Al-Huda Wa-Dhalal

Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem

Al-Huda Wa-d-Dhalal (Guidance and Misguidance)

In the Arabic language “Al-Huda” (guidance) means “Al-Rashad” (to be rightly guided). In Shari'ah terminology, “Al-Hidayah” is to be guided to Islam and to have Iman in it. “ Al-Dhalal” according to Shari'ah is to deviate from Islam; for instance, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Truly Allah does not gather my Ummah over a Dhalalah (misguidance).” Allah (swt) has made Heaven for the guided and Hell for the strayed; meaning that Allah (swt) rewards the guided and punishes the misguided. Hence, making the reward and the punishment dependent on “ Al-Huda Wa-d-Dhalal” indicates that guidance and misguidance are part of man's actions and not from Allah (swt) ; for if they were from Allah (swt), He would not reward for the guidance and punish for the Misguidance, for this would lead to attributing injustice to Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) is far too exalted above this. Allah (swt) says: [41-46] "Nor is your Lord ever unjust to His servants." T.M.Q. Allah (swt) also says: [50-29] "And I do not the least injustice to My servants.." T.M.Q .

However, there are several Ayat that indicate the attribution of Al-Huda Wa-d-Dhalal to Allah (swt). Hence, one can deduce from these Ayat that Al-Huda Wa-d-Dhalal are not from the servant, but rather from Allah (swt). Other Ayat indicate the attribution of Al-Huda Wa-d-Dhalal and Idhlal (misguiding others) to the servant, and one can deduce from these that “Al-Hidayah” And Al-Dhalal is from the servant.

It is imperative to understand all these verses jurisprudentially, meaning that the Shari'ah reality for which they have been decreed must be perceived. Then, it becomes clear that the attribution of Al-Huda Wa-d-Dhalal to Allah (swt) has a different indication to the attribution of Al-Huda Wa-d-Dhalal to the servant; also, it becomes clear that each one of them is directed at a side that is different to the side to which the other is directed. Hence, the Shari'ah meaning becomes conspicuously clear.

Indeed, the Ayat that attribute “Al-Dhalal Wal-Hidayah” to Allah (swt) are clear in the fact that it is He (swt) who guides and that it is He (swt) who misguides.

Allah (swt) says: [13-27] "Say truly Allah leaves to stray whom He wills and He guides to Himself those who turn to Him in penitence." T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) also says: [35-8] "Allah leaves to stray whom He wills and guides whom He wills." T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) also says: [14-4] “Hence Allah leaves to stray whom He wills and guides whom He wills." T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) also says: [16-93] “But He leaves straying whom He wills and guides whom He pleases." T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) also says: [6-125] "Those whom Allah wills to guide He opens their hearts to Islam; those whom He wills to leave straying, He makes their hearts close and constricted as if they had to climb up to the sky." T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) also says: [6-39] "Whom Allah wills He leaves to wander and whom He wills He places on the way that is straight." T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) also says: [10-35] "Say it is Allah Who gives guidance towards the Truth." T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) also says: [7-43] "And they shall say praise be to Allah Who has guided us to this never could we have found guidance had it not been for the guidance of Allah." T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) also says:[18-17] "He Whom Allah guides is rightly guided; but he whom Allah leaves to stray for him you will find no protector to lead him to the right way." T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) also says: [28-56] "It is true you will not be able to guide every one whom you love but Allah guides those whom He wishes." T.M.Q.

The literal meaning of these Ayat contains a clear indication that the One who makes “ Al-Hidayah Wal-Idhlal” is Allah (swt) and not the servant. This means that the servant does not get guided by himself but if Allah (swt) guides him then he will be guided and if he misguides him then he will stray. However, there are conjunctions which divert this literal meaning to other than the meaning of having the Guidance and Misguidance initiated by Allah (swt). These meanings attribute the creation of “Al-Hidayah Wal-Dhalal” i.e. Guidance and Misguidance to Allah (swt), and attributed the initiation of “Al-Hidayah Wal-Dhalal” i.e. Guidance and Misguidance, as well as “ Idhlal” i.e. misguiding others, to the servant. The conjunctions are both Shari'ah based and rationally based.

As for the Shari'ah “Qaraa'in” i.e. conjunctions, these are reflected in the several verses attributing “Al-Hidayah Wal-Dhalal Wal-Idhlal” i.e. Guidance, being misguided and misguiding others, to the servant.

Allah (swt) says: [17-15] “Who receives guidance receives it for his own benefit; who goes astray does so to his own loss.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [ 5 -105] “No hurt can come to you from those who stray if you follow guidance.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [39-41] “He, then, that receives guidance benefits his own soul.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [2-157] “And they are the ones that received guidance.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [41-29] “And the unbelievers will say: Our God! Show us those among Jinns and men who misled us.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [34-50] “Say if I am astray I only stray to the loss of my own soul.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [6-144] “But who does more wrong than the one who invents a lie against Allah to lead astray people without knowledge.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [10-88] “Our Lord, to mislead others from Your path.” T.M.Q .

Allah (swt) says: [26-99] “And our seducers were only the criminals.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [20-85] “The Samiri had led them astray….” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [7-38] “Our Lord! It is these who misled us.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [3-69] “It is the wish of a section from among the people of the Book to lead you astray, but they only mislead themselves.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [71-27] “For if you do leave them they will but mislead your servants.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [4-60] “But Satan's wish is to mislead them.” T.M.Q .

