SEEKING THE LIGHT

for my own comment I will start with *. please forgive me if I mistakenly explain to you.what is the meaning of (2: 100)?? it means chapter no.2, verse no.100, or surah ali-imran verse 100. I want to write with transliteration, but cannot sorry, only quarter of it. if theres any mistakes in the verse in arabic, please report. Be mindful that al-tafsir is from ibnu kathir unless stated otherwise.

the subtopics: 1. definitions and concepts of al-hidayah 2. levels of al-hidayah 3. prerequisites for divine guidance. 4. manifestation of misguidance 5. indication of receiving al-hidayah 6. Al-Qur'an the book of hidayah
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DEFINITION OF AL-HIDAYAH
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1. literally:
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the words hidayah is derived from the word "hada"(verb).
hada means:

a) to guide
b) to direct
c) to show the way

whereas Al-Hidayah means, a direction, a path, a way and so on. Al- Hidayah may also refers to any guidance, direction, way and method which ensures a person to reach his destination or to attain his objective even though they are against the shari'ah Allah s.w.t.
يقَومِ لَكُمُ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ ظَـهِرِينَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَمَن يَنصُرُنَا مِن بَأْسِ اللَّهِ إِن جَآءَنَا قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ مَآ أُرِيكُمْ إِلاَّ مَآ أَرَى وَمَآ أَهْدِيكُمْ إِلاَّ سَبِيلَ الرَّشَادِ ﴾
29. "O my people! Yours is the kingdom today, you being dominant in the land. But who will save us from the torment of Allah, should it befall us'' Fir`awn said: "I show you only that which I see, and I guide you only to the path of right policy!'') (40:29)

* from this verse, the pharaoh using the word أَهْدِيكُمْ which means" I guide you", which indicate the usage of hidayah as mention above.

2. technically:
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1.the way that ensures a person to ahieve the pleasure and closure to Allah.
2.a way that ensure a person to achieve tranquility, satisfaction, good feeling, success and meaningful life in this world and hereafter.
3. the only system by which mankind is able to carry out the duties of khalifah and 'ibadah.

*shortly you will able to understand all these technical meaning after reading the meaning of hidayah in al-Qur'an.
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Meaning of Al-Hidayah In Al-Qur'an

1 وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُواْ وَكَانُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ

24. And We made from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Ayat.(32:24)

In this verse al-hidayah refer to systematic and organized group of principles, instructions, and teachings brought by the messenger of Allah on Allah instruction directly.

* tafsir of this verse :

(And We made from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Ayat.) means, because they were patient in adhering to the commands of Allah and avoiding what He prohibited, and they believed in His Messengers and followed what they brought, there were among them leaders who guided others to the truth by the command of Allah, calling for goodness, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. Then when they changed ﴿the Words of Allah﴾, twisting and distorting them, they lost that position and their hearts became hard. They change the words from their places, so they do no righteous deeds and have no correct beliefs. Allah says:

﴿وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُواْ﴾

«إِذَا خَلَصَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ مِنَ النَّارِ حُبِسُوا عَلَى قَنْطَرَةٍ بَيْنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ فَاقْتُصَّ لَهُمْ مَظَالِمَ كَانَتْ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى إِذَا هُذِّبُوا وَنُقُّوا أُذِنَ لَهُمْ فِي دُخُولِ الْجَنَّةِ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ بِمَنْزِلِهِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَدَلُّ مِنْهُ بِمَسْكَنِهِ كَانَ فِي الدُّنْيَا»

(After the believers are saved from entering the Fire, they will be kept in wait by a bridge between Paradise and Hellfire. Then, transgression that occurred between them in the life of this world will be judged. Until, when they are purified and cleansed, they will be given permission to enter Paradise. By He in Whose Hand is my soul! One of them will be able to find his dwelling in Paradise more so than he did in the life of this world.) As-Suddi said about Allah's statement,

﴿وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِى صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ الاٌّنْهَـرُ﴾

(And We shall remove from their breasts any Ghill; rivers flowing under them,) "When the people of Paradise are taken to it, they will find a tree close to its door, and two springs from under the trunk of that tree. They will drink from one of them, and all hatred will be removed from their hearts, for it is the cleansing drink. They will take a bath in the other, and the brightness of delight will radiate from their faces. Ever after, they will never have messy hair or become dirty.'' An-Nasa'i and Ibn Marduwyah (this being his wording) recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«كُلُّ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ يَرَى مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ، فَيَقُولُ: لَوْلَا أَنَّ اللهَ هَدَانِي، فَيَكُونُ لَهُ شُكْرًا، وَكُلُّ أَهْلِ النَّارِ يَرَى مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَقُولُ: لَوْ أَنَّ اللهَ هَدَانِي، فَيَكُونُ لَهُ حَسْرَة»

(Each of the people of Paradise will see his seat in the Fire and he will say, `Had not Allah guided me! And this will cause him to be grateful. Each of the people of the Fire will see his seat in Paradise, and he will say, `Might that Allah had guided me!' So it will be a cause of anguish for him.) This is why when the believers are awarded seats in Paradise that belonged to the people of the Fire, they will be told, "This is the Paradise that you inherited because of what you used to do. '' This means, because of your good deeds, you earned Allah's mercy and thus entered Paradise and took your designated dwellings in it, comparable to your deeds. This is the proper meaning here, for it is recorded in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet said,

«وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَنْ يُدْخِلَهُ عَمَلُهُ الْجَنَّة»

(And know that the good deeds of one of you will not admit him into Paradise.) They said, "Not even you, O Allah's Messenger'' He said,

«وَلَا أَنَا إِلّا أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِيَ اللهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِنْهُ وَفَضْل»

(Not even I, unless Allah grants it to me out of His mercy and favor.)

