Detailed Exegesis

Ihdinā: Guidance (hidāya) linguistically means indication and direction, and it is of two types: One is showing the way to reach the destination, which is called presenting the path (irāʾat al-ṭarīq). The other is conveying the travelers to the goal, which is referred to as delivering to the desired objective (īṣāl ilā al-maṭlūb).

Ṣirāṭ: It is a wide and clear highway. Al-Rāghib says: “This word was originally sirāṭ, which means to swallow. Since an open and public road, with its spaciousness and clarity, is as if it draws the traveler into its mouth and carries him forward, it is called ṣirāṭ.”(303)

Some researchers of Qur’anic vocabulary have considered this opinion incorrect, deeming ṣirāṭ an independent word and not a transformed one, because sirāṭ has various derivatives, while ṣirāṭ does not have any such derivatives.(304)

Mustaqīm: This word is from the root q-w-m and due to the specific form of the istifʿāl pattern, it indicates seeking uprightness. Since a human being in the state of standing is capable of most of his actions, the word qiyām has been used to name the best state of everything. Just as the best state of a tree is when it is standing on its trunk with its roots in the ground, and for this reason such a state is called the qiyām (uprightness) of the tree.

Seeking Uprightness and Steadfastness

Seeking uprightness is requesting steadfastness from something, and seeking steadfastness is an allusion to the manifestation and attainment of the effects and benefits of everything. Since the effects and benefits of a path lie in its being straight, not having crookedness, and not misguiding the traveler, such a state is considered its steadfastness. Therefore, the straight path is a path from which the absence of crookedness is desired, and this desired quality is present. Hence, the attribute of being straight for the path is an explanatory one, not a precautionary one.

The Path of Light and the Illuminated Travelers

The human being, who is a dynamic and journeying creature, in order for the destination and ultimate goal of their journey to be the encounter with the love of the Lord of the Worlds, requires a way and path that is protected from the harm of crookedness and safeguarded from the assault of Ahriman (the devil). They are in need of the light of guidance that shows them the way and guides them step by step until they reach the destination.

The Glorious God has delineated the path of wayfaring and attainment for the travelers to His court, and has invited everyone to move on it in order to attain His beautiful attributes.

In this noble verse, the journeying servant, by the instruction of the Glorious God, seeks guidance to the straight path, and guidance is of two kinds: legislative (tashrīʿī) and ontological (takwīnī).(305)

Legislative guidance refers to presenting the felicitous law, teaching the divine teachings, propagating the religious rulings, and enjoining virtues and forbidding vices through revelation and prophethood, which is referred to as showing the way. However, ontological guidance is when the Lord endows the human being’s intellectual faculties with a special insight and their practical faculties with a special inclination and endeavor, so that the understanding or witnessing of divine teachings and traversing the path and reaching the ultimate goal is achieved in accordance with the desired objective. In other words, it is the step-by-step assistance of the journeying servant and delivering them to the destination. Therefore, it is known as conveying to the desired goal.

The guidance that is sought from God Almighty in the noble verse “Guide us to the straight path” (1:6) is existential guidance (hidāyat-i takwīnī),(306) not legislative guidance (hidāyat-i tashrīʿī); because the one who recites it (the worshipper or reciter of the Qur’an), after recognizing God, receiving the teachings and rulings of religion, and believing in it, seeks guidance from God. So he is not seeking to acquire or attain what he has already attained. Rather, he seeks an illuminating guidance in the light of which he can see the path well and recognize the pitfalls surrounding it: “The right and left are astray, and the middle path is the main road.”(307)

The reason why the servant who is journeying must always seek guidance to the straight path from God Almighty (in prayer or recitation of the Qur’an) is that man’s path toward God has many stages and stations. No matter what stage of perfection man reaches, although he is currently illuminated and insightful in relation to that stage, the permanence of that perfection and the continuance of that state requires the continuation of divine bestowal. Just as he is in darkness and blind in relation to the higher stages. Even the friends of God who have traversed many stages of perfection may still not see many realities, just as Moses, the Interlocutor (a.s.), said, “My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You.” (7:143) Therefore, whoever attains a degree of perfection in knowledge and action must, on the one hand, ask God for steadfastness in that degree of perfection: “Do not take away from us the good that You have given us”,(308) “So do not deprive me of what I am in”.(309) On the other hand, to reach higher levels, he must seek the light of guidance, so that the occurrence of perfection is connected to its permanence, and its initial stages are joined to its final stages. Just as in applying the general rule to the instance and discerning one’s duty, there is a need for guidance.

