Guidance Is of Two Facets
Guidance is of two types. The first of them is clarifying the truth and calling to it, and establishing the evidence for it. According to this meaning, it is valid to attribute guidance to the Messengers and to everyone who calls to the Religion of Allah, like in the Saying of Allah about His Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ:
﴿وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ﴾
[which means] “Certainly you surely guide to a straight path,” and also the Saying of Allah:
﴿وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمَىٰ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ﴾
[which means] “As for Thamud, We guided them [i.e., sent a Prophet to them], but they preferred blindness over guidance.”
The second type of guidance is Allah’s Guidance of His slaves, i.e., Creating the guidance within their hearts, like in the Saying of Allah:
﴿فَمَن يُرِدِ اللَّـهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِي السَّمَاءِ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْعَلُ اللَّـهُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾
[which means] “Whomever Allah Willed to Guide, He Expands his chest to Islam; and whomever Allah Willed to Misguide, He Makes his chest tight.” Misguiding is Creating the misguidance in the hearts of the misguided people.