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3. ﴿إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ - وَقَالُواْ إِن نَّتَّبِعِ الْهُدَى مَعَكَ نُتَخَطَّفْ مِنْ أَرْضِنَآ أَوَلَمْ نُمَكِّن لَّهُمْ حَرَماً ءَامِناً يُجْبَى إِلَيْهِ ثَمَرَاتُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ رِّزْقاً مِّن لَّدُنَّا وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

(56. Verily, you guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided.) (57. And they say: "If we follow the guidance with you, we would be snatched away from our land.'' Have We not established for them a secure sanctuary, to which are brought fruits of all kinds, a provision from Ourselves, but most of them know not.)(28:56)

Al-Hidayah is something that only Allah has the power of giving and preventing from receiving it. Its not something within the capacity of humanbeing to do so. it is a gift(tawfiq) from Allah(s.w.t)

tafsir:

Allah says to His Messenger : `O Muhammad:

﴿لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ﴾

(Verily, you guide not whom you like)' meaning, `the matter does not rest with you; all that you have to do is convey the Message, and Allah will guide whom He wills, and His is the ultimate wisdom,' as He says:

﴿لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ﴾

(Not upon you is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills.) (2:272)

﴿وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴾

(And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly.) (12:103) This Ayah is even more specific than the following:

﴿إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ ﴾

(Verily, you guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided.) meaning: Allah knows best who deserves to be guided and who deserves to be misguided. It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that this Ayah was revealed concerning Abu Talib, the paternal uncle of the Messenger of Allah . He used to protect the Prophet, support him and stand by him. He loved the Prophet dearly, but this love was a natural love, i.e., born of kinship, not a love that was born of the fact that he was the Messenger of Allah . When he was on his deathbed, the Messenger of Allah called him to Faith and to enter Islam, but the decree overtook him and he remained a follower of disbelief, and Allah's is the complete wisdom. Az-Zuhri said: "Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib narrated to me that his father, Al-Musayyib bin Hazan Al-Makhzumi, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "When Abu Talib was dying, the Messenger of Allah came to him and found Abu Jahl bin Hisham and `Abdullah bin Abi Umayyah bin Al-Mughirah with him. The Messenger of Allah said:

«يَا عَمِّ قُلْ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، كَلِمَةً أُحَاجُّ لَكَ بِهَا عِنْدَ الله»

(O my uncle, say La ilaha illallah, a word which I may use as evidence in your favor before Allah ﴿in the Hereafter﴾.) Abu Jahl bin Hisham and `Abdullah bin Abi Umayyah said: `O Abu Talib, will you leave the religion of `Abdul-Muttalib' The Messenger of Allah kept urging him to say La ilaha illallah, and they kept saying, `Will you leave the religion of `Abdul-Muttalib' -- until, at the very end, he said that he was on the religion of `Abdul-Muttalib, and he refused to say La ilaha illallah. The Messenger of Allah said:

«وَاللهِ لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ مَا لَمْ أُنْهَ عَنْك»

(By Allah, I shall certainly seek forgiveness for you unless I am told not to.) Then Allah revealed:

﴿مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِىِّ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُواْ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُواْ أُوْلِى قُرْبَى﴾

(It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah's forgiveness for the idolators, even though they be of kin) (9:113). And there was revealed concerning Abu Talib the Ayah,

﴿إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ﴾

(Verily, you guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills.)'' This was recorded (by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) from the Hadith of Az-Zuhri.

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Allah, the Exalted, informs about Fir`awn that he said to Musa, in his rejection of the existence of a Supreme Maker and Creator, Who is the God of everything and his own Lord and Owner:

﴿فَمَن رَّبُّكُمَا يمُوسَى﴾

(Who then, O Musa, is the Lord of you two) meaning "Who is the one who called you forth and sent you For verily, I do not know him and I have not given you any god other than myself.''

﴿قَالَ رَبُّنَا الَّذِى أَعْطَى كُلَّ شَىءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى ﴾

((Musa) said: "Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright.'') `Ali bin Abi Talhah related that Ibn `Abbas said, "He is saying that He created a mate for everything.'' Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said, "He made the man a man, and the donkey a donkey and the sheep a sheep.'' Layth bin Abi Sulaym reported from Mujahid that he said, "He gave everything its form.'' Ibn Abi Najih said that Mujahid said, "He fashioned the creation of every moving creature.'' Sa`id bin Jubayr said concerning His statement,

﴿أَعْطَى كُلَّ شَىءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى﴾

( (Who)gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright.) "He gave each of His creatures what is suitable for its creation.'' Therefore, He did not give man the form of a wild beast, nor did He give wild beasts the form of the dog. Likewise, the dog's form is not like the sheep's. He also gave creature a suitable spouse, and He influenced everything towards that mate. There is no species of creation that is exactly like another species. They are different in their actions, their forms, their sustenance and their mating. Some of the scholars of Tafsir have said that this statement, "He gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright,'' is similar to Allah's statement,

﴿وَالَّذِى قَدَّرَ فَهَدَى ﴾

(And Who has measured; and then guided.) ﴿87:3﴾ This means He measured out an ordained amount (of sustenance, actions, etc.) and then guided His creatures to it. He wrote the deeds, the appointed times of death and the provisions. Then, the creatures traverse upon that and they are not able to avoid it, nor are they able to abandon it. In this Ayah Musa is saying that our Lord is the One Who created the creation, measured out its ordainment and compelled the creatures to that which He wanted.