- Names of Allah
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- Names of Allah- 1996
Allâh’s Beautiful Name: Al-Hadib:
Now, we go on to explain the twenty-eighth of Allah’s Beautiful Names, “Al-Hadi” (The Guider); and Allah, All Mighty, created and then guided.
We have built, as it were, a way and then placed the proper guideposts on its two sides; and we have made a machine and then issued its catalogue or operation manual. Similarly, Allah, All Mighty, has created the universe and then provided it with His Divine Light.
In fact, the word “Hadi” (The Guider) is derived from the Arabic word “Hada” (guide), but what does the word “Hada” (guide) exactly mean?
In His Divine Book, the Holy Quran, Allah, All Mighty, says
“And Allah invites to the Home of Peace and guides whom He wills to the Straight Path.”
In other words, Allah, Most Gracious, has created you in order to make you happy not only in the limited ephemeral life of this present world but also in the endless life of the Hereafter. The life of this present world is but a kind of preparation for that ever-lasting life in the Hereafter. Once again:
“And Allah invites to the Home of Peace and guides whom He wills to the Straight Path.”
The Straight Path is a kind of way. Allah, All Mighty, has given man the ability to make his own choices; and whosoever desires guidance; Allah guides him to a way that leads to the Abode of Peace. You have been created for the Abode of Peace, i.e. Paradise. Yes, indeed! You have been created for the Abode of Peace and you have been given the ability to make your own choices. If you choose the Abode of Peace, Paradise, Allah guides you to the way that leads you to it. The foregoing Quranic Verse bears a very delicate meaning. Do not believe, like some ignorant people do, that Allah, All Mighty, Most Gracious, has created mankind only in order to torment them. Do not think that misfortunes are purposeless; they are meant to drive man to his Lord and make him turn to Him with sincere repentance and faithful devotion. To this effect, Allah, All Mighty, says
“And Allah invites to the Home of Peace and guides whom He wills to the Straight Path.”
But what does the word “Hidayah” (guidance) mean? It means guidance to the Truth. Imam Al-Junaid said, “The words ‘guide us to the Straight Path’ mean: ‘O Lord! Make our hearts inclined towards You! Make all our work for You! And guide us unto You!’” This is a very delicate point: Man has been given a free will to make his own choices in life. Allah, Most Gracious, says
“Verily, We (Allah) show him the Way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.”
Now, who is a preacher? A preacher is someone who persuades you to follow the right way to the Truth. But how does he do that? The answer is: by means of authentic evidence and explanation that make you convinced of the validity of what he says.
Our Lord, Allah, All Mighty, Most Gracious, is “Al-Hadi” (The Guider), but how does He guide His slaves? How many ways are there to guide them? The answer is: First of all, Allah guides man to Him through His Creatures, the first and foremost of which is the universe. Allah is Omnipotent; and His Omnipotence is manifested by the creation of the tremendously vast universe. Allah, All Mighty, is Self-Existent; and the whole universe betokens this. Allah, All Mighty, is Omniscient; and the whole universe bespeaks this. Allah, All Mighty, is Most Merciful; and the whole universe reflects this. In other words, you can say that the whole universe is but a manifestation and substantiation of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes. Therefore, if you contemplate the universe, you can get to know Allah, All Mighty, simply because the whole universe is His Divine Make; and from the Make you can get to know the Maker; the whole universe is Allah’s Divine Creation, and from the creation you can get to know the Creator; it is His Divine Design, and from the Design you can get to know the Designer. Undoubtedly, the universe bespeaks the Lord’s Infinite Divine Knowledge, Wisdom, Power, Might, Kindness, Mercy, Compassion, and Creativity. In short, all that exists in the whole universe betokens Allah’s Divine Existence and Perfection.
When you look at a rose, it bespeaks Allah’s Beautiful Divine Name “Al-Jameel” (The Most Beautiful); when you look at the raging sea, it reflects Allah’s Beautiful Divine Name “Al-Jabbar” (The Omnipotent). Allah, Glory to Him, manifests Himself to His slaves sometimes by His Being Omnipotent, sometimes by His Being Irresistible Subduer, sometimes by His Being Avenger, sometimes by Being Omniscient, sometimes by Being All Wise, sometimes by Being Exalted and Great. In other words, each and every thing in the universe denotes one or more of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes. So how does Allah, Praise to Him, guide us to Himself? He, Most Gracious, says
“Say: ‘Behold all that is in the heavens and the earth.’ But neither Signs nor warnings benefit those who believe not.”
“Then let man look at his food.”
“Then let man look from what he has been created. He has been created from a gushing liquid, coming forth from the backbone and the ribs. Verily, He (Allah) is Able to bring him back (to life)!”
