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Stage of Hidayat
💖💖💖Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam made Dua:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنّىْ اَسْئَلُكَ الْهُدَىْ وَالتُّقٰى وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنٰى
Allahumma Inni As’alukal Huda Wat-Tuqa Wal Afaafa Wal Ghina
O Allah, I ask You for guidance, Taqwa, chastity and independence.
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam asked for Hidaayat even though Hidaayat had come out and protruded from the body of Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. From here and various Aayaat of the Quraan Sharif we learn that there are different stages of Hidayat. In fact the Ummah is encouraged to always recite this Dua and tread the different stages of Hidayat until our last breath.
💟The First Stage of Hidayat💕-
Inaabat Ilallah
Allah Ta’ala has explained the first stage which is “Inaabat ilallah” in the Quraan Sharif,
وَيَهْدِىْ اِلَيْهِ مَنْ يُنِيْبُ
“Wa Yahdee ilayhi May Yuneeb”
He will guide towards him the one that is penitent (repents for his sins)
Allah Ta’ala grants Hidayat to those who make Inaabat, Rujoo, turn to Allah Ta’ala with Tawbah (Repentance). In the initial stages, a person gets involved in sins. When he sins he will be at the crossroad, either he will justify his sins and continue or he will admit to his faults and try to rectify himself and seek forgiveness, if perchance he sins further he will ask Allah Ta’ala to forgive him, this is called “Inaabat-ilallah.”
Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam has said in many Ahaadith,
“Even if your sins reach the brink of the skies, turn to Allah, He will forgive those sins.”
It comes in another Hadith, Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said,
“Even if your sins are equivalent to the foam of the oceans, Allah will forgive them. Even if your sins are equivalent to the grains of sand on the earth, Allah will forgive those sins.”
A person will have to admit that he has wronged himself (i.e. humility is required). However there are two types of rights, “Huqooqullah and Huqooqul-ibad.”
Huqooqullah refers to the rights of Allah Ta’ala. We will be able to fulfil the rights of Allah Ta’ala by making our Qadha. However, we have become negligent in regards to Huqooqul-ibad which refers to the rights of creation. This is our real test. We have subordinates who we speak to harshly and justify ourselves by saying,
“We have to speak to them like this otherwise, they will not understand us.”
This is justifying our sin.
It is reported in a Hadith,
“When our Naama-e-Aamal (book of deeds) will be opened on the day of Qiyamah, then we will tell Allah Ta’ala, “I had performed so many Hajj and Umrah, performed so many Salaah, kept fasts, discharged Sadaqah, involved myself in various forms of Ibaadat such as Tilaawat of Quraan etc. but I do not see it in my book of records.”
Allah Ta’ala will reply,
“You used to backbite about a certain person; your deeds are transferred to him.”
In this way all our deeds will diminish from our book of records and be given to other people.
It comes in an Ayat of Quraan Sharif,
اِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَاِنَّهُمْ مَيِّتُوْنَ ثُمَّ اِنَّكُمْ يَوْمَ اْلقِيَامَةِ عِنْدَ رَبِّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُوْنَ
Innaka Mayyitu Wa innahum Mayyitoon. Thumma innakum Yaumal Qiyaamati inda Rabbikum Takhtasimoon.
Verily you shall die and they shall all die. Then, on the day of Qiyaamah, you will all quarrel in the presence of your Rabb
In the Tafseer of this Aayat Hadrat Abdullah ibn Abbas Radiallahu Anhu says,
“On the day of Qiyamah “Takhtasimoon”- you will argue with each other in front of Allah Ta’ala.”
In the Hadith he explains,
“Allah Ta’ala will first take accountability from this person, then Allah Ta’ala will call his wife and ask her if he fulfilled her rights. Did he oppress her or did he treat her with justice? Then Allah Ta’ala will call his employees and ask them, He will then decide according to what they had said.”
So Allah Ta’ala is giving us an opportunity to turn to Him, make Rujoo and Tawbah to Him. In the initial stage of a Saalik’s life (one who is treading the path), his sins will be more, Inaabat (turning to Allah Ta’ala) will be less, but once he realises his sins and turns to Allah Ta’ala, Allah Ta’ala will draw him close to Him and he will change his life. Allah Ta’ala will arrange for his Islaah. Then he will reach the second stage of hidayat. (Ibtidaa-e-Hidayat).
💟The Second Stage of Hidayat💕-
Ibtidaa e Hidayat (Beginning of Hidayat)
Allah Ta’ala says in Quraan Sharif,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ لاَ يَضُرُّكُم مَّن ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ
O you who have Imaan, take care of your own selves. He who has strayed cannot harm you when you are rightly guided.
