Subtleties and Allusions

The Tools of Satan’s Temptation

Traversing the straight path is not possible without spiritual and inner blessings, because apparent blessings are the tools of Satan’s mischief. Satan deceives and tempts humans by adorning these same apparent blessings, making them the means of tempting humans: “I will surely adorn for them [evil deeds] on the earth and I will mislead them all” (15:39), “and I will surely mislead them and give them [false] hopes” (4:119). By adorning and beautifying the blessings and ornaments of the world, he entangles man in long and distant wishes and desires.

The Noble Qur’an considers apparent adornments such as gardens and buildings as the adornment of the earth and a means of testing man, not a means of adorning man, and it introduces them as impermanent: “Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed. And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground.” (18:7-8); because each of the worldly blessings and positions, just as it has a season of prosperity and spring, it also has a season of withering and autumn. So the apparent adornments are the adornment of the earth and in the end also wither (juruz) and turn into the components of the earth (ṣaʿīd).

The true adornment of mankind according to the Noble Qur’an is faith: “But God has endeared to you faith and has beautified it in your hearts, and He has made hateful to you disbelief and defiance and disobedience” (49:7). Therefore, those infatuated with the adornments of the earth are under the guardianship of Satan, while those devoted to spiritual values are under the guardianship of the Most Merciful.

Distinguishing between the adornment of the earth and the adornment of the heart is not very difficult. However, sometimes due to the temptations of Satan, man considers an affliction to be a blessing and becomes content with it. For example, some consider hypocrisy, sickness of the heart, separation from the Islamic nation, and avoidance of jihād to be blessings.

After commanding readiness and vigilance against the enemy’s aggression and ordering individual and general mobilization, God Almighty states: Some of you are slow in this matter and postpone it to the future. Then, if a calamity befalls the fighters, they consider being safe from the harms of the front and being absent from the battlefield to be a divine blessing. And if divine grace, in the form of victory or attainment of war booty, is bestowed upon the fighters, they wish to accompany the warriors and attain war booty, as if they had never been with the fighters, did not know them, and had not witnessed their deployment to the front:

“O you who have believed, take your precaution and [either] go forth in companies or go forth all together. And indeed, there is among you he who lingers behind; and if disaster strikes you, he says, ‘God has favored me in that I was not present with them.’ But if bounty comes to you from God, he will surely say, as if there had never been between you and him any affection, ‘Oh, I wish I had been with them so I could have attained a great attainment’” (4:71-73).

Immunity from the harms of the battlefront and absence from the struggle for the sake of God is a false blessing and is not recognized as a blessing in the lexicon of the Qur’an. Those who, upon seeing the martyrs of the battlefronts, say: “God has favored us by not sending us to the front,” and when visiting the martyrs of Karbala say: “Oh, how I wish I had been with you”(376) , they are lying. For if they were truly people of the front and war, they would have been in the ranks of the fighters or alongside the martyrs:

“Only those ask your permission [to stay behind] who do not believe in God and the Last Day and whose hearts are in doubt, so in their doubt they waver. And if they had intended to go forth, they would have prepared for it [some] preparation. But God disliked their being sent, so He kept them back, and they were told, ‘Remain [behind] with those who remain.’” (9:45-46)

Those who seek permission from the Prophet (s.a.w.) to not be dispatched to the battlefronts are immersed in doubt and uncertainty. If they truly had the intention of going to the front, they would have made some provisions for it. However, God, glory be to Him, dislikes preserving and reviving His religion through such people. Therefore, He tells them—and His speech, glory be to Him, is an action that He originates, and similar to it(377)—so this command is also one of God’s actions, and as a punishment, He has seated them in the ranks of those who stay behind (the sick, children, elderly, etc.).

Therefore, what is presented as blessings in the Qur’an are of three types:

a) Spiritual and inner blessings, which are divine successes and enablers of human happiness.

b) Apparent blessings, which are sometimes tools for serving the religion and sometimes factors in incurring wrath and misguidance from religion.

c) False and imaginary blessings, such as immunity from the harms of the battlefronts between truth and falsehood.