Guidance through legislation and familiarity with religious teachings, although necessary and a means of completing the proof (ḥujja), is sometimes not sufficient and effective on its own for reaching the goal. Many religious scholars and those knowledgeable about the rulings and wisdom of the sharīʿa have engaged in sin due to being deprived of witnessing the repulsive inner reality of sin. It is this existential guidance and light of inner insight that grants immunity to the journeying servant.

In this part of Sūrah al-Ḥamd, the worshipper, while seeking success in safeguarding and preserving previous attainments, also seeks to reach higher levels, including witnessing the inner reality of the world and the truth and inner reality of sin. This guidance and witnessing stand in contrast to inner blindness and sightlessness. Guidance is not only knowledge of the heart but also insight of the heart, and the guided one (muhtadī) is someone who not only knows the truth but also sees it. The Qur’an considers knowledge that leads to insight and bears the fruit of action as guidance, otherwise a scholar lacking in insight is afflicted with a type of blindness.

God, the Glorified, says about the people of Thamūd: “We guided them, but they preferred blindness over guidance” (41:17). Therefore, someone who only knows the truth but does not see it and does not traverse a path is blind, and this is blindness of the heart and inner eye, not blindness of the physical eye: “It is not the eyes that go blind, but it is the hearts within the chests that go blind” (22:46). And those who preferred blindness over guidance will be seized by the punishment of humiliation: “So the thunderbolt of humiliating punishment seized them for what they used to earn” (41:17). The punishment of humiliation is a spiritual punishment that affects the heart and soul and is worse than physical punishment which deals with the body: “Every time their skins are burned off, We will replace them with other skins, so that they may taste the punishment” (4:56).

Guidance is the light of the inner being, while misguidance is the blindness of the inner being. “Guide us to the straight path” (1:6) is a request for insight from God, the Glorified.

Humans have relative immunity against matters whose reality is clearly and well-revealed to them, such as self-immolation and consuming poison. The friends of God (awliyāʾ Allāh), who see all sins in this unveiled manner, are absolutely infallible. With such insight, a person sees every sin as a burning fire and deadly poison, and avoids it. The place of this deep insight is the immaterial heart, not the physical eye. If a person were to see the inner reality of sin, which is intensely repulsive, with their inner vision and perceive it through witnessing, they would be as disgusted by sin as they are repulsed by putrid and foul-smelling filth.

The believers and righteous individuals who benefit from the light of existential guidance are luminous both in this world and the Hereafter. The Qur’an states about their worldly life: “And We made for him a light by which he walks among the people” (6:122), and “Thus We have revealed to you a spirit from Our command. You did not know what the Book is, nor what faith is, but We made it a light by which We guide whomever We will from among Our servants” (42:52). This light is not the result of acquired knowledge, as many misguided individuals also possess acquired knowledge. However, the believer, with this light, sees well themselves and also grants insight to human society. Regarding their Hereafter, it states: “Their light will run before them and on their right” (57:12); the light of the believers in Paradise will both run ahead of them and illuminate their surroundings.

The ultimate and primary goal of the mission of the messengers is to bring people out of darkness and illuminate them: “A Book We have sent down to you that you may bring forth mankind from the darknesses into the light by the command of their Lord to the path of the All-mighty, the All-laudable.” (14:1) And establishing justice, which is mentioned in the noble verse “Certainly We sent Our messengers with manifest proofs, and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that mankind may maintain justice” (57:25), is an intermediate goal, not the ultimate one. The light that reaching it is the ultimate goal of the mission, is initially the light of legislative guidance and then the light of existential guidance.

God’s Companionship with the Wayfarers of the Path

The Qur’an states about the those who strive in the way of God that God does not need their struggle and it is the human being who benefits from it: “And whoever strives, strives only for his own sake. Indeed God is all-sufficient, without need of the creatures.” (29:6) And He also promises them existential guidance and a special companionship: “As for those who strive in Us, We shall surely guide them in Our ways, and God is indeed with the virtuous.” (29:69) God, the Immaculate, who is the owner of the way (“Our ways”), assists the wayfarers at every moment, for He is always with them.

