“And We never sent a messenger save with the language of his folk, that he might make (the message) clear for them. Then Allah sendeth whom He will astray, and guideth whom He will. He is the Mighty, the Wise.” TMQ 14:4

The subject of guidance and misguidance is a crucial one for Muslims to understand, because if it is not understood correctly, it could cause doubt and questions. From the early days of Islamic history, Greek philosophers and Christian missionaries sought to find contradictions in the Quran. Thus the concept of guidance and misguidance has been exploited to create doubt and suspicion in people’s belief in Islam. This article seeks to clarify the Islamic stance on guidance and misguidance by putting the Quranic verses which mention guidance and misguidance in context.

How Does Allah Guide and Misguide People?

The verse above suggests that Allah sends astray whom He will and guides whom He wills. Some philosophers and Christian missionaries have used that and similar verses to assert that if Allah guides and misguides people, how then can they be held accountable and punished in Hell for disbelieving? Whereas other verses say that guidance and misguidance is up to the human being, not that he is compelled into belief or disbelief as in surat al Kahf:

“Say: (It is) the truth from the Lord of you (all). Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve. Lo! We have prepared for disbelievers Fire.” TMQ 18:29

Firstly, these verses should be understood from a legislative aspect, meaning that it’s important to understand why these verses were revealed and the reality for which they were legislated. While some verses may ascribe guidance to man and others ascribe it to Allah, each one focuses on a different aspect than the other, and this makes the legislative meaning clear. The point is that no Quranic verse should be taken in isolation from the rest of the Quran and the Ahadith.

“Say: It is Allah Who guides to the truth,” TMQ 10:35
the other ayah says:
“So whosoever receives guidance, he does so for the good of his own self.” TMQ 10:108

The first verse indicates that Allah is the One who guides and the second verse indicates that man is the one who guides himself. The guidance of Allah in the first verse means that Allah creates the capacity for guidance in man, meaning man has the will to choose to accept or reject it. The second verse indicates that man is the one who practices/takes up what Allah has created in terms of the capacity for guidance, so it means that he guides himself.

That is why He says in another verse:
“And (have We not) shown him the two ways (good and evil), (meaning the path of good and the path of evil.)” TMQ 90:10,

In other words Allah has given man the ability to get guidance and has left man to practice his own guidance. So these verses which attribute guidance and misguidance to man are a shara’i indication showing that actually following guidance and practicing the rules of Islam is the responsibility of the human being, and not Allah. That ‘s because Allah created the capacity in man to accept or reject guidance. Anyone who rejects the guidance of Allah will be punished in the Hereafter because he had the free will and ability to obey Allah, but chose not to do so. As for those who reject guidance, Allah surely

“And Allah guides not the people who are Fasiqun (the rebellious and disobedient).” TMQ 5:108
“And Allah guides not the people who are Zalimun (wrong-doers).” TMQ 3:86
“Verily, Allah guides not one who is a musrif (a polytheist, those who commit great sins), a liar! (kazzab)” TMQ 40:28

These verses are very interesting because they address the fact that there are certain people whom Allah does not grant guidance. They have the ability to be guided, but due to their arrogant, lying, disobedient nature, Allah does not help them to be guided. An example of this type of person were the evil leaders of the Quraish who persecuted the Prophet (saw) and his companions. These were the likes of Walid ibn Mughira, Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, and others. They heard the Quran, acknowledged it’s miracles, and recognized it as the truth, but they still rejected it. For these people, Allah gave no guidance and allowed them to remain in their arrogant state of misguidance because they never wanted to be guided.

How to Guide People

Once we understand the fact that Allah guides all people ,but each individual is responsible for accepting the guidance, it’s important to understand our role in guiding others to Islam.