Therefore, if you desire to be guided to Allah, the universe provides you with sufficient guidance. That is why Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says
“The universe suffices you as a (Divine) Miracle.”
Hence, the universe is, as it were, the first gate that leads to Allah. But I would like to tell my dear reader: The universe is the widest gate to guidance, simply because it puts you face to face with Allah’s Infinite Divine Power, Might, Wisdom, Mercy, Knowledge, Creativity, …etc. In other words, Allah, Most Gracious, guides you by means of His Creation; therefore, His Divine Name “Al-Hadi” (The Guider) is derived from His Divine Act of guidance.
Dear reader! You can watch a sophisticated machine and deduce that its maker is a highly experienced engineer or inventor. You say that the colors that he has given to the machine are very nice and bespeak his refined sensibility, his advanced knowledge, and his great experience. Sometimes, the machine is provided with a special catalog for its proper use and function. Similarly, Allah, All Mighty, guides man not only by his Creation, i.e. the universe, but also by His Divine Words. He, Glory to Him, says:
“Verily, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.”
“And Allah is the All-Knower of the Unseen.”
“Verily, Allah is All-Powerful over all things.”
“Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
“And He (Allah) is the Oft-Forgiving, the All-Loving.”
“Verily, my Lord is Most Merciful, All-Loving.”
“Allah is He Who raised the heavens without pillars that you can see. Then, He established Himself on the Throne. He has subjected the sun and the moon, each running for a term appointed. He manages all affairs, He elaborates the Signs that you may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord.”
“And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and whatever moving living creatures He has dispersed in them both. And He is All-Potent over their assembling whenever He wills.”
“And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the difference of your languages and colors. Verily, in that are indeed Signs for men of sound understanding.”
“And among His Signs is that the heaven and the earth stand by His Command. Then afterward, when He calls you by a single Call, behold, you will come out from the earth.”
“And among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate yourselves not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate yourselves to Allah, Who created them, if you (really) worship Him.”
“And among His Signs are the ships in the sea like mountains.”
“And among His Signs is that you see the earth barren; but when We send down water to it, it is stirred to life and growth (of vegetation). Verily, He Who gives it life, surely, is Able to give life to the dead. Indeed, He is Able to do all things.”
“And among His Signs is that He sends forth the winds with glad tidings, giving you a taste of His Mercy, and that the ships may sail at His Command, and that you may seek of His Bounty, in order that you may be thankful.”
“And among His Signs is that He created for you wives from among yourselves that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed Signs for a people who reflect.”
“And among His Signs is that He created you from dust, and then, behold, you are human beings scattered!”
Therefore, the first Gate of guidance to Allah, Praise to Him, is His Creation, and in this sense His Divine Name “Al-Hadi” (The Guider) is derived from His Divine Act of guidance.
The second Gate of guidance to Allah, Glory to Him, is His Words, i.e. His Divine Book, the Holy Quran.
Sometimes, you look at a wonderful thing whose maker tells you that he has made it for such and such purpose and that the raw materials from which he has made it are of the best quality. In other words, the maker gives you direct information about his make directly from him. Similarly, Allah, All Mighty, guides you to Him by His own Divine Words. Therefore, Allah’s Beautiful Divine Name “Al-Hadi” (The Guider) is derived from His Divine Act of guidance as well as from His Divine Self as possessing the Attribute of Speech.
Therefore, if Allah guides you through His Creation, then His Name “Al-Hadi” (The Guider) is one of His Divine Names that have to do with His Divine Acts; but if He guides you by means of His Words, the Holy Quran, then His Name “Al-Hadi” (The Guider) is one of His Names that have to do with His Divine Self. When you read Allah’s Divine Book, the Holy Quran, it clarifies to you the facts about the origin of the universe, the reality of the life of this present world, the reality of the Hereafter, Allah’s Beautiful Names and Attributes, His Prophets and Messengers, and the purpose of the creation of man. In His Divine Book, the Holy Quran, Allah bids you to offer (Salat) prayers, to fast, to offer the Zakat (Alms Giving), and to make the Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca). He, for example, makes clear to you why you should offer Salat or Zakat to Him, or why you should fast:
“And perform prayer! Verily, prayer prevents evil sins and misdeeds.”
“O you who believe! Observing the fast is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you may attain self-protection.”
“Take from their wealth alms whereby you purify and sanctify them, and invoke (Allah) for them. Verily, your invocation is a source of security for them; and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.”
