Al-Fatiha: (6) Guide us to the Straight Path

First Benefit:

Someone might ask: A worshipper must be a believer, and every believer is guided. Therefore, the worshipper is guided. If he says, "Guide us" (Ihdinā), it is as if one who has already received guidance is asking for guidance, which is seeking what has already been attained—an impossibility.

The scholars have answered this in several ways:

1. The meaning refers to the path of those who endured great hardships for the sake of God's pleasure. It is narrated that Noah (peace be upon him) was beaten many times daily until he lost consciousness, and each time he would say, "O God, guide my people, for they do not know." If someone argues that our Prophet (PBUH) only said this once, while Noah said it many times daily, implying Noah was superior, the answer is: Since the request "Guide us" means seeking those excellent moral qualities from God, and the Prophet (PBUH) recited Al-Fatiha many times daily, the Prophet (PBUH) uttered these words more often than Noah (peace be upon him).

2. