Two of the greatest blessings Allaah can bestow upon a servant are guidance ( Al-Hudaa) and mercy ( Ar-Rahmah) and what opposes them is misguidance ( Ad-Dalaal) and anger ( Al-Ghadab). Allaah (swt) orders us to ask Him every day and night to guide us to the path of those whom He is pleased with and those whom He has blessed: the people of guidance and rahmah, and to say: ‘Save us from the path of those whom you are angry with and save and those who are misguided.’ This du’aa is considered the most jaami’ (comprehensive) and maani’ (restricted) du’aa. It is also the most virtuous and obligatory supplication, to the level where the servant is needy to ask Allaah to guide him to the right path (those whom He is pleased with and not angry with) seventeen times a day as an obligation.
The response to this supplication is subjective to the weakness of the heart of a person. It has been reported by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger Muhammad (saw) said:
‘Supplicate to Allaah with full certainty that he will respond, and be aware that Allaah will never respond to a supplication from the heart of someone who is ghaafil (unaware or doesn’t understand) and laahin [too busy].’ (Sunan at-Tirmidhi #3545)
Furthermore, Allaah (swt) orders us not to listen to and obey those who are ghaafil (unaware):
“And keep yourself patient with those who call on their Lord morning and afternoon… and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.”(EMQ Al-Kahf, 18: 28)
Being ghaafil means being unaware of what you are doing or where you are going. For example, many people do not know what they are saying when they are reciting the Qur’aan and neither do they make enough effort to go to any talks or circles to seek the understanding and meaning of the Qur’aan. Another way a person can become ghaafil is by not understanding what he/she is saying when they are supplicating to Allaah (swt). The term laahin refers to being too busy, occupied or even rushing when performing ritual acts etc. It is vital for us to have tadabbur (understanding) of the Qur’aan and worship Allaah with full awareness.
The way we can avoid being ghaafil or laahin is by fulfilling all our duties and responsibilities, seeking knowledge from the ‘Ulamaa of Haq, and by working collectively with Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah to establish the Khilaafah.
Many people may question why with all these guidelines and supplications do we still feel a shortage of guidance A person may also pray and make du’aa all day for guidance, but will feel as though he is not enjoying his salaah nor have the opportunity to meet his Sheikh and study his Deen. These are just a few problems of a person who is lacking guidance, but what are its causes, results and cures
There is no doubt that there are many preventions of guidance and at least one of them or all of them could be attributed to a person. With the will of Allaah we have managed to scan full heartedly seeking guidance from Allaah for an answer to this problem, and Al-Humdulillaah he has guided us to ten main preventions of hidaayah (guidance):
1. Lack of knowledge
The perfection of the servant is in two matters:
1.To be aware about the truth (Al-haq) from the falsehood (Al-Baatil) 2.Then to favour the haq over the baatil
A person may know the haq from the baatil but he will favour baatil, or his favouring of the haq from the baatil could be weak (due to tests from Allaah). If the ignorant starts to study and become aware of these two points then he will become closer to the truth and cut half his way to the path of guidance. The only thing remaining after that would be the will power to run towards the guidance. A person may also have a bit of knowledge (thinking that he/she knows a lot) and therefore will lack the will power to seek guidance from Allaah, and evidence for this is the following supplication made by the Messenger Muhammad (saw):
‘Oh Allaah! I ask you for will power to seek guidance and to achieve the objective [‘azeemah].’ (Musnad Imaam Ahmad and Faid ul-Qadeer)
Without ‘azeemah (will power) you will always fail in anything you do. Allaah (swt) informs us that Aadam (as) did not have the will power and was deceived by the whispering Iblees:
“And indeed We made a covenant with Aadam before, but he forgot, and We found on his part no [‘azeemah] firm will-power.” (EMQ Taa-Haa, 20: 115)
As for the kuffaar (non-Muslims), lack of knowledge becomes an obstacle to reach Islaam because they do not know anything about it even though they hate it so much. Man is an enemy to what he is ignorant about e.g. if he has knowledge about somebody it will effect how he deals with him. Unfortunately the ignorance about Islaam amongst Muslims today has reached a level where it has become an obstacle to an extent where some Muslims even say: ‘If I repent and return back to Allaah and do good deeds he will restrain my rizq (make me become poor) and make my life miserable. When I don’t practice Islaam, help always comes to me, I have plenty of money and I become a better person.’ This person worships Allaah for the sake of his stomach and desires, and when this happens Allaah is testing his servant’s belief and patience. How many ignorant worshippers and so called practicing Muslims are spoilt without knowledge; claiming they know all of the Deen, worshipping Allaah just on the edge:
“And among mankind is he who worships Allaah as it were, upon the very edge (i.e. in doubt); if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face…”(EMQ Al-Hajj, 22: 11)
How many people are affected by having lack of knowledge, and how many fail in this test by thinking they know it all They are ignorant of the blessings of Allaah, His tests and His mercy. If you do not know the sacrifice of the dunyaa and enjoyment of the Hereafter you will favour the lesser (dunyaa) from the higher, and if you do not recognise that the commands of Allaah are a mercy upon you (as they make you refrain from relaxation in the dunyaa and from becoming parts and pieces of it); you will be a permanent resident of the dunyaa rather than to be musaafir (a traveller), targeting the blessings of the Hereafter. Verily Allaah has made the dunyaa so tight and difficult for the believers in order for us not to relax and to always seek the Aakhirah (Hereafter).
