Enigma of Guidance Continued (Part III)

Mail Box Letter Relevant to this Topic
 Letter 13: Why Will Quran Mislead You?

 

In continuation of the articles Enigma of Guidance Part 1 which was written in 2009 and Enigma of Guidance Part 2 which was written in 2013, the complex nature of guidance had prompted me to revisit this once more.

We have covered in the earlier published two parts that;

• The duty of Prophet (SAW) was not to guide the people, but deliver of the message. Guidance of people is per Allah's will.
• Allah guides who he pleases and puts to err who he pleases
• Allah appoints shaitan with people who turn them away from Allah
• Allah does not change the condition of the people until they change their own condition
• Man has nothing in his control, his birth, death, Rizq, accidents, offsprings, outcome of any action. The only thing man controls is his intentions and Allah's guidance will come to those with purified intentions only.
• We pray to Allah in every salat to keep us on the right path (hence to stay on it is not in our control fully without Allah's desire)
• Yusuf (AS) saved himself from adultery not because of the free will he had, but because he was Allah's "sincere" servant. His intentions and faith was pure hence Allah protected him.
• Guidance is light. The quality of light is, that nothing can come over it and cover it. Anything which tries to do so, light automatically jumps over it and thus casts a shadow beneath it. Light will always remain on top. Is the nature of guidance destined or free willed? Now that i re-read the correlation of guidance with light again, I find it funny that light too has dual nature (wave and particle).

What is guidance?

[Quran 16:5-8 ] And He created the cattle for you; you have in them warm clothing and (many) advantages, and of them do you eat. And there is beauty in them for you when you drive them back (to home), and when you send them forth (to pasture). And they carry your heavy loads to regions which you could not reach but with distress of the souls; most surely your Lord is Compassionate, Merciful. And (He made) horses and mules and asses that you might ride upon them and as an ornament; and He creates what you do not know.
[Quran 16:9] And upon Allah it rests to show the right way, and there are some deviating (ways); and if He please He would certainly guide you all aright.
[Quran 16:10-16 ] He it is Who sends down water from the cloud for you; it gives drink, and by it (grow) the trees upon which you pasture. He causes to grow for you thereby herbage, and the olives, and the palm trees, and the grapes, and of all the fruits; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who reflect. And He has made subservient for you the night and the day and the sun and the moon, and the stars are made subservient by His commandment; most surely there are signs in this for a people who ponder; And what He has created in the earth of varied hues most surely there is a sign in this for a people who are mindful. And He it is Who has made the sea subservient that you may eat fresh flesh from it and bring forth from it ornaments which you wear, and you see the ships cleaving through it, and that you might seek of His bounty and that you may give thanks. And He has cast great mountains in the earth lest it might be convulsed with you, and rivers and roads that you may go aright, And landmarks; and by the stars they find the right way.

These ayahs from Surah Nahl are very interesting. Allah created everything for us and our benefit. The cattle, the clothing, the horses, the mules, the rain, the trees, the fruits, the day and night, the sun and moon, the stars, the sea, the fish, the ships, the mountains, the rivers and the roads, all created for us, men, all made for our utility. Ayahs 5 to Ayah 16 describe the blessings of Allah that he has provided to man, with the exception of Ayah 9 where in Allah retains the right to show us the right way and if he pleases only, he will guide us.

So of all the blessings that Allah has created, he has given every man a right over them, except for guidance which he has kept for himself as a privilege to be bestowed on men as per his pleasure.

Ayah 104 of Surah Nahl complicates an already complicated problem of what actually is guidance?

(As for) those who do not believe in Allah's communications, surely Allah will not guide them, and they shall have a painful punishment.
Quran [16:104]

The Quran was a guide to people. So guided people must believe in Allah's communications. However Allah states that those who do not believe in his communications will not be guided. This implies that for us to achieve guidance we must believe in Allah's communication and not the other way round, the perceived notion that if we are guided we will believe in Allah's communication.

Whatever is this guidance, is definitely more superior than believing in the communication and signs of Allah for this guidance is granted only after we already achieve the belief in Allah's communications.

And We said: O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the garden and eat from it a
plenteous (food) wherever you wish and do not approach this tree, for then you will be of the unjust.
Quran [2:35]

So We said: O Adam! This is an enemy to you and to your wife; therefore let him not drive you both forth from the garden so that you should be unhappy; Surely it is (ordained) for you that you shall not be hungry therein nor bare of clothing; And that you shall not be thirsty therein nor shall you feel the heat of the sun. But the Shaitan made an evil suggestion to him; he said: O Adam! Shall I guide you to the tree of immortality and a kingdom which decays not? Then they both ate of it, so their evil inclinations became manifest to them, and
they both began to cover themselves with leaves of the garden, and Adam disobeyed his
Lord, so his life became evil (to him). Then his Lord chose him, so He turned to him and guided (him). He said: Get forth you two therefrom, all (of you), one of you (is) enemy to
another. So there will surely come to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance, he shall not go astray nor be unhappy;
Quran [20:117-123]

Allah instructed Adam (AS) to stay away from the tree. Allah guided Adam (AS) to a clear path. However Adam (AS) faltered. Despite Allah's guidance (instructions). However Adam (AS) faltering showed that Adam (AS) was not GUIDED because the GUIDANCE that Allah promises is one after which one cannot fail. It was only when Adam (AS) repented and came to Allah with a clean heart, did Allah guide him.

Are there two distinct definitions of guidance? One meaning the instructions coming from Allah, and the other Allah taking care of all of our affairs, physical and spiritual, intellectual and financial?

And when you forsake them and what they worship save Allah, betake yourselves
for refuge to the cave; your Lord will extend to you largely of His mercy and provide for you a profitable course in your affair.
Quran [18:16]

This is Allah's GUIDANCE, him regulating our affairs directly. When we clean our heart from all disease, and believe in his communication, he will manage our affairs. Yusuf (AS) was saved by Allah before he fell to carnal desires of the people in his house. Hur (AS) was brought to the camp of Imam Hussain on they day of the battle itself.

All of us will have our share of trials, tribulations, challenges, in personal and professional life. The key is to make sure Allah regulates our affair directly for us because that cover of Guidance which Allah will allow to us after we please him, will guard us from all that we should be guarded from.

The key components of this guidance is to believe in Allah (Quran 64:11 that Allah guides him who believes in him, to be just (Quran 3:86 that Allah does not guide the unjust), do not transgress (Quran 9:80, Allah does not guide the transgressors), do not be extravagant and a liar (Quran 40:28, Allah does not guide the liars and the extravagant), guard against evil (Quran 2:2, Quran is a guide only for those who guard against evil), be grateful (Quran 39:3 Allah does not guide the ungrateful). Because Allah is the absolute authority and omnipotent, he will guide who ever he pleases (Quran 24:46).

Tick all the right check boxes to have Allah govern your affairs for you.

The nafs e Mutmainnah, Imam Hussain (AS), thirsty amidst enemy and sons being killed, satisfied because he (AS) was aware that Allah is governing his affairs.

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The Précis

It is not in my authority to guide myself or anyone else. It is not in my authority, to do anything outside the will of Allah. Everything about me, around me is determined by the will of Allah, except one thing, which will hold me accountable on the day of judgement.