What is the Prophet’s guidance (Hady)?

It is established in the authentic Hadith that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon (khutbah) on the minbar, he would begin by praising Allah and sending blessings upon Him, then he would say: “To proceed: The best of speech is the Book of Allah, the best of guidance (Hady) is the guidance of Muhammad, the worst of matters are the newly invented ones, every newly invented matter is an innovation (bid’ah), and every innovation is a misguidance.”

So, what is meant by the “guidance of the Prophet ﷺ”? What are its manifestations? And why is adhering to it and prioritizing it at all times a vital necessity?

What is the Prophetic Guidance (Hady)? And Why is it the Path to Happiness and Salvation?

The intended meaning of “al-Hady” (الهَدْي) is the biography (Seerah) and the way. Therefore, the “best of guidance” is the best of ways and biographies: the way of Muhammad (peace be upon him), his Seerah, and his religion. It includes everything the Prophet ﷺ commanded, did, or forbade, or chose, whether he was persistent in doing it or not, as long as it is established as an example to be followed.

This is the path that Allah the Almighty has commanded us to follow, and He has promised the most abundant reward for those who submit, obey, and follow the Prophet ﷺ. He (May His grandeur be exalted) said: {“And whatever the Messenger has given you – take it; and whatever he has forbidden you – refrain from it.”} [Al-Hashr: 7]. This is a binding command for everyone who believes in Allah the Almighty and in what He has revealed to His Messengers.

As for “al-Huda” (الهُدَى) – with a dammah on the ha‘: It is the guidance with which Allah has guided His servants through the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The first (al-Hady) is like His (the Almighty’s) saying: {“And indeed, you [O Muhammad] guide (tahdi) to a straight path.”} [Ash-Shura: 52]

He (Glorified is He) promised guidance (hidayah) to whoever aligns with the Prophet’s ﷺ guidance (hady) and adheres to his Sunnah. The Almighty said: {“…and if you obey him, you will be guided.”} [An-Nur: 54]. The effect of this following and emulation becomes apparent in the achievement of happiness in both realms (this life and the Hereafter), in the present and the future. He (the Almighty and Majestic) said: {“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.”} [Al-Ahzab: 21].

Since happiness is the ultimate goal of every human being, and one strives diligently in search of its paths, we know from the previous verse that the only way to attain this sought-after goal is to adhere to the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ. This is because the greatest purpose for which he was sent was to guide people to their happiness in their lives, their livelihoods, and their afterlife. This was embodied in his Shari’ah (law) and his established Sunnahs, which achieve the righteousness and happiness of the servants.

Ibn al-Qayyim said in his book Zad al-Ma’ad:

“There is no path to happiness and success, neither in this world nor in the Hereafter, except at the hands of the Messengers. There is no way to know good from evil in detail except through them, nor can the pleasure of Allah be attained at all except through them. The ‘good’ in deeds, words, and character is nothing but their guidance and what they brought. They are the prevailing standard against which all words, deeds, and character are weighed. And by following them, the people of guidance are distinguished from the people of misguidance…”

“And since the happiness of both realms is dependent on the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ, it is obligatory for everyone who wishes well for himself and loves his own salvation and happiness to know enough of his guidance, his Seerah, and his affairs to lift himself from the ranks of those ignorant of him, and to enter himself into the ranks of his followers, his party, and his faction. And people in this vary: between one who does little, one who does much, and one who is deprived. And grace is in the hand of Allah; He gives it to whomever He wills.”

Ibn Taymiyyah emphasized this meaning—that a person’s perfection is in accordance with his following of the Messengers’ guidance and his commitment to the best path and the best way of life. He said:

“So, whoever is closer to that and resembles it more, is closer to perfection and more entitled to it. And whoever is further from that and his resemblance to it is weaker, is further from perfection and more deserving of falsehood. The perfect one is he who is most obedient to Allah and most patient with what afflicts him. The more he follows what Allah and His Messenger command, and the greater his agreement with Allah in what He loves and is pleased with, and the more patient he is with what He has decreed and ordained, the more perfect and virtuous he is. And whoever falls short in these two will have a deficiency proportionate to that.” (Daqaiq al-Tafsir 2/299).

The Essence of Worship: Sincerity and Adherence

The importance of following the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ is manifested in it being a complementary part of the religion. Faith is not valid, and Islam is not upright, except with two conditions: that the deed is done sincerely for Allah the Almighty, and that it conforms to the noble Prophetic guidance. Only with these two conditions is a deed correct and its doer rewarded for it. This is the “righteous deed” (amalan salihan) that Allah mentioned in His saying: {“So whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord – let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.”} [Al-Kahf: 110].

