Hidayah – correct guidance – is only granted to those who have Taqwa – fear of Allah. Allah said (Fussilat 44)
قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ فِى ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى أُوْلَـئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ
Say: It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur’an) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand)
and
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلاَ يَزِيدُ الظَّـلِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَارًا
And We send down of the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism and act on it), and it increases the Zalimin (wrongdoers) in nothing but loss (Al-Isra 82)
This is a sample of the numerous Ayat indicating that the believers, in particular, benefit from the Qur’an. That is because the Qur’an is itself a form of guidance, but the guidance in it is only granted to the righteous, just as Allah said,
يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُمْ مَّوْعِظَةٌ مَّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَآءٌ لِّمَا فِى الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
(O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (the Qur’an, enjoining all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that (disease of ignorance, doubt, hypocrisy and differences) which is in your breasts ـ a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things) for the believers (Yunus 57)
Ibn Abbas and Ibn Masud and other Companions of the Messenger of Allah said,
هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
Guidance for the Muttaqin (the pious and righteous persons),
means, a light for those who have Taqwa.
The Meaning of Al-Muttaqin
Ibn `Abbas said about,
هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
Guidance for the Muttaqin) that it means, “They are the believers who avoid Shirk with Allah and who work in His obedience.” Ibn `Abbas also said that Al-Muttaqin means, “Those who fear Allah’s punishment, which would result if they abandoned the true guidance that they recognize and know. They also hope in Allah’s mercy by believing in what He revealed.” Further, Qatadah said that,
لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
Al-Muttaqin, are those whom Allah has described in His statement :
الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلٰوةَ
who believe in the Ghayb and perform the Salat (Al-Baqarah 3) and the following Ayat. Ibn Jarir stated that the Ayah (Al-Baqarah 2) includes all of these meanings that the scholars have mentioned, and this is the correct view. Also, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah narrated that Atiyah As-Sadi said that the Messenger of Allah said,
لَا يَبْلُغُ الْعَبْدُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ حَتَّى يَدَعَ مَالَا بَأْسَ بِهِ حَذَرًا مِمَّا بِهِ بَأْس
“The servant will not acquire the status of the Muttaqin until he abandons what is harmless out of fear of falling into that which is harmful.” At-Tirmidhi then said “Hasan Gharib.”