Hidayah (Divine Guidance to the Truth)
Just before Allah sent Adam عليه السلام (may the Peace be upon him), Hawa (Eve) عليها السلام (may the Peace be upon her) and Iblis (Satan) from Paradise to Earth, He presented them (this means including their offspring) with a crucial choice: whether to accept His guidance or to reject it when it comes to them. Allah says in the Noble Qur’an:
“We said: ‘Get down all of you from this place (the Paradise), then whenever there comes to you guidance from Me, and whoever follows My guidance, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grieve. But those who disbelieve and belie Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) such are the dwellers of the Fire, they shall abide therein forever.”’ [The Noble Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah (Chapter of the Cow), 2:38-39]
Allah allows free will to take place in the matter of Iman (Faith) when He said: “…whoever follows My guidance…”. Guidance in this verse means Messengers and Prophets whom He has sent with the Message: “There is no god worthy of worship except Allah.” In Tafseer Ibn Katheer, it is stated that the phrase “…whoever follows My guidance…” means, “whoever accepts what is contained in My Books and what I send the Messengers with.” For this age, Hidayah (Guidance) refers to following the teachings of Al-Quran and As-Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (may Allah send Blessings and Peace upon him).
Guidance from Allah is not something we receive just once in our lifetime. Whenever we face any test in life, Allah will send guidance along with it. As long as we live, we will encounter various kinds of tests, the greatest of all being the test of Iman, that is, whether or not we believe in Allah as the Only One True God and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as His Last and Final Messenger after being presented with clear proofs to support this belief.
Although Allah guides and leads astray whom He wills, we still have the choice whether or not to take the initiative to turn to Him and seek guidance to the Truth. Allah says:
“Say: ‘Verily, Allah sends astray whoever He wills and guides unto Himself whoever turns to Him.”’ [The Noble Qur’an, Surah Ar-Ra’d (Chapter of the Thunder), 13:27]
Allah will only guide those who sincerely turn to Him, seeking answers to the Truth. Ask ourselves, “Have I ever taken the initiative to sincerely put in effort to seek the Truth on crucial matters in my life, e.g., finding out if God exists and the purpose of life?” Allah says:
“Say: ‘O you mankind! Now the Truth (i.e. the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) has come to you from your Lord. So whosoever is guided, then he is guided for (the good of) his own self; and whosoever goes astray, then he does so to his own loss; and I am not (set) over you as a Wakeel (disposer of affairs to oblige you for guidance).”’ [The Noble Qur’an, Surah Yunus (Chapter of Jonah), 10:108]
Note that the verse says, “…for (the good of) his own self.” This alludes to someone who has the iniative to do something for his own good. What can we do in order to receive guidance from Allah? The answer is to initiate ourselves to talk to Him; making sincere du‘aa (supplication) to Him. Ask Allah for guidance not only to the Truth but also guidance in all aspect of our lives. There is a du‘aa that we can put into practice to acquire guidance which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to supplicate with. The du‘aa is as follows:
اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالتُّقَى وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنَى.
ALLAAHUMMA INNEE AS-ALUKALHUDAA WATTUQAA WAL‘AFAAFA WALGHINAA.
Meaning:
O Allah, I ask You for guidance, Taqwa (fear of Allah and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden, love Allah much and perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained), chastity (purity from sins) and self-sufficiency. [Sahih Muslim (2721) and Jami’ at-Tirmidhi (3489)]
Hidayah (guidance) is the greatest out of the countless favours that Allah has bestowed upon us. It is the foremost essential which we need to seek in this life that sets our intentions pure and our actions straight. Without Hidayah, one can never be saved from the Hellfire. So, if you are finding out if God exists or searching for the purpose of life, I urge you to begin by making a sincere intention to seek guidance to the Truth. The first step is to turn to the One who created you; this means talking to Him, and asking Him for the right course of action that can bring you closer to Him. If you are sincere in your intention, you will find yourself making efforts to read, study and understand the Noble Qur’an. Allah says:
“This is the Book (the Qur’an), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqoon (the pious and righteous persons who fear Allah much and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden, love Allah much and perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained).” [The Noble Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah (Chapter of the Cow), 2:2]
“Verily, this Qur’an guides to that which is most just and right and gives glad tidings to the believers (in the Oneness of Allah and His Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ) who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a great reward (Paradise).” [The Noble Qur’an, Surah Al-Isra’ (Chapter of the Night Journey), 17:9]
The Noble Qur’an should be regarded as a manual for life, serving as a reference to live this life in accordance with the divine laws, guiding our thoughts and actions. Reading and understanding it allows us to engage in a conversation with Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, who provides guidance in our daily lives and draws us closer to Him. So turn to the Qur’an for guidance; learn it and integrate its teachings in our daily lives. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
“I have left you with two things and you will never go astray as long as you hold on to them; the Book of Allah (Al-Qur’an) and Sunnah of His Prophet (As-Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ).” [Muwatta’ Malik]
May Allah increase us in guidance and make us follow every instance of it in our lives. Aameen.