Examples of Inner Blessings

The Noble Qur’an expresses some of the spiritual and inner blessings that it has bestowed upon the wayfarers of His path (prophets, the truthful, martyrs, the righteous), such as:

a) Guardianship (wilāyah): In the Noble Qur’an, wherever blessing (niʿmah) is mentioned absolutely, meaning there is no contextual evidence (verbal or non-verbal) for generalization, absoluteness, or specification, what is meant by it is guardianship. For example: “Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you.” (5:3) The perfection of religion and completion of blessing in this noble verse is nothing but guardianship. Therefore, Imām al-Ṣādiq (a.s.), in explaining an instance of the noble verse “Then, that Day, you will surely be questioned concerning the blessing,” (102:8) said: “We are among the instances of this blessing: naḥnu min al-naʿīm.”(378) And in some narrations it is mentioned that God is above asking you about water and bread; rather, He asks about guardianship.(379) Guardianship is a blessing with the presence of which all blessings take their proper place, and without it, they turn into afflictions.

b) Divine support: God, the Glorified, says to Jesus the Messiah (a.s.): Remember My blessing that I sent down upon you and your mother, and that blessing is support by means of the Holy Spirit: “O Jesus son of Mary! Remember My blessing upon you and upon your mother, when I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit.” (5:110) This very blessing was the source of the miracles and abundant blessings that manifested from the existence of Jesus (a.s.), and he says about his existential blessings: “He has made me blessed, wherever I may be.” (19:31)

c) Unity: Disagreement and disunity in society are among the destructive punishments and afflictions, while unity is one of the divine blessings: “Hold fast, all together, to God’s cord, and do not be divided [into sects]. And remember God’s blessing upon you when you were enemies, then He brought your hearts together, so you became brothers with His blessing.” (3:103)

Sometimes the Noble Qur’an also speaks about the effects of spiritual and inner blessings, such as:

The call to struggle: The call to struggle against the tyrants stems from God’s inner and special blessings. When Moses (a.s.), the Interlocutor, commanded the Children of Israel to fight, resist, and conquer the Holy Land, a group said: “We do not have the power to fight and confront the tyrannical giants. You and your Lord go and conquer the city so that we may enter it.”

“O my people, enter the Holy Land which God has assigned to you and do not turn back [from fighting in God’s cause] and [thus] become losers.” They said, “O Moses, indeed within it is a people of tyrannical strength, and indeed, we will never enter it until they leave it; but if they leave it, then we will enter.”... “So go, you and your Lord, and fight. Indeed, we are remaining right here.” (5:21-24)

Two God-fearing men from among those upon whom God had bestowed favor said, “Enter upon them through the gate, for when you have entered it, you will be predominant. And upon God rely, if you should be believers.” (5:23)

This noble verse, by suspending the ruling (the call to fight) on the attribute (God’s bestowal of favor), indicates the reality that the factor behind the courage of these two in inciting the people against the oppressors was that very divine bestowal of favor.

After the people of Paradise and the people of Hell have settled in their [respective] abodes, one of the people of Paradise first inquires about the fate of his companion who was one of the deniers of the Resurrection. Then, having himself gained a view of his condition, when he finds him in the midst of the Hellfire, he says to him: “By God, you almost ruined me. If not for the favor of my Lord, I would have been among those brought [into Hell].” (37:55-57)

The blessings that protect a person from divine punishment on Judgment Day are not the apparent blessings, because those blessings have been granted to the people of Hell as well, and those very blessings have caused their destruction. Therefore, those who have oppressed themselves or others as a result of associating with corrupt companions will bite their hands in intense regret on that day, saying: “If only I had not associated with bad friends and had chosen the companionship and path of the Prophet in the world!” “And the wrongdoer will bite his hands, saying, ‘Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way. Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend!’” (25:27-28)

Seeking guidance to the path of those blessed with divine favor in the verse “Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor” (1:6-7) is a request for companionship with the prophets. Those who are not guided to the straight path in this world through hope and righteous deeds will open their tongues on the Day of Judgment, saying, “Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way!”

