Al-Hadi
Allah is Al Haadi, The One who gives guidance to his believers. His Guidance is beneficial and protects them from whatever may be harmful. He is The One who sent prophets as the deliverers of his message to make sure mankind is guided on the right path.
From the root h-d-y which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to guide rightly to show with kindness the proper path to guide on the right path until reaching the goal to guide aright to lead the right way.
And so those who were given knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord and [therefore] believe in it, and their hearts humbly submit to it. And indeed is Allah the Guide of those who have believed to a straight path. (Quran 22:54)
And thus, have We made for every prophet an enemy from among the criminals? But sufficient is your Lord as a guide and a helper. (Quran 25:32)
[Who say], “Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower. (Quran 3:8)
And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (Quran 29:69)
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Name: |
Al-Hadi |
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Al-Hadi in Arabic: |
ٱلْهَادِي |
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Al-Hadi Arabic root: |
The root word of Al-Hadi is ha-dal-ya (ي د ه) |
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Al-Hadi meaning in English: |
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Al-Hadi meaning in Urdu: |
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Al-Hadi Appearance in the Quran: |
The root ha-dal-ya (ي د ه) appears 316 times in the Quran in various forms, such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives. |
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Tasbeeh: |
Making Tasbeeh of the name Al-Hadi provides guidance. Reciting this name of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) removes doubt and guides us to the path of righteousness. |
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Asma ul Husna with similar meaning: |
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Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is Al-Hadi, which means literally means ‘The Guide’. This is because it is Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) alone who can lead us to the path of righteousness and good. Without His (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) approval or assistance we are lost and directionless. The word is also linked to gift as Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is a gift.
The root letters of Al-Hadi are ha-dal-ya. In Arabic, the combination of three or four root letters in a specific order represents a core idea; the same is true for ha-dal-ya, the meaning of which is as follows:
The root for Al-Hadi appears numerous times in the Holy Quran. Ha-dal-ya occurs 316 times with 12 derivations. Here are some examples of how ha-dal-ya appears in the Holy Quran:
The divine name Al-Hadi is perfectly suited to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) as no one can guide us or show us the right path without Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) permission. He (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is the Guide to all guides. Unless He (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) wills, no individual or entity can be led astray or be rightly guided.
In fact, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) says in the Holy Book:
اِنَّكَ لَا تَہْدِيْ مَنْ اَحْبَبْتَ وَلٰكِنَّ اللہَ يَہْدِيْ مَنْ يَّشَاۗءُ۰ۚ وَہُوَاَعْلَمُ بِالْمُہْتَدِيْنَ۵۶
“You cannot guide any one you like: God guides whosoever He please. He knows best who will come to guidance.” [28:56]
The verse indicates that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is the only source of guidance for us. We must only turn to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) to show us the right way.
All the exalted names of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) provide a beautiful insight into who our Creator (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is. Each name represents an attribute of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) that makes Him (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) unique and worthy of worship. Amongst these Al-Hadi, The Guide, holds great significance.
There are times in our life when we feel lost and alone. The feeling of isolation and the lack of purpose are all too common. These negative feelings can be incredibly depressing. It is only Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) guidance that can save us from plunging into the depths of despair.
Even if we do not feel burdened by a failure to follow the Right Path, there is a subconscious need within all of us to seek the truth. No matter how occupied we may become with the world's affairs, the innate desire to realize our purpose never disappears. It is impossible to fulfill that need without divine guidance or help. Only Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), being Al-Hadi (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), can lead us to the truth.
Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is the best Guide in every sense of the word. It is He (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) Who guides the system of the universe to operate as it does, animals to fend for their survival, and humans to live of the sustenance that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has provided. The world as we know it would stop existing without His (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) guidance. As the Quran says:
(Moses) said: "Our Lord is He who gave everything its natural form and directed it." [20:50]
Everything created, living or non-living, human or otherwise, gets inspiration from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى). Without this divine guidance, nothing would work, the fish would not know how to swim, the birds would not know how to fly, and the universe would come to a standstill.
