Tafsir of Al-Fatihah 1:6

(Guide us to the Straight Path): Guidance (al-hidayah) is pointing out [the way] with gentleness, due to the implications of its derivation and root. For this reason, walking gently is called tahad (languid gait). Guidance is called "gentleness" (lutf). The words of the Exalted, "Guide them to the path of Hell," are—according to the correct view—used in the sense of mockery, similar to the expression, "Give them the good tidings of a painful torment."

It is said, "He guided him to such-and-such" (hadahu li-kadha) and "towards such-and-such" (hadahu ila kadha), so its transitiveness with li and ila occurs when the path is not explicitly mentioned. If it is used without them, as in "Those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways," it is potentially applicable to both states. It is not permissible to use li-subulina or ila-subulina here unless one intends the "desire of the desire" in jahadu ("those who strive") or the attainment of high ranks within the "ways." Hence, it is pluralized. It has been said: "Whoever acts upon what he knows, Allah grants him the knowledge of what he did not know." It may be said that the intent is to define the true usage, for the domain of metaphor (tajjawuz) is vast.

Is reaching the destination considered a requirement for "guidance" or not? There is a difference of opinion among late linguists. One group restricted it to guidance that involves reaching the destination, while others held that it is the act of pointing to that which leads [to the destination]. A few have said that if it is transitive to a second object without a preposition, it means "to bring/deliver," and it is not attributed to anyone except Allah, as in this verse. If it is transitive via li or ila, it means "pointing out the path." Thus, just as it is attributed to Him (the Almighty), it is attributed to the Quran, as in "Indeed, this Quran guides to that which is most suitable," and to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as in "Indeed, you guide to a straight path."

All these opinions are not free from flaws. As for the first, it is refuted by the words of the Exalted: "And as for Thamud, We guided them, but they preferred blindness over guidance." The answer—that it is possible they fell into misguidance through apostasy after reaching the truth—is not supported by commentaries or historical records, which state clearly that a vast multitude of Thamud never possessed faith at all; only a few believed and remained on their faith without apostatizing. Furthermore, one with sound discernment perceives from the verse itself the opposite of that hypothesis, as is clear.

As for the second opinion, it is refuted by the words of the Exalted to His Beloved (peace and blessings be upon him): "Indeed, you do not guide whom you love." The counter-argument—that this is like the verse "And you threw not when you threw, but it was Allah who threw"—or the argument that it means "you are unable to show the path to everyone you love, but you can only show it to whom We will," is not free from artificiality.

As for the third opinion, the words of the linguists do not support it; rather, they cry out against it. Moreover, the claim that [the verb] is not attributed to any but Allah is invalidated by the words of the Exalted, narrating the story of Abraham (peace be upon him): "O my father, indeed there has come to me of knowledge that which has not come to you, so follow me; I will guide you to a straight path," and [the story of] the Believer of the family of Pharaoh: "O my people, follow me; I will guide you to the path of right conduct." Because of this flaw, a group has opted for [the view of] linguistic ambiguity (ishtirak), and the discussion is purely linguistic; the Mu'tazilah have no role in it.

(The Path - as-Sirat): The road. Its origin, with the letter sin (sirat), is from sarata, meaning "to swallow." That is why food is called luqam (a morsel), as if the traveler swallows the path or the path swallows the traveler. According to al-Azhari, "The desert ate him" means it exhausted him due to his walking in it, and "eating the desert" means crossing it easily. Abu Tammam said: "The vast plains grazed him after he had grazed them for an age, while the rain of the clouds poured down."

Ibn Kathir (by the transmission of Qunbul and Ruways al-Lu'lu'i from Ya'qub) recited it with a sin based on the root. The majority recited it with a sad, which is the dialect of Quraysh. Hamzah recited it with the ishmam (mixing) of the sad with a zay. A pure zay is the dialect of 'Udhrah and Ka'b. In my view, the sad is more eloquent and widespread. The people of the Hijaz treat as-sirat as feminine, like tariq (path), sabil (way), zuqaq (alley), and suq (market). The Banu Tamim treat all of these as masculine, and the masculine is the more common usage. Its plural for a large number is surut, like kitab and kutub; for a small number, its analogical form is asritah. This is if sirat is masculine. If it is feminine, its analogical form is af'ul, like dhira' and adhru'.

(The Straight - al-Mustaqim): The level, in which there is no crookedness. There is disagreement regarding what is meant by it. It is said: the path of truth, the religion of Islam, or the Quran. Ar-Razi (may his secret be sanctified) rejected the latter two, arguing that the words of the Exalted, "The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor," points to the "Straight Path," yet they were past nations who did not have the Quran or [the specific law of] Islam. There is a subtlety here. It is truly astonishing that this master, in one of the views he deemed acceptable, stated that the Straight Path is the middle way between the two extremes of excess and deficiency in all morals and deeds, emphasizing this with the verse: "And thus We have made you a just (middle) community." I wish I knew what he would say if it were said to him, "This did not apply to the past nations," and we recited to him the verse he mentioned! Glory be to the One who is not refuted.

