The Messenger, asks Allah for guidance:
The Prophet used to invoke Allah frequently for guidance: “Allahumma innee as-aluka al-huda, wat-tuqa, wal-`ifafa, wal-ghina (O Allah! I beseech You for guidance, piety, chastity, and contentment")
Imam Muslim reported in his saheeh from the Hadeeth of ‘Aa‘ishah (the mother of the believers) that she said: “The Prophet of Allah used to start his prayer when he got up at night with: “Allahumma Rabba Jibraeela, wa Meekaeela, wa Israfeela fatira as-samawati wa al-ardha, 'aalima al-ghaybi wa as-shahadata, Antha tahkum bayna 'ibadaka fee ma kanoo feehi yakhtalifoon, ihdinee ikhtalifa feehi minal haqqi bi idhnika, innaka tahdee man tashau' ila siratin mustaqeem”. (O Allah, Lord of Jibra'il, Mika'il, and Israfil, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your slaves concerning that wherein they differ. Guide me concerning that wherein they differ of the truth by Your leave, for You guide whomsoever You will to a straight path.") That was the introduction of night prayer in the middle of the night while his tongue was saying: "Guide me".
An-Nasa'ee and others reported with an authentic chain of narration from the Hadeeth of Jabir, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said: When the Messenger of Allah started his prayer, he would say the Takbeer and then say: "Inna salatee wa nusukee wa mahyaya wa mamatee lillahi Rabiil 'aalameen. La shareeka lahu wabi dhalika omirtu wa ana awwalil Muslimeen. Allahumma ihdnee li ahsanil a'amali wa ahsanil akhlaqi la yahdee li ahsaniha illa Antah" (Verily my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; There is no partner with Him and this is what I have been commanded (to profess and believe) and I am of the believers. O Allah, guide me to the righteous deeds and manners, for none would guide to them but You."
Imam At-Tirmithi reported on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he used to say between the two prostrations: "O Allah! Forgive me, bestow mercy on me, enrich me, guide me, and grant me sustenance."
'Abudllah Ibn 'Umar narrated: "Whenever I prayed with the Prophet I heard him saying at the end of Salah: "Allahumma 'ighfir lee khata'ee wa 'amadee Allahumma ihdnee li salihil a'amali wal akhlaqi innahu la yahdee li salihaha wa la yasrifu sayyi-aha illa Anta". (O Allah, forgive my sins whether committed inadvertently and deliberately, O Allah, guide me to the righteous deeds and manners, for verily none but You guides to the best and none but You turn away its worst)."
He used to commend his companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, and advise them to invoke Allah for guidance. ‘Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah said to me: "Say: O Allah, guide me, direct me to the right thing; and remember with guidance, guiding you to the Straight Path and with correctness, the correctness of shooting."
Allah is the True Guide:
Al-Khattabi said: The Guide, is the One who grants guidance to whomever He wills of His slaves and honors them with the light of Tawheed (monotheism) as Allah, the Exalted Says (what means): {And guides whom He wills to a straight path} [Quran 10:25]
He was the One who guided all creatures to their interests and inspired them as how to ask for sustenance and how to guard themselves against harm and destruction as Allah, the Exalted Says (what means): {He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it]} [Quran 20:50]
Allah, the Exalted Says (what means): {And indeed is Allah the Guide of those who have believed to a straight path} [Quran 22:54]
Ibn Jareer said: "Verily, Allah is the Guide of those who believe in Allah and His Messenger to the intended truth and clear truth."
Allah, the Exalted Says (what means): {But sufficient is your Lord as a Guide} [Quran 25:31]
Ibn Jareer, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “Allah, the Exalted Says to His Prophet : "O Muhammad, Your Lord is sufficient for you as a Guid to guide you to the truth, and enlighten you with the righteousenss".
As-Sa`di said: “The Guide: i.e., the One who guides His slaves to all benefits and averts them from all harms, teach them what they do not know, guide them to the truth and correctness, inspire them with piety, make their hearts turning to Him and obedient to His Commands."
Types of guidance:
Imam Al-Qurtubi said: “Guidance is of two types. It is described as follows:
1- Guidance of showing the way: This is the type of guidance which the Messengers and their followers are capable of. Allah, the Exalted Says (what means): {And for every people is a guide} [Quran 13:7] He also Says (what means): {And indeed, (O Muhammad) you guide to a straight path} [Quran 42:52]
So, Allah affirmed guidance to them which means guiding, calling, and warning.
2- Guidance of support and success: which comes directly and exclusively from Allah, as He Says to His Prophet (what means): {Indeed, (Muhammad) you do not guide whom you like} [Quran 28: 56] Guidance according to this type means creating faith in the heart.
Al-Fayrooz Abadi said: "Guidance of Allah to man is of four types:
First: Guidance which He granted to every Mukallaf (person capable of religious assignments and who is accountable for his deeds) in terms of reasoning, smartness, and necessary knowledge, and granted it to everything according to its capacity. Allah, the Exalted Says (what means): {Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided (it)} [Quran 20: 50]
Second: Guidance which was granted to people due to their invocations for Him as was reported on the tongues of Prophets and as reported in the Quran and the like which is intended with His Saying: {And We made them leaders guiding by Our command} [Quran 21:73]
Third type: Success that is granted to those who are guided which is intended by the Saying of Allah (which means): {And those who are guided - He increases them in guidance} [Quran 47: 17] and His Saying (which means): {And whoever believes in Allah - He will guide his heart} [Quran 64:11]
Fourth type: Guidance in the Hereafter to Paradise, which is intended by the Saying of Allah (which means): {Praise to Allah, who has guided us to this} [Quran 7:43]
These four types of guidance are correlated, so if a person is not guided by the first, he shall not have the second, but he is not legally competent. And whoever does not get the second type of guidance shall neither get the third nor the fourth type).
A guidance causes another guidance:
Allah, the Exalted Say (what means): {And those who are guided - He increases them in guidance and gives them their righteousness} [Quran 47:17]
Ibn Jareer said: "Allah, the Exalted says: As for those whom Allah guided to follow the truth and expanded their hearts to believe in Him and His Prophet from among those who have listened to you, O Muhammad, the Quran you recited to them and what they heard from you (has truly increased their guidance) He said: Allah increased their faith along with their faith that they have already had, and a clarification of the truth which you brought to them from Allah in addition to the clarification that they have already had."
Ibn Katheer said about the interpretation of this verse: "That is to say, those who wanted guidance, Allah granted it to them by guiding them to it, made them firm on it, and increased it for them (and granted them piety); i.e., guided them to righteousness."
Ibn Al-Qayyim, said: "Guidance brings about guidance, and misguidance brings about misguidance; righteous deeds generate righteous deeds, and whenever you do them, your guidance increases. Actions of misguidance are on the contrary, because Allah the Exalted loves righteous actions and rewards for them with guidance and success and hates the actions of misguidance and recompenses for them with error and misery".
He also said: "Verily, if a servant believes in the Quran, follows its guidance in total, accepts its commands and believes in its narrations, that will be a cause for another type of guidance in details, as guidance is endless even if a person reaches the top {And Allah increases those who were guided, in guidance} [Quran 58:76]
O Allah! Guide us and make guidance easy for us.
The last of our call is praise be to Allah the Lord of all the Worlds.