Yes, indeed! Allah, Most Gracious, is “Al-Hadi” (The Guider), Who guides you by His Divine Words. When you read His Divine Book, the Holy Quran, it leads you to Him, just as the whole universe does. But the universe is a Cosmic Book, as it were, that both Muslims and non-Muslims, Arabs and non-Arabs, the Africans, the Chinese, the Americans, the Europeans, …etc, can read and understand. Everywhere, the Sun shines, stars twinkle, the Moon rises, and water runs. In other words, the universe is an open Book that everyone can read and understand, while only Arabs can read the Holy Quran.
Anyway, when man gets to know his Lord, Allah, Most Gracious, more and more, he learns Arabic for his sake; and you quite often see whole non-Arab nations learn Arabic just for the sake of Allah and His Religion. This is like when you go to a foreign country in order to study; the first thing you have to do is to learn its language.
One of my students had a scholarship to Czechoslovakia, and the first thing he had to do was to learn their language. For the sake of a worldly ephemeral achievement, you spend two or more years learning the language of a certain people in order to get some of their knowledge. So, when you get to know Allah, Lord of all worlds, and when you get to know that His Divine Words are too precious, you will certainly feel utmost need to learn Arabic, the language of His Divine Book, the Holy Quran. Our dear African or Turkish brother, for example, who have come to this country in order to learn about Allah’s Religion of Islam, hasten to learn Arabic and are very pleased when we speak to them in classical Arabic, which they understand and speak very well.
Therefore, if your love for Allah, Most Gracious, reaches a certain degree, you find yourself hasten to learn Arabic. Hence, Allah’s Divine Book, the Holy Quran, is another Gate of guidance that leads you to Allah. Once again, Allah guides you to Him either through His Creation, i.e. the universe, or through His Divine Words, i.e. the Holy Quran. In this context, I would like to reiterate the fact that Allah, Glory to Him, makes His Divine Book, the Holy Quran, equal in importance to the whole universe. He, Praise to Him, says
“All Praise belongs to Allah, Who (Alone) created the heavens and the earth and originated darkness and light! Yet, those who disbelieve hold sh3er as equal with their Lord.”
This is because both of the universe and the Holy Quran refer to Him and show His Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes. About His Divine Book, the Holy Quran, Allah, All Mighty, says
“All Praise belongs to Allah, Who has sent down to His slave (Muhammad) the Book (the Quran) and has made no crookedness therein.”
From the two foregoing Quranic Verses, we understand clearly that Allah’s Divine Book, the Holy Quran, symbolizes Allah’s Textual Revealed Guidance, while the universe symbolizes His Cosmic Demonstrative Guidance.
Notice that you sometimes buy a machine that does not have a catalogue or operation manual. You begin to examine it, turn its keys, try to find out anything helpful to make it operate, and work hard to know everything about it and how it works properly. In other words, you try to find out about the machine, its properties, and its work by observation and experiment; but if it is accompanied with a catalogue or operation manual, it gives you sufficient information about the machine and its functions. The former way provides you with some, but not all, information about the machine, while the latter way provides you with complete information because it comes from those who made it. However, by contemplation on the universe and the cosmic Divine Signs therein, you get to know lots of things, but not all things.
The universe tells you about Allah’s Existence and Greatness as well as His Divine Names and Attributes, but it does not tell you about the Salat (Prayer), for example, or how to offer it. It does not tell you about other religious observances such as the Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca), the Zakat (Alms Giving) or any other religious observances. Therefore, you need another source of information that tells you about such important things. You need Divine Revelation, i.e. the Holy Quran, which Allah sent down to His Messenger, Muhammad, (PBUH). In other words, besides the universe, which is one half of religion as it leads you to know the Creator and Maker, Allah, All Mighty, you need Divine Revelation, i.e. the Holy Quran, which provides you with the second half of religion.
Allah’s Divine Book, the Holy Quran, contains rules, principles and commands. It contains a complete course of life. It contains information about previous nations and generations and the forthcoming ones. It contains information about the past, present and future; and it contains information about Allah, Lord of all worlds. Mere contemplation on the universe is necessary but not at all sufficient. It must be integrated with information from Divine Revelation, i.e. the Holy Quran.
If you desire to complete your higher education, for example, it is not enough for you to enter the university and contemplate its corridors, halls, auditoriums, labs, gardens, campus, theatre, library, dormitories, …etc. You also have to know about its rules and laws, number and nature of curricula, how to study and pass exams, and who are its lecturers and professors, …etc. You must read about the university’s dean, president, departments, disciplines, the degrees and ranks. You need to know so many things about the university other than mere contemplation of its buildings and premises. Similarly, as regards your relationship with the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, it is not enough to contemplate the universe or the Signs therein. The universe tells you about Allah’s Existence, Might, Wisdom, Power, …etc, but if you desire to know about His Religion, you should read His Divine Book, the Holy Quran, which is a concise book that contains basics of Islamic Religion, which was communicated and elaborated to us by Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad, (PBUH).