Al-Hadi, like any other name of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), can be recited like a tasbeeh daily. You can perform this dikhr after each obligatory prayer. This way, you will be reminded to call upon Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) for help and guidance without fail.
The beauty of the divine names of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is that they can be recited at any time without any preconditions. So, recite Al-Hadi as many times as you can whenever you feel lost or need Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) guidance. Seek Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) assistance before you make life-changing decisions or simply need help with mundane tasks of the day.
There is no standard requirement for the number of times you must repeat a specific name of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى). Neither the Holy Quran nor the sunnah of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) mentions a number regarding any of the Asma-ul-Husna.
Some people recommend reading a particular name of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) an odd number of times. Some claim each name should be read 100 times. There is no consensus, as there is no precedence from the life of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) that we can follow.
When reciting any of the names of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), the important thing to remember is intention. Supplicate to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) with a clear and honest intention. Make your prayer forceful as only Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) can grant you what you are praying for.
Similar to the number, no time is specified for the recitation of the name. Reading the names of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is a form of supplication and these can be customized to one’s own needs and requirements. It is best to read the names of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) after every obligatory prayer along with other supplications.
Saying Al-Hadi multiple times when you wake up and right before you sleep can be effective. You start your day seeking the guidance of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) and conclude the day with requesting for Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) help. This way you can develop a habit of reciting Al-Hadi daily since doing it randomly can make us forgetful.
We must turn towards Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) in times of need. No matter how big or small our problems may seem, for Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), nothing is difficult. Many people feel the dread of living a meaningless life. A life devoid of purpose or value. It is Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) alone who shows us the light and guides us to the Right Path, the path of fulfillment.
As Muslims, it is our conviction that our time in this world is nothing but a test. Our final destination is the Hereafter. All of our intentions and actions will be judged and that will determine our ultimate fate. Despite the high stakes, losing sight of our original goal is easy. Only Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) can guide us and keep us on the path to success. He (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is the only Guide and Helper we have because without His will it is impossible to receive guidance even from a Messenger (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى).
Take the example of the father of Prophet Ibrahim (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) or the son of Prophet Nuh (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ). Unless we beg Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) for His guidance, we are lost. The light of His guidance helps us to navigate through the world. Making important decisions or dealing with challenges of every magnitude, all of these are can be overcome easily with the help of Al-Hadi (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى).
The names of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) all begin with a definite article, such as ‘Al’ or ‘Ar.’ The addition of the definite article makes these names exclusive to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) alone. Children cannot be named Al-Hadi as it is a name that is attributed to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى).
We can, however, use derivatives of the name like Abd Al-Hadi or Abdul Hadi, which translates to ‘slave of The Guide.’ This is a beautiful name for a boy. It is full of humility and our connection with Allah Almighty (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى).
Another way to use the name is by removing the definite article completely. Hadi, meaning ‘guide,’ is a wonderful name for boys because it is short but full of meaning.
The names of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) that have a similar or related meaning to Al-Hadi include the following:
All of these names focus on Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) of giving guidance and showing the truth to the believers.
The root letters of Al-Hadi appear countless times in the Holy Quran. There are many examples of these words that relate to guide or guidance, occurring. this makes sense since the Holy Quran itself is a Book of Guidance.
Additionally, even though there is mentioned of the name Al-Hadi in any hadith, we can comprehend the importance of Asma-ul-Husna from the traditions attributed to the Holy Prophet (ﷺ). The most famous being the following hadith narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ):
“Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, one-hundred less one; and he who memorized them all by heart will enter Paradise." To count something means to know it by heart.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, Book 93, Hadith 489]
All the divine names of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) hold great power. They present the attributes of the Almighty (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) and give us information about Him. We can use these to seek Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) favor and help at all times.