Complete Guidance
By Shaikh ‘Abdur Razāq Badr
Complete Guidance
Perfect or complete guidance includes three kinds of oneness (Tawḥīd):
1. the oneness of the One sought
2. the oneness of the one seeking
3. the oneness of the path that leads to Him
Tawḥīdul Maṭlūb (Oneness of the One sought): This refers to singling out the One intended by one’s deeds, namely Allah, the Exalted.
Tawḥīdut Țalab (Oneness of the seeking): Meaning that a person’s will and intention should be unified upon a single aim: his resolve and ambition directed entirely toward what pleases Allah.
Tawḥīdut Țareeq (Oneness of the path): That is, the path that leads to Him—the straight way without deviation.
All three meanings are gathered in Ibn al-Qayyim’s line of poetry:
فلواحد كن واحداً في واحدٍ
“For the One, be one, upon one.”
He said,
“Separation and failure to reach (the goal) occurs because of association (shirk) in these matters or in some of them.”
Meaning: the person departs from tawḥīd into shirk (association) when he mixes others in any of these three.
Thus, association (shirk) in these matters takes three forms:
1. Association in the One sought, when the work intended for Allah is shared with others.
➤ This contradicts tawḥīd and ikhlāṣ (sincerity), leading to shirk and riyāʾ (showing off).
2. Association in the seeking (intention), when one’s will is divided among multiple aims.
➤ This contradicts truthfulness and resolve, leading to sin and laziness.
3. Association in the path, when one deviates from the divinely commanded way, the straight path.
➤ This contradicts following the command and adhering to the straight path, leading to innovation (bidʿah) and abandonment of the Sunnah.
The Shayṭaan (Satan) sets his traps through these three gates.
