God guides

[43:27] “Only the One who initiated me can guide me.”

[7:178] Whomever GOD guides is the truly guided one, and whomever He commits to straying, these are the losers.

There are many kinds of “guides” in this world. In a museum, you might be given a guided tour by a docent. If you travel to a foreign country you might have a tour guide. In an exotic place, you might need a mountain guide, or a wilderness guide, or a safari guide. In school you often visit the guidance counselor to help you plan your future, and your teacher guides you through the course. In the old west there were scouts for the army to guide troops through Indian country. A theater usher guides you to your seat for the performance.

Guide is defined as a person who advises or shows the way to others. All of the above are examples of people who take the role of guide. It’s often very helpful to rely on these experienced people when we’re unfamiliar with a place or activity.

But as verse 43:27 above tells us, it’s really only God who can guide us.

[2:272] You are not responsible for guiding anyone. GOD is the only one who guides whoever chooses (to be guided).

[28:56] You cannot guide the ones you love. GOD is the only One who guides in accordance with His will, and in accordance with His knowledge of those who deserve the guidance.

All other guides are just people doing the job that God has assigned for them. They may be very helpful, and we should take advantage of their expertise whenever we need to. We can thank them for their assistance, but above all, thank God for His guidance and for His sending us the helping hand.

Every day in our Contact Prayers we implore God to guide us in the right path (1:6). In 3:8, we pray that God will not let our hearts waver now that He has guided us. Wavering is a dangerous thing; it might cause us to fall into disbelief and lose God’s guidance.

[4:137] Surely, those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve, then plunge deeper into disbelief, GOD will not forgive them, nor will He guide them in any way.

[4:143] They waver in between, neither belonging to this group, nor that group. Whomever GOD sends astray, you will never find a way to guide him.

God tells us how to maintain steadfastness and thus receive His guidance.

[4:175] Those who believe in GOD, and hold fast to Him, He will admit them into mercy from Him, and grace, and will guide them to Him in a straight path.

[6:82] Those who believe, and do not pollute their belief with idol worship, have deserved the perfect security, and they are truly guided.

[39:18] They are the ones who examine all words, then follow the best. These are the ones whom GOD has guided; these are the ones who possess intelligence.

[10:9] As for those who believe and lead a righteous life, their Lord guides them, by virtue of their belief. Rivers will flow beneath them in the gardens of bliss.

God provided for us in this world some humans for our religious guidance. For example, He has sent many prophets

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