“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: For your Lord knows best who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance” TMQ16:125

Muslims should not look down on others who are not following the guidance, be they Muslim or non-Muslim. It may be that someone is misguided today, but they seek guidance and Allah allows the light of Islam to enter their heart. Islamic history is rife with examples of men and women who hated Islam and the Prophet (saw), but who eventually became the greatest heroes of Islam:

Umar ibn al Khattab: Umar’s history as one of the most righteous companions of the Prophet (saw) is well known. In fact, the Prophet (saw) said that when Umar came down the road Shaytan would take another route. He also said that if there were to be a prophet after him, it would be Umar. In addition to this, Allah confirmed Umar’s opinion on dealing with the prisoners of war at the battle of Badr. All of this from a man who was originally bent on killing the Prophet (saw) before he became Muslim.

Saad ibn Abi Waqqas: Saad was known for his courage, along with Talha ibn Ubaidullah at the battle of Uhud. Together, they fiercely defended and protected the Prophet (saw) against the onslaught of Quraish. In the heat of battle, they kept their cool and remained committed to protecting the Prophet (saw). He even served as his bodyguard on the night of his marriage to Safiya. Much later, when Umar ibn al Khattab was on his death bed, Saad was one of the 6 sahabah chosen to be the next khalifah. If we recall, before he was Muslim, Saad was one of the people that was dispatched by the Quraish to Abysinnia (Ethiopia) to bring the Muslims back to Makkah so they could be persecuted and tortured. Saad started from evil beginnings and transformed himself to one of the noblest of sahabah by accepting Allah’s guidance.

Khalid ibn Walid: Khalid is marked as one of the greatest military minds in all of history. The son of the Quraish elite Walid ibn Mughira, Khalid harbored the same hatred and disdain for Islam that his father did, leading the cavalry against the Muslims at the battle of Uhud. His brilliant war tactics and quick thinking eventually found themselves aiding Islam and the Muslims once he converted. After his conversion to Islam, he was known by the nickname “sword of Allah”, leading many Muslims successfully in battle, even until his death.

Ikrimah ibn abi Jahl: Perhaps no other story illustrates the beauty of a person transformed by Allah’s guidance as Ikrimah. Like Khalid ibn Walid, he was the son of the Quraish leader, Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl was a sworn enemy of Islam and made it his personal business to make the life of the Prophet (saw) miserable. His hatred for Islam was only to his own detriment, because at the battle of Badr, he met his demise by the hand of the Muslims. His scream at the time of his death was witnessed by his son Ikrimah. From that point forward, Ikrimah sought to settle the vendetta against the Prophet (saw) and the Muslims and made every effort to kill the Prophet (saw). His hatred for Islam was so great that at the battle of the Ditch, he tried to literally jump over the ditch that had been dug by the Muslims. He was unsuccessful, and narrowly escaped the spears and arrows of the Muslims, but his bravery proved how formidable of an enemy he was. In fact, he was such an enemy of Islam, that when the Muslims peacefully conquered Makkah in the 8th year of hijrah, the Prophet (saw) ordered Ikrimah to be killed even if he was found clinging to the Kaabah. Luckily for him, he fled before the Muslims could find him. Eventually, his wife converted to Islam and begged the Prophet (saw) to grant Ikrimah mercy, which he did. When she found him she told him that the Prophet (saw) had granted him amnesty, and this was enough to turn Ikrimah’s heart to Islam. From that point forward, he became one of the greatest heroes of Islam. At the battle of Yarmouk, the Muslims were only 28,000 in number while the Romans numbered 240,000! Like he did in the battle of the Ditch, Ikrimah ibn abi Jahl found a weak spot in the line of the Romans and decided to charge with full force. The opening he created allowed the rest of the Muslim army to follow behind him and eventually hand the Romans a stunning defeat. Ikrimah was eventually martyred for this act of bravery. And to think, this same man made it his life’s duty to kill the Prophet (saw) and crush Islam.

Conclusion

These are but a few of the stories that illustrate that when a person accepts the guidance, Allah ennobles them and showers them with blessings, and courage, and nobility that only He can give. They also impart a valuable lesson that Muslims should treat everyone with kindness and invite them to Islam humbly and patiently, because it may be that the very enemies of Islam rectify themselves and become it’s greatest heroes.