2. Not being eligible for guidance
A person may not have a lack of knowledge, but is not eligible for hidaayah because he does not have the purity and the ability, as Allaah (swt) has informed us in the Qur’aan. If the heart of a person is solid like a rock, he will not be able to accept any advice from people let alone guidance from Allaah. The worst heart in the sight of Allaah, which is far from any mercy is al-Qalb ul-Qaasi (the solid heart). Allaah (swt) says:
“Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness. And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which split asunder so that water flows from them, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which fall down for fear of Allaah. And Allaah is not unaware of what you do.”(EMQ Al-Baqarah, 2: 74)
Therefore a person whose heart is ill, has no will power, no strength and is solid like a rock, will not be eligible for any i’lm, and if Allaah (swt) grants him i’lm (knowledge) it will have no affect on a heart made from stone. Allaah (swt) also says:
“And when Allaah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are filled with disgust and when those (whom they obey or worship) besides Him are mentioned, behold, they rejoice!” (EMQ Az-Zumar, 39: 45)
Those who have hearts like stone will become sick and disgusted whenever the Deen of Allaah is mentioned as they have no yaqeen (conviction) that they will be called to account for their deeds. Whereas when something kufr or haraam is mentioned they become so happy and eager to rush to it. 3. Being envious (Al-Hasad) and arrogant (At-Takabbur)
It has been reported in Saheeh Muslim in the book of Eemaan by ‘Abdullaah bin Mas’ood that the Messenger Muhammad (saw) said:
‘No person will enter Jannah if he has in his heart a small atoms weight of arrogance.’ A man then asked him: ‘A man likes to have very nice cloths and shoes, is this arrogance’ Rasool-Ullaah (saw) said: ‘Allaah is beautiful and he likes anything that is beautiful.’
A person that is arrogant will always put down the truth and will look down upon other people. He will belittle the truth to an extent that if you tell him something is haraam or kufr he will not care about the hukm (divine rule) regarding the matter. Likewise, a person that is envious will want everything for himself, rather than to be happy and content with what he has and share it with others. Instead to compete on the good deeds, racing towards knowledge or da’wah, he will envy those who receive knowledge before him or have more knowledge than him. When he hears a person being praised he will become arrogant and envious of that person and will try to show others that he is better than that individual.
Another form of arrogance is when a person finds it difficult or hard to be taught or advised by someone who is younger than them. Anybody who feels like this should know that he is arrogant and he should ask Allaah to perfect his character.