Once again, if you contemplate the universe, you get to know that the universe must have a Creator and Maker, Who is All Mighty, All Great, Omnipotent, Omniscient, All Wise, All Kind, …etc. But if you desire to worship such Maker, to be near to Him and seek His Divine Love, what should you do? Now, you are in need of information form Him to tell you what to do. For example, He tells you to fast during the month of Ramadan, to offer the Zakat (Alms Giving) to the poor, to lower your gaze at indecent or unlawful things, to do well to your fellow humans, to pardon them, …etc. Now, you are in need of the Commands of this Great Creator. In other words, by your mind, you contemplate the universe and get to know the Maker, but if you desire to know the Maker’s Religion, His Divine Commands, His Bidding and Forbidding, information about previous nations and generations, why He has created you, and what does the Maker want of you, you have to read His Divine Book.
Therefore, the universe tells you about Allah’s Existence and His Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes, while His Divine Book, the Holy Quran, tells you about His Religion. If you desire to believe in Allah, All Mighty, contemplate the universe, and if you desire to worship Him, read the Holy Quran. Through contemplation on the universe, you get to know Allah, and through the Holy Quran you worship Him. Each one of these two things is necessary but not at all sufficient. If you read the Holy Quran but fail to contemplate the universe, it is as though you have not read the Holy Quran. Why? The answer is: because the Holy Quran bids you to contemplate the universe, and if you do not contemplate the universe, this means that you have failed to comply with the Quranic Verses that command you to contemplate. Similarly, if you contemplate the universe but fail to read the Holy Quran, you get to know the Maker, but you do not know how to worship Him, i.e. you do not know how to offer prayers, how to offer the Zakat (Alms Giving), or how to make the Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca), i.e. you do not know His Commands, how to worship Him, or what He wants of you.
Hence, Allah guides you to Him by the universe, so His Name “Al-Hadi” (The Guider) is one of Allah’s Names that are derived from His Divine Acts; and He guides you by the Holy Quran, so His Name “Al-Hadi” is also one of His Names that are derived from His Own Divine Self, because He speaks, and He guides you by His Speech.
Now, after Allah, All Mighty, created the universe, which tells you about Him, just as He sent down the Holy Quran, which shows you His Religion and Divine Commands. There are also events and incidents, i.e. Divine Acts: things that happen, rain that falls down, droughts volcanoes, earthquakes, …etc, that lead you to Him. In this context, Allah, All Mighty, says
“Then there passed by on it (the garden) a visitation (fire) from your Lord at night and burnt it while they were asleep.”
Sometimes, a harvest that is worth hundreds of millions of pounds is devastated by frost in three minutes. This means that Allah, All Mighty, has Divine Acts like frost, winds, hurricanes, floods, volcanoes, earthquakes, diseases, epidemics, droughts, poverty, oppression, …etc. These are Allah’s Divine Acts. Just as the universe tells you about Allah and the Holy Quran tells you about His Divine Religion, so Allah’s Divine Acts tell you about Him. Consider the following Quranic Verses:
“And your Lord would never destroy the towns wrongfully while their people were good-doers.”
“And whatever misfortune befalls you is because of what your hands have earned; and He pardons much.”
If a teacher punishes a student physically whenever he beats any of his classmates, does not the student understand that the teacher’s physical punishment means that He does not like him to beat his classmates, even if the teacher does not utter one single word of discontent? Does not the teacher sometimes teach students by his acts and not by his words? Of course, he does! The same thing applies to Allah, All Mighty. If someone abstains from giving the Zakat (Alms), Allah causes his wealth, or part of it, to be destroyed. This is a kind of non-verbal teaching.
If you transgress against honor and dignity of other fellow humans, they also transgress against your own honor and dignity: it is, as people say, tit for tat. If you show insolent arrogance, Allah humiliates you; if you show adequate modesty, Allah exalts you in honor; if you spend of your wealth for the Cause of Allah, He recompenses you; if you are niggardly, He destroys your wealth, or part of it; if you lower your gaze at indecent or unlawful things, Allah makes you happy with your family; if you give free reign to your lusts and caprices, Allah afflicts you with hardships and misfortunes; if you are honest and trustworthy, Allah makes people trust you; but if you are dishonest, Allah defames you.
For the time being, let us forget about the universe or Allah’s Book. Let us talk about Allah’s Divine Acts.
Undoubtedly, Allah’s Divine Acts teach you a lot by themselves. The foregoing example of the teacher’s physical, non-verbal, punishment to a student whenever he hits another is enough to teach the student that the teacher is displeased by such a bad deed on the part of the student, although the teacher does not utter one single word of reproach. Allah’s non-verbal Divine Acts do teach His slaves and provide them with admonition. Therefore, Allah, All Mighty, teaches you by His Creation, i.e. the universe, by His Book, i.e. the Holy Quran, or by His Divine Acts. He, Glory to Him, says
“Say: ‘Travel in the land and see how has been the end of criminals.”