“And We never sent a messenger save with the language of his folk, that he might make (the message) clear for them. Then Allah sendeth whom He will astray, and guideth whom He will. He is the Mighty, the Wise.” TMQ 14:4

The subject of guidance and misguidance is a crucial one for Muslims to understand, because if it is not understood correctly, it could cause doubt and questions. From the early days of Islamic history, Greek philosophers and Christian missionaries sought to find contradictions in the Quran. Thus the concept of guidance and misguidance has been exploited to create doubt and suspicion in people’s belief in Islam. This article seeks to clarify the Islamic stance on guidance and misguidance by putting the Quranic verses which mention guidance and misguidance in context.

How Does Allah Guide and Misguide People?

The verse above suggests that Allah sends astray whom He will and guides whom He wills. Some philosophers and Christian missionaries have used that and similar verses to assert that if Allah guides and misguides people, how then can they be held accountable and punished in Hell for disbelieving? Whereas other verses say that guidance and misguidance is up to the human being, not that he is compelled into belief or disbelief as in surat al Kahf:

“Say: (It is) the truth from the Lord of you (all). Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve. Lo! We have prepared for disbelievers Fire.” TMQ 18:29

Firstly, these verses should be understood from a legislative aspect, meaning that it’s important to understand why these verses were revealed and the reality for which they were legislated. While some verses may ascribe guidance to man and others ascribe it to Allah, each one focuses on a different aspect than the other, and this makes the legislative meaning clear. The point is that no Quranic verse should be taken in isolation from the rest of the Quran and the Ahadith.

“Say: It is Allah Who guides to the truth,” TMQ 10:35
the other ayah says:
“So whosoever receives guidance, he does so for the good of his own self.” TMQ 10:108

The first verse indicates that Allah is the One who guides and the second verse indicates that man is the one who guides himself. The guidance of Allah in the first verse means that Allah creates the capacity for guidance in man, meaning man has the will to choose to accept or reject it. The second verse indicates that man is the one who practices/takes up what Allah has created in terms of the capacity for guidance, so it means that he guides himself.

That is why He says in another verse:
“And (have We not) shown him the two ways (good and evil), (meaning the path of good and the path of evil.)” TMQ 90:10,

In other words Allah has given man the ability to get guidance and has left man to practice his own guidance. So these verses which attribute guidance and misguidance to man are a shara’i indication showing that actually following guidance and practicing the rules of Islam is the responsibility of the human being, and not Allah. That ‘s because Allah created the capacity in man to accept or reject guidance. Anyone who rejects the guidance of Allah will be punished in the Hereafter because he had the free will and ability to obey Allah, but chose not to do so. As for those who reject guidance, Allah surely

“And Allah guides not the people who are Fasiqun (the rebellious and disobedient).” TMQ 5:108
“And Allah guides not the people who are Zalimun (wrong-doers).” TMQ 3:86
“Verily, Allah guides not one who is a musrif (a polytheist, those who commit great sins), a liar! (kazzab)” TMQ 40:28

These verses are very interesting because they address the fact that there are certain people whom Allah does not grant guidance. They have the ability to be guided, but due to their arrogant, lying, disobedient nature, Allah does not help them to be guided. An example of this type of person were the evil leaders of the Quraish who persecuted the Prophet (saw) and his companions. These were the likes of Walid ibn Mughira, Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, and others. They heard the Quran, acknowledged it’s miracles, and recognized it as the truth, but they still rejected it. For these people, Allah gave no guidance and allowed them to remain in their arrogant state of misguidance because they never wanted to be guided.

How to Guide People

Once we understand the fact that Allah guides all people ,but each individual is responsible for accepting the guidance, it’s important to understand our role in guiding others to Islam.

