for guidance and I shall guide you.”One of the great bounties which Allah The Exalted granted to His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, is what Allah Says in the Qur’an (which means): {And He found you unaware and guided [you]} [Qur’an 93:7]The meaning is that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was not aware of this revelation before Allah The Exalted revealed it to him, as Allah The Exalted Says (what means): [And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command. You did not know what is the Book or [what is] faith.} [Qur’an 42:52]The Messenger Asks Allah for Guidance:The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, used to invoke Allah frequently for guidance: "Allahumma inni as-alukal-huda, wat-tuqa, wal-‘afafa, wal-ghina (O Allah! I beseech You for guidance, piety, chastity, and contentment).”Imam Muslim reported in his Saheeh from the Hadith of ‘Aa’ishah (the Mother of the believers) (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: "The Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, used to start his prayer when he got up at night with: Allahuma rabba jabra’ila wa mika’ila wa israfila fatiras-samawati wal-ardh, ‘alim al-ghaibi wash-shahadah, anta tahkumu baina ‘ibadika fima kanu feehi yakhtalifun, ihdini limakhtulifa fihi minal-haqqi bi-idhnika innaka tahdi man tashaa-u ila siratin mustaqeem. (O Allah, Lord of Jibra’il, Mika’il, and Israfil, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your slaves concerning that wherein they differ. Guide me concerning that wherein they differ of the truth by Your leave, for You guide whomsoever You will to a straight path.)” That was the introduction of night prayer in the middle of the night while his tongue was saying: "Guide me”.An-Nasaa’i and others reported with an authentic chain of narration from the Hadeeth of Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: When the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, started his prayer, he would say the Takbeer and then say: "Inna Salati wa nosoki wa mahyaya wa mamati Lillahi Rabbil ‘Alameen La Shareeka Lah, Wabidhalika Omerto Wa Ana Awwalul-Muslimeen. Allahumma Ihdeni Li ahsanil-A`mali wa ahsanil-Akhlaaqi La Yahdi Li ahsaneha iIla Ant” {Verily my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; There is no partner with Him and this is what I have been commanded (to profess and believe) and I am of the believers. O Allah, guide me to the righteous deeds and manners, for none would guide to them but You.”}At-Tirmidhi reported on the authority of Ibn `Aabbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, used to say between the two prostrations: "O Allah! Forgive me, bestow mercy on me, enrich me, guide me, and grant me sustenance.”‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated: "Whenever I prayed with the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, I heard him saying at the end of Salah: "Allahumma ighfir li Khata-i wa ‘amadi Allahumma ihdini Lisalihil A’maali wal-Akhlaaqi Innahu la Yahdi Lisalihiha wa la yasrifu Sayi’ha Illa Ant (O Allah, forgive my sins whether committed inadvertently and deliberately, O Allah, guide me to the righteous deeds and manners, for verily none but You guides to the best and none but You turn away its worst).”He used to commend his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and advise them to invoke Allah for guidance. ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said to me: "Say: O Allah, guide me, direct me to the right thing; and remember with guidance, guiding you to the Straight Path and with correctness, the correctness of shooting.”Allah Is the True Guide:Al-Khattaabi said: The Guide: is the One who grants guidance to whomever He wills of His Slaves and honors them with the light of Tawheed (monotheism) as Allah The Exalted says (what means): [And guides whom He wills to a straight path] [Qur’an 10:25]He was the One who guided all creatures to their interests and inspired them as to how to ask for sustenance and how to guard themselves against harm and destruction as Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it]} [Qur’an 20:50]Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {And indeed is Allah the Guide of those who have believed to a straight path.} [Qur’an 22: 54]Ibn Jareer, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: "Verily, Allah is the Guide of those who believe in Allah and His Messenger to the intended truth and clear truth.”Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {But sufficient is your Lord as a Guide.} [Qur’an 25:31]Ibn Jareer, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: "Allah The Exalted says to His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam: O Muhammad, Your Lord is sufficient for you as a Guide to guide you to the truth, and enlighten you with the righteousness.”As-Sa’di, may Allah have mercy upon him said: "The Guide: i.e., the One who guides His Slaves to all benefits and averts them from all harms, teach them what they do not know, guide them to the truth and correctness, inspire them with piety, make their hearts turning to Him and obedient to His Commands.”Types of Guidance:Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy upon him said: "Guidance is of two types:1- Guidance of showing the way: This is the type of guidance which the Messengers and their followers are capable of. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {And for every people is a guide.} [Qur’an 13:7] He also Says (what means): {And indeed, [O Muhammad] you guide to a straight path.} [Qur’an 42:52]So, He (Allah) affirmed guidance to them which means guiding, calling, and warning.2- Guidance of support and success: which comes directly and exclusively from Allah, as He Says to His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, what means: {Indeed, [O Muhammad] you do not guide whom you like] [Qur’an 28: 56] Guidance according to this type means creating faith in the heart.Al-Fayrooz Abaadi said: "Guidance of Allah to man is of four types:First: Guidance which He granted to every Mukallaf (person capable of religious assignments and who is accountable for his deeds) in terms of reasoning, smartness, and necessary knowledge, and granted it to everything according to its capacity. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it]} [Qur’an 20: 50]Second: Guidance which was granted to people due to their invocations for Him as was reported on the tongues of Prophets and as reported in the Qur’an and the like which is intended with His Saying: {And We made them leaders guiding by Our command.} [Qur’an 21: 73]Third type: Success that is granted to those who are guided which is intended by the Saying of Allah (which means): {And those who are guided - He increases them in guidance.} [Qur’an 47: 17] and His Saying (which means): {And whoever believes in Allah - He will guide his heart.} [Qur’an 64: 11]Fourth type: Guidance in the Hereafter to Paradise, which is intended by the Saying of Allah (which means): {Praise to Allah, who has guided us to this.} [Qur’an 7:43]These four types of guidance are correlated, so if a person is not guided by the first, he shall not have the second, but he is not legally competent. And whoever does not get the second type of guidance shall neither get the third nor the fourth type).A Guidance Causes another Guidance:Allah the Exalted Says (what means): {And those who are guided - He increases them in guidance and gives them their righteousness.} [Qur’an 47:17]Ibn Jareer, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: "Allah The Exalted says: As for those whom Allah guided to follow the truth and expanded their hearts to believe in Him and His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, from among those who have listened to you, O Muhammad the Qur’an you recited to them and what they heard from you (has truly increased their guidance) He said: Allah increased their faith along with their faith that they have already had, and a clarification of the truth which you brought to them from Allah in addition to the clarification that they have already had.”Ibn Katheer, may Allah have mercy upon him said about the interpretation of this verse: "That is to say, those who wanted guidance, Allah granted it to them by guiding them to it, made them firm on it, and increased it for them (and granted them piety); i.e., guided them to righteousness.”Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: "Guidance brings about guidance and misguidance brings about misguidance; righteous deeds generate righteous deeds, and whenever you do them, your guidance increases. Actions of misguidance are on the contrary, because Allah the Exalted loves righteous actions and rewards for them with guidance and success and hates the actions of misguidance and recompenses for them with error and misery.”He also said: "Verily, if a servant believes in the Qur’an, follows its guidance in total, accepts its commands and believes in its narrations, that will be a cause for another type of guidance in details, as guidance is endless even if a person reaches the top {And Allah increases those who were guided, in guidance.} [Qur’an 58:76]O Allah! Guide us and make guidance easy for us. Praise be to Allah the Lord of all the Worlds.Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/