If someone cheats people, his properties are confiscated. Why are they confiscated? The answer is: in return for the wrong that he did to other fellow humans. If someone is honest and trustworthy, why does Allah increase his wealth for him? If someone is generous to other fellow humans, why are they generous to him? If someone honors other fellow humans, why does Allah honor him?
Therefore, Allah, All Mighty, is “Al-Hadi” (The Guider), Who guides His slaves by His universe, by His Words, and by His Acts. I believe that all of our dear readers know for sure that Allah has taught them a lot by His Divine Acts. Remember dear brother! You offered the Dawn Prayer, so you felt all the day that your words and deeds are rightly guided, that you felt great spiritual enhancement, that your heart was filled with tranquility and peace, that people showed adequate honor and respect towards you, and that everything was all right with you. The next morning, you did not offer the Dawn Prayer, so you had lots of problems on the way to work, in you place of work, in your relationship with government officials, …etc.
Yes, indeed! Allah, Most Gracious, teaches you by His Divine Acts. When you offer the Dawn Prayer, for example, you are under Allah’s Divine Care and Protection. But when you neglect Prayer, you have lots of problems at home, at work, or anywhere else. This is a kind of Divine Teaching, i.e. Allah, Most Gracious, guides you to Him by His Divine Acts: you give charities, Allah increases your wealth for you; you abstain from helping other fellow humans, He straitens your provision for you.
One of our dear brother once told me the following story: Early one morning, his sister phoned him, asking him for five thousand pounds. He had the money, but he was in bad need of it. However, he did not hesitate for one single moment to offer the money to his sister, and then went back to his shop, were a man asked him for a certain commodity that he did not have in his shop. So, he took the man and showed him the factory in which the commodity was made. In the evening, the owner of the factory gave him a good amount of money, much more than that which he had given to his sister, for being helpful. I believe that all of those who read this story have similar experiences with Allah, Most Gracious. That is why Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says
“Spend (of your wealth), o Bilal! And do not fear (any) decrease (of wealth) from the Owner of the Throne (Allah)!” Also, in a Divine Hadith, Allah, All Mighty, says, “Spend (of your wealth) o son of Adam! I spend on you!”
Yes, indeed! Allah, Most Gracious, is constantly teaching you by His Divine Acts. He, Glory to Him, says
“So fear Allah (and be dutiful to Him), and Allah teaches you. And Allah is the All-Knower of each and every thing.”
He teaches you by His Divine Acts; and as soon as someone understands His Lord and establishes a firm aware relationship and direct contact with Him, he gets to know that such an Act on the part of Allah is for such a deed on his own part.
I remember someone who was righteous and straightforward; but on his first trip on an airplane, he failed to lower his gaze at a beautiful woman. As soon as he arrived at the airport, he took a taxi to the hotel at which he was going to stay. When he offered the driver some money, the latter took him to the police station, because the money was forged. In the police station, he was questioned about the money, and he said that he was a member of an official delegation to a conference that was to be held in that country. He was in a really serious and embarrassing situation, for he was accused of trafficking forged money. With tears in his eyes, he turned to the Lord as if blaming Him for what had happened. But he felt as if Allah, Most Gracious, was telling him, “O my salve! Why did you look at such beautiful woman?” In other words, Allah reproached the man by His Divine Act of putting him in such serious situation.
Once again, Allah, Most Merciful, guides you by the universe, by His Holy Quran, or by His Divine Acts. Therefore, He is “Al-Hadi” (The Guider).
In large shops or department stores, you quite often see special devices that are fixed at the entrance and are particularly designed to send off a certain light or sound if someone lifts an item and goes out without paying its cost to the cashier, i.e. in case of any shop-lifting. This device is man’s invention. You, as a human being: Allah, All Mighty, has created you in the very best stature. He, Most Merciful, has equipped you with a very special apparatus, your heart, which makes you feel uncomfortable and worried if you commit a sin or if you go astray from the Right Path. This is what people usually call “conscience”, which makes you feel worried, unhappy, uncomfortable, distressed, sad, miserable, …etc, as soon as you do something wrong. This is because your original human nature is pure, and when you commit anything wrong, you feel that you have deviated from your own pure human nature. This means that Allah, Most Gracious, also teaches you, and guides you to Him, by means of your own pure original human nature. This is another way by which Allah, Most Merciful, teaches you in addition to the universe, the Holy Quran, and His Divine Acts. To this effect, Allah, Glory to Him, says
“And (I swear) by a self and Him Who has made it (in perfect proportion), and then showed it (both) its profligacy and piety!”