Allah Ta’ala speaks of this Ibtidaa (beginning) and gives a prescription that, sins will become less and Rujoo (turning to Allah Ta’ala) becomes greater. A simple translation of
عَلَيْكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ
is, make Fikr and go forward to make your Islaah (reformation). When you will make this Fikr of your own Islaah,
لاَ يَضُرُّكُم مَّن ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ
The deviated people will never be able to bring harm to you. When you have turned to this path of Hidayat, Allah Ta’ala will grant this Hidayat to you
إِلَى اللّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
To Allah shall you all return, then He will inform you of what you used to do.
Then Allah Ta’ala brings him to a point in his life that his heart turns to the realisation that, he is going to stand in front of Allah Ta’ala on the day of Qiyamah.
واما من خاف مقام ربه ونهى النفس عن الهوى
As for the one who fears standing (to account for his actions) before his Rabb and who restrains himself from carnal passions
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi Rahmatullah Alaih said,
“This whole concept of Hidayat is that Allah Ta’ala holds this person’s hand and takes him through this route and journey”
which is stated in the Quraan Sharif,
فَمَن يُرِدِ اللّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلإِسْلاَمِ
Whoever Allah Ta’ala decides to guide, He opens his heart towards Islam.
💟The Third Stage of Hidayat💕
Sharhe-Sadr
The third stage of Hidayat is “Sharhe Sadr.”
Allah Ta’ala says in Quraan Sharif,
أَفَمَن شَرَحَ اللَّهُ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ فَهُوَ عَلَى نُورٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مِّن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أُوْلَئِكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ
(Are the Kuffar better) or the person whose heart Allah has opened to Islam, because of which he is (steadfast) upon a light from his Rabb? Destruction be for those whose hearts have hardened against Allah’s remembrance. These people are clearly misled.
This is a Nur from Allah Ta’ala and this Nur entails three things:
التجافى عن دار الغرور
Disinclination from the house of deception
A person is disinclined from the material world. He will live in this world, earn a living but ensure that his earning is purely Halaal. It is not only permissible to earn a living but in some cases it is even compulsory to earn, but ensure that it is Halaal. He will spend when it is necessary and we will fulfil the Huqooq of what he has earned.
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam recited Surah Takaathur and said,
“Takaathur is that wealth which Allah Ta’ala has cursed, wealth that was earned in a Haraam way, and the rights of the wealth were not fulfilled.”
If a person had earned his wealth in the Halaal way, fulfilled its right, then such wealth is not cursed.
The second thing which this Nur entails,
والانابة الى دار الخلود
To incline towards the home of eternity
Our heart should be inclined towards Aakhirat. We have to work in this material world but our gaze should be on the hereafter. This was the reality instilled within the Sahaaba Radiallahu Anhum. The third thing is,
والاستعداد للموت قبل نزوله
To prepare for death long before it reaches you.
This was one of the qualities of Hadrat Uthmaan Radiyallahu Anhu.
During the Khilaafat of Hadrat Abu Bakr Radiyallahu Anhu there was a drought in Madina Munawwarah. The people came to complain that they had no grain or fruit. Hadrat Abu Bakr Radiyallahu Anhu was so far sighted that he said to them, “By the evening your problem will be solved.” In the evening, one thousand loads of grain came from Shaam (Syria). This belonged to Hadrat Uthmaan Radiyallahu Anhu, as he was a businessman. All the merchants thronged around him to purchase the grain so they could sell it to the people. Hadrat Uthmaan Radiyallahu Anhu asked them,
“Who will give twenty percent profit on what I have?”
All the merchants were prepared to give twenty percent to him for wholesaling the grain.
Hadrat Uthmaan Radiyallahu Anhu said,
“No! I am getting more than that.”
So the merchants offered him fifty percent.
Hadrat Uthmaan Radiyallahu Anhu said,
“No! I am getting even more than that.”
The merchants looked around to see who was bidding higher than them.
Hadrat Uthmaan Radiyallahu Anhu said,
“Leave aside twenty percent and fifty percent. I am getting over one thousand percent. Allah Ta’ala has promised in the Quraan Sharif”,
من جاء بالحسنة فله عشر امثالها
That person who comes with one deed, Allah Ta’ala will give him ten times more.”
Hadrat Uthmaan Radiyallahu Anhu makes this intention, and tells all the businessmen of Madina Munawwarah,
“I make you a witness that I am giving this full load free to the rich and the poor of Madina Munawwarah.”
This should be an inspiration for us, Hadrat Uthmaan Radiyallahu Anhu spent in the path of Allah Ta’ala at a very difficult time. We will not give at such times of difficulty. Hadrat Uthmaan Radiyallahu Anhu gave at the time of the expedition to Tabuk. He gave during the Khilafat of Hadrat Abu Bakr Radiyallahu Anhu. This sincerity showed out on one night.
