Chapter 18: The saying of the Most High: “Indeed you do not guide whom you will, rather it is Allah who guides whomsoever He wills.” Kitāb At-Tawheed of Shaikh Ahmad an-Najmi.

misty mountainous terrain on clear day

“Ash-Sharh al-Moojaz al-Mumahhad li Tawheed al-Khaaliq al-Mumajjad alladhi allafahu Shaikhul-Islaam Muhammad” (The Concise, Simple and Straight-forward Explanation of the Tawheed of the Exalted Creator – which was Authored by the Shaikhul-Islaam Muhammad b. Abdul-WahhaabThis is an explanation of Kitaab at-Tawheed of Shaikhul-Islaam Muhammad b. Abdul-Wahhaab (d. 1206H, rahimahullaah) by ash-Shaikh al-Allaamah Ahmad b. Yahyaa an-Najmee (rahimahullaah).

So Shaikhul-Islaam Muhammad b. Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

Chapter 18 (or 17 on previous print):

The saying of the Most High: “Indeed you do not guide whom you will, rather it is Allaah who guides whomsoever He wills, and He is the All-Knowing regarding those who are [truly] guided.”

It is reported in the Saheeh from Ibn al-Musayyib (d. 94H) from his father who said: “When death approached Abu Taalib, Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu `alaihi wassallam) visited him – and by the side of Abu Taalib there was Abdullaah Ibn Abee Umayyah and Abu Jahl. So Allaah’s Messenger said to Abu Taalib: ‘My uncle, say laa ilaaha illallaah, a word with which I will argue for you in front of Allaah.’ So the other two said to Abu Taalib: ‘Will you abandon the religion of [you father] Abdul-Muttalib?’ So Allaah’s Messenger repeated his request, and the other two repeated again their request.

And the last thing he said was: He is upon the religion of Abdul- Muttalib and he refused to say: laa ilaaha illallaah.

The Prophet (salallaahu `alaihi wassallam) said: ‘I will seek forgiveness for you so long as I am not forbidden from that.’ Then Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed: “It not for the Prophet and for those who believe that they should seek forgiveness for the idol-worshippers.” (At-Tawbah: 113).

And Allaah revealed concerning Abu Taalib: “You [O Prophet] do not guide whom you will, rather it is Allaah who guides whom He wills.”(Al-Qasas: 56)” (Reported by Al-Bukhaaree, 1360. Muslim, 24)

Explanation of Shaikh Ahmad (rahimahullaah)
Guidance (hidaayah) is of two types:

1 – The guidance of pointing to and clarifying the truth (bayaan), and directing to it (irshaad). This type of guidance (or hidaayah) is affirmed in the saying of Allaah, the Most Perfect: “Indeed you [O Prophet] surely guide to the Straight Path.” And likewise in His saying: “Is it then he who guides to the truth more deserving of being followed, or he who finds not guidance unless he himself is guided.”

2 – The guidance of granting success and ability (tawfeeq). This is reconciling the hearts to accept the truth and to follow it. This type of guidance singularly is for Allaah to grant to the exclusion of others. None shares in that with Allaah, not even an Angel that is close to Him, nor a Prophet that is sent with a message. This type of guidance in stated in this verse: “You [O Prophet] do not guide whom you will, rather it is Allaah who guides whom He wills.” 

Then the author mentions the narration of Sa`eed Ibn al-Musayyib from his father who said: “When Abu Taalib was close to death…” till the end of the narration as cited above.

The following benefits can be extracted from this Hadeeth:

1 – The ardent desire and concern for his uncle that he said say the words “laa ilaaha illallaah” (None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah.

2 – That a person of goodness should not be left alone with an adversary. The Prophet (salallaahu alaihi wassallam) countered the opposers in his dawah to his uncle: Abu Jahl Ibn Hishaam, Abdullaah Ibn Abee Umayyah. So when he would reiterate upon him that he should say: “laa ilaaha illallaah” and invite him to utter these words, then those adversaries would likewise reiterate their stance saying: “Will you abandon the religion of Abdul-Muttalib?”

3 – If it is the case with the Prophet (salallaahu `alaihi wassallam), alongside the station he carries, and the eminence he has in the sight of Allaah, and him being the most excellent of creation absolutely, and the greatest of them in terms of honour and station, the closest of them to Allaah in nearness and rank, yet even he (the Prophet) he had no ability over the guidance of the one he loved in terms of the guidance of tawfeeq [which guides the hearts]. This is because the guidance of the hearts in totally is in the Hand of Allaah since He is the One who guides the hearts and returns them to the truth if He so wishes. He is the one who prevents that, and leaves the people of misguidance upon their misguidance wandering blindly such that they exposed to the reality of bitter wretchedness. So in the end Abu Taalib was as he said: “He is upon the religion of Abdul-Muttalib.”

4 – The religion of Abdul-Muttalib was the religion of the polytheists in his time – they would believe in that which the people of their time believed in, and encompassed the sum-total of the Arabs. They negated what the rest negated, and that was the resurrection after death. For this reason Abu Taalib was deserving of entry into the Hellfire. Allaah’s Messenger (ﷺ) stated that he will come to Abu Taalib on the Day of Resurrection whilst he is drowned in the depths of Hell, and he will take him to the shallowest part of Hell. Under each of his feet there will be red hot embers due to which his brain will boil as occurs in an authentic hadeeth.

[Abu Yalaa reports in his Musnad (4/41, no. 2047) from Jābir Ibn Abdillāh (radiyallaahuanhu) who said: Allaah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was asked about Abu Taalib: “Will your prophethood benefit him.” So he said: “Yes it will – I will get him out of the depths of Hell and into its shallowest part..” Shaikh Al-Albaanee (rahimahullaah) said in ‘Saheeh as-Seerah an-Nabawiyyah’, page 94: “Its chain of narration is Hasan and it has supporting witnesses in the Saheeh”. Reported by Muslim (no. 212) from Ibn Abbaas (radiyallaahu `anhumaa) that Allaah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “The least of those punished in Hell is Abu Taalib. He will have sandals of fire that will cause his brain to boil.”]

5 – From this hadeeth we see the great station and worth of Tawheed and that it has a great effect upon the future of a servant – The one who dies upon other than Tawheed will without doubt be exposed to the true wretched bitterness of entry into Hell to remain therein forever and eternally.

6 – That a person is not taken to account for the love based upon emotions. The Prophet was ardently keen over Abu Taalib that Allaah save him from the Hellfire due to the Prophet’s love for him – and Allaah affirmed this love by His saying: “You [O Prophet] cannot guide whom you love.”

7 – The harmful consequences upon a person who sits in evil gatherings.

8 – The great harm in venerating and exalting one’s predecessors and elders when they are not deserving of that.

9 – Deeds are based upon that which a person finishes his life upon.

And success is with Allaah.