Two Types of Guidance in the Noble Quran

Two Types of Guidance in the Noble Quran

Translation by Reza Ervani bin Asmanu

This article titled “Two Types of Guidance in the Noble Quran” falls under the category of Tadabbur (reflection) on the Quran.

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في صدر سورة البقرة، يخبر سبحانه أن هذا القرآن: 

At the beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah, Allah informs us that this Quran:

 هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 2)

أي: في القرآن إرشاد للمتقين، واهتداء لما فيه صلاحهم وفلاحهم في العاجل والآجل؛ ونقرأ في السورة نفسها، بعد تقرير فريضة الصيام، قوله تعالى في صفة هذا القرآن، أنه:

This means that the Quran contains guidance for the muttaqeen (those who are conscious of Allah) and leads them towards what will bring success and righteousness in both the worldly life and the Hereafter. We then read in the same surah, after the establishment of the obligation of fasting, Allah’s description of this Quran:

 الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ

“The month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion (between right and wrong).” (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 185)

وظاهر الآية الأولى، أن هداية القرآن الكريم خاصة بالمتقين فحسب؛ بينما جاءت الآية الثانية عامة، فوصفت هدى القرآن بأنه للناس، ولفظ (الناس) لفظ عام، يشمل المتقين وغيرهم، والمؤمنين ومَن سواهم.

The apparent meaning of the first verse seems to suggest that the guidance of the Quran is exclusive to the muttaqeen (those conscious of Allah). However, the second verse presents a more general meaning, stating that the Quran is a guidance for all people. The term “people” includes both the muttaqeen and others, whether they are believers or not.

ويبدو للناظر أن بين الآيتين تعارضًا، ووجه الجمع بينهما 

At first glance, there appears to be a contradiction between these two verses.

كما قرر أهل العلم – أن يقال: إن الهداية في القرآن نوعان:

As explained by scholars, guidance in the Quran is of two types:

هداية دلالة وإرشاد، وهو الذي تقدر عليه الرسل وأتباعهم، وهو المعنيُّ في قوله تعالى:

The First Guidance is Guidance of indication and instruction: This type of guidance is within the capacity of the Prophets and their followers, as implied by the verse:

إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ ۖ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ

“You are only a warner, and for every people is a guide.” (Surah Ar-Ra’d, verse 7)

أي: لكل قوم هاد يدلهم ويُرشدهم إلى سُبُل الحق؛ ومن هذا الباب قوله جلا وعلا:

This means that for every people, there is a guide who shows them the way to the truth. This is also evident in Allah’s statement:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا ۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِي مَا الْكِتَابُ وَلَا الْإِيمَانُ وَلَٰكِن جَعَلْنَاهُ نُورًا نَّهْدِي بِهِ مَن نَّشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

“And thus We have revealed to you a spirit (the Quran) by Our command. You did not know what the Book was nor what faith was, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants. And indeed, you guide to the straight path.” (Surah Ash-Shuraa, verse 52)

فأثبت سبحانه للرسل ومن سلك سبيلهم الهدى، الذي معناه الدلالة، والدعوة، والتنبيه؛

Here, Allah affirms that the Prophets and those who follow their way can guide others, meaning they can point out the path, invite others, and remind them of the truth.

 وتفرد سبحانه بالهدى -وهو النوع الثاني- الذي معناه التأييد والتوفيق والتسديد، فقال لنبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم:

The second guidance is Guidance of divine support and facilitation: This is exclusive to Allah. It refers to granting the individual success and the ease to follow the righteous path. As Allah said to His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:

إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

“Indeed, you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills, and He is most knowing of the rightly guided.” (Surah Al-Qasas, verse 56)

فالهداية هنا بمعنى التوفيق لالتزام سبيل المؤمنين، ونهج سلوك المتقين، وهو المعنيُّ في قوله تعالى: 

In this verse, guidance means divine support in following the path of the believers and walking in the way of the muttaqeen. This is also the intended meaning in the verse:

وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَىٰ دَارِ السَّلَامِ وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

“And Allah invites to the Home of Peace and guides whom He wills to a straight path.” (Surah Yunus, verse 25)

ونزيد الأمر وضوحًا، فنقول: إن الهداية في القرآن تأتي على نوعين: أحدهما عام، والثاني خاص؛

To further clarify, guidance in the Quran is of two types: general guidance and specific guidance :  General Guidance and Specific Guidance

فأما الهداية العامة، فمعناها إبانة طريق الحق والرشاد، وإيضاح المحجة والسداد، وعلى هذا المعنى جاء قوله تعالى:

General guidance: It refers to showing the way to truth and rectitude, clarifying the clear path, as mentioned in the verse:

وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمَىٰ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَاعِقَةُ الْعَذَابِ الْهُونِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ

“And as for Thamud, We guided them, but they preferred blindness over guidance, so the thunderbolt of humiliating punishment seized them for what they used to earn.” (Surah Fussilat, verse 17)

