What is the meaning and difference between being guided by Allaah and being guided by people?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.

Guidance by people: refers to presenting Islam to others, calling them to it and urging them to adhere to it. This kind of guidance was the work of the prophets and their followers. Allaah Says (what means): {Say, "This is my way; I invite to Allaah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allaah; and I am not of those who associate others with Him."}[Quran 12:108]

However, this does not necessarily mean that the called will be guided, they may be guided and they may reject the call. Allaah Says (what means): {And as for Thamood, We guided them, but they preferred blindness to guidance}[Quran 41:17]

As for guidance by Allaah, it means guidance that does not miss the person who received the message. This guidance is a blessing and a gift from Allaah, Who Says (what means): {Allaah sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills.}[Quran 35:8]

No created being interferes in this guidance. Allaah Says (what means): {So whoever Allaah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide - He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky.} [Quran 6:125]

We ask Allaah the Almighty to guide us and protect us against misguidance and those who perpetrate it.

Allaah Knows best.