Hadrat Abdullah bin Abaas Radiyallahu Anhu the cousin of Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, was very young when Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam passed away. He was an Aashiq of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam and the Sahabah Radiyallahu Anhu. He learnt Quraan Sharif from Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. He is known as Ra’eesul Mufassireen, (i.e. Tafseer is considered as incomplete without his Tafseer.)
There is a Riwayat (narration) that he spent a few nights with Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in order to see the Aa’mal and Ibaadat of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas Radiyallahu Anhu stayed with Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam when Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam would be spending the night at the home of Hadrat Maymuna Radiyallahu Anha, as she was his aunt (khala). In Tahajjud salaah he stood behind Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam pulled him forward but he went behind again, when Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam asked him his reason for moving back, he replied,
“How can I stand in line with the Nabi of Allah Ta’ala.”
Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas Radiyallahu Anhu sees Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in a dream two and a half years after Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam’s demise. In the dream he sees Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam wearing clothes of Nur and he was riding a horse. When Abdullah bin Abaas Radiyallahu Anhu came close to Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam he hastened away. He asked Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam,
“Ya Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, I am desiring to see you and you are hastening away.”
Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam replied,
“I am going to a “Mehfil” where Uthmaan Radiyallahu Anhu’s Nikaah is taking place with the Hoor of Jannat, and the Mehr is that one thousand camel loads of grain which he gave.”
This was the reality that Sahaabah Radiyallahu Anhu had; they turned to Allah Ta’ala. They made Fikr for their Deen.
The story of Hadrat Hanzalah Radiyallahu Anhu comes to mind, when he feared that he had turned Munafiq, Hadrat Abu Bakr Radiyallahu Anhu joined him and they went to Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, they made Muraaqaba and Muhaasaba. This is the meaning of عَلَيْكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ, be concerned of yourself.
Hadrat Umar Radiyallahu Anhu used to cry so much that two lines like gutters formed on his cheeks. He was so concerned about his condition that he used to ask Hadrat Huzaifa Radiyallahu Anhu if his name was on the list of Munaafiqeen. Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam had given the list of names of the Munaafiqeen to Hadrat Huzaifa Radiyallahu Anhu. This is the meaning of عَلَيْكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ, be concerned of yourself.
Allah Ta’ala says,
انهم فتية اٰمنوا بربهم
There were a few youth that had believed in their Rabb
The youth mentioned in Surah Kahf brought perfect Imaan on Allah Ta’ala. They had intended to go in the path of Allah Ta’ala, to die on Kalimah and the Deen of Allah Ta’ala. Allah Ta’ala speaks of them,
وزدنٰهم هدى
and We increased them in guidance
Allah Ta’ala had increased them in Hidayat and then,
وربطنا على قلوبهم
And we strengthened their hearts
Hadrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi Rahmatullah Alaih explains, two things:
Muhabbat (love) of Allah Ta’ala.
Ma’arifat (recognition) of Allah Ta’ala.
When these two qualities will be acquired by a person then in another Ayat of Quraan Sharif, Allah Ta’ala says,
يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً
“O’ Nafs-e-Mutmainnah, O’ peaceful and comforted soul, come out in the pleasure of Allah, He is pleased with you, because you went through difficulties”.
When a person passes two stages in his life namely “Nafs-e-Ammara” and “Nafs-e-Lawwama” he will reach the stage of “Nafs-e-Mutmainna” which is mentioned in the verse quoted above.
It is narrated in a Hadith,
“Allah Ta’ala has set a place for a person in Jannah but through his Ibadat he could not reach Jannah, so Allah Ta’ala put him through trials and difficulties and gave him Tawfeeq to make Sabr, then he gets that stage in Jannah which was chosen for him.”
Some people cannot reach that stage through Ibadat, therefore Allah Ta’ala puts them through difficulties so that they may reach there. Further, Allah Ta’ala mentions,
فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي
Enter into the group of My servants.
If we had joined with His pious servants in this world with servitude and humility, then such people will enter with them in Jannat as well.
It is mentioned in the Hadith,
من تواضع لله رفعه الله
Whoever humbles himself for Allah, Allah Ta’ala will elevate him.
This verse of the Quraan Sharif was heard on the demise of many people, it was heard when Hadrat Abbas Radiyallahu Anhu was buried, when Raabia Basria Rahmatullah Alaiha was leaving the world and many others. Therefore let’s hold someone’s hand and try to reach there.
Hadrat Abu Huraira Radiyallahu Anhu narrates that the angel of death says,
اخرجى راضية مرضية الى روح الله ورحمانه
“Come out in the pleasure of AllahTa’ala, to the Rahmat and Ne’mats of AllahTa’ala.”
BAYAN OF HIDAYAT
