Two Sources of Guidance

Muslims follow two sources of guidance: the Qur’an and the life lessons from Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. The latter is known as hadith or recorded traditions. Ustadh Michael Wolfender explains it’s important to understand why we follow these instructions. He references the end of Surah Az-Zumar where Allah shows the results for those who follow His Guidance. Those with intellect will take such efforts and those who understand why it’s worthwhile. 

Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was outstanding in every aspect of life. He ﷺ loved turning to Allah, was the best in dealing with people, generous, tolerant, courageous, wise, humble and genius. He ﷺ understood sacrifice, understanding circumstances in this life don’t matter as much as to whether they will affect earning eternal salvation for the Hereafter. He ﷺ surpassed everyone in these aspects. Allah chose him ﷺ as His Last Messenger. He ﷺ will start the judgment on Judgment Day. He ﷺ will have a basin of water on Judgment Day, reflective of his ﷺ position as a mercy to all of mankind as the final messenger. He ﷺ is the banner carrier of praising Allah. HIs ﷺ caring for others is unparalleled.

Much of this is evident in the impact which occurred in his 23 years of prophethood, including how far Islam spread in that time. Brother Michael shares a story of patience and courage in the prophet’s ﷺ departure from Mecca. He ﷺ had the strongest love for Allah, so much so that it became a mirror to shine this light on others around him. If we want to leave a legacy, we should be inspired by Rasoulallah ﷺ.

We can look to the short surahs at the end of the Qur’an for guidance on how to achieve this. 

Surah Fil shows whatever happens in your life, it is Allah paving the way for your life story to unfold. Allah is paving the way for you to achieve; just as Allah protected His House from an army of elephants.

In Surah Quraysh, Allah indicates He has taken care of your security and travel, just as He provided for Quraysh. Focus on turning to Allah. Don’t worry about things around you as distractions.

In Surah Ma’un, Allah says a person who does not look forward to the Hereafter will not be good to those in need and orphans; remind yourself of the Hereafter to achieve your goals.

Surah Kawthar guides to not be impacted and unnecessarily distracted by things around you; think positively; remember Allah has given us each so much in abundance. 

Surah Kafirun counsels not to compromise but to be respectful and polite while being resolute, even to those who oppose you.