Ibn Kathir said:

“This verse contains the two pillars of an accepted deed. It must be done sincerely for Allah and must be correct according to the Shari’ah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”

Ibn Taymiyyah established a principle for this, saying:

“Acts of worship are based on the Shari’ah and following (ittiba’), not on whims and innovation (ibtida’). For Islam is built on two foundations: First, that we worship Allah alone, associating no partner with Him. Second, that we worship Him with what He legislated on the tongue of His Messenger ﷺ; we do not worship Him with whims and innovations. Allah the Almighty said: {Then We put you, [O Muhammad], on an ordained way (Shari’ah) concerning the matter; so follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know}.”

As for Muhammad al-Ghazali, he highlighted the true meaning of emulating the Prophet’s ﷺ guidance when he declared in the introduction to his book Fiqh al-Sirah:

“And Muhammad ﷺ is not a story to be recited at his birthday, as people now do. Nor is honoring him achieved through invented prayers that may be added to the words of the Adhan (call to prayer). Nor is love for him hidden in composing praises for him or formulating strange descriptions that ‘lovers’ recite, whether they are moved to sighs or not! The bond of a Muslim with his noble Messenger ﷺ is stronger and deeper than these fabricated, false connections attributed to the religion… Indeed, the Muslim in whose conscience the Messenger ﷺ does not live, and whose insight does not follow him in his actions and thoughts, will never be benefited by moving his tongue with a thousand prayers [upon the Prophet] a day or night.”

How Do I Know the Prophet’s Guidance? 5 Practical Pillars for Application

Knowing the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ is the true proof of sincere love and knowledge of him. Whoever turns away from his guidance, his claim of knowledge is an empty claim and a puff of air in a mirage. This practical knowledge is achieved through foundational matters, including:

1. Understanding the Core of His Message (Tawhid) A person must know the message of the Prophet ﷺ: that he came with Tawhid (monotheism), singling out Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) for worship, and disbelieving in the Taghut (false objects of worship). And that the Prophet ﷺ came to teach people and to distinguish between the Muslim and the Kafir (disbeliever), the Mu’min (believer) and the Munafiq (hypocrite), the obedient and the disobedient, and so on.

2. Achieving Complete Obedience to Him His obedience is in two matters: by believing his reports and by complying with his commands—which involves action—or his prohibitions—which involves abstention. This is because the requirement of a command is action, the requirement of a prohibition is abstention, and the requirement of a report is belief.

3. Adhering to His Sunnah and Judging by It Following his Sunnah is one of the greatest obligations and is one of the rights of the Prophet ﷺ. It is a requisite of knowing the Messenger and of the testimony that “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” This is why Allah (the Almighty and Majestic) says: {“But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.”} [An-Nisa: 65].

4. Entrenching Certainty by Knowing the Proofs of His Prophethood Knowing the proofs of prophethood is of great importance in trusting the Prophet ﷺ and what he says (peace and blessings be upon him). It is one of the greatest things that helps achieve the previous three points. This is why the Prophet ﷺ used to teach his Companions the proofs of his prophethood even after faith was settled in their hearts and even after their jihad.

In the Battle of the Trench (Khandaq), many proofs of prophethood appeared. After the Trench, despite the settled faith of the Companions, his training of them (peace and blessings be upon him), and their firm belief in his truthfulness, the Prophet ﷺ would still show them the proofs of his prophethood clearly, numerously, and in various ways. This was because of the certainty it implants in the soul and the increase in faith it brings to the heart. For example, when he struck the rock during the Battle of the Trench and said, “(Allahu Akbar! Persia has been opened),” and said, “(Yemen has been opened, and I see the gates of Sana’a).”

And when Jabir invited him to [eat from] a single sheep, and he invited all the people of the Trench, and they all ate from that one sheep and there was still some left. These are multiple forms of the proofs of the Prophet’s ﷺ prophethood, which shows their importance even after faith is settled in the soul.

5. Living Completely with His Seerah by Studying It This includes knowing the details of his life: his lineage, his mission, his battles, and his daily guidance in all his affairs, as detailed by Ibn al-Qayyim in Zad al-Ma’ad. This is a magnificent book that combines Fiqh (jurisprudence) with ‘Aqidah (creed), practical Seerah, legal rulings, and benefits in conduct and morals. He took all of this from the Seerah of the Prophet ﷺ and named it “Provisions for the Hereafter in the Guidance of the Best of Servants.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, knowing the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ is not merely cultural knowledge to be acquired or information to be memorized. Rather, it is a spirit that flows through the being of a Muslim, an insight that lights his path, and a methodology for life that is translated into practical reality. It is the indispensable necessity for anyone who wants to realize the true meaning of servitude, win the love and pleasure of Allah, and attain true happiness in this world and the Hereafter.