GOD'S GUIDANCE

From: http://www.muslimtents.com/shaufi/b20index.htm

God is the Best Guide
God Sent Prophets and Revealed Books For Guidance
God Would Reward the Virtuous and Punish the Sinners

1 – God Is The Best Guide
The revealed book of Islam tells us that God is the best guide. None can guide except Him. Allah guides the man and everything in the right path. Allah guides whom He will and whom He guides none can misguide him. Allah leads astray whom He will and whom He leads astray none can lead him aright even a prophet. God guides only the righteous, pious, good and the believing – people. He does not guide the evil-doers, the miscreants, the disbelievers, the wicked people.
The Qur’an teaches its followers to pray to God to show them the right path, the path of those whom He has favoured, not of those who earned Allah’s anger nor of those who went astray.
Al-Qur’an highlights in the following Verses that God is the best guide and none can guide except Him:
1. Show us the straight path, The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not (the path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray. —1:Al–Fatihah : 5-7
2. Lo! Allah disdaineth not to coin the similitude even of a gnat. Those who believe know that it is the truth from their Lord; but those who disbelieve say: What doth Allah wish (to teach) by such a similitude? He misleadeth many thereby, and He guideth many thereby; and He misleadeth thereby only miscreants;—2:Al–Baqarah: 26
3. How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and (after) they bore witness that the messenger is true and after clear proofs (of Allah's sovereignty) had come unto them. And Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk. —3: Al–Imran: 86
4. Seek ye to guide him whom Allah hath sent astray? He whom Allah sendeth astray, for him thou (O Muhammad) canst not find a road. —4: An–Nisa: 88
5. Those who deny our revelations are deaf and dumb in darkness. Whom Allah will He sendeth astray, and whom He will He placeth on a straight path. —6:Al–An'am: 39
6. He whom Allah leadeth, he indeed is led aright, while he whom Allah sendeth astray-they indeed are losers. —7: Al–A'raf: 178
7. Those whom Allah sendeth astray, there is no guide for them. He leaveth them to wander blindly on in their contumacy. —7: Al–A'raf: 186
8. Even if thou (O Muhammad) desirest their right guidance, still Allah assuredly will not guide him who misleadeth. Such have no helpers. —16: An–Nahl: 37
9. Had Allah willed He could have made you (all) one nation, but He sendeth whom He will astray and guideth whom He will, and ye will indeed be asked of what ye used to do. —16: An–Nahl: 93
10. Lo! Thou (O Muhammad) guidest not whom thou lovest, but Allah guideth whom He will. And He is best aware of those who walk aright. —28: Al–Qasas: 56
11. Nay, but those who do wrong follow their own lusts without knowledge. Who is able to guide him whom Allah hath sent astray? For such there are no helpers. —30: Ar–Rum: 29
12. Who hear advice and follow the best thereof, Such are those whom Allah guideth, and such are men of understanding. —39: Az–Zumar: 18
13. And as for Thamud, We gave them guidance, but they preferred blindness to the guidance, so the bolt of the doom of humiliation overtook them because of what they used to earn. —41: Ha Mim As–Sajdah: 17
14. And they will have no protecting friend to help them instead of Allah. He whom Allah sendeth astray, for him there is no road. —42: Ash–Shura: 46
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2 – God Sent Prophets and Revealed Books for Guidance
When God expelled Adam, his wife Eve and his number One enemy the Satan from Paradise, God told them that He would be sending Prophets and revealing books for the guidance of the children of Adam as the Satan and his minions would mislead them. True to His commitment (and none can be more true in promise than God), God sent hundreds of thousands of Prophets from Adam to Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the last Prophet with whom Prophethood came to an end. Practically, a Prophet was sent to each nation and each land. The famous of these Prophets, whose names have been mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, are Noah, Hood, Salih, Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishmael, Isaac, Lot, Jacob, Shuaib, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Job, Jo’nah, Zakariah, John, Jesus, and Muhammad (may Allah’s peace be upon all of them).
God also revealed books which were given to the Prophets for guidance of the human beings. The famous of these books which have been mentioned in the Qur’an along with the name of the Prophet to whom given are four. The names of these books are: Torah given to Prophet Moses, Psalms (Zabur) given to Prophet David, Gospel (Injeel) given to Prophet Jesus Christ and Al-Qur’an given to Prophet Muhammad. Besides these four books, the Qur’an also mentions, without naming them, the books given to Prophet Abraham.
The above mentioned books contain the messages of God revealed to the Prophets through Angel Gabreil. The teachings of these books mainly emphasise Unity of God and enjoin the people to worship Allah alone, the Almighty One God of the universe, and not to assign any partners with Him.