Hence, the literal meaning of these Ayat contains a clear indication that it is man who initiates "Al-Huda Wa-d-Dhalal" i.e. "Guidance and Misguidance", that he misguides himself and misguides others and that Satan also misguides. The attribution of “Al-Hidayah Wa-d-Dhalal" to man and Misguidance to Satan. The Ayat indicate that man can be guided by himself and misguided by himself. This acts as a Qarinah (conjunction) to indicate that the attribution of “Al-Hidayah Wa-l-Idhalal" to Allah (swt) is not a direct attribution, but rather an attribution of Creation; for if we were to place all the verses together and perceive them from a Shari'ah angle, it becomes clear that each set of Ayat is dedicated to a different side; for the Ayah says: [10-35] "Say it is Allah Who gives guidance towards the Truth." T.M.Q. , and the other Ayah says: [17-15] “Who receives guidance receives it for his own benefit; The first one indicates that it is Allah (swt) Who has guided whereas the second one indicates that it is man who was guided. The guidance of Allah (swt) in the first Ayah is the Creation of the Guidance within the soul of man, i.e. the generating of the aptitude to be guided; the second Ayah indicates that man is the one who initiates what Allah (swt) has created in terms of aptitude towards being guided, thus he was guided. This is why Allah (swt) says in another Ayah: [90-10] “ And We have shown him the two highways. ” T.M.Q. i.e. the path of Al-Khayr and the path of Al-Sharr; meaning that We have placed in him the aptitude of “Al-Hidayah” (Guidance) and We have let him initiate the act of being guided himself. Hence, the Ayat that attribute “Al-Hidayah Wa-l-Idhlal" to man serve as a Shari'ah conjunction indicating that Allah (swt) has decided to dedicate the initiation of “Al-Hidayah” to man.

As for the rational Qarinah (conjunction), this is reflected in the fact that Allah (swt) accounts people; thus He (swt) rewards the Guided and punishes the Misguided. He (swt) made the accounting according to the consequences of man's actions.

Allah (swt) says: [41-46] “Whoever works righteousness benefits his own soul; whoever works evil, it is against his own soul.Nor is your Lord ever unjust to His servants.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [99-7] “Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good see it” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [20-112] “But he who works deeds of righteousness and has faith will have no fear of harm nor of any curtailment.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [4-123] “Whoever works evil will be requited accordingly.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [9-68 ] “Allah has promised the hypocrites men and women and the rejecters of faith the fire of hell therein they shall dwell.” T.M.Q .

Therefore, if the meaning of attributing the “Al-Hidayah Wa-l-Idhlal" to Allah (swt) was interpreted as His (swt) initiation of it, His punishment of the Kafir and the hypocrite and the rebel would be injustice, and Allah (swt) is far too exalted abovex this. Hence, it is imperative to devote that meaning to other than the initiation, which is the creation of the “Al-Hidayah” (guidance) from nothing and the enabling of man to be reach it; thus it is man who initiates “Al-Hidayah Wa-l-Idhlal" and that is why is accounted for it.

This is as far as the Ayat which contain the attribution of “Al-Hidayah Wa-l-Idhlal" to Allah (swt). As for the Ayat in which the “Al-Hidayah Wa-l-Idhlal" is linked to the will, as is the case in Allah 's (swt) saying: [16-93] “ He guides whoever He wills and He misguides whoever He wills. ” T.M.Q ., the meaning of the Will (Al-Mashee'ah) in this context is the volition (Al-Iradah). The meaning of such Ayat is that no man is guided despite Allah (swt) and no man is misguided despite Allah (swt), but whoever gets guided, does so with the volition and the will of Allah (swt) and whoever gets misguided does so with His will and volition.

There are a host of Ayat from which one can deduce that some people will never get guided, such as Allah (swt) saying: [2-6] “As to those who reject faith, it is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) also says: [83-14] “But on their hearts is the stain.” T.M.Q.

Allah (swt) says: [11-36] “It was revealed to Noah none of your people will believe except those who have believed already.” T.M.Q.

These Ayat is information from Allah (swt) to His prophets about some specific people, that these people will not believe; this is part of Allah (swt)'s knowledge and it does not mean that there is a group who believe and another group who do not believe; rather every man is ordained with the ability to believe. The Messenger of Allah (saw) and the Da'awah carrier in his wake are ordered to call all people to Iman and it is forbidden for the Muslim to despair from the Iman of any person whosoever. As for those whom Allah (swt) knows that they will not believe, this is because the knowledge of Allah (swt) encompasses everything, and whatever Allah (swt) does not inform us about, we are forbidden from passing judgement on it ourselves. The prophets did not pass judgement on the non belief of anyone until Allah (swt) informed them about it.

As for Allah (swt)'s saying: [5-108] “For Allah guides not rebellious people.” T.M.Q.-

Also His saying: [2-258] “And Allah guides not the unjust people.” T.M.Q.

And His saying: [2-264] “ And Allah guides not the disbelieving people.” T.M.Q.

Also His saying:[16-37] “ If you are anxious for their guidance yet Allah guides not such as He leaves to stray. ” T.M.Q.

And His saying: [40-28] “ Truly Allah does not guide one who transgresses and lies. ” T.M.Q.

These Ayat mean that Allah (swt) does not enable them to achieve guidance for the enabling towards guidance is from Allah (swt) . The Fasiq , the rebel, the Kafir , the misguided and the excessive liar, are all characterised by attributes that contradict “Al-Hidayah” and Allah (swt) does not help towards achieving “Al-Hidayah” he whose attribute is as such, because the help towards achieving “Al-Hidayah” is in fact the providing for man the situations and circumstances in which “Al-Hidayah” occurs, and he who is characterised with such attributes does not have the situations of “Al-Hidayah” , but rather the situations of Dhalal .

Similar to this is Allah (swt) saying:[1-5] “ Show us the straight way. ” T.M.Q.

And His saying:[38-22] “ But guide us to the even path. ” T.M.Q. meaning help us achieve “Al-Hidayah” i.e. make the situations in which this “Hidayah” occurs, easy and available for us.

The Islamic Personality I

1953