Tawfeeq (Specific form of guidance granted exclusively by Allah to whomsoever He wills, enabling a person to determine and pursue the right course of action that leads to success in his endeavours)
Tawfeeq is the success granted by Allah that enables a person to act upon His Hidayah (guidance). It is Allah’s aid and facilitation that enables a person to accept, follow, and remain steadfast upon His guidance. Without Tawfeeq, one may recognise the Truth but fail to follow it. When Allah grants both Hidayah and Tawfeeq, a person is able to perform actions sincerely for His sake and in accordance with His commandments; thus, those actions become acts of worship that benefit him in this world and the Hereafter.
When Hidayah comes to us from Allah, Allah is actually giving us an opportunity to do something solely for His sake. We may choose to accept and follow His Hidayah or ignore and turn away from it, or even oppose it; yet all of this occurs by the will of Allah. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
“The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.” [Sahih al-Bukhari (1)]
If we accept and follow the guidance from Allah, it means that we are responding to an opportunity He has given us to do good deeds. This response itself is from His Tawfeeq, through which He enables us to make sincere intentions and act for His sake. When we intend to act for Allah’s sake, the outcome of what we pursue is in His Hands. If the result of our efforts is not as we expect, we should remain patient with the Decree of Allah, for He knows what is best for us. Have Yaqeen (firm conviction) that Allah, in His Wisdom, grants Tawfeeq in ways that are best for His servants.
Know that without Allah’s Tawfeeq, even our utmost efforts will not lead to true success; but with it, Allah enables us to achieve what we could never attain on our own. One of the best ways to earn Tawfeeq is through making sincere du‘aa and putting our trust in Allah; relying on Him. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ once advised his daughter, Fatimah رضي الله عنها (may Allah be pleased with her), to supplicate in the morning and evening:
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّوْمُ، بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيْثُ، أَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ، وَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ.
YAA HAYYU YAA QAYYOOM, BIRAHMATIKA ASTA-GHEETH, ASLIH LEE SHA’NEE KULLAHOO, WALAA TAKILNEE ILAA NAFSEE THORFATA ‘AEEN.
Meaning:
O The Ever Living, The Sustainer of all; I seek assistance through Your mercy. Rectify all of my affairs and do not entrust me to myself for the blink of an eye. [‘Amal al-Yawm wal-Laylah (570) and as-Sunan al-Kubra (10330) by an-Nasa’i]
Other ways to gain Tawfeeq of Allah are as follows:
(1) Realise that you need Allah
Recognise that Allah has the power to do everything. While He has granted us the ability to choose the right path and make efforts to follow it, this does not imply that we can accomplish our goals alone; we constantly need His assistance. Allah says:
“O mankind! It is you who stand in need of Allah, but Allah is Rich (Free of all wants and needs), Worthy of all praise.” [The Noble Qur’an, Surah Fatir (Chapter of the Originator), 35:15]
We should recognise our need for Him and remain humble and submissive, not just before starting our work but throughout every step, even after achieving success. It is important to acknowledge that our accomplishments are only possible through His help, which means there is no reason for pride. We must remember that it is through His Tawfeeq that we made good choices, as He is the one who grants us the power of choice. Allah says:
“And you do not will except that Allah wills, Lord of the worlds.” [The Noble Quran, Surah Takwir (Chapter of the Wrapping), 81:29]
(2) Have a sincere intention
When you sincerely intend to act upon what is good and correct, this is from the means through which Allah grants Tawfeeq. Scholars have mentioned that the main cause of Tawfeeq being granted is sincerity, just like what Prophet Shu‘aib said:
“I only intend reform as much as I am able. And my Tawfeeq is not but through Allah.” [The Noble Quran, Surah Hud (Chapter of Hud), 11:88]
So genuinely wish for the Truth and strive for goodness and correctness in your affairs. Keep reminding yourself of the importance of sincere intention and only seek the pleasure of Allah in whatever you do and do it only for His sake.
