The Secret of Guidance

[oceanmen]

The Secret of Guidance
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There is optional will and it is in the hand of the servant, then there is the achieving of that will and this is only by the permission of Allah.

Now we will explain what is meant by the optional will, and this is the choice people have. So they can choose to follow this path or that path and this choice happens by asking permission from Allah to guide them to the choice they made. The ability to choose is given by Allah to the people because humans have a mind which helps them to make a choice. The mind is the alibi that Allah will use against them if they do not use it, and if the mind is gone then Allah sends warners and messengers to teach them and guide them to the path of truth and so they have no more excuse in line with the verse:

((﴿رُسُلاً مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلاَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا﴾) )صدق الله العظيم وقال الله تعالى(( ذَلِكَ أَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ الْقُرَى بِظُلْمٍ وَأَهْلُهَا غَافِلُونَ ( 131 )صدق الله العظيم

Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the (coming of) Messengers. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise. - An-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #165


Meaning that Allah will not destroy them unless he send to them messengers yet they preferred to stay blind instead of being guided, and the meaning of ignorant (ghafeloon) of what Allah ordered his servants on earth is linked to the fact that when Allah sends them prophets to warn and guide them they will have no excuse and they can not say:

((أَن تَقُولُواْ إِنَّمَا أُنزِلَ الْكِتَابُ عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَافِلِينَ (156) أَوْ تَقُولُواْ لَوْ أَنَّا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَابُ لَكُنَّا أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ فَقَدْ جَاءكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ وَصَدَفَ عَنْهَا سَنَجْزِي الَّذِينَ يَصْدِفُونَ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَصْدِفُونَ (157) ( الأنعام)

Lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: "The Book was sent down only to two sects before us (the Jews and the Christians), and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied." - Or lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: "If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely have been better guided than they (Jews and Christians)." So now has come unto you a clear proof (the Qur'an) from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy. Who then does more wrong than one who rejects the Ayat (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah and turns away therefrom? We shall requite those who turn away from Our Ayat with an evil torment, because of their turning away (from them). [Tafsir At-Tabari]

And so we say YES if guidance is by will then, Allah is willing to guide the people all to make them one nation but he will guide only those who repent and ask for it of his servants and leave those who do not repent and ask for guidance and choose to remain blind…so those who say, I will be guided when Allah wills, and only if Allah wills then I will be guided look at how Allah replies to them:

((سَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ لَوْ شَاء اللّهُ مَا أَشْرَكْنَا وَلاَ آبَاؤُنَا وَلاَ حَرَّمْنَا مِن شَيْءٍ كَذَلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم حَتَّى ذَاقُواْ بَأْسَنَا قُلْ هَلْ عِندَكُم مِّنْ عِلْمٍ فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَا إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ أَنتُمْ إَلاَّ تَخْرُصُونَ (148) قُلْ فَلِلّهِ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَالِغَةُ فَلَوْ شَاء لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ (149) قُلْ هَلُمَّ شُهَدَاءكُمُ الَّذِينَ يَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ اللّهَ حَرَّمَ هَـذَا فَإِن شَهِدُواْ فَلاَ تَشْهَدْ مَعَهُمْ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاء الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِآيَاتِنَا وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ وَهُم بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ (150) صدق الله العظيم

Those who took partners (in worship) with Allah will say: "If Allah had willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship) with Him, nor would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything (against His Will)." Likewise belied those who were before them, (they argued falsely with Allah's Messengers), till they tasted Our Wrath. Say: "Have you any knowledge (proof) that you can produce before us? Verily, you follow nothing but guess and you do nothing but lie." - Say: "With Allah is the perfect proof and argument, (i.e. the Oneness of Allah, the sending of His Messengers and His Holy Books to mankind); had He so willed, He would indeed have guided you all." - Say: "Bring forward your witnesses, who can testify that Allah has forbidden this. Then if they testify, testify not you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) with them. And you should not follow the vain desires of such as treat Our Ayat (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) as falsehoods, and such as believe not in the Hereafter, and they hold others as equal (in worship) with their Lord."


And Allah made it clear that if he wills with his power he will guide the whole world because he is able to do anything and everything, but he will guide only those who turn to him in repentance and ask guidance in line with the verse


تعالى ((( وَأَنِيبُوا إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَأَسْلِمُوا لَهُ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لَا تُنْصَرُونَ ( 54 )صدق الله العظيم

"Turn ye to our Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped. - Az-Zumar, Chapter #39, Verse #54


Yet those who do not ask for guidance they will say:

(( أَوْ تَقُولَ لَوْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ هَدَانِي لَكُنْتُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

Or (lest) he should say: "If only Allah had guided me, I should indeed have been among the Muttaqun (the pious - See V.2:2)." - Az-Zumar, Chapter #39, Verse #57

And Allah’s claim on him is that he did not ask for guidance

تعالى ((( وَأَنِيبُوا إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَأَسْلِمُوا لَهُ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لَا تُنْصَرُونَ ( 54 )صدق الله العظيم

"Turn ye to our Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped. - Az-Zumar, Chapter #39, Verse #54

[oceanmen]

1-Is the Koran protected from corruption?