God, the Immaculate, has two types of companionship: One is the absolute sustaining companionship that covers everyone and everything: “He is with you wherever you may be.” (57:4) And its product is also a general and comprehensive guidance: “Our Lord is He who gave everything its creation and then guided it.” (20:50) And the other is a special companionship that brings with it a special guidance, and the special existential guidance under discussion is the same special guidance that is the product of the special companionship: “Indeed God is with those who are Godwary and those who are virtuous.” (16:128) The absolute companionship is not exclusive to the believers, but for the wicked it manifests as “Indeed your Lord is in ambush.” (89:14)

Requesting Guidance in the Verse “Guide us to the straight path” is a Request for a Special Companionship and Accompaniment that God, the Glorious, has with the Righteous and the Virtuous, and its Outcome is this Special Existential Guidance.

The Human Encounter with the Divine

One of the characteristics of the journey toward God is that its ultimate goal and destination is the infinite God, and therefore, the path toward Him will also be unlimited. Wherever a person steps, they will reach God. However, He has many beautiful names; He is both the Most Merciful of the merciful (arḥam al-rāḥimīn) and the Most Severe of punishers (ashadd al-muʿāqibīn). Some people reach the meeting with the love of the Most Merciful of the merciful, while another group of travelers reach the meeting with the wrath of the Most Severe of punishers.

The Qur’an says about the meeting of all people with God: “O man! Surely you are striving toward your Lord with [great] exertion, and you will meet Him. Then as for him who is given his book in his right hand, he will be reckoned with an easy reckoning, and he will return to his people joyfully. But as for him who is given his book behind his back, he will call for destruction and will burn in a Blaze.” (84:6-12) One group, whose book of deeds is given to their right hand, will pass through the station of reckoning with ease and return to their like-minded companions, while the other group, who receive their book of deeds from behind their backs, will be cast into a blazing fire. They are the same wretched ones who threw the Qur’an behind their backs in the world: “They threw it behind their backs” (3:187). Receiving the book from behind one’s back is a representation of their deeds in the world. So it is not the case that a person will not reach the meeting with God; rather, one must strive to reach the meeting with the beauty of God, the All-forgiving and the Concealer, not the meeting with the majesty of God, the Compeller.

In reaching the divine meeting, people are like waters flowing toward the sea; large rivers advance to the depths of the sea, while small streams only reach its beginning.

No one can escape meeting God or render Him powerless and incapable: “And those who strive against Our signs to frustrate them, they will be brought to the punishment.” (34:38) “And let not those who disbelieve think that they can outstrip (God’s plan).” (8:59) The disbelievers, whichever way they turn, are faced with a punishment more painful than any other: “So on that Day none will punish as He will punish, and none will bind as He will bind.” (89:25-26) But among all the paths that lead to Him, one path is straight and the other paths are deviant: “And this is My straight path, so follow it; and do not follow other ways.” (6:153) Except for the path that leads man to the Merciful God, and which the worshipper seeks guidance to in this noble verse, all other paths are misguidance and error and lead to the Vengeful God. The misguided and lost person is also guided to his final destination (Hell): “Then lead them to the path of Hellfire.” (37:23) Those who are misguided will not meet the beauty of God: “No! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned.” (83:15), but they will meet the majesty and wrath of God, as they themselves say: “Our Lord, we have seen and heard.” (32:12)

The Meaning and Referent of the Straight Path

The meaning of the straight path is the path of uprightness as opposed to the path of crookedness. The crooked path is one that involves violation and difference, while the straight path is one that is safe from these two harms. As for the referent of the straight path from the perspective of the Noble Qur’an, it is the upright religion: “Say, ‘Indeed, my Lord has guided me to a straight path—a correct religion—the way of Abraham, inclining toward truth.’” (6:161)

Dīn-i Qayyim: The Upright Religion

The upright religion (dīn-i qayyim) is a religion that stands on its own and upholds others as well. The reason it is referred to as the religion of Abraham and attributed to his way is that Abraham, the Friend of God (a.s.), presented the most outstanding method. A ḥanīf is someone who moves along the path, as opposed to a janīf or mutajānif, which refers to someone who leans to the right or left.

The Straight Path and Deviant Ways

Ṣirāṭ and sabīl are close in meaning, but in the Noble Qur›an, the word ṣirāṭ is always used in the singular form, unlike sabīl, which appears both in the singular and plural (subul) forms: “This is My straight path, so follow it, and do not follow other ways” (6:153). The reason ṣirāṭ cannot be pluralized is that it is attributed to God, and there is only one straight divine path. Anything contrary to it is the way of misguidance (sabīl al-ghayy), while there are many deviant ways (subul). This protected highway, of which there is only one, is connected to God the Glorified on one end and resides in the innate nature (fiṭra) of every human being on the other. Whoever traverses it will reach the presence of God’s love.

