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Fatwa CenterWays to obtain guidance
Question
As humans, do we choose guidance or it is Allaah The Almighty who chooses it for certain people, noting that when a child is born, Allaah The Almighty knows in advance whether he will be pious or not? Do we repent by our choice, or when Allaah The Almighty wills?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alyhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
There are two types of guidance:
1- Showing and guiding people the right path (meaning, Islam). An example of this is the guidance of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to people, where Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And indeed, [O Muhammad], you guide to a straight path.} [Quran 42:52]
2- Granting people success to accept Islam. This is exclusive to Allaah The Almighty, and the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, had no hand in it. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like.} [Quran 28:56]
Allaah The Almighty created humankind with the inclination to be guided and take the right path. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
a. {And have shown him the two ways?} [Quran 90:10]
b. {Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.} [Quran 76:3]
Therefore, if a person strives to be good and to follow the right path, Allaah The Almighty will guide him to the right path. He The Almighty Says (what means): {And those who strive for Us— We will surely guide them to Our ways.} [Quran 29:69]
Scholars mentioned some reasons for being correctly guided. The most important of these are:
1. Believing in Allaah The Almighty Who Says (what means): {And whoever believes in Allaah— He will guide his heart.} [Quran 64:11]
2. Following the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
a. {And follow him that you may be guided.} [Quran 7:158]
b. {And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided.} [Quran 24:54]
3. Keenness on learning the Quran and acting upon what one learns from it. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them and a firmer position [for them in faith]. And then We would have given them from Us a great reward. And We would have guided them to a straight path.} [Quran 4:66-68]
4. Regularly performing acts of worship like prayer, Zakah (obligatory charity) and fasting. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {The mosques of Allaah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allaah and the Last Day and establish prayer and give Zakah and do not fear except Allaah, for it is expected that those will be of the [rightly] guided.} [Quran 9:18]
As for repentance, it has two sides:
1- The slave repents to Allaah The Almighty by showing remorse for his bad deeds. He then refrains from such actions, and has a sincere intention not to do these things again. This repentance is the act of the slave, and it takes place by the permission of Allaah The Almighty.
2- Allaah The Almighty accepts His slave’s repentance and forgives his sins. This is exclusive to Allaah The Almighty. The two types of repentance are mentioned in a verse, where Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {The repentance accepted by Allaah is only for those who do wrong in ignorance [or carelessness] and then repent soon after. It is those to whom Allaah will turn in forgiveness, and Allaah is ever Knowing and Wise.} [Quran 4:17]
Allaah Knows best.
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