Reflections on the name Al-Hadi (The One who guides) – Part 1

Bismillah.

Imagine this scene; You have a really good friend of yours, whom you really care about, whom you love and whom you are concerned about. You buy an expensive gift for that person, say a Tiffany’s rare solitaire? Okay, so here you are buying a really precious gift. You then go to your friend’s house imagining the happiness of your friend and their reaction upon the gift you have specially selected for them. And once you give the gift, your friend takes it in the hand looks at it plainly and then just shoves it inside a drawer or a cupboard without any sort of reaction as if there was nothing special about it. How would you feel?

Wa liLillah hil masa lil ‘ala (And for Allah’s is the highest description)

Allah (swt) has made us Muslims. Out of His mercy because it would not affect Him and His Majesty in the least bit if the entire mankind turns into ultimate sinners or if the entire mankind turns into pious believers. He does not need us nor would he be affected by our actions at all, but we need Him for our whole source of existence comes from him and is dependent on his mercy.

We were born and raised as Muslims in a Muslim household. And as A PRECIOUS GIFT, Allah Swt has given us guidance, we have been told as far as we could remember that praying 5 times a day is compulsory, fasting in Ramadan, to enjoin good and forbid evil etc.

We received the precious guidance from a really long time. A Gift that many people of ignorance yearn for. A Gift that had it been tangible it would rake in more than billions of dollars. A Gift that is not bought, A Gift that is given out of pure love. A Gift that defines our bliss in the hereafter. A Gift that if accepted with whole heartedness and thankfulness will guarantee a bigger Gift in the time to come.
A Gift that we undermine every day. A Gift that we do not even consider as a Gift. A Gift so insignificant that we pass through number of years and major parts of our lives without even acknowledging its existence.

How often is it that we recognize the blessing of being a muslim? How often is it that we sincerely feel the gratitude towards Allah swt for this blessing? How often do we think to ourselves that we will change ourselves for our own betterment by following Allah’s commands and the way of his Messenger (saws) so that we may be successful in the hereafter? How often is that we think about the state we might up dying in? How often have we thought to ourselves that we will use the guidance when we reach an old age because the guidance is always going to be there right? How are we sure that we would be even alive to witness our old age? And if we think or presume we’d make it by that time then how can we be sure that we will be blessed with a wonderful health at that time to use it for accepting and benefitting from the guidance? Some tough questions, but let’s give it a thought.

We think ‘we are muslims okay, but let’s not make a big deal out of it now, shall we?’ for the fear of falling under the category of the ‘’extremists’’. Why are we ashamed or skeptical of falling under that category?

Yes! we must be extremists in the obedience of Allah swt just like we are ‘extremists’ in his disobedience. We must be extremists in helping others just as we are extremist in defaming others. We must really be extremists in following the path of Truth just as we are extremists in chasing our vain desires. When we can take the NOT-SO-GOOD-FOR-DEEN extremism then what about the otherwise?

When Allah ta’la wants us to see this Gift – this guidance. He keeps reminding us about it, in numerous ways. He selects the right and different ways of communication for every believer on a right time to make the believer see the guidance. If we do not accept the guidance in one way, He sends it in another way. Think of those times when we needed to revise our salah and we open our laptop to find a webpage talking about prayers, we get up from our couches and in the living room the call of prayer fills the room. We meet up with somebody and out of nowhere the person reminds us about the salah and it seems as though the entire world is out there today to remind us about salah. So where do we think these incidents come from and with whose will?

Allah swt keeps reminding us about the guidance until we blatantly deny the guidance and turn away from it. Then guess what, even Allah swt would turn away from us and what guidance would bring us any success in this life and the hereafter? If not the guidance of Allah swt? We may think of the celebs who obviously do not accept the guidance and yet they are successful in this life.

Firstly, it is all a fake success which is convincing for a heart which has been veiled away from truth, because the heart of every human being yearns for truth and to be rightly guided. But when we ignore that feeling then it gets veiled in the rust of our sins. Secondly, how long do we think that a human being lives for 70? 80? Or if that person is very lucky then about 90 years. Right? Now compare this period of lifetime with an eternal, never-ending life in the hereafter and think about the success that this celeb’s actions might reap him or her in the hereafter?

It it REALLY worth IT?

The answer is clear to those of us who want the true success.