al-Hadi wal-Muhtadi
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- al-Hadi wal-Muhtadi
al-Hadi wal-Muhtadi (الهادي والمهتدي, lit. "The Guide and the Guided") is an Islamic treatise authored by the Saudi scholar Marzouq bin Hiyas al-Zahrani, focusing on the principles of Islamic guidance, community unity, and the historical model of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions.
Context and Publication
The book was published in its first edition in 1436 AH (2015 CE). In the opening pages, the author included a dedication to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the leaders of the ten-nation coalition, and the armed forces participating in Operation Decisive Storm (Asifat al-Hazm).
Title and Purpose
The author explains the dual concept embedded in the book's title:
- The Guide (al-Hadi): Refers specifically to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in his capacity of conveying direction and guidance (hidayat al-dalalah wal-irshad), rather than the inner guidance of divine facilitation (hidayat al-tawfiq), which belongs exclusively to God.
- The Guided (al-Muhtadi): Refers to all believers who worship God alone, adhere strictly to the Prophet ﷺ in obedience, and take the Quran and the Sunnah as their sole foundational methodology across all spheres of life, beginning with the Companions of the Prophet and extending to every sincere seeker of truth.
The overarching objective of the work is to demonstrate that the unity and preservation of the Muslim community can be established only upon three core pillars: unity of the Worshipped God, unity of the Messenger followed, and unity of methodology by adhering to the Quran and the prophetic Sunnah.
Structure and Contents
In the introduction, the author discusses the universal scope of the Prophet's mission to both humankind and the jinn, the manifestation of divine mercy in Islamic law, the religion's emphasis on facilitation and easing burdens (raf' al-haraj), and its dissolution of ethnic and tribal superiorities in favor of piety.
The first main section of the book is titled "Steps Toward Islamic Unity" (Khutuwat al-Wahdah al-Islamiyyah), which traces the early establishment of the Muslim community:
- The Divine Election for the Message (al-Istifa' lil-Risalah): The preparation of Muhammad ﷺ and the commencement of revelation.
- The Prophetic Era (al-Ahd al-Nabawi): Focuses on the Medinan period following the migration, detailing key turning points such as the Battle of Badr and the Conquest of Mecca, the eradication of idolatry across the Arabian Peninsula, the rights established for non-Muslim covenanters (ahl al-dhimmah), and the fraternal bonds that unified the diverse members of the early community.
The work also provides comprehensive coverage of the lives, governance, and model of the Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs (al-Khulafa' al-Rashidun).
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