Guidance and Prophet Muhammad (s)
Younus AlGohar
In the present time, many people say that Muhammad (s) cannot give guidance to anyone. They say that Allah Almighty Himself is the Owner of guidance. In support of this, they quote the following verse of the Quran:
Surah Al-Qasas, Verse 56 (28:56)
Innnaka la tahdi
Indeed, you cannot guide
maan ahbabta
whom you love
walakinna
but rather
Allaha yahdi
Allah guides
man yashau
whom He wills.
Let us discuss the matter a little more deeply.
Allah Almighty tests His special servants for 1–3 years. If they pass the test, Allah Almighty then says:
Surah Al-Fajr, Verses 27–28 (89:27–28)
Ya ayyatuha an-nafsul-mutma’innah
O tranquil soul,
irji’i ila rabbiki
Return to your Lord,
radiyatan
I am pleased with you,
mardiyyah
and you are pleased with Me.
“Radiya-Mardiya” is such a spiritual station where, if Allah says something, the servant must accept it, and if the servant asks something of Allah, Allah must accept it—even if it is contrary to the Shariah. Both parties benefit from this covenant.
Allah says to His servant, “In such-and-such a place there is an eternal believing soul of Mine, but he cannot find the path. Go and bring him onto My path.” The servant, in accordance with his covenant, goes to do so, and no matter how much hardship he encounters in accomplishing this task, he accepts it with a smile.
Similarly, sometimes an eternal hell-bound soul comes to a Kamil Murshid and abandons everything to devote himself to serving that Murshid. After continuing in this way, one day the Murshid becomes pleased with him and prays to Allah for his disciple: “O Allah, this disciple of mine is an eternal hell-bound soul. Send Your mercy upon him and change his destiny.” Then Allah says, “Very well. Write into his destiny whatever you wish.” Although this may be contrary to the Shariah, because of the covenant of Radiya-Mardiya, Allah is bound to accept it. This is why serving the Murshid is the greatest act of worship. However, it must be done selflessly.
Many Prophets, Messengers, and Saints took many women as their kaniz (concubine). What is a kaniz (concubine)? If a man marries a woman exoterically, she is his wife. But if a man marries a woman esoterically, she becomes his kaniz. A wife has a right to her husband’s exoteric possessions. A kaniz, however, has no right to her husband’s exoteric possessions; rather, her right is over his esoteric possessions. For this reason, many eternal hell-bound souls entered Paradise after death because they became kaniz. In reality, the Prophets, Messengers, and Saints made these women their kaniz precisely for the liberation of those eternal hell-bound souls.
This system of “Radiya-Mardiya” and making someone a kaniz was established by Allah Almighty for His special servants—the Prophets, Messengers, and Saints. Through this, they could even guide eternal hell-bound souls. Now the question is: if a Prophet, Messenger, or Saint can guide eternal hell-bound souls, then can our Prophet Muhammad (s) not do so? Do we have no understanding whatsoever of his rank and dignity? Have we become so foolish?
Allah Almighty has said about His Beloved:
From the book Ain-ul-Faqr, written by Sultan Haq Bahu, page 40
Law laka lama khalaqtul-aflak
O Beloved! Had you not existed, I would not have created this universe.
Law laka lama azhartur-rububiyyah
Had you not existed, I would not have manifested My Lordship.
Allah Almighty created only Mustafa (s) for the purpose of making Himself known and for His vision and remembrance, while He created all the rest of creation for the vision and remembrance of Mustafa (s). When everything in the universe has been created for the sake of the Holy Prophet (s), then how can he not give guidance to someone whom he loves? Would Allah not fulfill even this small request of His Beloved? Can that ever happen? Would the Beloved of Allah become inferior even to the ordinary Saints?
The Holy Prophet (s) said:
Al-Hadith
Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Iman — Loving the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) is part of faith, Hadith No. 15
Qala an-Nabiyyu sallallahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam:
The Prophet (s) said:
La yu’minu ahadukum hatta akuna ahabba ilayhi min walidihi wa waladihi wan-nasi ajma’in.
