Holding Firm to Guidance | Hidden Treasures Episode 03 | Shaykh Ahmed Billoo

Holding Firm to Guidance

There was once a man who came to the Prophet ﷺ seeking advice, and the Prophet ﷺ beautifully told this man:

We all have to ask ourselves: what are we doing to continue to remain on the path of guidance? What are we doing for our استقامة? The Prophet ﷺ beautifully described the hearts, and he said the hearts are like feathers in an open desert, being tossed and turned by the winds that are blowing.

Allah has blessed us — we're fasting, we're praying, we're reading Qur'an, we're increasing in our charity — but do we understand the value of our guidance? Do we understand the importance of our guidance? To truly understand the importance of استقامة, we truly have to value our guidance that Allah has blessed us with.

The Prophet ﷺ told this man: say آمَنتُ بِاللَّهِ, and then continuously make it your life journey — that you are always actively working towards steadfastness, استقامة. We see so many people that don't believe, we see so many people that are perhaps described as not practicing. Allah has blessed us with the توفيق, with the ability to do so many good deeds, and realizing that every good deed that Allah blesses us with is an opportunity to do more.

The Reward of Good Deeds

The scholars would beautifully say:

That from the reward of doing a good deed is that Allah will facilitate and will bring to you another good deed.

Three Simple Advices

1. Internalize Surah Al-Fatihah

Every time we stand in prayer, we recite Surah Al-Fatihah. The verse اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ — internalize it. Understand the meaning of it. Understand the importance of it. You and I, on a daily basis, are asking Allah for continued guidance. We're asking Allah for continued steadfastness upon His religion.

When you recite Surah Al-Fatihah, focus on this phrase. Beg, implore Allah, understanding that we are so desperately in need of Allah's guidance and Allah's Tawfiq.

2. The Qur'anic Du'a for a Steadfast Heart

The Prophet ﷺ would say this du'a. We find this Qur'anic du'a in Surah Al-Imran, where Allah teaches us:

This is a du'a that many of us learned as children. Many of us have perhaps memorized it. But how often do we say it? And when we say it, do we understand the depth of it? Do we understand the meaning of it? That we are begging Allah: "Oh our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us, and bestow upon us Your mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower of gifts."

Say this du'a, say this du'a multiple times a day. Say it in sujood, say it when you're driving in your car, say it when you're at work — and say it like you mean it, understanding the value of guidance.

3. The Du'a After Every Obligatory Prayer

The other du'a I wanted to share is the beautiful du'a that, once again, we've heard so many times — perhaps all of us, or most of us, have memorized it. The Prophet ﷺ told Mu'adh ibn Jabal: do not ever abandon, do not dare abandoning, saying after every obligatory prayer:

(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 1522; also reported in Musnad Ahmad)

The beauty of this du'a is that the Prophet ﷺ is teaching Mu'adh ibn Jabal that after you finish an obligatory prayer, don't be satisfied, don't be content, don't think you've achieved a lot — but rather, immediately after you finish, one of the first things you want to do is ask Allah to continue to give you and me the ability, to motivate us, to support us, to help us continue to remember Him, to show gratitude to Him, and to worship Him in the best manner. Understanding that we are on the path of guidance, we want Allah to continue to guide us.

Allah beautifully says:

"Those that seek guidance, Allah will continue to guide them."

Don't be satisfied, don't be content, don't let your Iman become stagnant — but rather find more and more opportunities to do good, and throughout the day, say these du'as.

A Summary of the Three Advices

Say throughout your day:

After every obligatory prayer, make sure you — your siblings, your spouse, your children — you teach them to say:

And when you recite Surah Al-Fatihah, focus on the phrase:

Beg, implore Allah, understanding that we are so desperately in need of Allah's guidance and Allah's Tawfiq.

Closing Du'a

May Allah grant all of us istiqamah. May Allah make our last words that we die upon لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ. May Allah gather us in the company of the Prophet ﷺ, the companions, and the righteous.