for the world to be without it, just as it is impossible for it to be without its Maker. Whoever denies the messenger has denied the One who sent him and has not believed in Him. For this reason, He, glorified be He, has made disbelief in His messengers disbelief in Him.

The sixth indication comes from His words, “Guide us to the straight path.” Guidance consists of explanation and direction, followed by divine enabling and inspiration, which come after explanation and direction. There is no way to receive this explanation and direction except through the messengers. Once this explanation, direction, and instruction have been received, the guidance of divine enabling follows: placing faith in the heart, making it beloved to a person and beautiful in his heart, and making him prefer it, be pleased with it, and desire it. These are two distinct forms of guidance, and success can only be attained through both. Together, they encompass teaching us the truth we do not know, both in detail and in general, inspiring us to embrace it, and making us willing to follow it outwardly and inwardly; then creating in us the ability to fulfil what guidance requires in speech, action, and resolve; then sustaining this for us and keeping us steadfast upon it until death.

From this, we understand that the servant’s need to make this supplication surpasses every other need. We also see the error of those who say, “If we are already guided, why do we ask for guidance?” For the truth unknown to us is many times greater than what we know. What we are unwilling to do out of negligence and laziness may equal what we are willing to do, exceed it, or fall short of it. The same applies to what we wish to do but cannot. As for what we know in general but lack guidance concerning its details, it is beyond reckoning. We are in need of complete guidance.

For someone in whom all these matters have been perfected, asking for guidance is asking for steadfastness and continuity.

Guidance has yet another level—its final level—which is guidance on the Day of Resurrection to the path to Paradise: the bridge that leads to it. Whoever is guided in this world to Allah’s straight path, with which He sent His messengers and revealed His scriptures, will be guided there to the straight path leading to His Paradise and the abode of His reward. The servant’s footing on the bridge stretched over Hell will be as firm as his footing on this path, which Allah has laid out for His servants in this world. His progress along that bridge will correspond to his progress along this path. Some will pass like lightning, and others in the blink of an eye,