Allah has created man and given him reason, and He has left him to make his own choice. Allah has created us with the ability to choose, and He has sent us guidance. Allah guides us to the easiest path and augments our belief. Islam is the religion of the natural state of man (fitnah), the religion of reason and thought. Allah has distinguished the truth from falsehood. He has enjoined all that is good and forbidden all that is evil. He has permitted good things and forbidden evil things. Allah says:
وَيَزِيدُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا هُدًى ۗ وَالْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ مَّرَدًّا
“And Allah increases those who were guided, in guidance, and the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for recourse.”(Surah Maraym 19:76)
The guidance of Allah benefits him who follows His pleasure. If you’re not seeking guidance and knowledge you’ll never be guided. In other words, Allah guides everyone but those who insist on going astray and do sins will be eventually left over themselves and hence will be misled. The Quran has described Islam, faith and piety as success, achievement and security and the peace mentioned here fits perfectly with that. Allah says:
مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَٰلِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَنْ أَسَآءَ فَعَلَيْهَا ۗ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّٰمٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ
“Whoever does good, it is to their own benefit. And whoever does evil, it is to their own loss. Your Lord is never unjust to His creation.” (Fussilat 41:46)
Allah increases in guidance those who walk aright and believe in the Oneness of Allah with fear. Allah is the only one Who knows what is in our hearts and who is truly pious. God uses it to guide those who deserve His guidance is sending human messengers. All God’s messengers have the sole duty of delivering and confirming God’s message which has always been one and the same: worship God alone. Worshipping God alone means nothing but following His own words in His scriptures.
God’s guidance is a central part of the Faith, God designed us with a purpose in mind:
- God never guide us to take any step which is perverse to His Word
- God is willing to guide us concerning every detail, great and small
- God guides through the principles and examples of the Quran
- God guide us in the Quran, which has a chart and compass
- God guide us into all truth and tell us about the future
- God’s guidance is adapted to each individual need
- God guide us along the best pathway for our life
- God guides through providential circumstances
- God guide us in every step of the way of life
- God guides whomsoever He wills
- God guides in answer to prayer
- God guides us by His Holy Spirit
- God guides us to find faults and doubts
- God guide us in the paths of righteousness
- God guide us along the best pathway for our life
- God guide us about all life steps to follow in the Quran
- God guide us in a perfect divine plan and destiny of life
- God guide us in a certain direction that helps in practical life
- God guide us about speech, attitudes, behaviour and morality
- God guide us to the straight way and covers all of life’s matters
- God’s greatest concern for us is the moulding of our real character
God has told us that He guides those who obey Him and turn to Him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): When we ask God to guide us to the straight path, we are asking God to supplement our efforts to attain guidance with His help. We make our efforts to think, learn and contemplate. The Quran has given a brief insight into the religious fundamentals found in these scriptures. Allah says:
إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ
“Indeed, you (can) not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He (is) most knowing (of) the guided ones.” (Surah Al-Qasas 28:56)
Allah guides those who deserve His guidance. He guides those whose hearts incline to Him. Islam teaches that humans are born spiritually neutral, perfectly capable of obeying God’s requirements completely and that they remain this way even after they’ve personally sinned. However, we then follow our efforts up with supplication, beseeching God’s help to remedy the deficiencies in our efforts to attain the “straight way”.
Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran:
- “He guides to Himself whoever turns to Him.” (Quran 13:27)
- “And all things We have recorded in a Book.” (Quran 78:29)
- “The One Who created me, and He guides me.” (Quran 26:78 )
- “…And God guides whom He wills to a straight path.” (Quran, 24:46)
- “Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you.” (Al-Baqara: 185)
- “And We have revealed the Book to you explaining clearly everything.” (Quran 16:89)
- “God will increase in guidance and piety [to] those who strive to attain it.” (Quran 47:17)
Allah created a world in which evil or good can be done by beings to whom He gave this ability. The “miracle” of our creation enables us to recognize and remain in total awe of Allah’s limitless powers. Ultimately, we should trust in God’s justice; God will always guide those who deserve to be guided. They deserve to be guided because they seek God and they believe in Him. As a result, God makes the path to guidance easy for them. As for those whom God knows will never believe, no matter how much time and chances they are given, God does not guide them. Allah says:
إِن تَحْرِصْ عَلَىٰ هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَن يُضِلُّ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ
“If you desire [for] their guidance, then indeed, Allah (will) not guide whom He lets go astray, and not (are) for them any helpers.” (Surah An-Nahl 16:37)
Quran is the truth and being as such contains guidance and in other instances healing for mankind. God provides every good that you have and it is best to think of what you have as a trust. You are guardian over that trust for yourself and others for whom you are naturally responsible but also for others that God may put in your path throughout your life. Understanding the role of your heart in engaging with the Quran is critically important. This is a book that must be taken in its entirety. Allah says:
إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا
“Indeed, this, the Quran, guides to that which (is) most straight and gives glad tidings to the believers – those who do the righteous deeds, that for them (is) a reward great.” (Surah Al-Isra` 17:9)
In all matters, we need to be objective, sincere, and free from base motives. We need to aspire to excellence. The Quran contains principles and rules that concern and elevate gradually everybody, from primitive people to scholars and philosophers, from tradesmen to ascetic people, and from the rich to the poor. The Quran states the existence, oneness, attributes, power, and magnitude of Allah