The Levels of Those Blessed with Divine Favor

In the verse under discussion, God Almighty divides people into three groups: those given blessings, those who have earned wrath, and those who are astray. The first group attains salvation, while the other two groups are afflicted with punishment. In another division, people are also divided into three groups, but two of them attain salvation, and one group is afflicted with punishment:

“And you will be [divided into] three kinds. The companions of the right—what are the companions of the right? And the companions of the left—what are the companions of the left? And the forerunners, the forerunners—those are the ones brought near [to God], in the Gardens of Bliss.” (56:7-12)

On Judgment Day, people will be of three kinds: 1) A group whose deeds were accompanied by blessing and who were a source of goodness and blessing for others—they are the companions of the right (aṣḥāb al-maymana). 2) A group whose deeds were always accompanied by misfortune and ugliness, who were unfortunate for themselves and their society—they are the companions of the left (aṣḥāb al-mashʾama). 3) The third group are the forerunners and pioneers in virtues, who are among those brought near to God (al-sābiqūn al-muqarrabūn).

Based on applying these two tripartite divisions, it follows that the recipients of blessings (munʿam ʿalayhim) themselves are divided into two groups: the companions of felicity (aṣḥāb maymanat) and those brought near (muqarrabān). Thus, the recipients of blessings are not at a single level; the intermediates among them who have traversed the straight path with divine success are among the companions of felicity and blessing, while the distinguished ones among them are among those brought near and the forerunners.

The one praying who seeks guidance to the path of the recipients of blessings is sometimes from the average believers who enjoy blessings at the level of the righteous (abrār) and companions of felicity. But sometimes he is among the unique individuals of faith, like the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), who seek the higher degrees. Thus, those praying and those given blessings are not at one level and rank. Although the companions of the right and those brought near both partake of divine blessings, those brought near enjoy pure blessings while the companions of felicity partake of mixed blessings.

Pure and Mixed Blessings in Paradise

The blessings that are the share of the wayfarers on the straight path vary according to their differing degrees; some are pure and some are mixed. The Noble Qur’an, in explaining the blessings of Paradise, states: In Paradise there are many diverse springs; some are pure and some are mixed. The pure and unmixed springs are the share of those brought near, while the share of others is a mixture from them: “And they will be given to drink a cup [of wine] whose mixture is of ginger, [from] a fountain within Paradise named Salsabīl.” (76:17-18) The cup of the people of Paradise is mixed with ginger, which has a share from Salsabīl. Salsabīl is a spring in Paradise superior to ginger and the other springs from which the intermediates drink. Elsewhere it states: “Indeed, the righteous will drink from a cup [of wine] whose mixture is of Kāfūr.” (76:5) The drink of the righteous (abrār) is from a cup mixed with drops from the spring of Kāfūr, but the pure Kāfūr drink is only the share of those brought near.

The Qur’an also states: “Indeed, the righteous will be in bliss, on adorned couches, observing. You will recognize in their faces the radiance of bliss. They will be given to drink [pure] wine [which was] sealed. The last of it is musk. So for this let the competitors compete. And its mixture is of Tasnīm, a spring from which those near [to God] drink.” (83:22-28) The righteous are immersed in divine blessings. As they recline on couches, they are observers of the blessings of Paradise. The freshness and joy of the bliss of Paradise is evident from their faces. They are given to drink sealed wine mixed with musk, and those who seek to outdo others should compete with one another in attaining such a precious blessing and use their breaths to enable their souls to attain such a precious commodity. The wine in this cup is mixed with drops from Tasnīm, and Tasnīm is a spring from which those near to God drink. Thus, the station of those near [to God] is far higher than the righteous, for drops from the special spring of those near [to God] are poured into the cup of the righteous. And the worshipper who seeks guidance to the straight path partakes of these blessings in accordance with his rank.

The Conduct of the Blessed

The Noble Qur’an, along with introducing those who receive divine blessings and explaining the blessings bestowed upon them, also describes their conduct in order to teach people the way to benefit from blessings. Therefore, in expounding the words of Moses (a.s.), it states: “He said, ‘My Lord, for the favor You bestowed upon me, I will never be an assistant to the criminals.’” (28:17) “O my Lord! Due to the blessing You have bestowed upon me, I will never be a supporter of the criminals.”