This means that if you do anything wrong or if you go astray, you know that you have so done; and, similarly, if you do anything good and righteous, you also realize that you have so done.
I would like to reiterate the fact that you, dear reader, feel spiritually most exhilarated when you obey your Lord, Allah, Most Gracious. But how can you recognize that? If, may Allah forbid, your foot slips, if you miss certain prayers, if you fail to lower your gaze at unlawful or indecent things, if your tongue slips with a lie, or if you backbite someone or slander him, you feel as if you were made to fall from high up in the sky down to the earth, you feel desperate and miserable, you feel barred from the Lord, Most Gracious, you feel that Allah has forsaken you, and you feel that Allah, Does not like you. This is the fourth kind of Allah’s Teaching and Guidance, namely by man’s pure original human nature. In this context, Allah, Most Gracious, says
“So set your face towards the Religion (of pure Islamic Monotheism) in true faith. Such is the Fitrah (pure human original nature) with which Allah has originated mankind. No change let there be in Allah’s (original) Creation. Such is the Straight Religion, but most of men know not.”
In other words, setting your face towards Allah’s Religion of pure Islamic Monotheism is exactly your pure original human nature in which Allah has originally created you. You are never peaceful or comfortable unless you know Allah, because once you know Him, you feel secure and safe. A low-ranked clerk or employee certainly feels safe and secure if he has kinship or affinity with the General Director or owner of the company for which he works. This is the case when you are affiliated to a powerful of affluent human being, so how would the case be if you are affiliated to Allah, Lord of all worlds, if you feel that He is with you, if you feel that you are under His Irresistible Divine Care and Protection, or if you feel that He, All Mighty, loves you? How would the case be if you feel that you love other fellow humans for the sake of Allah, if you go to bed at the end of the day after you have done wrong to none, transgressed against none, established glory on the wreckage of none, made a fortune at the expense of none, or built a life on the death on none? I am sure that in this case you are in full conformity with your pure original human nature in which Allah has created you! In this context, Allah, Most Gracious, says
“(I swear) by a Self and He Who has created it (in perfect proportion), and then showed it its profligacy and piety! Indeed, successful is he who purifies it, and unsuccessful is he who corrupts it.”
This means that if you have gone astray, you know exactly that you have so done.
Once, when I was in a wedding party, a young man asked me about something that had worried him a lot. He had done something sinful that he had wrongly considered as both justifiable and reasonable. But when he came back home, he reconsidered the whole thing and found out that he was wrong, and he believed that he must have failed the test that Allah, All Mighty, had given him. No one ever taught the young man, nor did he ask anyone about it. He realized his mistake by himself, i.e. his pure original human nature made him realize that he was wrong.
I reiterate: Allah, Most Gracious, guides you by His universe, by His Words, by His Acts, and also by your own pure original human nature. Allah, All Mighty, has different ways by which He guides you. Sometimes, He guides you by inspiration, as He did to Moses’ mother:
“And We (Allah) inspired Moses’ mother: ‘Suckle him.’”
This is Divine Inspiration. Quite often, people tell you, “Allah has inspired me to travel”, “Allah has inspired me to make such deal”, “Allah has inspired me to make a partnership with so-and-so”, or “Allah has inspired me not to buy such house”. This is Divine Inspiration. Once again:
“And We inspired Moses’ mother: ‘Suckle him. But when you fear for him, cast him into the river, and fear not, nor grieve. Verily, We shall bring him back to you, and We shall make him one of (Our) Messengers.’”
Once, during the Feast days, I intended to visit a friend of mine in Damascus. While I was about to do, I suddenly found myself go to my own home quite unintentionally and without any reason or justification. When I arrived home, I was greatly surprised to find someone who had come to visit me from a remote place in the north of the country and to spend the Feast days with me; and he did not have any other place to go to except mine. It was Allah, All Mighty, Who inspired me to go home instead of visiting my friend. But how do such Divine Inspirations happen? When man submits himself to Allah, Allah inspires him; and all of the Inspirations that come to a true believer from the Lord are good ones; while insinuations that come to a disbeliever are evil and devilish, because they come from Satan, who insinuates to a disbeliever or a profligate to make a certain deal that leads to his own destruction, for example, or to make partnership with someone who devours unjustly all of his wealth, or even start a business that leads to great losses. This is devilish insinuation. In other words, man is visited with either good Divine Inspiration or evil devilish insinuation. If you are with Allah, the Most Merciful, He inspires you; but if you are with damned Satan, he insinuates to you. This is another kind of Divine Guidance: Allah, Most Gracious, provides you with good inspirations. That is why Allah, Glory to Him, addresses His Prophet, Moses, (PBUH)
“Then you came here according to a term, which I ordained (for you), o Moses!”
