Episode 1In us
Polynesian wayfinding: Hōkūleʻa sailed Hawaiʻi to Tahiti and back in 1976 without instruments, navigated by Mau Piailug (Polynesian Voyaging Society).
But: Years of training, stars, swells, birds; clouds can hide everything.
The 99 Names · Name 94 of 99 · Act
الْهَادِيal-Hādī
The Guide
Recited as it sounds in the Qur'an, 25:31.
Heard together with: an-Nūr / al-Hādī / ar-Rashīd
Start with what we know
Then take away everything it needs. What is left is not a bigger version of us. It is the Name.
Episode 1
Episode 2In nature
Arctic terns fly >80,000 km a year (Egevang 2010); loggerheads home to natal beaches by magnetic imprint (2015).
Episode 3At our best
GPS and deep-space navigation.
But: Satellites, clocks, power; jamming.
Episode 4The Break
Take away stars, magnetism, maps, training, signal.
The tern has a compass in its body. al-Hādī gave the tern the compass.
From the tradition: Muslim 2577 (qudsi): 'all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me'. Ps 25:4 'Let me know Your paths'.
On screen
Moana learns to read the stars and swells. al-Hādī (20:50), the stars, the swells and the turtle too.
Where it shows up
- In scripture
- Q 20:50; 22:54; 25:31; Muslim 2577; Ps 25:4.
- The same thread in Jewish and Christian scripture
- Ps 23:3; Ps 25:4. Strong.
- In the universe
- Bar-tailed godwit non-stop 13,560 km (2022).
- In nature
- Migration (BBC Earth 2026 compilation).
- In people
- Hōkūleʻa (1976).
- In science
- Magnetoreception, celestial navigation.
Watch and listen
Films, documentaries and voices that reach towards this Name. Each links out to where you can watch it.
Sources for this page
archive.hokulea.com/1976.html; nbcnews.com/…moana-n672141; eurekalert.org/news-releases/781133