The Qur’an brings in focus above mentioned facts in its following verses:
1. We said: Go Down, all of you from hence; but verily there cometh unto you from Me a guidance; and whoso followeth My guidance, there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve. But they who disbelieve, and deny our revelations, such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein. —2:Al–Baqarah: 38-39
2. And When We gave unto Moses the Scripture and the Criterion (of right and wrong), that ye might be led aright. —2:Al–Baqarah: 53
3. And verily We gave unto Moses the Scripture and We caused a train' of messengers to follow after him, and We gave unto Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah's sovereignty), and We supported him with the holy Spirit. Is it ever so, that, when there cometh unto you a messenger (from Allah) with that which ye yourselves desire not, ye grow arrogant, and some ye disbelieve and some ye slay?—2: Al–Baqarah: 87
4. He hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture with truth, confirming that which was (revealed) before it, even as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel. Aforetime, for a guidance to mankind; and hath revealed the Criterion (of right and wrong). Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah, theirs will be a heavy doom. Allah is Mighty, Able to Requite (the wrong). —3: Al–lmran: 3-4
5. Lo! We inspire thee as We inspired Noah and the prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as we imparted unto David the Psalms; And messengers We have mentioned unto thee before and messengers We have not mentioned unto thee; and Allah spake directly unto Moses; Messengers of good cheer and of warning, in order that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the messengers. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise. —4: An–Nisa: 163-165
6. And We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, confirming that which was (revealed) before him, and We bestowed on him the Gospel wherein is guidance and a light, confirming that which was (revealed) before it in the Torah – a guidance and an admonition unto those who ward off (evil). —5: Al–Ma’idah: 46
7. And We bestowed upon him Issac and Jacob; each of them We guided; and Noah did We guide aforetime; and of his seed (We guided) David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward the good. And zachariah and John and Jesus and Elias. Each one (of them) was of the righteous. And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot. Each one of them did We prefer above (Our) creatures. —6: Al–An’am: 84-85
8. And unto Midian (We sent) their brother Shuaib. He said: O My people! Serve Allah. Ye have no other God save Him……—7: Al–A’raf: 85
9. And unto (the tribe of) Aad (We sent) their brother, Hud. He said: O My people! Serve Allah! Ye have no other God save Him. —11: Hud: 50
10. And unto (the tribe of) Thumud (We sent) their brother Salih. He said: O my people! Serve Allah, ye have no other God save Him. He brought you forth from the earth and hath made you husband it. So ask forgiveness of Him and turn unto Him repentant……—11: Hud: 61
11. 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,—14: Ibrahim: 4
12. We have giveth thee seven of the oft-repeated (verses) and the great Qur’an. —15: Al–Hijr: 87
13. And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers!—16: An–Nahl: 36
14. ………And unto David, We gave the Psalms. —17: Bani Is’rail: 55
15. And when the Lord called Moses, saying: Go unto the wrongdoing folk, the folk of Pharaoh. Will they not ward off (evil)?—26: Ash–Shura: 10-11
16. And verily We sent Noah (as our messenger) unto his folk, and he continued with them for a thousand years save fifty years; and the flood engulfed them, for they were wrong-doers. And We rescued him and those with him in the ship, and made of it a portent for the peoples. —29: Al–Ankabut: 14-15
17. Lo! We have sent thee with the Truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner; and there is not a nation but a Warner hath passed among them. —35: Al–Fatir: 24
18. Lo! This is in the former scrolls, the Books of Abraham and Moses. —87: Al–A’ala: 18-19
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3 – God Would Reward The Virtuous And Punish The Sinners
Man is the best of God’s creations and he has been endowed with soul, faculty of reason and power of thinking. He has been shown two ways – one is right which leads to success and reward, the others is bad which leads to failure and punishment. Therefore, man has been given conscience, freedom of choice and freedom of action. The right or straight way is the virtue and the bad way is the sin. In religious sense, to follow guidance of God revealed through His messengers and books is virtue and to disregard it and follow some other crooked way is sin. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is reported to have explained the meaning of virtue and sin in remarkably precise but vivid manner. When he was asked what is virtue and what is vice, the Prophet said: Virtue is good conduct and vice is what raises doubt in your mind and what you donot like that people may know it.