The Straight Path (ṣirāṭ mustaqīm) is a highway whose entry leads to the realm of security, safety, and guidance. That is why in narrations it has been identified with the Qur’an and the infallible Imām (a.s.). In Arabic, a highway is referred to as an Imām because the traveler on it is protected from getting lost. “And indeed, they are both a clear Imām” (15:79).(310) Following the Qur’an and the infallible Imām (a.s.) is also treading on this highway that will certainly lead to the destination, and the Path (ṣirāṭ) is this very highway.

The Straight Path and the Paths of God

The Qur’an, in contrast to the deviant paths that it forbids following—“and do not follow other paths” (6:153)—also mentions the paths of God (subul Allāh) and promises guidance to those who strive on these paths: “And those who strive for Us—We will surely guide them to Our paths.” (29:69) The paths of God are the small paths that join the highway (ṣirāṭ), and if a path does not lead to the ṣirāṭ, it is one of those paths of misguidance that people have been prohibited from following, because it leads to the abyss.

Correct ethical, jurisprudential, and legal instructions are subsidiary paths connected to the straight path of divine unity (tawḥīd), just as deviant ethical paths and the like are subsidiary paths connected to polytheism (shirk).

The paths of God, which are many, are not separate from the straight path, which is one. The relationship of the paths of God with the straight path can be envisioned in two ways:

The paths are subsidiary roads that join the ṣirāṭ, like various weak lights that lead to the sun.

The straight path (ṣirāṭ), with its expansive and extensive unity, also covers the subsidiary paths (subul). Based on this perspective, the subsidiary paths are, in fact, part of the text of the straight path and are considered among its main stages.

The Straightness and Uprightness of the Path

In this noble verse, the divine path is described as having straightness (istiqāma), and in the verse “You will soon know who are the companions of the even path (al-ṣirāṭ al-sawī)...” (20:135) it is described as being even. Both expressions indicate that the divine path has no crookedness whatsoever and no devil has access to it to cause any defect or deviation in it. A defect is when, for example, a link is missing in a chain, and a deviation is when a false or counterfeit link is put in place of the original link. A straight path with its segments and links is safe from both of these harms; meaning, its links are neither broken nor disconnected, nor has a false or counterfeit link taken the place of its genuine links. However, the deviant paths are afflicted with both of these harms, or at least one of them.

The immunity of the straight path from Satan’s tampering is clearly stated in the Noble Qur’an. After being expelled, Satan said to God: “My Lord, as You have consigned me to perversity, I will surely glamorize [evil] for them on earth, and I will surely pervert them all, except Your exclusive servants among them.” He said, “This is a straight path to Me.” (15:39-41) O God, as You have led me astray, I will make the ugly seem beautiful for people on earth and I will lead them all to the depths of misguidance, except Your sincere servants whom I cannot glamorize or tempt. Humans, who are attracted to beauty and captivated by the desires of the heart, are deceived by these embellishments and held back from moving toward God. The Glorified God responded: I Myself guarantee the protection of this path and will not leave it in your hands.

It is possible for Satan to attract those who walk the straight path and lead them astray, but he can never access the essence of the path itself. This is because the manifestations of the straight path in the external world are religion, the Qur’an, and the infallible leaders, and these are protected from Satan’s reach. In this noble verse, the phrase “Except Your chosen servants among them” is an admission of the inability to violate the straight path, because the straight path is the way of those very chosen servants.

So on one hand, Satan has no access to the straight path, and on the other hand, the Prophet and God are upon the straight path. God, the Glorious, says to His Messenger: “Indeed you are upon a straight path” (43:43), and He describes His own actions as being upon the straight path: “There is no creature but that He takes it by its forelock. Indeed, my Lord is on a straight path.” (11:56) Therefore, deviation pertains to the travelers, not the path itself—and those travelers who have not reached the level of sincerity (except Your chosen servants among them). Otherwise, Satan has no way to access the pure domain of the existence of the sincere ones.

Reminder: The straightness of the path, apart from the previous content, entails another point which is the steadfastness and stability of the wayfarer: “Those who say, ‘Our Lord is God,’ and then remain steadfast.” (41:30)(311)