Lecture on the Fourth Night

Three Stages of Qur'anic Guidance

The first stage is to be on the way of peace, the second stage is when Allah gives knowledge and brings one from darkenss into light, and the third stage is the guidance to serat-e-mustaqeem.

In Surah Maidah, verses 15-16:
ٍ قَدْ جَاءكُم مِّنَ اللّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ
Certainly there has come to you a light from Allah, and a Manifest Book.
يَهْدِي بِهِ اللّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلاَمِ وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنِ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ {16}
With it Allah guides those who follow (the course of) His pleasure to ways the ways of peace, and brings them out from darkness into light by His Will, and guides them to a straight path.

Allah is noor and His Book is noor which is totally connected to Him just as the speech is connected to the speaker.
Salam: Peace and deliverence from every form of misfortune that prevents salvation in duniya and akherat.

STAGE 1
First section of the ayah:
يَهْدِي بِهِ اللّهُ Allah guides with it
مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ the one who follows His pleasure

His pleasure is not for:
1. Kafireen (refer to 39:7)
2. Faseqeen (refer to 9:96)
3. Zalemeen (refer to 62:5)

Thus the meaning of this section of the ayah is the same as 6:82
الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلْمٍ أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمُ الأَمْنُ وَهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ {82}
"Those who have faith and do not taint their faith with wrongdoing---for such there shall be safety, and they are the (rightly) guided."