The solution to arrogance and envy is to be humble and have humility as these are the opposite of arrogance because it disagrees with a person’s interests. This disease of envy and arrogance is what made the Jews turn their backs and disbelieve in Rasool-Ullaah (saw) even though they were fully aware and convinced that he was the Nabi (Prophet) as his signs and descriptions fit that which was in their books and scriptures. They could not accept his Prophet-hood due to arrogance and envy they used to have and therefore Allaah (swt) exposed them in Soorah al-Baqarah:
“Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognise him (Muhammad [saw]) as they recognise their sons. But verily, a party of them conceal the truth while they know it - [i.e. the qualities of Muhammad (saw) which are written in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)].” (EMQ Al-Baqarah, 2: 146)
This disease of arrogance is what also made Abu Jahl turn his back to Islaam. When he was asked why he rejected the message of Islaam he said: ‘We were racing with Banu Haashim (the tribe) for an honourable position until we became like two jockeys. We used to say to them ‘the Nabi will be from amongst us’ but when he came from Banu Haashim we said: 'By Allaah we are not going to believe in him!' Therefore I did not believe in him.’ All of the Mushrikoon did not doubt his sincerity nor doubt that the haq was with him; it was arrogance and envy, denial ( Al-Juhood) and stubbornness ( Al-‘Inaad), which lead them to kufr and rejection.
4. Seeking leadership
Seeking leadership is another prevention of guidance. If a person has no envy or arrogance, he should follow the haq even if he is not in a position of leadership. Whosoever targets leadership alone will not be eligible for hidaayah.
Sometimes seeking the hidaayah requires a sacrifice of wealth and leadership, and an example for this is when Hiraqil said (in his last conversation with Abu Sufyaan): ‘If what you say about Muhammad is true, he is going to possess all of what is underneath my feet. And if I was going to be faithful to him, it will encourage me to make effort to meet him, and if I was with him I would wash his feet.’ This quote shows us that Allaah did not grant Hiraqil hidaayah as he did not want to lose his leadership over his people.
History also informs us that the Caesars, Pharaohs and kings of the past rejected the call of the truth out of fear from their own authority and leadership. Allaah informs us that no person will be saved from the disease of seeking leadership except whom He wishes to be guided, such as the Najaashi of Abyssinia whom Allaah protected. Whereas Pharaoh and his people said:
“Are we going to believe in two men like us, yet their own people worship like us”(EMQ Al-Mu’minoon, 23: 47)
It has also been reported that whilst Fir’awn (Pharaoh) was thinking about following Moosaa (as) out of love to him as he was his adopted son, he made consultation with Haamaan. But Haamaan said to Phir’awn: ‘After you have been a God that people worship and follow, you want to become a servant and follow somebody else!’ This increased the arrogance of Fir’awn; hence he chose leadership over guidance.
5. Desires and wealth
Desires and wealth is what prevented the People of the Book from believing in the message of Islaam as they feared a loss of food, property and money. They were fully aware that Islaam condemns some of their economic transactions e.g. ribaa (interest) and any money that was earned in haraam (prohibited) means would need to be donated as sadaqah (charity) or Zakaat. The People of the Book (Jews and Christians) did not want to donate their money to charity, nor stop dealing with ribaa, eating haraam food, and drinking alcohol etc.
One of the tactics the Quraysh used to use in order to deter people away from Islaam was to come from the angle of benefit, enjoyment and fulfilment of desire. They would say to the one who loves fornication: ‘don’t listen to that man (Muhammad [saw])! He forbids fornication’ or ‘don’t listen to him, he forbids alcohol.’ This can even be seen today from the so-called Muslims who say: ‘don’t listen to that man, he forbids mortgages…’ or even from the non-Muslims who don’t want to obey Allaah as they would need to give up their desires of pornography, alcohol, nigh-clubs, pork etc.
An example for this is the famous narration of a man called Al-A’ashaa, an Arab Mushrik who was addicted to alcohol but heard about Islaam and wanted to meet the Messenger Muhammad (saw). On his way to meet him he was stopped by a few members of the Quraysh who asked where he was going. He told them he was on his way to meet the Messenger Muhammad (saw) and embrace Islaam. Upon hearing this, members of the Quraysh said to him: ‘this man completely forbids alcohol are you sure you want to meet him!’ The man then re-considered whether he should meet Muhammad (saw) or not, and decided he wasn’t and hence turned back round to go home after travelling hundreds of miles. On his way back home his camel became frightened by something and started shaking until it threw Al-A’ashaa off and trampled over him until he died. Al-A’ashaa was so close to becoming Muslim and being saved from the Hellfire, but because of his own desires and alcohol addiction that he did not want to give up, he ended up dying kaafir.
