Guidance of the Quran

30/04/2023| IslamWeb

Praise be to Allah who revealed the Quran and made it straight without any deviance, to give glad tidings for the believers, warn the disbelievers, and guide people therewith to the Straight Path.

Now coming to the point:

The most glorious aspect of the miraculousness of the Quran is that it is a book of guidance to all people, Arabs, and non-Arabs, knowledgeable and non-knowledgeable or literate and illiterate. They read it to find guidance that takes them out of darkness to the Light. Allah, the Exalted Says (what means): {Alif, Lam, Meem. This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah} [Quran 2:1-2]

He also Says (what means): {And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims} [Quran 16:89]

Allah, the Exalted Says (what means): {There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book By which Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out from darknesses into the light, by His permission, and guides them to a straight path} [Quran 5:15 - 16]

This Quran guides them to the salvation way and methods of straightness, rescues them of destruction, shows them the clearest ways and averts away forbidden matters, brings them the most beloved matters, protects them against error, and guides them to the best way.

When the guidance of people was the way to achieve the end for which humans and jinn were created, Allah, the Exalted made this way one of the goals of sending down the Quran. Allah, the Exalted Says (what means): {And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims} [Quran 16:89]

He also Says (what means): {O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers} [Quran 10:57]

Allah also Says (what means): {The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion} [Quran 2:185]

The Messenger of Allah received this Glorious Book from his Lord and was not aware of it before, then he informed people thereof and guided them to the Straight Path. {And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command. You did not know what is the Book or [what is] faith, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants. And indeed, [O Muhammad] you guide to a straight path} [Quran 42:52]

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, recited it to the people, and it had a great impact on them.

The evidence of this impact on people, even on the polytheists, is that they could not conceal the feeling that the Quran made in themselves, compelling them to praise it by words even if they did not believe in it. Al-Waleed Ibn Al-Mugheerah said: "By Allah, there is no one of you more knowledgeable of poetry than me, and no one is more aware of its rhyme and composition more than me, and more knowledgeable of the poetry of jinn, and it (Quran) does not resemble the style of words we are using. By Allah, it is so sweet, so eloquent, it is rich in meanings; it shall prevail over any speech."

When ‘Utbah Ibn Rabee‘ah went to the Messenger of Allah to present to him the offers of Quraysh [to give up Da‘awah (call to Islam)], the Messenger of Allah kept listening to him until he finished. Thereupon, he said: "Abu Al-Waleed, have you finished?" He said: Yes. He,   said: "Then listen to me," He said: ‘I will do’. Thereupon, he recited to him some verses from Soorah (chapter of the Quran) Fussilat. Afterward, when ‘Utbah returned to his people, some of his friends said to each other: We swear by Allah that Abu Al-Waleed returned with a different face (state) than which he went. And when he sat with them, they asked: Abu Al-Waleed  what has happened? He said: I heard something that I had never heard the like of before. By Allah, it is neither poetry, nor sorcery, nor fortunetelling. O people of Quraysh, obey me and consider my advice, leave this man alone and keep yourself away from him. By Allah, the words I heard from him shall be of great effect.”  

Those were the words of those who were affected by the Quran but were not guided therewith due to their arrogance and envy.

As for the polytheists who opened their hearing and hearts to the Quran, the words of Allah got deep into their dark souls and enlighten their sides, for the power of its impact on them until the true testimony of Islam was declared and they embraced Islam.