It is said that it means knowing how everything points to the Essence and Attributes of Allah. Others say it is the path of the ancients in bearing great hardships for the pleasure of Allah. Others say it is worship, based on the words of the Exalted: "And worship Me; this is a straight path." (The Quran explains itself by itself, though this view is debatable). Others say it is turning away from everything other than Him and turning entirely to the Master. The Great Shaykh (may his secret be sanctified) said it is the establishment of Tawhid in both unity and multiplicity. They have other sayings, both near and far.

In my view, having reviewed what the scholars have said—and every party rejoices in what they possess—the "Straight Path" is divided into that which is common to all people and that which is special to the elite. Both are the path of those favored by Allah, despite the difference in their ranks.

The first is a bridge between the servant and Allah, extended over the hell of disbelief, corruption, ignorance, heresy, and base desires. It is steadfastness upon what the noble and upright Shari'ah has brought in terms of knowledge, action, character, and state. This is what will appear in the Hereafter over the hell of retribution, manifested and portrayed by divine representation according to what the servant is upon today. Whoever finds goodness, let him praise Allah, and whoever finds otherwise, let him blame no one but himself. Because of that, it was not called sabil or tariq, even though all are essentially the same.

The second is the path of arrival to Allah. Whoever witnesses that the creation has no agency of their own has succeeded; whoever witnesses that they have no life [of their own] has crossed; and whoever witnesses them as pure non-existence has arrived, and his journey to Allah is complete. Then, a new journey begins for him within Allah, and this is infinite, for the descriptions of His beauty and majesty are infinite. The servant continues to ascend from one to another, as indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Indeed, my heart is clouded, so I seek forgiveness from Allah seventy times a day." There, the Almighty becomes his hand with which he strikes, his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees. Beyond that is what is forbidden to reveal.

So, when the commoner says "Guide us to the Straight Path," he means: "Direct us to steadfastness in obeying Your commands and avoiding Your prohibitions." And when one of the elite says it, he means: "Confirm us in what You have granted us." This is what has been narrated from the leader of the believers (may Allah honor his face) and Abu [Bakr] (may Allah be pleased with him). This is because the seeker of the Straight Path has stations and states in his journey, each with a beginning and an end. He does not reach the end unless he perfects the beginning, and he does not transition to a station or state except after becoming firmly established in what is below it. As long as he is in the midst of a station or state and has not reached the end, he asks for steadfastness in what he has been granted so that it may take root and become his permanent possession, allowing him to ascend to what is above it. This is the great bounty and the supreme success.

The verifiers have several ways to address the question that often arises: "How can a believer pray for guidance when he is already guided?" (since this is asking for the attainment of what is already attained).

1. It means: "Keep us firm on the religion so that doubts do not shake us," as in the Quran: "Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us," and in the Hadith: "O Turner of hearts, keep our hearts firm on Your religion."
2. "Give us an increase in guidance," as the Exalted says: "And those who are guided – He increases them in guidance."
3. That "guidance" here means "the reward," as in: "Their Lord will guide them [to Paradise] because of their faith." So the meaning is: "Guide us to the path of Paradise as a reward for us." This is supported by the words of the Exalted: "Praise to Allah, who has guided us to this."
4. That the intent is: "Direct us to the truth in the future of our lives just as You have directed us in our past."

There are other similar statements, but perhaps what I have mentioned for the poor servant suffices you; reflect on it and do not be heedless.

The discussion remains on how this sentence connects to what precedes it. There are four possibilities, because the request for help is either for all important matters or for the performance of worship. And the "Straight Path" is either taken in a specific sense, like the religion of Islam, or a general sense, like the path of truth as opposed to falsehood.

• On the assumption of the generality of "seeking help" and "the path," Guide us is an elaboration of the requested help. It is as if he said, "How shall I help you in important matters or in worship?" and they replied, "Guide us to the path of truth in everything," or "the religion of Islam." Thus, the separation exists due to the perfection of connection.
• On the assumption of the generality of "seeking help" and the specificity of "the path," Guide us is a selection of the greatest goal among all important matters; the separation here is for the perfection of connection.
• As for the assumption of the specificity of "seeking help" and the generality of "the path," there is no connection.

What I hold is not hidden from you if you have comprehended what we have presented. Al-Hasan, ad-Dahhak, and Zayd ibn 'Ali recited it as siratan mustaqiman (indefinite). Ja'far as-Sadiq recited it as sirata al-mustaqim (genitive/construct). The mutawatir (mass-transmitted) reading is what we have recited.