بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Most High, said:

إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهۡوَى ٱلۡأَنفُسُ‌ۖ

“They follow but a guess and that which they themselves desire”.

Shaikh Abdur Razzaq Al-Badr, may Allah preserve him, said

There is a tremendous benefit derived from this statement, because the one deprived of sound Iman and the sound creed sent down as revelation by Allah- The Lord of the entire existence, his affair is one of two: corruption in Knowledge or corruption in his Intent. Corruption in knowledge occurs as a result of following conjecture and corruption in one’s intent occurs as a result of following desires, or the person may combine both of them.

Another benefit derived from this is that the rectification or well-being of a person cannot be attained except through two matters: Upright (or sound) Knowledge and upright (or sound) Intent. This is why Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said in Miftah Dar As-Sa’adah that a person is in need of two things: ‘(Sound) Knowledge through which he is (rightly) guided and lofty aspiration through he is urged towards (good). This is because it maybe that a person has beneficial knowledge but not (sound) intent and aspiration. Therefore, one cannot be upright except through upright knowledge and intent. Sound knowledge is corrupted through following conjecture and sound intent is corrupted through following the desires of one’s soul.

Allah, The Most High, stated about the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمۡ وَمَا غَوَىٰ

Your companion (Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has erred.

The Daal (misguided person) is one whose knowledge is corrupted and the Ghawiy (astray one) is the one whose intent is corrupted. Also, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, described his four khulafaa (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali) with the words ‘Rashidin and Mahdiyyin because the Rashid [the one who is steadfast upon the right path and is firmly established upon it] is the opposite of the Ghawiy [The one who strays from the right path or conduct]; the Mahdee [the one guided to the path of truth and yields obediently to it] is the opposite of the Daal [the misguided one, especially in knowledge and creed.]

An Excerpt from Sharh Kitaab at-Tawheed. Audio Lesson Lesson 4