When the polytheists knew the impact of the Quran on people's souls, they prevented them from hearing it and commanded people to make noise when they hear its recitation to distract them from hearing it. Allah, the Exalted says (what means): {And those who disbelieve say, "Do not listen to this Quran and speak noisily during [the recitation of] it that perhaps you will overcome} [Quran 41:26]

Despite their media war and their internal confinement that warned against hearing the Quran for the inhabitants of Makkah and its visitors, they did not succeed with all people. When Al-Tufail Ibn ‘Amr Ad-Dawsi came to Makkah and Quraysh knew his status, they warned him severely from listening to the Messenger of Allah to the extent that he put cotton in his ears so that he would not hear the Prophet . However, when Allah's Mercy and Guidance are destined to penetrate the hearts, nothing will stop it. At-Tufayl said: “Allah destined that I would hear some of His Words. I heard beautiful words, so I said to myself: May my mother lose me! By Allah, I am a wise man and a poet and can distinguish between beautiful and bad words, so what will prevent me from hearing what that man (i.e., the Prophet) saying? If his words are good, I will accept them and if they are bad, I will leave them. So, the Messenger of Allah offered me to embrace Islam and recited some verses to me. By Allah, I have never heard words better than his nor a matter more just than it, so I embraced Islam and pronounced the testimony of truth. It is not weird that the Quran makes that impact on their souls, while Allah, the Exalted said about it: {If We had sent down this Quran upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming apart from fear of Allah. And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought} [Quran 59:21]

The story of embracing Islam of Usayd Ibn Hudayr and Sa‘ad Ibn Mu‘adh shows the effect of this Glorious Quran in the souls. Usayd Ibn Hudayr came to Mus‘ab and As‘ad Bin Zurarah and said: What did bring you? Do you want to seduce our weak people; keep away from us if you do not want to be killed. Mus‘ab said to him: Would you sit and listen to what we are saying? If you find it true, accept it and if you find it false, we will stop saying what you hate. He said: You have spoken fairly. He then put his spear on the ground and sat listening to them. Thereupon, Mus‘ab told him about Islam reciting the Quran to him. They said, as was reported from them:

By Allah, we have recognized Islam in his face before he uttered from the brightness and cheerfulness of his face.

Then he said: How beautiful this speech is! What should you do to embrace this religion? They said to him: You perform Ghusl and purify your garment then perform Salah (prayer). So, he performed Ghusl, cleaned his garment and uttered the Testimony of Faith, then stood up and performed Salah of two Rak‘ahs (unit of prayer). Then said to them: I know a man who shall be followed by his people if he embraces Islam, and I will send him to you now, he is Sa‘ad ibn Mu‘adh. Then he took his spear and went to Sa‘ad and his people while they were sitting in their gathering. When Sa‘ad ibn Mu‘adh saw him coming, he said: By Allah, Usayd came with a different mood than that he left you. When he came to the gathering, Sa‘ad said to him: What have you done? He said: I spoke to the two men, but by Allah, I have not seen any harm from them, and I forbade them to do so, but they said: We will do what you said. I have been told that the people of Harithah went to As‘ad Ibn Zurarah to kill him when they knew that he is your cousin to make you sad. He said: Sa‘ad went in anger because of what has been told to him about the people of Harithah, so he took the spear of his hand and said: By Allah, you have done nothing. Then he went to them, but when he saw them sitting in tranquility, he knew that Usayd wanted him to hear from them. So, he started to insult them and said to As‘ad Ibn Zurarah: O Abu Umamah! Had it been for the relativity between you and me, you would not have escaped from me. Do you make us hear what we hate in our domicile? As‘ad Ibn Zurarah said to Mus‘ab Ibn ‘Umayr: Indeed, the master of his people came to you and if he embraces Islam, none of his people would hesitate. He said: Mus‘ab said to him: Would you sit and listen, and if you are satisfied and desire these words, you may accept them, and if you hate them, we will stop saying what you hate. Sa‘ad said: You have spoken fairly. Then he left the spear and sat down, so Mus‘ab offered him Islam and recited the Quran to him. They said: By Allah, we saw the bright or Islam on his face before he would embrace it for his cheerfulness. Then he asked them: How do you embrace this religion? They said: Perform Ghusl, clean your garment, testify the Testimony of Faith then perform Salah of two Rak‘ahs. He   said: He performed Ghusl, purified his garment, testified the Testimony of Faith, and performed two Rak‘ahs, then he took his spear and went to the gathering along with Usayd Ibn Hudayr. He said: When his people saw him coming, they said: By Allah, Sa‘ad returned with a different mood than that he left you. When he spoke to them, he said: O people of ‘Abdul-Ash-hal, what is my status among you? They said: You are our master; you have the best vision among us and the most sublime in origin. He said: I made a vow not to talk to any of you, men and women, until you believe in Allah and His Messenger. They said: By Allah when the night came, all of the people of ‘Abdul Ash-hal, men and women, have embraced Islam."