(ج1)قال الله تعالى( إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ (9)صدق الله العظيم

We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).
Al-Hijr, Chapter #15, Verse #9


2-So there must be a reason why god protected it from corruption, and using our minds and logic, the wisdom of protecting it from corruption is so it is used as a plea against the people and it means surely they will be questioned since Allah send them a clear and protected book

ج2) قال الله تعالى( وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ وَسَوْفَ تُسْئَلُونَ )صدق الله العظيم

The (Qur'an) is indeed the message, for thee and for thy people; and soon shall ye (all) be questioned. Az-Zukhruf, Chapter #43, Verse #44

3-Is the sunnah protected from corruption?

ج3 )قال الله تعالى(وَيَقُولُونَ طَاعَةٌ فَإِذَا بَرَزُواْ مِنْ عِندِكَ بَيَّتَ طَائِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ غَيْرَ الَّذِي تَقُولُ وَاللَّهُ يَكْتُبُ مَا يُبَيِّتُونَ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلاً)صدق الله العظيم

They have "Obedience" on their lips; but when they leave thee, a section of them Meditate all night on things very different from what thou tellest them. But Allah records their nightly (plots): So keep clear of them, and put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs.
An-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #81

4-We know that the prophet (saw) did not speak from his own mind as we learned from Allah in the Koran, meaning that the hadith of the sunnah came from Allah also just as the Koran. Since Allah said that the Koran is protected from corruption, then using our minds and logic if there is a sunnah/hadith that is contradicting to one of the koranic verses, the surely it means this hadith or sunnah did not come from Allah, meaning it came from shaitan or one of his followers or allies, and this is using our minds and logical thinking, is there anything in Koran that confirms this?

ج4)قال الله تعالى(وَيَقُولُونَ طَاعَةٌ فَإِذَا بَرَزُواْ مِنْ عِندِكَ بَيَّتَ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ غَيْرَ الَّذِي تَقُولُ وَاللَّهُ يَكْتُبُ مَا يُبَيِّتُونَ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلاً}(80ـ)أَفَلاَ يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُواْ فِيهِ اخْتِلافًا كَثِيرًا.(81)صدق الله العظيم

They have "Obedience" on their lips; but when they leave thee, a section of them Meditate all night on things very different from what thou tellest them. But Allah records their nightly (plots): So keep clear of them, and put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs. - Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much difference. - An-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #81


5-So the rope of Allah that he told us to hold on to and reject anything that goes against it, is clear now that it is the Koran. So the koran is the reference to be used for settling the differences between the scholars of hadith & sunnah, but is there anything in the Koran that confirms that the rope of Allah that he ordered us to hold on to, and to reject anything against it, is there any proof that it is indeed the Koran? and that those who stick to it will be guided on the straight path?

ج5) قال الله تعالى(يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءكُم بُرْهَانٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ نُورًا مُّبِينًا ( 174 ) فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ بِاللّهِ وَاعْتَصَمُواْ بِهِ فَسَيُدْخِلُهُمْ فِي رَحْمَةٍ مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلٍ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَيْهِ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا )صدق الله العظيم

O mankind! verily there hath come to you a convincing proof from your Lord: For We have sent unto you a light (that is) manifest. Then those who believe in Allah, and hold fast to Him,- soon will He admit them to mercy and grace from Himself, and guide them to Himself by a straight way.
An-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #174

6-but is there after this speech (Koran) any other hadith(speech) that is more truthful than the Koran?


ج6) قال الله تعالى((تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَ اللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ ( 6 )صدق الله العظيم

Such are the verses of Allah, which We rehearse to thee in Truth; then in what speech will they believe after (rejecting) Allah and His verses? Al-Jathiya, Chapter #45, Verse #6


7-Does Allah guide whomever Allah wants? And misguide whomever Allah wants to misguide?

س7)قال الله تعالى((إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَظْلِمُ النَّاسَ شَيْئًا وَلَكِنَّ النَّاسَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ)) صدق الله العظيم

Verily Allah will not deal unjustly with man in aught: It is man that wrongs his own soul. - Yunus, Chapter #10, Verse #44

How can Allah guide who he wants to guide and misguide whom he wants to misguide? This makes Allah unjust which is not true for his name is AL ADL (the most just). The correct meaning is that god guides whoever (any servant) wants/wills to be guided, and Allah does not guide whoever (any servant) does not want to be guided and did not choose to ask Allah.

This means that those who want to be guided, they ask Allah for guidance and so Allah responds by actually guiding them, and those who choose not to be guided and are happy to be blind and ignorant, those people Allah will not actually guide them because they never asked him.

{مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَسَاء فَعَلَيْهَا وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ} (46) سورة فصلت

Whoever does righteousness deeds benefits his own soul; whoever does evil deeds, it is against his own soul: and thy Lord is not unjust (in the least) to His Servants.
Fussilat, Chapter #41, Verse #46


{وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَاعِقَةُ الْعَذَابِ الْهُونِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ } (17) سورة فصلت.

As to the Thamud, We gave them Guidance, but they preferred blindness (of heart) to Guidance: so the stunning Punishment of humiliation seized them, because of what they had earned. - Fussilat, Chapter #41, Verse #17


{وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَآتَاهُمْ تَقْواهُمْ} (17) سورة محمد
While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance and bestows on them their piety.
Muhammad, Chapter #47, Verse #17

{قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءكُمُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ فَمَنِ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا وَمَا أَنَاْ عَلَيْكُم بِوَكِيلٍ} (108) سورة يونس

Say: "O you mankind! Now truth (i.e. the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) has come to you from your Lord. So whosoever receives guidance, he does so for the good of his own self; and whosoever goes astray, he does so to his own loss; and I am not (set) over you as a Wakil (disposer of affairs to oblige you for guidance)."
Al-Isra, Chapter #17, Verse #15

{ فَلَمَّا زَاغُوا أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ} (5) سورة الصف

So when they turned away (from the Path of Allah), Allah turned their hearts away (from the Right Path). And Allah guides not the people who are Fasiqun (the rebellious, the disobedient to Allah) - As-Saff, Chapter #61, Verse #5


{وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءتْ مَصِيرًا} (115) سورة النساء.

And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination!
An-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #115


قُلْ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَاء وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَنْ أَنَابَ (27) الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ} (28) سورة الرعد (صدق الله العظيم)

Say: "Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides unto Himself those who turn to Him in repentance." - Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah: verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest .
Ar-Rad, Chapter #13, Verse #27


So look at God’s plea used against the people who were not guided because they did not choose to turn to God and ask him and repent till God guides him


{قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ(53) وَأَنِيبُوا إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَأَسْلِمُوا لَهُ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لا تُنْصَرُونَ(54) وَاتَّبِعُوا أَحْسَنَ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ بَغْتَةً وَأَنْتُمْ لا تَشْعُرُونَ(55) أَنْ تَقُولَ نَفْسٌ يَا حَسْرَتَا عَلَى مَا فَرَّطْتُ فِي جَنْبِ اللَّهِ وَإِنْ كُنْتُ لَمِنَ السَّاخِرِينَ(56) أَوْ تَقُولَ لَوْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ هَدَانِي لَكُنتُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ{57} ))صدق الله العظيم

Say: "O 'Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. - And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him (in Islam) before the torment comes upon you, (and) then you will not be helped. - And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur'an, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!" - Lest a person should say: "Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allah (i.e. I have not done what Allah has ordered me to do), and I was indeed among those who mocked [at the truth! i.e. La ilaha illallah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah), the Qur'an, and Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and at the faithful believers] - Or (lest) he should say: "If only Allah had guided me, I should indeed have been among the Muttaqun (the pious - See V.2:2)." -


Meaning that Allah guides whoever (servant) wants to be guided and does not guide whoever (servant) does not want it. So Allah guides who WANTS TO BE GUIDED and does not guide who DOES NOT WANT TO BE GUIDED

({وَكَذَلِكَ أَنزَلْنَاهُ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يُرِيدُ} (16) سورة الحـج.

Thus have We sent it (this Qur'an) down (to Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) as clear signs, evidence and proofs, and surely, Allah guides who wants. Al-Hajj, Chapter #22, Verse #16


Meaning Allah only guides those who want it by turning to him in line with the ayah:

( { قُلْ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَاء وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَنْ أَنَابَ (27)صدق الله العظيم

Say: "Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides unto Himself those who turn to Him in repentance."


And so we see that humans have a choice and Allah can make that help him achieve that choice if he asks for it. Meaning Allah directs his heart according to the choice he made. In line with the verse:

(((أَلَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُ عَيْنَيْنِ (8) وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ (9) وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ (10)صدق الله العظيم

Have We not made for him two eyes,
And a tongue and two lips?
And shown him the two ways (good and evil)?
Al-Balad, Chapter #90, Verse #10

also in line with the verse

(إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا)صدق الله العظيم

Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful. - Al-Insan, Chapter #76, Verse #3

and so the guidance comes according to the choice in line with the verse

(فَلَمَّا زَاغُوا أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ لا يَهْدِي الْفَاسِقِينَ

So when they turned away (from the Path of Allah), Allah turned their hearts away (from the Right Path). And Allah guides not the people who are Fasiqun (the rebellious, the disobedient to Allah). As-Saff, Chapter #61, Verse #5