The Book of Stations
المواقف
Context: Following the Fuṣūṣ Noah chapter, the Emir reads ḍalāl as ḥayra, bewilderment before the Real, placing every creature, even the Muhammadan Reality, within 'straying'; he calls idol-worship relative guidance and says 'in meaning there is no denier'. Ibn Taymiyya's line sees guidance and idolatry blurred; defenders say the degrees are relative and leave the Law's judgement standing.AI
قَالَ تَعَالَى: «قَالَ أَوَ لَوْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِأَهْدَى مِمَّا وَجَدْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَكُمْ».
God Most High said: “He said: ‘What, even if I brought you better guidance than what you found your fathers following?’” (Q 43:24).
In briefAI
The Emir reads the elative “more guiding” in Q 43:24 as proof that guidance and misguidance come in degrees. The guided know God by rational proof, the better guided by faith in the Messenger, and the most guided by unveiling. Each rank is misguidance relative to the one above it. Likewise idol-worship is guidance relative to denying the Creator. Taking ḍalāl as bewilderment before the Essence, he holds that no creature, not even the first, is free of it. So all are guided in one respect and astray in another.
See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 257 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 258 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 259 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 254 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 255 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 256 ↗ (archive.org)
اِعْلَمْ: أَنَّ الْهُدَى أَنْوَاعٌ، كَمَا أَنَّ الضَّلَالَ اَنْوَاعٌ،
Know that guidance is of kinds, just as misguidance is of kinds,
وَالْمَوْصُوفُونَ بِالْهُدَى وَالضَّلَالِ أَنْوَاعٌ: فَمُهْتَدٍ، وَأَهْدَى، وَأَعْظَمُ هُدًى، وَضَالٌّ، وَأَضَلُّ، وَأَعْظَمُ ضَلَالاً.
and those described by guidance and misguidance are of kinds: the guided, the better guided, and the greatest in guidance; the one astray, the more astray, and the greatest in misguidance.
فَالْمُهْتَدِي هُوَ الَّذِي حَصَلَ عَلَى الْهِدَايَةِ بِالدَّلِيلِ الْعَقْلِيِّ وَالْبُرْهَانِ•
The guided is the one who has obtained guidance through rational proof and demonstration.
وَالْأَهْدَى هُوَ الَّذِي حَصَلَ عَلَى الْهِدَايَةِ بِتَصْدِيقِ الرَّسُولِ وَالْاِيمَانِ،
The better guided is the one who has obtained guidance through assenting to the Messenger and through faith;
وَالْأَعْظَمُ هُدًي هُوَالَّذِي حَصَلَتْ لَهُ الْهِدَايَةُ بِالْكَشْفِ وَالْعِيَانِ•
and the greatest in guidance is the one to whom guidance has come through unveiling and direct seeing.
وَالضَّالُّ هُوَ الَّذِي شَبَّهَ الْحَقَّ بِمَخْلُوقَاتِهِ تَشْبِيهاً مُطْلَقاً أَوْ نَزَّهَهُ تَنْزِيهاً مُطْلَقاً، وَمَا اهْتَدَى اِلَى الْجَمْعِ بَيْنَهُمَا بِمَعْرِفَةِ مَرْتَبَةِ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا،
The one astray is he who has likened the Real to His creatures absolutely, or declared Him incomparable absolutely, and has not been guided to combining the two by knowing the rank of each of them.
وَالْأَضَلُّ هُوَ الَّذِي صَوَّرَ اِلَهَهُ بِصُورَةٍ مَحْسُوسَةٍ، كَعَابِدِ الشَّمْسِ وَالنَّارِ وَالْأَحْجَارِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْجِنِّ، وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: «وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ يَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَنْ لاَ يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ».
The more astray is he who has given his god a sensible form, like the worshipper of the sun, fire, stones, angels and jinn, and the like, as God Most High said: “And who is more astray than one who calls, apart from God, upon one who does not answer him?” (Q 46:5).
وَالْأَعْظَمُ ضَلَالاً هُوَ الْمُعَطِّلُ لِلْخَالِقِ– تَعَالَى–، كَالدَّهْرِيَّةِ وَالطِّبَاعِيَّةِ، عَلَى مُقْتَضَى اَقْوَالِهِمْ، وَاِلاَّ فَلَا مُعَطِّلُ فِي الْمَعْنَى•
The greatest in misguidance is the one who denies the Creator (exalted is He), like the Dahrīs and the Naturalists, according to what their statements entail; otherwise, in meaning there is no denier.
وَكُلُّ مَرْتَبَةٍ مِنْ مَرَاتِبِ الْهُدَى؛ هِيَ ضَلَالٌ بِالنِّسْبَةِ اِلَى مَا هِيَ أَعْلَى مِنْهَا،
Every rank among the ranks of guidance is misguidance relative to the one above it.
فَهُدَى الْعَقْلِ؛ ضَلَالٌ بِالنِّسْبَةِ اِلَى هُدَى الْمُؤْمِنِ؛ بِمَا جَاءَتْ بِهِ الرُّسُلُ،
So the guidance of the intellect is misguidance relative to the guidance of the one who believes in what the messengers brought;
وَهُدَى الْمُؤْمِنِ بِالرُّسُلِ؛ ضَلَالٌ بِالنِّسْبَةِ اِلَى هُدَى أَهْلِ الشُّهُودِ وَالْعِيَانِ•
and the guidance of the one who believes in the messengers is misguidance relative to the guidance of the people of beholding and direct seeing.
فَاِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ– وَاِنْ عَظُمَ اِيمَانُهُ– لَابُدَّ أَنْ تُنَازِعَهُ نَفْسُهُ وَتَطْلُبَ تَكَيُّفَ مَا آمَنَ بِهِ أَوْ تَشْبِيهَهُ أَحْيَاناً•
For the believer, however great his faith, cannot avoid his soul contending with him and at times seeking to give a 'how' to what he believes in, or to liken it.
وَيَجِدُ لِذَلِكَ دَغْدَغَةً فِي نَفْسِهِ، وَلَا يَطْمَئِنُّ الِاطْمِئْنَانَ الْكَامِلَ اِلاَّ بِالشُّهُودِ،
He finds a stirring of unease in himself because of it, and he is not perfectly at rest except through beholding.
كَمَا أَنَّ كُلَّ مَرْتَبَةٍ مِنْ مَرَاتِبِ الضَّلَالِ هِيَ هُدًى بِالنِّسْبَةِ اِلَى مَا هِيَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهَا،
Likewise, every rank among the ranks of misguidance is guidance relative to the one more severe than it.
فَضَلَالُ الْعُقَلَاءِ هِدَايَةٌ بِالنِّسْبَةِ اِلَى ضَلَالِ مَنْ عَبَدَ صُورَةً مِنَ الصُّوَرِ مِنْ نَارٍ وَشَمْسٍ وَنَحْوِهِمَا•
So the misguidance of the rational thinkers is guidance relative to the misguidance of one who worships some form, such as fire, sun and the like.
وَضَلَالُ عَابِدِ الشَّمْسِ وَنَحْوِهَا هُدًى بِالنِّسْبَةِ اِلَى ضَلَالِ الْمُعَطِّلِ•
And the misguidance of the sun-worshipper and the like is guidance relative to the misguidance of the denier.
وَلِهَذَا قَالَ: «قَالَ أَوَ لَوْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِأَهْدَى مِمَّا وَجَدْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَكُمْ».
That is why He said: “He said: ‘What, even if I brought you better guidance than what you found your fathers following?’” (Q 43:24).
وَالَّذِي وَجَدُوا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَهُمْ؛ هُوَ عِبَادَةُ الصُّوَرِ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ وَالْأَصْنَامِ،
What they found their fathers following is the worship of forms: idols and graven images;
وَالَّذِي هُوَ أَهْدَى مِنْهُ؛ تَصْدِيقُ الرَّسُولِ فِيمَا جَاءَ بِهِ عَنِ اللَّهِ– تَعَالَى–•
and what is better guidance than it is assenting to the Messenger in what he brought from God, exalted is He.
فَمَا وَجَدُوا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَهُمْ؛ هُدًى بِالنِّسْبَةِ اِلَى ضَلَالِ الْمُعَطِّلِ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى فِي الْآيَةِ الْأُخْرَى:
So what they found their fathers following is guidance relative to the misguidance of the denier, as God Most High said in the other verse:
«وَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ حِينَ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ مَنْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلاً⁽¹⁾».
“And they will know, when they see the punishment, who is further astray from the way” (Q 25:42).
فَالْكُلُّ مُجْتَمِعُونَ فِي الضَّلَالِ، بِمَعْنَى الْحَيْرَةِ فِي طَلَبِ الْحَقِّ- تَعَالَى-، كَمَا وَرَدَ فِي الْخَبَرِ: «وَاِنَّ الْمَلَأَ الْأَعْلَى لَيَطْلُبُونَهُ كَمَا تَطْلُبُونَهُ».
Quotes a hadith: not found in the Six Books or the Muwaṭṭaʾ (sunnah.com data, 11 Nov 2026) · grade not yet checked by a person
So all are gathered together in straying, in the sense of bewilderment in seeking the Real (exalted is He), as has come in the report: “And the Highest Assembly seek Him just as you seek Him.”
فَمَا انْفَكَّ مَخْلُوقٌ أَيُّ مَخْلُوقٍ كَانَ، حَتَّى الْمَخْلُوقُ الْأَوَّلُ عَنِ الضَّلَالِ، بِمَعْنَى الْحَيْرَةِ فِي الذَّاتِ الْعَلِيَّةِ، وَلَكِنَّ الضَّالِّينَ مُتَفَاوِتُونَ فِي الضَّلَالِ.
No created being whatsoever has ever been free of straying, not even the first created being, in the sense of bewilderment concerning the exalted Essence; but those who stray differ in degree in their straying.
وَقَالَ تَعَالَى فِي الْآيَةِ الْأُخْرَى: «فَرَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ هُوَ أَهْدَى سَبِيلاً⁽²⁾».
And He (exalted is He) said in the other verse: “So your Lord knows best who is better guided on the way” (Q 17:84).
وَفِي كُلِّ نَوْعٍ مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الضَّلَالِ وَالْهُدَى؛ أَشْخَاصٌ لَا تَكَادُ تَنْحَصِرُ اِلاَّ لِلْخَالِقِ- تَعَالَى-،
And in every kind of straying and of guidance there are individuals who can scarcely be counted except by the Creator (exalted is He):
فَنَاقِصٌ، وَكَامِلٌ، وَأَكْمَلُ، فِي النَّوْعَيْنِ، وَمَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ،
the deficient, the perfect and the more perfect, in both kinds, and what lies between that;
فَالْكُلُّ مُهْتَدٍ مِنْ وَجْهٍ، وَالْكُلُّ ضَالٌّ مِنْ وَجْهٍ.
so all are guided in one respect, and all are astray in one respect.
Translations, word glosses and term notes are AI-generated (Claude) and marked as such; no published translation is reproduced.Word analysis is automatic (CAMeL Tools), guided by the text's vowelling. How this text was established.