Sometimes, Allah, Most Gracious, inspires you to enter a certain mosque, this mosque for example, in order to offer Prayers; but you find a great number of people attending a religious lecture, so you sit and listen, and you find so many interesting things that keep you attracted to the mosque and devoted to it. I always ask newcomers how they came to our mosque. Some of them say that it was all a mere coincidence, sh3er say that a friend invited them to come, while sh3er say that as they were passing by, they noticed a number of people attending and, out of curiosity, they sat and listened. These are all kinds of Divine Inspirations.
Therefore, Divine Inspiration is another way by which Allah, Most Gracious, guides you; and this way is to be added to the foregoing ways, namely the universe, the Holy Quran, Allah’s Divine Acts, and man’s pure original human nature.
Another kind of Divine Guidance is good dreams. Sometimes, people have good righteous crystal clear dreams in their sleep. Such dreams motivate them to be more obedient and dutiful to Allah, Most Gracious. Good dreams are undoubtedly another kind of Divine Guidance. To this effect, Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says
“A good righteous dream is one part, out of forty-six parts, of Prophecy.”
In other words, if Allah, All Mighty, desires to teach you something directly and without the need for any inference, contemplation, or awareness on your part, or any Divine Acts as indicated by this Verse:
“Say: ‘Travel in the land and see what was the end of the beliers (those who rejected the truth).”
With respect to the universe, you need to contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them; with respect to Allah’s Divine Acts, you need to observe and learn; and with respect to Allah’s Divine Book, the Holy Quran, you need to read and deliberate. But sometimes, Allah, All Mighty, desires to teach you directly, clearly and quickly, so He makes you see visions or dreams in your sleep. Sometimes, Allah, Most Gracious, makes you dream that you are going down a perilous steep road. This means that He desires to warn you. Sometimes, you have a big question to which you have no answer, but Allah, Glory to Him, makes you see the answer in your dream.
Quite a few of our dear brother have told me that they, more than once, went to bed with a question about something in their mind. They asked, “O lord! Inspire me to do the right thing!” In their sleep they had good dreams that included answers to their questions. This is another kind of Divine Guidance, namely by means of good righteous dreams. But here is a delicate point that I would like to make clear: Any dream or vision that clashes with the basics of Islamic Religion is by no means acceptable, as it is undoubtedly from damned Satan. Even if someone dreams of a righteous holy religious scholar, whose face is shining brightly with faith, telling him, for example, “Do not offer prayers to Allah”, his dream is not acceptable simply because it clashes with basics of Allah’s Religion. I reiterate: all visions or dreams that clash with Allah’s Religion are by no means acceptable, simply because they definitely come from damned Satan.
However, good righteous visions or dreams that come from Allah, Most Merciful, have certain qualities. For example, if someone who is profligate or irreligious sees in his sleep a horrible dream, it is certainly from Allah, Most Merciful; and, similarly, if someone who is righteous and dutiful sees in his sleep a good delightful dream, it is also undoubtedly from the Lord, Most Gracious.
If you are a righteous good-doer and you see a horrible dream, it is certainly from damned Satan; similarly, if you were a profligate irreligious person, may Allah forbid, and you saw a good delightful dream, it would be definitely from damned Satan. As far as dreams are concerned, basics of Islamic Religion as well as the degree of one’s righteousness are the criteria by which they are to be judged as coming from Allah or from damned Satan.
By the way, dreams and visions are by no means considered as rules or adequate evidence. They are mere spiritual contacts between a certain person and his Lord, but nothing else. In other words, they belong to the individual and have nothing to do with sh3er.
Also, Allah, Most Gracious, sometimes guides you by making you meet, quite accidentally, another person, who tells you something or provides you with certain information that leads to your guidance. In other words, when I meet someone who tells me something, I should wonder, one way or another, “Who has made me meet such person?” It is certainly Allah, All Mighty, Who has! “Who has made such person say what he said?” It is Allah, Most Gracious, Who has! “Who has inspired such person?” It is certainly Allah Who has! When you are not on the Right Way, and someone comes to show it to you, you should firmly believe that Allah, Most Gracious, has made such person come and show you the Right Way. This is another kind of Divine Guidance, namely by means of other fellow humans.