“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: For your Lord knows best who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance” TMQ16:125

Muslims should not look down on others who are not following the guidance, be they Muslim or non-Muslim. It may be that someone is misguided today, but they seek guidance and Allah allows the light of Islam to enter their heart. Islamic history is rife with examples of men and women who hated Islam and the Prophet (saw), but who eventually became the greatest heroes of Islam:

Umar ibn al Khattab: Umar’s history as one of the most righteous companions of the Prophet (saw) is well known. In fact, the Prophet (saw) said that when Umar came down the road Shaytan would take another route. He also said that if there were to be a prophet after him, it would be Umar. In addition to this, Allah confirmed Umar’s opinion on dealing with the prisoners of war at the battle of Badr. All of this from a man who was originally bent on killing the Prophet (saw) before he became Muslim.

Saad ibn Abi Waqqas: Saad was known for his courage, along with Talha ibn Ubaidullah at the battle of Uhud. Together, they fiercely defended and protected the Prophet (saw) against the onslaught of Quraish. In the heat of battle, they kept their cool and remained committed to protecting the Prophet (saw). He even served as his bodyguard on the night of his marriage to Safiya. Much later, when Umar ibn al Khattab was on his death bed, Saad was one of the 6 sahabah chosen to be the next khalifah. If we recall, before he was Muslim, Saad was one of the people that was dispatched by the Quraish to Abysinnia (Ethiopia) to bring the Muslims back to Makkah so they could be persecuted and tortured. Saad started from evil beginnings and transformed himself to one of the noblest of sahabah by accepting Allah’s guidance.

Khalid ibn Walid: Khalid is marked as one of the greatest military minds in all of history. The son of the Quraish elite Walid ibn Mughira, Khalid harbored the same hatred and disdain for Islam that his father did, leading the cavalry against the Muslims at the battle of Uhud. His brilliant war tactics and quick thinking eventually found themselves aiding Islam and the Muslims once he converted. After his conversion to Islam, he was known by the nickname “sword of Allah”, leading many Muslims successfully in battle, even until his death.

Ikrimah ibn abi Jahl: Perhaps no other story illustrates the beauty of a person transformed by Allah’s guidance as Ikrimah. Like Khalid ibn Walid, he was the son of the Quraish leader, Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl was a sworn enemy of Islam and made it his personal business to make the life of the Prophet (saw) miserable. His hatred for Islam was only to his own detriment, because at the battle of Badr, he met his demise by the hand of the Muslims. His scream at the time of his death was witnessed by his son Ikrimah. From that point forward, Ikrimah sought to settle the vendetta against the Prophet (saw) and the Muslims and made every effort to kill the Prophet (saw). His hatred for Islam was so great that at the battle of the Ditch, he tried to literally jump over the ditch that had been dug by the Muslims. He was unsuccessful, and narrowly escaped the spears and arrows of the Muslims, but his bravery proved how formidable of an enemy he was. In fact, he was such an enemy of Islam, that when the Muslims peacefully conquered Makkah in the 8th year of hijrah, the Prophet (saw) ordered Ikrimah to be killed even if he was found clinging to the Kaabah. Luckily for him, he fled before the Muslims could find him. Eventually, his wife converted to Islam and begged the Prophet (saw) to grant Ikrimah mercy, which he did. When she found him she told him that the Prophet (saw) had granted him amnesty, and this was enough to turn Ikrimah’s heart to Islam. From that point forward, he became one of the greatest heroes of Islam. At the battle of Yarmouk, the Muslims were only 28,000 in number while the Romans numbered 240,000! Like he did in the battle of the Ditch, Ikrimah ibn abi Jahl found a weak spot in the line of the Romans and decided to charge with full force. The opening he created allowed the rest of the Muslim army to follow behind him and eventually hand the Romans a stunning defeat. Ikrimah was eventually martyred for this act of bravery. And to think, this same man made it his life’s duty to kill the Prophet (saw) and crush Islam.

Conclusion

These are but a few of the stories that illustrate that when a person accepts the guidance, Allah ennobles them and showers them with blessings, and courage, and nobility that only He can give. They also impart a valuable lesson that Muslims should treat everyone with kindness and invite them to Islam humbly and patiently, because it may be that the very enemies of Islam rectify themselves and become it’s greatest heroes.