Guidance (Hidayah) is a special blessing from Allah that must be sought from Him. This is something I always try to ask to the Allah Almighty. We can ask Allah for many things, and He may grant them if He wills, or not grant them if He doesn’t. However, guidance is different. If someone sincerely and repeatedly asks Allah for guidance with a pure heart, Allah will surely provide it. Without Allah’s guidance, our lives in this world and the Hereafter would be utterly ruined. This is why guidance from Allah is so crucial in Islam. In today’s post I will try to emphasize the importance of guidance from Allah Almighty from the Quran and from the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings ne upon him). So let’s begin with the name of Allah Almighty.

As always I seek refuge in Allah Almighty from all kinds of harm and pray that He makes my work easy. I also pray that He considers this effort a means of salvation for us in this world and the hereafter. Whatever is good in my writing is entirely a blessing from Allah Almighty, and any faults are due to Satan (Devil) and my own lack of knowledge. JazakAllah. (Thank you).

The Importance of Guidance from Allah Almighty

Introduction of guidance from Allah almighty

Guidance (الهدايه) refers to leading someone towards the right path or showing them the right way.
In Islamic terminology, “Hidayah” is the divine direction from Allah given to humans and jinn, enabling them to distinguish between good and evil. It encompasses all principles and practices necessary for leading a righteous life in this world and achieving success in the Hereafter.

Without Allah’s guidance, our lives become directionless and incomplete. We cannot hope to lead a beautiful and peaceful life without the divine direction provided by Allah. His guidance shapes our values, decisions, and actions, leading us towards a fulfilling and meaningful existence. It is through this divine direction that we find clarity and purpose in our lives, enabling us to overcome challenges and achieve true contentment. The importance of this guidance is emphasized extensively in the Holy Quran and Hadith. Allah’s words and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) provide us with a roadmap for living a life that is pleasing to Allah and beneficial for our soul.
Now, I would like to share some verses and Hadiths that highlight the significance of Allah’s guidance.

The Importance of Guidance from the quran

Allah teaches us about guidance in the Quran,

• ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ. صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
  “Guide us on the Straight Path. The path of those who have received Your grace; not the path of those who have brought down wrath upon themselves, nor of those who have gone astray.”[¹]

• ذٰلِكَ الْكِتٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۚۖۛ فِيْهِ ۚۛ هُدًي لِّلْمُتَّقِيْنَ ۙ
  This Book has no doubt in it – a guidance for the God-fearing.”[²]

• اِنَّ هٰذَا الْقُرْاٰنَ يَهْدِيْ لِلَّتِيْ هِيَ اَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ الَّذِيْنَ يَعْمَلُوْنَ الصّٰلِحٰتِ اَنَّ لَهُمْ اَجْرًا كَبِيْرًا ۙ
  “Surely, this Qur’ān guides to something that is most straightforward, and gives glad tidings to the believers who do good deeds that ready for them there is a great reward.”[³]

• مَنْ يَّهْدِ اللّٰهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ ۚ وَمَنْ يُّضْلِلْ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهٗ وَلِيًّا مُّرْشِدًا
  “Whomsoever Allah guides is the one who gets the right path and whomsoever He lets go astray, for him you will find no one to help, no one to lead.”[⁴]

• قُلْ اَنَدْعُوْا مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ مَا لَا يَنْفَعُنَا وَلَا يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلٰۤي اَعْقَابِنَا بَعْدَ اِذْ هَدٰىنَا اللّٰهُ كَالَّذِي اسْتَهْوَتْهُ الشَّيٰطِيْنُ فِي الْاَرْضِ حَيْرَانَ ۪ لَهٗۤ اَصْحٰبٌ يَّدْعُوْنَهٗۤ اِلَي الْهُدَي ائْتِنَا ؕ قُلْ اِنَّ هُدَي اللّٰهِ هُوَ الْهُدٰي ؕ وَاُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ۙ
  “Say, “Should we invoke, besides Allah, something that can neither benefit us nor harm us? Should we turn back on our heels after Allah has guided us? (If we do so, we will be) like the one whom the devils have abducted to a far off land, leaving him bewildered, even though he has friends who call him to the right path (saying), “Come to us.” Say, “Allah’s guidance is the guidance, and we have been ordered to submit to the Lord of the worlds.”[⁵]

Now let’s take look on Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

The Importance of Guidance from the hadith

• “Abdullah Bin Mas’ud (May Allah Be Pleased With Him) Reported:
  The Prophet (ﷺ) Used To Supplicate: “Allahumma Inni As’alukal-Huda, Wat-Tuqa, Wal-‘Afafa, Wal-Ghina (O Allah! I Beseech You For Guidance, Piety, Chastity And Contentment).”[⁶]

• “Ali (May Allah Be Pleased With Him) Reported:
  The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said To Me, “Recite: ‘Allahumma-Hdini Wa Saddidni (O Allah! Direct Me To The Right Path And Make Me Adhere To The Straight Path).” Another Narration Is: ‘Allahumma Inni As’aluk-Alhuda Was-Sadad (I Beg You For Guidance And Uprightness).”[⁷]

• “Imran Bin Husain (May Allah Be Pleased With Them) Reported:
  The Prophet (ﷺ) Taught My Father Two Statements To Recite In His Du’a. These Are: “Allahumma Al-Himni Rushdi, Wa A’idhni Min Sharri Nafsi (O Allah! Inspire In Me Guidance And Deliver Me From The Evils Within Myself).”[⁸]

The above verses and Hadiths help us understand the significance of Allah’s guidance in our lives, emphasizing how crucial it is to us from His perspective.

An important aspect of guidance is that it is not permanent or reserved for specific individuals. Allah can bestow it upon anyone He wishes and withdraw it from anyone He wishes. Therefore, it is our duty to constantly pray for Allah’s guidance. Continuously asking for guidance brings several benefits: we receive the reward of making dua (supplication) and the reward of remembering Allah (dhikr), which helps us become better Muslims. Moreover, consistently praying for guidance is itself a sign of receiving Allah’s guidance.

One thing I want to impress upon you is that seeking guidance from Allah requires sincere intention and following the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In our lives, following the Prophet’s teachings is immensely important. If you read this post,Importance Of The Sunnah Of Prophet (PBUH) you can understand the significance of following his Sunnah for seeking guidance.

Additionally, supplicating to Allah for guidance is an act of worship, and every act of worship is accepted only when done in accordance with the Prophet’s way.Another important point to remember is that while we may seek guidance from Allah in our own way, following the way the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us to pray for guidance is most beneficial for us. Therefore, for your benefit and mine, I’ve mentioned numerous prayers from the Quran and Hadith in my Dua and Dhikr section. You can also read this post. (Powerful Du’a For Divine Guidance: A Spiritual Journey To Enlightenment)

Gradually, I am enriching this section further to make it more beneficial for all of us. I pray to Allah to make it easy for me and to make my efforts beneficial for all of us. Please also pray more for me. Through supplication to Allah, today’s post concludes here. JazakAllah ( thank you) for staying with me.