RAMADAN: HIDAYAH

SALAAMU ALYKUM WARAHMATULLAH WABARAKATUH. We going to talk about; HADAYAH

The word Hidayah, linguistically meaning direction and guidance is used in two senses in the Qur'an.

- Guidance of clarification and direction, not taking into account whether the person to whom it has been clarified traverses the path of guidance or not.

With this respect is the saying of Allah:

"And as for the Thamud then We guided them but they preferred blindness over guidance." [Al-Qur'an 41:17]

Meaning: We made clear to them the True Way upon the tongue of our Prophet Salih, upon him and our Prophet be peace and blessings, despite the fact that they did not traverse this way as proven by His saying, "but they preferred blindness over guidance."
The aspect of guidance that has been negated is the specific guidance as this is in the Hands of Allah Alone. As for the aspect of guidance that has been affirmed then it is the general guidance which is to make clear the Way of Truth. And the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) explained this to the extent that it became like a great white plain whose night is like its day. Referring to the hadith, "I have left you upon the great white plain, its night is like its day, none deviates from it except he who is destroyed." Reported by Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim and Ahmad from the hadith of Arbadh ibn Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him). Refer to Silsilah Ahadith as-Sahihah (2/528 no. 937) for detailed documentation.

There is also a sense to the word guidance that was mentioned by Ibn Al-Qayyim, and that is guidance on the Day of Judgement to the path to Paradise – this being the bridge leading to it. So the one who is guided in this life to the Straight Path will be guided to the straight path in the Hereafter that leads to His Paradise. His firmness on the path that Day will be dependant on how firmly he trod the Straight Path in this life. Ibn Al-Qayyim, Madarij as-Salikin... 


By Ghazali Muhammed