(3) Have certainty; trust in Allah and turn to Him
Believe with firm conviction that Tawfeeq can only come from Allah, so rely on Him and turn to Him in repentance. How often do people credit their career success or good deeds to themselves, without acknowledging that it is only through the Tawfeeq of Allah? So remind yourself that Tawfeeq only comes from Allah and put your trust in Him.
(4) Desire for Paradise and make du‘aa for it
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Ayyub Ansari رضى الله عنه (may Allah be pleased with him) that once during the journey of the Prophet ﷺ, a bedouin appeared before him and caught hold of the nosestring of his she-camel and then said: “O Messenger of Allah (or O Muhammad), inform me about that which takes me near to Paradise and draws me away from the Fire (of Hell).” He (the narrator) said: “The Prophet ﷺ stopped for a while and cast a glance upon his companions and then said: ‘Indeed, he has been granted Tawfeeq or he had been guided well.’ He (the Prophet ﷺ) said: ‘What did you say?’ He (the bedouin) repeated his question. Then the Prophet ﷺ remarked: ‘The deed which can draw you near to Paradise and take you away from Hell is, that you worship Allah and associate none with Him, and you establish prayer and pay Zakaah (obligatory charity), and do good to your kin. After having uttered these words, the Prophet asked the bedouin to release the nosestring of his she-camel.’” [Sahih Muslim (13)]
This hadith implies that Allah gives Tawfeeq to anyone who earnestly desire and ask for Paradise.
(5) Perform Istikharah prayer
Performing this sunnah prayer when making decisions in your life signifies that you are seeking Allah’s Tawfeeq. The du‘aa that accompanies this prayer can lead to being granted Tawfeeq. Learn the virtue of Istikharah prayer and its du‘aa here: https://lifewithallah.com/dhikr-dua/other-adhkar/istikharah
(6) Always express gratitude when you are granted Tawfeeq
Whenever Allah enables you to carry out a good deed you wish to do, thank Him and realise in your heart that you have been chosen to be granted Tawfeeq. And whoever is grateful, Allah will give him more of His blessings. Allah says:
“If you give thanks, surely I will give you more (of My Blessings)…” [The Noble Qur’an, Surah Ibrahim (Chapter of Ibrahim), 14:7]
The Greatest Tawfeeq: Tawfeeq to Uphold Tawheed
The greatest form of guidance that Allah can bestow to anyone He wills is the Tawfeeq to uphold Tawheed (attributing Oneness to Allah and describing Him as being One and Unique, with no partner or peer in His Essence and Attributes), knowing it, inviting people to it, living by it, and remaining steadfast upon it until death. When Allah grants this specific guidance to a non-Muslim, he will eventually tread the path of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa‘ah; strictly adhering to the teachings of Al-Quran and As-Sunnah. Allah will guide all his efforts (e.g., getting involved in comparative religion, finding the purpose of life, researching Islam) by inspiring him the right course of action in order to attain his goal. His efforts will eventually lead him to proclaim the Shahadah due to the Tawfeeq that has been bestowed upon him. It is narrated from Anas رضى الله عنه (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘If Allah wishes good for a slave, he utilises him.’ It was said: ‘How does he utilise him, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘He grants him Tawfeeq to perform righteous deeds before death.”’ [Jami’ at-Tirmidhi (2142)]
Unless Allah grants you Tawfeeq, true success in achieving your goals, whether in this world or the Hereafter, remains unattainable. Tawfeeq goes beyond mere personal ability; it encompasses the divine facilitation of opportunities and circumstances that align with your efforts. It is empowering you to achieve success by enabling you to embark on the journey toward reaching your goals. It is when things begin to work out; when things happen. That is when you know Allah is granting you Tawfeeq. The same principle applies to any other blessing that Allah has bestowed upon you, whether it be wealth, talent or knowledge.
Do not be misled into feeling arrogant and proud of the abilities that Allah has granted you. Instead, be grateful and humble by constantly seeking forgiveness from Him. In return, Allah Ash-Shakoor (The Most Appreciative), Al-Hadee (The Guide), will definitely increase you in Tawfeeq that you need to be truly successful in this world and the Hereafter.