None of you can become a true believer until I am more beloved to him than his parents, his children, and all people.
That means love for the Holy Prophet (s) is faith. We can become true believers only if we love the Holy Prophet (s) more than anything else; otherwise, we cannot. Now the question is: if we love the Holy Prophet (s), we receive guidance. But if the Holy Prophet (s) loves someone, what does that person receive? Misguidance? Ask this question to your own conscience. Listen to what your conscience answers you.
The Holy Prophet (s) prayed to Allah:
Al-Hadith, Ala al-Sahihayn (Vol. 3, Hadith 4738), Musnad Ahmad (Hadith 26500)
Allahumma innaha ba’datun minni, faman ahabbaha faqad ahabbani, wa man abghadaha faqad abghadani. Allahumma wali man walaha, wa adi man adaha.
“O Allah! Indeed, she (Fatimah) is a part of me. Therefore, whoever loves her has loved me, and whoever hates her has hated me. O Allah! Love whoever loves her, and oppose whoever opposes her.”
Why did the Holy Prophet (PBUH) make this request to Allah regarding Lady Fatimah (r)? Because the Prophet loved Lady Fatimah (r) immensely. She was a part of his heart. This demonstrates that whoever the Holy Prophet (s) loves, he will pray to Allah for that person’s mercy. And can Allah ever reject the prayer of His Beloved? If, because of the covenant of Radiya-Mardiya, Allah could not reject the request of a Saint, then how could He reject the request of His Beloved? Does this reasoning make sense? Then how can the Holy Prophet (s) not give guidance to someone whom he loves? Of course he can. He can guide whomever he wishes. Because Allah Himself says in the Holy Quran:
Surah Ash-Shura, Verse 52 (42:52)
Wa innaka la tahdi ila siratin mustaqim
Indeed, you are the Siratul Mustaqim
Surah Al-Qasas, Verse 56, clearly contradicts this verse.
Among the Quraysh there were two tribes—Banu Hashim and Banu Umayyah. The Holy Prophet (s) belonged to Banu Hashim. Abu Bakr, Umar, and Usman belonged to Banu Umayyah. The Holy Prophet (s) loved his Ahl-e-Bayt immensely. And according to the Quran, love for the Ahl-e-Bayt is a part of Islam.
Surah Ash-Shura, Verse 23 (42:23)
Qul la as’alukum alayhi ajran illal-mawaddata fil-qurba
Say, [O Muhammad], ‘I do not ask of you any reward for it (Islam) except love for my household.
In other words, love for the Ahl-e-Bayt is the foundation of our faith. The Companions also had immense love for the Ahl-e-Bayt. And this became a source of jealousy and resentment among the Banu Umayyah. They believed that if everyone regarded the Ahl-e-Bayt as possessing such a high status, then the Arabs would no longer follow anyone else. Everyone would follow the Ahl-e-Bayt and their descendants. As a result, the Banu Umayyah would never gain importance in Islam. For this reason, after the passing of the Holy Prophet (s), they conspired to make Abu Bakr the Caliph instead of Mawla Ali, so that the Caliphate would not remain within Banu Hashim. From that point onward, they continued conspiring against Banu Hashim. They kept Mawla Ali away from the Caliphate. As part of the same continuation, approximately 150 years later, when Usman gave the Quran its written form, they arranged the verses of the Quran according to their own wishes. They burned the Quranic verses preserved by Mawla Ali and compiled the Quran after excluding them. They removed all the verses concerning the Ahl-e-Bayt and added several fabricated verses in their place. Surah Al-Qasas, Verse 56, is also one such fabricated verse, which clearly contradicts other verses of the Quran.
In reality, Muhammad (s) himself is the Sirat al-Mustaqim — that is, he himself is the path of guidance. He gives guidance to whoever he loves.