Mūsā Kalīm (a.s.), who is one of the beneficiaries of divine blessings, considers not supporting criminals to be due to the blessing that God, the Glorified, has bestowed upon him. All the wayfarers and seekers who cherish the desire to travel with the prophets in their hearts: “Oh, I wish I had taken a way with the Messenger!” (25:27) and seek guidance to their path: “Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor” (1:6-7), must neither be criminals themselves nor support any wicked criminal.

It can be inferred from the noble verse “He said, ‘My Lord, for the favor You bestowed upon me, I will never be a supporter of the criminals’” (28:17) that criminals and their supporters do not benefit from God’s inner blessings. When the blessed one is not a supporter (ẓahīr) and backer of the wicked, he certainly does not give in to corruption himself.

The Sphere of Companionship with the Prophets

The companionship of the wayfarers of the straight path with the prophets and the truthful is not only in Paradise but also in traversing the path. Therefore, the wayfarers are not alone on this path, and the evidence for this claim is the end of verse 69 of Sūrah al-Nisāʾ: “and excellent are those as companions”; because companionship (rifāqa) is mentioned in relation to the path, and that is why it is said: “The companion, then the path.”

Therefore, guidance to the straight path, which is the path of the blessed ones, is not only for companionship with the righteous in Paradise but also a request for companionship and traveling with them in traversing the path, so that in the light of companionship with these role models and exemplars of the spiritual journey to God, the path of truth may be traversed well and easily.

The Basis for Companionship in the Hereafter

In the opening verses of Sūrah al-Ḥamd, there is talk of praise and humility before God, the Glorified, and in its closing verses, there is a request for companionship with divine fellow travelers, such as the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. Therefore, the preceding humility and display of etiquette is a basis for the subsequent request, not a humility without a request or a display of etiquette without aspiration.

Now we must state the conditions for accompanying them and test ourselves to see if our repeated and constant supplication in Sūrah al-Ḥamd has been answered—are we fellow travelers with them or are we deprived of their companionship?

The Noble Qur’an calls the believers to accompany the righteous and truthful: “Be with the truthful” (9:119), and teaches the request for companionship with the pious (abrār) in death: “Take our souls with the pious” (3:193). The condition for accompanying the pious in death is to accompany them in the world, otherwise those who have no connection with the righteous and pious in the world will not be with them in death, the intermediary realm (barzakh), and the Hereafter: “And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, ‘Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way. Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend.’” (25:27-28). The way of the Messenger of God, which the wrongdoers will bite their hands in regret for not following, is stated in two places in the Noble Qur’an:

a) In Sūrah al-Nūr: “The believers are only those who believe in God and His Messenger and, when they are [meeting] with him for a collective matter, do not depart until they have asked his permission. Indeed, those who ask your permission, [O Muḥammad]—those are the ones who believe in God and His Messenger. So when they ask your permission for something of their affairs, then give permission to whom you will among them and ask forgiveness for them. Indeed, God is Forgiving and Merciful.” (24:62) The believers in God and the Messenger, in social matters like war and defense against enemy aggression, do not leave the Prophet (s.a.w.) alone and do not leave the scene without his permission. This is a type of accompaniment with the Messenger of God and following his way. One who does not leave his guardian (walī) alone in social situations can request the success of dying with the pious from God, the Glorified.

b) In Sūrah al-Fatḥ, another form of accompaniment with the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) is mentioned: “Muḥammad is the Messenger of God, and those who are with him are severe against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking bounty from God and His pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers—so that God may enrage by them the disbelievers. God has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward.” (48:29)(380)

The first part of this noble verse describes the devotional accompaniment and political and military alignment of the companions and followers of the Messenger of God (s.a.w.). It states that the companions of the Messenger of God (s.a.w.), in addition to worship (bowing, prostration, staying up at night), are merciful and compassionate toward each other and severe and steadfast against outsiders. The end of the verse also describes their economic harmony and accompaniment, likening them to a crop that has brought forth its sprout, root, stalk, branch, and fruit by itself, being self-sufficient in all aspects.