There is still another kind of Divine Guidance, namely by means of feelings of spiritual comfort or discomfort. For example, sometimes you intend to travel somewhere; but when you are about to leave, you suddenly feel uncomfortable, or comfortable, about it; and also you find that things go on smoothly and easily or awkwardly and most difficultly. This is another kind of Divine Teaching or Guidance. In other words, if you are a true believer, and if you desire to do something: if Allah is pleased with the thing you are going to do, He makes you feel comfortable about it, and He makes things go easily and smoothly with you; but if He is displeased, He makes you feel uncomfortable about it, and He makes things go awkwardly and difficultly. This is another kind of Divine Guidance.
Also, Allah, Most Merciful, sometimes makes man unable to think or determine about something, but He drives him do it easily though unintentionally. This is another kind of Divine Guidance to be added to the previously mentioned eight ones, namely the universe, the Holy Quran, Divine Acts, man’s pure original human nature, Divine Inspiration, good dreams, other fellow humans, feelings of spiritual comfort or discomfort and making things easy or uneasy. The ninth kind of Divine Guidance is by driving man to do certain good things easily though unintentionally. In this context, Allah, Most Merciful, says
“Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High, Who has created (everything) in perfect proportion, and Who has decreed and guided, and Who brings out the pasturage and then makes it dark stubble.”
Religious scholars classify Allah’s Divine Guidance into four types:
First Type: General Divine Guidance:
Allah, Most Gracious, has provided you with the sense of smell, for example, which enables you to distinguish the smell of gas, which is sometimes very dangerous at home. This means that He guides you by means of the senses, one of which is the sense of smell. You sometimes hear a noise in the next room and hence guess that there is somebody in it. This means that Allah guides you by the sense of hearing. Also, Allah, Most Gracious, has given you the ability to think and deduce, just as He has granted you knowledge, experience, and awareness. Not only that, but also all of the abilities that Allah, All Mighty, gives to all His creatures are meant to guide them to their interests.
Put your finger before an ant, for example, it stops and changes its way. This means that Allah, All Mighty, has given it a sense of sight whereby it sees things and an awareness whereby it recognizes the existence of a certain danger or barrier. In other words, Allah, Most Gracious, guides ants, and in fact all creatures, to their own interests.
A farmer once told me that he saw a hedgehog eating a snake. He bit a piece of the snake and then left it and went to a certain plant and ate a leave of it. It repeated the same thing twice, and each time, it ate one piece of the snake and then a leave of the plant. The farmer pulled off the plant, and when the hedgehog bit a third piece of the snake, it went to the plant to eat a leave of it; but it did not find the plant, and, therefore, it soon died. Who guided the hedgehog that such plant had the antidote for the snake’s poison? Undoubtedly, It is Allah, All Mighty, Who did!
The most knowledgeable experienced navigator in the world cannot sail anywhere without a compass. But Allah, All Mighty, guides Solomon fish how to find their way from the Atlantic Ocean back to the very same river or lake in which they hatched. This is the first type of Allah’s Divine Guidance for all His creatures, i.e. General Divine Guidance. In this context, Allah, Mot Gracious, says
“He (Pharaoh) said: ‘Who, then, is the Lord of you two, o Moses?’ He (Moses) said: ‘Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright.’”
By this type of Divine Guidance, Allah, All Mighty, guides people how to cook food, how to make clothes, how to build houses, how to earn a living, how to fulfill their needs. This is the first type of Divine Guidance: General Divine Guidance.
Second Type: Divine Guidance to true Faith:
By virtue of this type of Divine Guidance, Allah, Most Gracious, guides mankind to Him, to His Book, to the Holy Quran, and to the truth.
Third Type: Divine Guidance to Success:
With regards to this type of Guidance, Allah, All Mighty, says
“We narrate unto you their story with the truth: Truly, they were young men who believed in their Lord (Allah), and We (Allah) increased them in guidance.”
Fourth Type: Divine Guidance to Paradise:
With respect to this type of Divine Guidance, Allah, Most Gracious, says
“But those who are killed in the Way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost. He will guide them and set right their state, and admit them to the Garden (of Paradise), which He has made known to them.”
To wrap up, I would like to explain Allah’s Words:
“And fear Allah (and be dutiful to Him), and Allah teaches you; and Allah is the All-Knower of all things.”
This Quranic Verse does not mean that if you fear Allah and are dutiful to Him, He teaches you. It rather means: Why don’t you fear Allah and be dutiful to Him?! You should fear Allah and be dutiful to Him, for He is constantly teaching you by his creation, by His Holy Quran, by His Divine Acts, by your own pure original human nature, by other fellow humans, by dreams and visions, by Divine Inspirations, by feelings of spiritual comfort or discomfort, by making things easy or uneasy, …etc, as mentioned above:
“And fear Allah, and Allah teaches you; and Allah is the All-Knower of all things.”
I hope I have made clear the fact that by fear of Allah and being dutiful to Him man repays his Lord for His Divine Guidance and attains eternal happiness and prosperity.