The impact and the guidance of the Quran were not especially for Arabs alone, but its impact has extended to non-Arabs who do not understand it. Allah, the Exalted says (what means): {And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth. They say, "Our Lord, we have believed, so register us among the witnesses"} [Quran 5: 83]

This Ayah (verse of Quran) was revealed concerning An-Najashi (Negus) the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and his companions.

As the formers were guided by the Quran, likewise the latter, for its impact has not been confined to Arabs who know its language and recognize the secret of its miraculous statements. Our age is the time of diverse technical and scientific advancement reveals to the world that the impact of the Quran is still active and increasing day after day. This is evidenced by the convoys of scholars, genius people, researchers, and general people who embrace Islam, fascinated by this miraculous Book which contained different types of guidance, methods, and impacts on people, despite their different languages and specialties. What's more, its magical aura always attracts even people who criticize and challenge it.

The one who monitors the methods of the Glorious Quran in terms of impact and means of guidance finds them multiple because people are different in the methods of being affected. The guidance of the Quran does not get into their hearts in one way but in different ways. There are eager souls tempted by the promise of goodness, so when they recite what Allah, the Almighty prepared for His believing servants of reward and generosity; they long for that promised goodness and accept guidance. And some souls need to be reprimanded and warned, so when they recite or hear the Ayahs (verses) of threatening [i.e., about the punishment in Hellfire], and the painful torment and punishment Allah prepared for those who disobey Him, they are terrified, leave the disobedience they were committing, and follow the Straight Path. There are souls attracted by words and their strength, phrases and their good structure, styles and the beauty of their consistency, and expressive and mental images and perfect structure. So, when they find that in an Ayah which they hear or recite, it will guide them to the truth. Some other souls admire stories and their way of narration, topics, and consequences, so they find in the stories of the Quran and their lessons what satisfies their voracity and restrains their whims, as the stories of the Quran are not like other stories.

Other souls are searching for evidence and convincing arguments in order to leave the misguidance they are upon, and this way of guidance has not been overlooked by the Quran.

The Quran has also mentioned some proofs and convincing evidence that make the just person submit to it and accept it, and subject himself to its authority, and then he can only be guided by it.

The Quran overpowers man in the only way that conquers his superiority in controversy, i.e., by providing compelling evidence for every misconception and by giving compelling proof for every argument. Repudiation of faith after reciting the Quran is Kufr (disbelief), by negligence and not because of ignorance, and by neglect and not because of not being competent for religious assignments or being irrational."

It is worth mentioning that this guiding effect generated by the Quran in some readers or listeners until it leads them to the Straight Path does not mean that others who are counted from the people of integrity do not need the guidance of the Quran. This is not the case, but every person is in dire need for the guidance of the Quran and its impact on himself, either to modify the path or to obtain more brightness and guidance; however, the matter requires some means to reach it.

Ibn Al-Qayyim pointed to some of these means saying:

"If you want to benefit from the Quran, be attentive when reciting it or listening to it, listen to it carefully and be like the one who is directly addressed by it, for it is truly a direct speech to you from the Speaker (Allah The Almighty) on the tongue of His Messenger . Allah, the Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or who listens while he is present [in mind]} [Quran 50:37]

When the full effect was bound by an influencer, a place to be influenced [the heart], a condition for obtaining the effect, and the absence of any impediment that prevents the effect, the Ayah included all these elements in the shortest and expressive words and proofs to the intended meaning.