Hidaayah (guidance) "Bismillah ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem", "With the Name of Allaah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful" The word hidaayah, linguistically meaning direction and guidance is used in two senses in the Qur`aan. 1. Guidance of clarification and direction, not taking into account whether the person to whom it has been clarified traverses the path of guidance or not. With this respect is the saying of Allaah, "And as for the Thamud then We guided them but they preferred blindness (of heart) over guidance." [Fussilaat (EXPLAINED IN DETAIL) (41): 17] Meaning: We made clear to them the True Way upon the tongue of our Prophet Saalih, upon him and our Prophet be peace and blessings, despite the fact that they did not traverse this way as proven by His saying, "but they preferred blindness over guidance." With this respect also is His saying, "Indeed, We guided him, whether he be grateful or ungrateful." [Al-Insaan (MAN) (76): 3] Meaning: We have made clear to him the Way of Good and the Way of Evil as proven by His saying, "whether he be grateful or ungrateful." 2. The specific type of guidance which is Allaah bestowing His Grace upon the servant by making him conform to the Way of Truth. With this respect is His sayings, "They are the ones whom Allaah guided, so follow their guidance." [Al-An`aam (CATTLE, LIVESTOCK) (6): 90] "And whosoever Allaah Wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islaam." [Al-An`aam (CATTLE, LIVESTOCK) (6): 125] When you come to understand this then any difficulties in understanding the following sayings of Allaah will also be removed, "Indeed! You [O Muhammad] cannot guide those you love, but Allaah guides whom He Wills." [Al-Qasas (THE STORY, STORIES)  (28): 56] "And indeed you [O Muhammad] are guiding [mankind] to the Straight Path." [Ash-Shuraa (COUNCIL, CONSULTATION) (42): 52] Because the aspect of guidance that has been negated is the specific guidance as this is in the Hands of Allaah Alone. As for the aspect of guidance that has been affirmed then it is the general guidance which is to make clear the Way of Truth. And the Messenger of Allaah (SAW) explained this to the extent that it became like a great white plain whose night is like its day. [Referring to the hadeeth, "I have left you upon the great white plain, its night is like its day, none deviates from it except he who is destroyed." Reported by ibn Maajah, al-Haakim and Ahmad from the hadeeth of Arbaadh bin Saariyah (RA). Refer to ‘Silsilah Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah’ [2/528 no.937] for detailed documentation.] There is also a third sense to the word guidance that was mentioned by ibn al-Qayyim, and that is guidance on the Day of Judgement to the path to Paradise – this being the bridge leading to it. So the one who is guided in this life to the Straight Path will be guided to the straight path in the Hereafter that leads to His Paradise. His firmness on the path that Day will be dependant on how firmly he trod the Straight Path in this life. [Ibn al-Qayyim, ‘Madaarij as-Saalikeen’ [1/16]]