Furthermore, Ibn ‘Abbaas said: ‘A person of I’lm from amongst the People of Book said: ‘I will never give up drinking alcohol! If I was to become Muslim I would not be allowed to drink and I would also be lashed!’’ It is also narrated that the people of Yathrib (Madeenah) used to say: ‘What you speak of is the truth, but my relatives have a lot of money and if I become Muslim I will not be able to inherit from them (as it is not allowed for Muslims to inherit from kaafir parents).’
There is no doubt that this disease is in the hearts and minds or all the kuffaar, and unfortunately even many Muslims. If Islaam apposes or comes into conflict with their interests and desires, those with weak eemaan or no eemaan (the kuffaar) would respond to their desires and wealth. And Allaah (swt) informs us about those who do not respond to the call of Allaah:
“And whosoever does not respond to Allaah's caller, he cannot escape on earth, and there will be no Awliyaa' (protectors) for him besides Allaah (from Allaah's Punishment). Those are in manifest error.” (EMQ Al-Ahqaaf, 46: 32)
6. Love for parents, children, wives (beloved ones) and tribes etc.
Love for the beloved ones will make a person subconsciously feel that if he follows what his heart signals is the truth he will lose them (wives, parents, children etc.). Therefore the fear of losing beloved ones could lead to the prevention of guidance as a person would be afraid of embracing or practicing Islaam for fear of being rejected by his family and disowned by his parents.
For this reason many disbelievers prefer to reject the call of Islaam because they see how other new converts are treated by their parents and families and do not want to face the same destiny. The same can also be said about the Jews and Christians who reject Islaam and declare animosity to the believers, which makes their own family and children turn their backs to Islaam for the sake of not losing their parents or wife etc. And unfortunately many Muslims, out of love to their secular parents or family will never support the truth if it contradicts with what their beloved ones say and believe in. Therefore it is not surprising to hear parents saying ‘do not go to those talks and da’wah stalls…’ the Muslims choose to fear their parents more than Allaah and completely give up the Haq (da’wah, forbidding evil, studying Islaam etc).
The love for children and wives will also prevent a daa’ie (propagator of Islaam) from fulfilling his duties as he will be afraid of losing or upsetting his wife and not spending enough time with his children. Yet this is no excuse to miss or avoid carrying da’wah, for Allaah (swt) says in the hardest ayat in the Qur’aan:
“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight … are dearer to you than Allaah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allaah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allaah guides not the people who are Al-Faasiqoon (the rebellious, disobedient to Allaah).” (EMQ At-Tawbah, 9: 24)
Even if a secular person or a kaafir is asked ‘who do you love more, Allaah or your parents’ He will always say ‘Allaah’ or God. But Allaah (swt) is not asking us who we love more as everyone will say Allaah. Allaah is telling us that if we love our beloved ones and obey them whilst disobeying the commands of Allaah, we will become faasiq (sinful), face torment in the Hereafter and become ineligible for his guidance.
7. The love of the homeland – Nationalism
Nationalism is a great prevention of guidance and we have seen many times people who choose to follow misguidance due to a member of their race, family or nationality being in a particular group who are following the haq i.e. a Bengali not joining a group (who follow Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah) because there are no other Bengalis with them, or an Arab not joining a group because there are no Arabs with them. This same jaahiliyyah happened in the time of Muhammad (saw) where the hypocrites did not want to make hijrah to al-Madeenah as they did not want to leave their tribes and their beloved city in which they were born (Makkah). It is also narrated that they used to say: ‘we cannot leave Makkah and go to Yathrib…we love Makkah too much…'
A Muslim needs to sacrifice his country and nationality if he wants to follow Islaam and be eligible for hidaayah. An excellent example can be seen in Salmaan al-Faarisi who left his homeland and travelled from country to country to meet Rasool-Ullaah (saw). When he ran out of money he even became slave for the sake of earning money in order to pay for travel expenses. Finally when he reached Makkah he spent a long time looking for him then he realised that Muhammad (saw) was not even there as he moved to al-Madeenah. He then left Makkah and travelled to al-Madeenah where he met the Messenger Muhammad (saw) and embraced Islaam.
