Guidance and its Types

Guidance is of Two Types

• Guidance of evidence and direction (Dalaalah and Irshaad)

  • This is when an individual is given some religious direction or shown evidences pertaining to the truth.

  • This type of guidance can be carried out by anyone through means of actions, speech or writing in order to convey the reminder to someone or establish the evidence.

• Guidance of the heart (Tawfeeq)

  • This is the spiritual guidance that one is given which is in the form of them following the truth and increasing in righteousness.

  • Only Allah is able to instil this in someone as it pertains to the heart.

Allah mentions in the Quran:

وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِىٓ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

{And indeed (O Muhammad) you guide to a straight path.}
[Shuraa:52].

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إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ

{Indeed (O Muhammad) you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the (rightly) guided.}
[Qasas:56].

Some of the ignorant people may claim that these two verses contradict one another as one states that Muhammad ﷺ guides whilst the other states that he does not. The reality of these verses becomes clear once we have understood that guidance is two types.

The first verse is referring to the guidance of direction and evidence and states that Muhammad ﷺ guides in this regard, i.e. he brings the truth to the people and establishes the evidences, and this is something others are able to guide in also, by following the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ.

As for the second verse, then this is referring to the guidance of the heart that only Allah is capable of. The general meaning of the verse is that Muhammad ﷺ is not able to place guidance into someone’s heart, rather this is specific to Allah. The verse was revealed regarding Abu Taalib, the uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, who died a disbeliever.

From this we learn that no matter how many evidences are shown to a person, if they are not given guidance of the heart by Allah then it is of no benefit. And so ultimately guidance is to be sought from Allah.

Who Receives Guidance of the Heart?

Allah is not unjust and does not oppress. He guides and misguides whom he wills in His infinite wisdom and knowledge. Allah says:

أَفَرَءَيْتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُ هَوَىٰهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ

{Have you seen he who has taken his desires as his god, and so Allah has left him astray upon (having) knowledge (of that).}
[Jaathiyah:23].

Those who are accepting of guidance and following the truth then Allah gives them guidance of the heart and increases them in righteousness. As for those who reject the truth and turn away then Allah leaves them to be misguided, Allah mentions:

وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱهْتَدَوْا۟ زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَءَاتَىٰهُمْ تَقْوَىٰهُمْ

{And those who are (seeking to be) guided, He increases them in guidance and gives them their righteousness.}
[Muhammad:47].

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وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَـٰهُمْ فَٱسْتَحَبُّوا۟ ٱلْعَمَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَـٰعِقَةُ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْهُونِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ

{And as for Thamud, We showed them guidance, but they preferred blindness over guidance. So the thunderbolt of a disgracing punishment overtook them for what they used to commit.}
[Fussilat:17].

Allah showed the people of Thamud the truth however they chose to reject it and not accept it, so Allah did not give them guidance of the heart. Allah is the All-Just and has prevented Himself from any form of oppression. He shows the people His signs and makes the truth evident to them and does not punish anyone until the message of Islam has reached them. He says:

سَنُرِيهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فِى ٱلْـَٔافَاقِ وَفِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

{We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is a Witness over all things?}
[Fussilat:53].

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وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا

{And We would never punish (a people) until We have sent (to them) a messenger.}
[Israa:15].

Guidance is a Favour from Allah

Allah says:

وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلْكُفْرَ وَٱلْفُسُوقَ وَٱلْعِصْيَانَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلرَّٰشِدُونَ * فَضْلًا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَنِعْمَةً

{However Allah has endeared faith to you and has made it pleasing in your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance and disobedience. Those are the (rightly) guided. * (It is) a bounty from Allah and favour.}
[Hujuraat:7-8]

Guidance is from the greatest favours and blessings of Allah upon His servants. It is not something that Allah owes anyone from His creation nor should anyone feel that they are entitled to this blessing or that they are doing Islam a favour by being Muslim. Allah stated:

يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا۟ قُل لَّا تَمُنُّوا۟ عَلَىَّ إِسْلَـٰمَكُم بَلِ ٱللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَىٰكُمْ لِلْإِيمَـٰنِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ

{They consider it a favour to you (O Muhammad) that they have accepted Islam. Say: "Do not consider your Islam a favour to me. Rather, Allah has conferred favour upon you that He has guided you to Faith, if you should be truthful."}
[Hujuraat:17].

The Muslim must show the utmost gratitude and thankfulness to Allah for the blessing of being guided to Islam and humble himself. Allah mentions that the people of Paradise will say:

وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى هَدَىٰنَا لِهَـٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِىَ لَوْلَآ أَنْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ

{And they will say: "Praise be to Allah, who has guided us to this, and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us.“}
[A’raaf:43].

It has been narrated about the Prophet ﷺ that he would frequently ask Allah: “O Turner of the hearts, make my heart steadfast upon your religion (Yaa Muqallib Al-Quloob, Thabbit Qalbee ‘Alaa Deenik).”

And we are more in need of this, so we should continually ask Allah for guidance and to keep us firm and steadfast upon the truth.

And Allah knows best.

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