Abstract
This research article presents a comparative and analytical study of the elements, principles, and types of Hidāyah (guidance) in the light of two prominent exegeses of the Qur'ān: al-Kashshāf by Imam al-Zamakhsharī and Rūḥ al-Ma'ānī by Allāma al-Ālūsī. The study explores five fundamental elements of guidance — Hādī (Allah), Dā'ī (the caller), Maṭlūb (the seeker), Ma'lūmāt (revealed knowledge), and Maqṣad (the ultimate goal). It further examines the principles of guidance, including individuality, voluntary basis, privacy, continuity, practicality, and spiritual development. The research also analyzes the various types of guidance — general, natural, sensory-rational, legislative, and divinely granted (tawfīqī). The comparative analysis reveals that al-Kashshāf emphasizes reason, human choice, and practical responsibility, while Rūḥ al-Ma'ānī stresses divine grace, tawfīq, and spiritual training. The study concludes that both approaches are not contradictory but complementary, and their synthesis provides a comprehensive and balanced understanding of guidance. The article also highlights the contemporary relevance of these elements and principles for individuals, preachers, educational institutions, religious leaders, and moral reformers in addressing the intellectual, moral, and spiritual challenges of the modern age.