8. Following customs and traditions and aiming to fulfil the ambitions of parents
Many people are ineligible for hidaayah as they believe the haq is an insult to their customs and traditions and is an obstacle in the way of fulfilling the ambitions and dreams of their parents. This is exactly what prevented Abu Taalib, the uncle of Muhammad (saw) from getting any hidaayah from Allaah as he rejected the message of Islaam in order to fulfil the ambitions of his family and tribes. One of the enemies of Allaah said to Abu Taalib: ‘are you turning away from the deen of Abdul Muttalib’ Rasool-Ullaah asked his uncle to say Laa ilaaha illaa Allaah but he replied: ‘Oh my nephew, by Allaah from the first day I knew you speak the truth but my people do not like this word (the Kalimah) and I do not want to let them down…I am on the millah (deen) of Abdul Muttalib.’ It is also narrated that Abu Taalib said: ‘I know for sure the deen of Muhammad (saw) is the best deen for the whole world but I do not want people to complain that I have brought a bad name to our tribes, otherwise you would have seen me testifying publicly.’
The majority of people, even Muslims, are still persistent in following their customs and traditions to a level where if the haq conflicts with a custom they follow, they will not only reject to follow it but will also publicly condemn it, curse it and even call it bid’ah (innovation). For example, wearing the Ta’weez or touching your parents' feet (i.e. bowing down to them) are acts of kufr and shirk, yet those who follow their desires and customs will say this hukm is bid’ah!
When a person hears that free-mixing is not allowed in kufr universities and colleges they will completely reject the command of Allaah as they do not want to fail the ambitions of their parents, such as becoming a doctor, solicitor, lawyer, engineer or any other so-called ‘professional’. Many people do not want to leave the traditions and customs of their parents and Allaah (swt) exposes them in the Qur’aan:
“And when it is said to them: ‘Come to what Allaah has revealed and unto the Messenger (Muhammad [saw}).’ They say: ‘Enough for us is that which we found our fathers following’, even though their fathers had no knowledge whatsoever and no guidance."(EMQ Al-Maa-idah, 5: 104)
9. Choosing not to follow the haq because someone you hate is following it
When a person hates someone, he will dislike walking where he walks, sitting where he sits and eat what he eats. Therefore if he sees a person whom he hates with a group that is following the haq, he will not join them purely for that reason, even though he knows that the group is on the haq. This even happens with the kaafir, where he will not embrace Islaam only because a family member he used to hate so much embraced Islaam and is following the haq.
This is also another reason why the Jews rejected Islaam as they were enemies with the Ansaar therefore rejected Islaam as the people they hated most were following the haq, despite the fact that Muhammad (saw) fitted the exact description of a forthcoming prophet in their own scriptures:
“Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad [saw]) whom they find written with them in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)…"(EMQ Al-A’araaf, 7: 157)
How many people choose not to follow the truth only because somebody they hate is following that path10. Old habits
Some people grow up with certain worldly aspirations such as to get a top job, a position, to be a pop star, a boxer, DJ etc. and have certain bad habits such as listening to music, watching movies, eating too much, smoking, lying, swearing and being lazy etc. They will fear that their profession could be affected if they follow the haq and commit themselves in fulfilling their duties and obligations therefore do not want to give up their bad habits.
This can be seen in many Muslims who find it so difficult to leave their prohibited jobs as it took them years to reach that position, and those who have bad habits such as eating out all the time and looking at women with the justification of looking for a wife etc. Allaah (swt) says in the Qur’aan:
“And similarly, We sent not a Warner before you (O Muhammad [saw]) to any town (people) but the luxurious ones among them said: ‘We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed follow their footsteps.’” (EMQ Az-Zukhruf, 43: 23)
Those who follow their desires will find it difficult to give up cigarettes and European Coca-Cola etc. and say ‘I have never heard that before!’ without to realise that they are not scholars and there are many things in life which they have no knowledge about. When they hear free-mixing, cinemas, credit cards and mortgages etc. are haraam they will say ‘I wonder what is halaal’ or ‘everything is haraam for you people!’ They will find it impossible to give up haraam food in KFC, McDonalds or Burger King and all other evil, hence they will become misguided.
For us to be open and ready for the conviction and guidance of Allaah we must give up our old habits and not commit any of these ten preventions of hidaayah. We must keep learning from the ‘Ulamaa, attend talks in order to increase our knowledge and practice Islaam the way the Messenger Muhammad (saw) and his Companions (ra) did.
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