Beyond Accompaniment

The accompaniment of the travelers of the straight path with the recipients of blessings (prophets, the truthful, martyrs, and the righteous) is not limited to Paradise and also includes traversing the path. Rather, the traveler of the path can go beyond accompaniment and attain the station of truthfulness, martyrdom, and righteousness, joining their ranks and, after accompanying them—“with those upon whom God has bestowed favor” (4:69)—becoming one of them.

Of course, the path to attaining the lofty station of prophethood is closed forever to the faces of the travelers, and those who covet reaching that position are forever unsuccessful. However, the path of truthfulness, witnessing, and righteousness is always open for the travelers of the straight path.

The travelers of the straight path not only can join the ranks of the truthful, the witnesses, and the righteous in the continuity of their spiritual journey, but with the help of Qur’anic guidance, they can also become the forerunners of these virtues and values in terms of speed and precedence.

To explain, the Noble Qur’an first commands the travelers of the straight path to hasten(381) : “And hasten toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth” (3:133). Following that, it commands them to take precedence, where the first command is about the traveler himself, and the second command is about the traveler’s relationship with others: “So race to [all that is] good” (2:148). The traveler who traverses the path swiftly can surpass others, and his precedence does not conflict with or impede the journey of others, because the straight path is a path without competition. So if others are knowledgeable, just, and brave, he can be the most knowledgeable, the most just, and the bravest.

The one who surpasses others is worthy of leading and guiding others. Therefore, the supplication of those who take precedence, as taught by the Qur’an, is: “And make us leaders for the righteous” (25:74). The outcome of this leadership is to assist other travelers of the straight path so that they too can first become people of haste, then people of precedence, and finally reach the status of leadership and guidance for other God-fearing individuals.

Therefore, the travelers of the straight path, after being with the truthful ones, the martyrs, and the righteous, can become from among them. In this regard, only the path of prophethood and messengership is always closed to others, because it is a divine position that is bestowed upon its deserving ones by the decree of God Almighty: “God knows best where to place His message” (6:124). However, the path of wilāya, the leadership of the pious, faith, and righteous deeds is always open to the righteous seekers. That is why people like Salmān al-Fārsī have passed the stage of companionship and reached the lofty status of “from among us, the Ahl al-Bayt”(382) , and like Fiḍḍa, the maidservant, they share in the virtue of the revelation of Sūrah Hal Atā which is for the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.)(383).

In summary, through knowledge, action, and traversing the stages of speed, precedence, and leadership, one can go from being “with those whom God has blessed” to being “from among those whom...”

The most important factor in the ascent of the travelers of the straight path from companionship to becoming from among them is knowledge and action, and neither of these two alone is sufficient in this path. But which factor is more important? It should be said that all human beings are the same in the body and structure of their work, whether they are the friends of God or average people. However, what gives value to the actions of the friends of God is knowledge and love. Just as in worship, the body and structure of the work of all worshippers are the same, and the difference in the degrees of worship is due to knowledge and intention. Some worship God out of fear of His punishment, and their worship is slavish. Some worship out of desire for Paradise, and their worship is mercantile. And some worship out of divine love, not out of fear of Hell or desire for Paradise, and their worship is that of lovers and devotees.

Those who recognized God at the highest level and whose hearts are ruled by the love of God, their worship is not out of fear of Hell or desire for Paradise. And since they are aware of God’s generosity, they know that He does not punish His friends, but rather bestows blessings upon them. But those who have not attained this knowledge and are only aware of God’s wrath or His forgiveness, they worship out of fear of the Fire or in hope of attaining Paradise.

