An Explanation Of The Du’aa Of Qunoot by Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-‘Uthaymeen

Meaning: Guide me to the truth and assist me in acting in accordance with it. Complete, beneficial guidance is that in which Allaah combines for a servant in both knowledge and action. Guidance without action is of no real benefit; rather it is even harmful because if a person does not act in accordance with what he knows, his knowledge then becomes evidence against him.

An example of guidance in the form of knowledge yet with no action is the verse of Allaah “As for Thamood, We guided them, but they preferred blindness over guidance.” [Soorah Fussilat, 41:17] Meaning: We clarified the path to them and We conveyed the knowledge to them.

However, they preferred blindness over guidance, and from this we seek refuge with Allaah.

Also from this type of guidance, which is knowledge and clarifying the truth, is the statement of Allaah () to the Prophet (
), “And indeed, you guide to the straight path.” [Soorah ash-Shooraa, 42:52] Meaning: You direct the people to the straight path and teach them about it. As for the other type of guidance which is the granting of success, an example of this type is the verse, “Indeed, you do not guide whoever you like.” [Soorah al-Qasas, 28:56] This is the guidance of granting one success in their deeds. In this case, the Messenger (
)

is never able to grant someone the success of their good actions as this type of guidance is specific to Allaah alone. If the Prophet (
) were capable of that type of guidance, he would have guided his uncle, Aboo Taalib. He tried this with him and even when he (Aboo Taalib) was about to die, the Prophet (
) said to him, “O uncle, declare, ‘There is nothing worthy of worship except Allaah,’ – a statement by which I will testify on your behalf before Allaah.” But the decree of Allaah () had already passed that he would be from the inhabitants of the Fire, and from this we seek refuge with Allaah. So he neither testified nor believed that nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allaah. The last thing Aboo Taalib said before dying was that he would remain upon the religion of ‘Abdul-Muttalib.5 Despite this, Allaah () permitted His messenger (
) to intercede for him, not just because he was the Prophet’s uncle, but because Aboo Taalib used to continually defend the Prophet (
) and Islaam (even though he did not personally accept Islaam). Therefore, the Prophet (
)

interceded for Aboo Taalib and because of this intercession, he (
) said about his uncle, “He is in the lowest part of the Fire, and if it were not for me, he would have been in the lowest, deepest part of the Fire.”6

In addition, the Prophet (
) said, “Perhaps my intercession will benefit him on the Day of Resurrection so that he will be put into the lowest part of the Fire, it reaching only to his ankles, yet from which, his brain will boil.” So when we say in the Du’aa of Qunoot, “Guide us with those You have guided,” we are asking Allaah for both types of guidance – the guidance of knowledge and the guidance of action. In this way, the following verse includes both of these types of guidance, “Guide us to the straight path.” [Soorah al-Faatihah, 1:6] So when one says this Du’aa, he should, with his heart present, call to mind that he is asking for both types of guidance – the guidance of the correct knowledge and the guidance of acting in accordance with it.

As for the wording, “…with those You have guided,” this is a way of at-Tawassul (seeking nearness to Allaah) by mentioning His favors on others in that He guided them. So we therefore also ask Him to bestow the same favor upon us and guide us. In other words, we ask You (Allaah) for guidance, for that is only by virtue of Your mercy and wisdom and your past favors as You have guided others.