Blogging the Quran -Surah 1- Al Fatihah- The Straight Path

We ask Allah daily,”Guide us to the Straight Path. The path of those whom You have blessed, not (the path) of those who earn Your Anger, nor of those who go astray.”

What is the Straight Path?
Who are those blessed? Who are those who earn God’s anger? And who are those who go astray?

Let us find the answers to these questions from the Quran.  In this post I well discuss the first question. Next post will discuss the second set of questions.

What is the Straight Path (the Path leading straight to God)?

6:83-87 tells us that God has guided all the prophets from Noah on, to the Straight Path. So the teachings of God are essentially the same throughout human history.Verses 6:151-154 (detail what constitutes the Straight Path) :

Say: “Come, let me convey to you what God has enjoined upon you: “Do not ascribe divinity, in any way, to any beside Him; and do good to your parents; and do not kill your children for fear of poverty,[for] it is We who shall provide sustenance for you as well as for them; and do not commit any shameful deeds, be they open or secret; and do not take any human being’s life-[the life] which God has declared to be sacred -otherwise than in [the pursuit of] justice: this has He enjoined upon you so that you might use your reason; and do not touch the substance of an orphan – save to improve it-before he comes of age. And [in all your dealings] give full measure and weight, with equity: [however,] We do not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear; and when you voice an opinion, be just, even though it be [against] one near of kin. And [always] observe your bond with God:” This has He enjoined upon you, so that you might keep it in mind. And [know] that this is My Straight Path: follow it, then, and follow not other ways, lest they cause you to deviate from His way. [All] this has He enjoined upon you, so that you might remain conscious of Him.

قُلْ تَعَالَوْاْ أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَلاَّ تُشْرِكُواْ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ أَوْلاَدَكُم مِّنْ إمْلاَقٍ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا

 وَمَا بَطَنَ وَلاَ تَقْتُلُواْ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلاَّ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَأَوْفُواْ الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ لاَ نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا وَإِذَا قُلْتُمْ فَاعْدِلُواْ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَى وَبِعَهْدِ اللّهِ أَوْفُواْ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

وَأَنَّ هَـذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

These same commandments are expanded upon in 17: 22-39

Why do people  deviate from this Straight Path and follow other ways?

7:16 He [Satan] said: “Now that You have thwarted me,” I shall most certainly lie in ambush for them all along Your Straight Path.” 

 قَالَ فَبِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ

Blogging the Quran : Surah 1 – Al-Fatihah – Overview

Al Fatihah, sums up Islam (monotheism) in 7 verses. Allah (God) tells us about Himself, and about our relationship with Him.

God reveals that He is
1. Rabb Al Alameen (Sustainer of all creation)
The Arabic expression rabb – rendered by Asad as “Sustainer” – embraces a wide complex of meanings not easily expressed by a single term in another language. It comprises the ideas of having a just claim to the possession of anything and, consequently, authority over it, as well as of rearing, sustaining and fostering anything from its inception to its final completion. Preceded by the definite article “al”, the designation rabb is applied, in the Quran, exclusively to God as the sole fosterer and sustainer of all creation – objective as well as conceptual – and therefore the ultimate source of all authority.

Al Alameen can aslo be rendered as Worlds and Universe.

2. Al Rahman Al Raheem (the Most Gracious/the Almighty, the Most Merciful)
Asad’s comment : Both the divine epithets “rahman “and “rahim” are derived from the noun “rahmah”, which signifies “mercy”, “compassion”, “loving tenderness” and, more comprehensively, “grace”. From the very earliest times, Islamic scholars have endeavored to define the exact shades of meaning which differentiate the two terms. The best and simplest of these explanations is undoubtedly the one advanced by Ibn al-Qayyim: the term “rahman” circumscribes the quality of abounding grace inherent in, and inseparable from, the concept of God’s Being, whereas “rahim” expresses the manifestation of that grace in, and its effect upon, His creation-in other words, an aspect of His activity.

Another plausible explanation of Al Rahman Al Raheem is the view in Free Minds.

3. Malik Youm Aldeen (Master of the Day of Judgment)
40:16-17 The Day when they shall come forth [from death], with nothing of themselves hidden from God. With whom will sovereignty rest on that Day? With God, the One who holds absolute sway over all that exists! On that day shall every soul be requited for whatever it has earned: There shall be no injustice done on that day. Truly, God is Swift in reckoning.
يَوْمَ هُم بَارِزُونَ لَا يَخْفَى عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ شَيْءٌ لِّمَنِ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ لِلَّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ
الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ لَا ظُلْمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

Knowing this about God, it is only natural that we
1. Start every effort with Him in mind بِسْمِ اللَّهِ , be aware of God at all times.
96:1 Read! In the Name of your Sustainer, Who has created اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ

2. Recognize and Praise his blessings (All praise to Allah alone) الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ .

16:18 For, should you try to count God’s blessings, you could never compute them! Behold, God is indeed Much-Forgiving, most Merciful,

وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ لاَ تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ اللّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

28:70 for He is God, save whom there is no deity. To Him all praise is due, in this present life as well as in the life to come, and with Him rests all judgment; and to Him shall you all be brought back.

وَهُوَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي الْأُولَى وَالْآخِرَةِ وَلَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

40:65 He is the Ever-Living; there is no deity save Him: call, then, to Him alone, sincere in your faith in Him. All praise is due to God, the Sustainer of all the creations (worlds)!

هُوَ الْحَيُّ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

3.Obey and serve no one but Him إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ

18:110 Say [O Prophet]: “I am but a mortal man like all of you. It has been revealed to me that your God is the One and Only God. Hence, whoever looks forward [with hope and awe] to meeting his Sustainer [on Judgment Day], let him do righteous deeds, and let him not ascribe to anyone a share in the obedience and service due to his Sustainer!”
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَى إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلاً صَالِحًا وَلاَ يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا

39:11 Say,” I am commanded to obey and serve Allah alone, following His Way with devotion.”
قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّينَ

36:61 And that you obey and serve Me alone, This is the Straight Path.
وَأَنِ اعْبُدُونِي هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ

4. Seek help only from Him وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

5. Seek His guidance (through His Words) to the Straight Path اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ

2:2 This Divine Book – let there be no doubt about it – is a guidance for all the God-conscious

ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِيْنَ

3:101 And how could you deny the truth when God’s messages are being conveyed to you, and it is in your midst that His Apostle lives? But he who holds fast to God has already been guided to a Straight Path.

وَكَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ وَأَنتُمْ تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتُ اللّهِ وَفِيكُمْ رَسُولُهُ وَمَن يَعْتَصِم بِاللّهِ فَقَدْ هُدِيَ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