in Allah from the evil of his own soul and his evil deeds. He asks Allah to help him obey Him. Through this, he obtains every good and is protected from every evil.
This is why the most beneficial, greatest, and wisest supplication is that of al-Fātihah:
“Guide us to the straight path—the path of those You have blessed, not those who have incurred Your wrath, nor those who have gone astray.”
For when Allah guides him to this path, He helps him obey Him and refrain from disobeying Him, so that no evil befalls him in this world or the Hereafter. Yet sins are inseparable from the human soul.
He needs guidance at every moment; indeed, his need for guidance is greater than his need for food and drink. It is not as some Quran commentators maintain: “Allah has already guided him, so why does he ask for guidance?” They hold that asking for guidance means asking for steadfastness or further guidance. Rather, the servant needs his Lord to teach him what to do in the details of his circumstances and in the particular matters that arise each day, and to inspire him to act accordingly. For knowledge alone is not enough unless Allah makes him willing to act upon his knowledge; otherwise,