. J (cont.)

J ,;, Y  J  (;¤ \Zts' 0ts' 0[j r _,1k.:JI oGH 1_,.il "Protect yourself from the supplication of the one who is wronged, even if he be a disbeliever, for there is no barrier for it [between it and Allah]."1 On the other hand, Allah praises the opposite of zulm, which is the characteristic of justice and integrity. Allah has ordered this characteristic in the verse, "Verily, Allah enjoins adl (justice)" (al-Nahl 90).2 There are numerous hadith that also stress the importance of ad/. In a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that a just ruler will be shaded by Allah's shade on a day during which there will be no shade but His. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also stated that among the things that will save a person is that he is just while angry or pleased.3 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) also said, rP ,;, ,;, ,,.. "' 0 "' ொ , ೯:L 85'' 1:,_- ..- . , • . I\ . , •• , ! • . , G l ഝ .ill 0 '. I_ :J I\ 01 Ʉ ,. - , J i..r-J f' ೮ J' Ʉ iY' JY .X .f. i..s- , , แ • ,,. ,,.. ,,. ,; ,,,. J ,,,. ,,. J rP I x BK • .tഓi' . A_(':__ . 0 Iോ' . .lJ\ YJ J  J y, - J.., "The just will be with Allah on pulpits of light on the right-hand of the Mercifuland both of His hands are right. Those are the ones who are just in their rulings, with their families and whatever they are in charge of." (Recorded by Muslim.) One of the characteristics that must distinguish the true believers from all others is their justice even with respect to people they hate. Their hatred for 1 Recorded by Ahmad. According to al-Albaani, it is hasan. See al-Albaani, sahih al-Jaami, vol. I , p. 84. 2 As noted earlier, the greatest form of justice and its foundation is tauheed. 3 Recorded by al-Bazzaar and others. According to al-Albaani, it is hasan. See al-Albaani, Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Saheeha, vol. 4, p. 412. Hadith #24: "O My Servants, I have Forbidden Wrongdoing . . . " a people does not allow them to swerve from justice in any way. Allah has stated in the Quran, ,.I.., l /. J .... ""' ·f .h.:.AJL /r .-JÛ JJ .... ,, 5""' ,. ,. # & -:.1 . % "' #l  y\ zj ,- ૛/.:.i :; _sઢ d Ы F .1/-fJ .. iL ೦/ /. "Verily, you [O Muhammad] guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are guided" (al-Qasas 56). Everyone must seek guidance from Allah for He is the only true source of guidance. One has to pray to Him and Him alone for guidance. If a person sincerely seeks true guidance from Allah and beseeches Him, Allah will guide him to the straight path, as shown in this hadith. 1 Some people claim that they tum to God for guidance and yet they are not guided to Islam, the true guidance. The only way, based on this hadith, that this could happen is if they did not want the true guidance. Yes, they prayed but not with the sincere intention to follow the true guidance, regardless of whether that true guidance goes against their desires, wishes and ego. Instead, they prayed for "guidance" but they had already determined what that "guidance" was. They had their heart set on some specific path and that is what they were going to follow. In other words, they did not sincerely and purely pray to God to guide them to the Straight Path. Their hearts were not pure to accept the truth. Hence, they were not guided to the Straight Path of Islam. This turning to Allah for guidance includes the second and third types of guidance mentioned above. lbn Rajah states that a person must beseech Allah for the general guidance of having faith placed into his heart. However, a person must also pray to Allah for guidance regarding the detailed actions of his day to day life. He must know what is correct and what deeds to follow in every moment of his life. For this reason, he has been instructed to pray in every prayer, 1 Cf., ibn Uthaimeen, Sharh Riyaadh, vol. 3, p. 149. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi "Guide us to the Straight Path" (al-Faatiha 6).1 Furthermore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to make the following supplication as he began his late-night prayers, "O Allah, Lord of Gabriel, Michael and Israafeel, Originator of the Heavens the Earth, Knower of the Unseen and Seen, You judge between Your servants concerning what they differed about, so guide me to the truth in the matters concerning which they differ, by Your permission.