Some religions believe that man is born sinful, but Islam, on the contrary, propounds the doctrine that a child is born sinless and remains in this state till he reaches the age of discretion when his parents or his environment make him adopt one religion or the other or he himself adopts right or the wrong way. The Prophet of Islam has said: “There is no child but is born upon nature (Islam). Then his parents make him a Jew, or a Christian, or a Magian. ”
In the following Ahadith (traditions) Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has enlisted some of the major sins which a believer is required to avoide:
1. Abdullah-b-Mas’ud reported that a man asked: O Messenger of Allah! What sin is greatest near Allah? He replied: Your calling up a partner for Allah while He created you. He asked: What is next? He said: Your killing of your child for fear of his taking food with you. He asked: What is next? He replied: Your committing adultery with the wife of your neighbour. The Almighty Allah revealed by way of corroborating them: And those who do not call another god with Allah and do not kill one whom Allah has made unlawful except for just cause and those who do not commit adultery – the verse. (Bukhari, Muslim)
2. Abdullah-b-Amr reported that the Apostle of Allah said: The great sins are to associate a partner with Allah, to disobey parents, to kill a soul and to take false oath, Bukhari narrated it. And in a narration of Anas: False evidence in place of false oath. (Bukhari, Muslim)
3. Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah said: Avoid seven harmful things They asked: O Messenger of Allah! What are those? He replied: Setting up a partner with Allah, sorcery, killing a soul whom Allah has made unlawful except for just cause, devouring usury, devouring the properties of an orphan, keeping behind on the day of fight and slandering chaste, believing heedless women. (Bukhari, Muslim)
4. Nawas-b-Sam’an reported: I asked the Apostle of Allah about virtue and vice. He said: Virtue is good conduct and vice is what raises doubt in your mind and what you do not like that people may pry into it. (Muslim)
Those who believe in Allah, follow His Messengers, worship Allah alone, act upon the teachings of Allah’s messengers and books and do virtuous deeds would be rewarded by Allah in the Hereafter and would enter in Paradise. On the other hand, those who do not believe in God and His messengers and do sinful deeds would be punished by God in the Hereafter and would enter into Hell-Fire.
The Qur’an, it its following verses enlightens us how God would reward the virtuous people and punish the sinners:
1. And guard yourselves against a day in which ye will be brought back to Allah. Then every soul will be paid in full that which it hath earned, and they will not be wronged. —2: Al–Baqarah: 281
2. Lo! Allah wrongeth not even of the weight of an ant; and if there is a good deed, He will double it and will give (the doer) from His presence an immense reward. —4: An–Nisa: 40
3. Whoso interveneth in a good cause will have the reward thereof, and whoso interventh in an evil cause will bear the consequence thereof. Allah over seeth all things. —4: An–Nisa: 85
4. It will not be in accordance with your desires, nor the desires of the People of the Scripture. He who doth wrong will have the recompense thereof, and will not find against Allah any protecting friend or helper. And Whoso doeth good works, whether of male or female, and he (or she) is a believer, such will enter Paradise and they will not be wronged the dint in a date-stone. —4: An–Nisa: 123-124
5. Then, as for those who believed and did good works, unto them will He pay their wages in full, adding unto them of His bounty; and as for those who were scornful and proud them will He punish with a painful doom. —4: An–Nisa: 173
6. Whoso bringeth a good deed will receive ten-fold the like thereof, while whoso bringeth an ill-deed will be awarded but the like thereof; and they will not be wronged. —6: Al–An’am: 160
7. For those who do good is the best (reward) and more (thereto). Neither dust nor ignominy cometh near their faces. Such are rightful owners of the Garden; they will abide therein. And those who earn ill deeds, (for them) requital of each ill deed by the like thereof; and ignominy overtaketh them – they have no protector from Allah – as if their faces have been covered with a cloak of darkest night. Such are rightful owners of the fire; they will abide therein. —10: Yunus: 27-28
8. Whoso bringeth a good deed, he will have better than the same; while as for him who bringeth an ill-deed, those who do-ill deeds will be requited only what they did. —28: Al–Qasas: 84
9. Whoso doeth an ill-deed, he will be repaid the like thereof, While whoso doeth right, Whether male or female, and is a believer (all) such will enter the Garden, Where they will be nourished without stint. —40: Al–Mu–min: 40
10. Or do those who commit ill-deeds suppose that We shall make them as those who believe and do good works, the same in life and death? Bad is their judgment!—45: Al–Jathiyah: 21
11. And unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, that He may reward those who do evil with that which they have done, and reward those who do good with goodness. —53: An–Najm: 31
12. Lo! those who disbelieve, among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters, will abide in fire of Hell. They are the worst of created beings. (And) lo! those who believe and do good works are the best of created beings. Their reward is with their Lord: Gardens of Eden underneath which rivers flow, wherein they dwell for ever. Allah hath pleasure in them and they have pleasure in Him. This is (in store) for him who feareth his Lord. —98: Al–Beyyinah: 6-8