So the path from the stage of “those whom God has blessed” (maʿa l-ladhīna anʿama llāhu ʿalayhim) to the rank of “those who...” (mina l-ladhīna...) is to acquire complete knowledge and understanding about God, glory be to Him, and His beautiful names, and to perform righteous deeds based on that knowledge. Of course, there is a mutual connection between knowledge and action, because knowledge is the basis for sincere worship, and sincere worship is the means for the flourishing of knowledge. Each degree of knowledge entails a level of worship, and each act of worship leads to the flourishing of a level of knowledge. So the spirit and life of action is through knowledge, and on this basis, the believer’s elevation in rank depends on his knowledge. The believer has a rank, and the knowledgeable believer has ranks: “God will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees.” (58:11)(384)

The Axis of the Straight Path

God, glory be to Him, taught us in Sūrah al-Ḥamd to ask for the path of those whom He has blessed, and elsewhere He identified them as the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. And those who obey God and the Messenger can be companions and fellow travelers of this caravan: “And whoever obeys God and the Messenger—those will be with the ones upon whom God has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.” (4:69) And in contrast, He considered those who rebel against obedience to God and His Messenger to be people of clear misguidance: “And whoever disobeys God and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.” (33:36)

Based on these verses, it can be concluded that the axis of the straight path (ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm) is the conduct and tradition of the Prophets and the infallible Imāms (a.s.). This is because whoever obeys them is on the straight path, and whoever disobeys their commands has fallen into clear misguidance.

Reminder: Proving misguidance for one who disobeys the command of God and the Prophet (s.a.w.) does not contradict proving wrath upon them. This is because whoever deviates from the straight path will be afflicted with the essence of misguidance, but deserving specific wrath does not contradict the essence of misguidance.

The Companions of the Path and the Difficulty of Traversing It

Traversing the straight path is difficult because although its companions are great, they are few in number, and this long path must be traversed with few companions. Imām Ali (a.s.), who is himself the straight path, says: “Do not feel lonely on the path of guidance due to the small number of its people.”(385) Therefore, the straight path is not a well-trodden path, and for this reason, traversing it requires great effort and a long time until a person reaches one of the friends of God.

Another sign of the small number of companions in traversing the path is that although the Noble Qur’an mentions those who have been blessed, those who have incurred wrath, and those who have gone astray in the plural form in the verse under discussion, Imām Ali (a.s.) divides people into three groups in a hadith and only mentions one group using the plural form: “People are of three types: the godly scholar, the student on the path of salvation, and the riffraff followers of every caller, swaying with every wind.”(386) In this hadith, the godly scholar and the student seeking salvation, who are few, are mentioned in the singular form, while the aimless people who are neither scholars nor students are mentioned in the plural form.

Another testimony to the small number of companions on the straight path is that God, the Glorified, says about Hell: “I will surely fill Hell with jinn and men all together” (11:119), but He does not say about Paradise: “I will fill it with the righteous.” This is because those who fill Hell are many, while those who dwell in Paradise are few.

Therefore, the path of guidance is frightening and perilous due to the small number of its travelers. The advice of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) to alleviate this concern is not to fear the small number of companions on this path, for although they are few, they are all among the righteous.

The Companionship and Distinction of the Wayfarers from Others

The wayfarers of the straight path have both companionship (maʿiyya) and distinction (mughāyara) with others. Their companionship is with the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, while their distinction is from those who have earned wrath and those who have gone astray. Since companionship and distinction are incompatible and opposed to each other, those who have chosen the way and conduct of the people of wrath and misguidance can never be in the company of the recipients of divine favor. As a result, they will not be among the wayfarers of the straight path.

Unity of the Described and Multiplicity of Descriptions

The division of people into those blessed (munʿam ʿalayhim), those who have incurred wrath (maghḍūb ʿalayhim), and those who are astray (ḍāllīn) does not mean that the deviators only possess these two attributes. Rather, they have other names and attributes that stand in contrast to those who are blessed. Just as this division does not necessitate an opposition between those who have incurred wrath and those who are astray, every deviator from the truth is both astray and, to the extent of their deviation, subject to God’s wrath. This is because the straight path (ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm) is the truth, and other than the truth there is nothing but misguidance: “So what is there after the truth except misguidance?”. Thus, those who have incurred wrath are also among those who are astray, just as those who are astray are also subject to God’s wrath, except for those whose misguidance is based on inability (quṣūr) rather than negligence (taqṣīr), or is based on an error in ijtihād(independent reasoning). This is the case when the basic conditions for ijtihād are met, in which case there is misguidance but no wrath.