والمعنى: بيَّنا لهم طريق الحق من الضلال، ووضَّحنا لهم طريق الرشاد من الفساد، بَيْدَ أنهم آثروا الثاني على الأول؛ فالأمر هنا أمر اختيار واختبار، يوضع أمام العبد ليختار منهما ما يشاء، والدليل على هذا الاختيار، قوله سبحانه :

The meaning here is that We showed them the path to the truth and clarified the way to righteousness, but they chose the opposite. This shows that it is a matter of choice and trial, where one is given both options to choose from. Evidence for this choice is found in Allah’s statement:

فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمَىٰ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ 

“They preferred blindness over guidance.” (Surah Fussilat, verse 17)

أي: استحبوا طريق الضلال على طريق الرشاد؛ ومثله أيضًا قوله تعالى:

This means they chose the path of misguidance over the path of righteousness. A similar meaning is found in the verse:

وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ

“And We showed him the two paths.” (Surah Al-Balad, verse 10)

أي: بيَّنا له طريق الخير وطريق الشر.

Meaning, We clarified to him the path of goodness and the path of evil.

وأما الهداية الخاصة، فهي تفضُّل من الله سبحانه على العبد بتوفيقه إلى طاعته، وتيسيره سلوك طريق النجاة والفلاح؛ وعلى هذا المعنى جاء قوله عز وجل: 

Specific guidance: This is Allah’s favor upon His servant, granting him the ability to obey and follow the path of salvation and success, as indicated in the verse:

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ ۖ

“Those are the ones whom Allah has guided.” (Surah Al-An’am, verse 90)

وقوله سبحانه: 

And Allah’s statement:

فَمَن يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ ۖ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِي السَّمَاءِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

“Whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his heart to Islam; and whomsoever He wills to leave astray, He makes his heart tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe.” (Surah Al-An’am, verse 125)

إذا علمت هذا، فلا يُشكل عليك فهمُ ما جاء من آيات تخصُّ الهداية بالمتقين، وما جاء من آيات عامة، تعمُّ الهداية للناس أجمعين؛

Understanding this, it becomes easier to comprehend the verses that specify guidance for the muttaqeen and those that suggest guidance for all humanity.

وبه أيضًا يرتفع ما يبدو من إشكال بين قوله تعالى:

This also resolves any seeming contradiction between the two verses:

إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

“Indeed, you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills.” (Surah Al-Qasas, verse 56)

وبين قوله سبحانه: 

And:

وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

“Indeed, you guide to the straight path.” (Surah Ash-Shuraa, verse 52)

لأن الهداية المنفيَّة عنه صلى الله عليه وسلم في الآية الأولى هي الهداية الخاصة، إذ التوفيق بيد الله سبحانه؛ أما الهداية المثبتة له عليه الصلاة والسلام في الآية الثانية، فهي الهداية بمعناها العام، وهي إبانة الطريق، وهو ما فعله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وقام به أحسن القيام، وأتمَّه خير التمام، حتى ترك أمته على المحجَّة البيضاء، ليلها كنهارها، لا يزيغ عنها إلا هالك.

The negated guidance in the first verse refers to specific guidance, which is in Allah’s hands. The affirmed guidance in the second verse refers to general guidance, which is showing and explaining the right path, a task that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, fulfilled perfectly, leaving his Ummah on a clear path, as bright at night as it is in the day. No one deviates from it except those who are doomed.

على أن للمفسرين توجيهات أُخرى لآية البقرة

Moreover, scholars have provided additional explanations regarding the verse:

ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for the muttaqeen.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 2)

وما شابهها من آيات، لا ينبغي أن يُغفل عنها في مقام كهذا؛ فقد قالوا:

And similar verses, which should not be overlooked. They say:

– خصَّ سبحانه المتقين بالهداية، وإنْ كان القرآن هدى للخلق أجمعين؛ تشريفًا لهم، وإجلالاً لهم، وكرامة لهم، وبيانًا لفضلهم؛ لأنهم آمنوا به، وصدقوا بما فيه.

First, Allah specifically mentioned the righteous (those who have taqwa) as the recipients of guidance, although the Quran is guidance for all of mankind, as an honor, exaltation, and explanation of their merit, because they believed in it and affirmed what it contains.

– إنَّ تخصيص الهدى بالمتقين باعتبار الغاية، أي: إن من استمسك بهدي القرآن فإن عاقبته أن يكون من المتقين.

Second, The emphasis on guidance for the righteous refers to its ultimate purpose, meaning: whoever adheres to the guidance of the Quran, their eventual outcome will be that they become among the righteous.

– إن اختصاصه بالمتقين؛ لأنهم المهتدون به فعلاً، والمنتفعون بما فيه حقيقة، وإن كانت دلالته عامة لكل ناظر من مسلم أو كافر؛ وبهذا الاعتبار قال تعالى: 

Third, The specific mention of the righteous is because they are the ones who are truly guided by it and who truly benefit from what it contains, even though its guidance is general for anyone who observes it, whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim. In this sense, Allah says:

هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

“Guidance for the righteous” (Surah Al Baqarah, verse 2)

والله اعلم

Sumber : IslamWeb