Sometimes believers get bewildered why some Muslims are practicing and others are not or why some leave Islam but this is not the case with Allah azzawjaal as he has given 12 ways of guidance to his creation (main types). The following is a non exhaustive list of the types of guidance Allah sends to his creation out of which they have freedom of will to follow it or not.

1⃣. General guidance given to creation e.g the heaven, earth birds, trees, animals, mountains – worship Allah

2⃣. Specific guidance is sent to animals – how to worship e.g the honey bee knows how to make honey and this is it’s worhsip.

3⃣. Guidance through revelations. – people have a choice to follow it or not

4⃣. Guidance comes through prophets. – again people have a choice here to follow or not.

5⃣. Allah guides people through his special people who are not prophets e.g Syyiduna Khidr or mother of Syyiduna Musa Alihis Salam.- This is Individual Guidance for them only.

6⃣. Guidance given to the Ahle Diwan – these are a special group of high ranking awliyah Allah who spiritually meet together at the cave of hira and discuss all the matters that are to occur in the following 24 hours at an enlightening time during thahadjjud prayer. This is guidance concerning others e.g the worldly matters that comes from Allah.

7⃣. Guidance through ilham – inspiration that can come to any practicing believer which confirms to the Qur’an and sunnah.

8⃣. Guidance through Awliyah Allah (the friends of Allah).

9⃣. Through Ulema – general guidance of do’s and don’ts I.E fiqh, correct aqeedah, hadith

1⃣0⃣. Guidance to normal people – through true dreams that a divine as there are 3 types of dreams; 1. From Allah 2. Shaitan 3. One’s own ego.

1⃣1⃣. Allah communicates through circumstances – misfortunes – rewards – situations, problems; to help a person turn to him again.

1⃣2⃣. Sometimes guidance is given through angels via the tongues of people. I.E Sometimes they talk but it is actually angels that are talking through them. E.g people say good things about a dead person at a janazah this on some occasions angels saying through the tongues of people, this is in a way to bless that dead person.

Some people have a choice to follow certain style of guidance and some dont e.g a prophet follows the revelation that is sent to him, others can have a choice, whereas other people can choose to accept the guidance.

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WHAT IS QADAR?

In simple words Qadar (destiny) is the master plan of Allah azzawajal and how his creation will operate and the consequence. It is the decree of how everything will play out untill the day of judgement and there after until. It is a plan to help his creation attain success if his creation follow the direction sent they will be successful forever.

1st benefit of having the correct understanding of Qadar is knowing the Qadar of Allah gives confidence to a servant that Allah is in control and things have not gone out of control just like a government is in control of a country. To illustrate the point a government of a country is in control but people can do bad in the community but government gives assurance and satisfaction they are in control, they have a plan to help and facilitate success for people. This is one benefit of knowing what Qadar is; it gives assurance and confidence to the worshipper of Allah that he is in control no matter how bad it “may” seem.

2nd benefit of having the correct understanding of Qadar is that it is simply the name of the plan of Allah azzawjaal, a plan for a person to be successful and Allah has given guidance for that plan through the Qur’an. This master plan is known as the Taqdeer of Allah azzawjaal, If the 2⃣ match the person will be successful. For example, there is a plan of a map which shows you how to successully get to London; it will give you directions on how to navigate yourself safely to London as well, in the same way to explain, Allah gives directions go left or right (the Qur’an) if the person follows it he will be successful and Allah’s master plan (the Qadar/Destiny) will be in his favour; plan is made by Allah azzawjaal but the response is made by the servant if he follows the directions (e.g the Qur’an) he will he successful.

Qadar (Destiny) is like a knife, it can be used to do good with or bad but it’s not for that.. it’s plan is to be useful, and benefit, but the knife is sometimes is used for bad. Often times people use Qadar to justify their sins or laziness by saying it’s written but they have misunderstood Qadar.

Another example to explain Qadar is for instance, an examinar has a plan of how a student can get top marks, and a syllabus teaching how to succeed to get the top marks in the plan. Throughout the year the teacher will teach the syllabus to help his student succeed, now it up to the student to put the right answers in the exam should he choose to. He cannot say the teacher has failed me with tough questions when he has been directed how to answer them and some have passed otherwise everyone would have failed if the teacher wanted to. Although there is a plan of the examiner/teacher it is up to the student to put the right answers that falls in line with the plan and correct answers the examiner has in his plan.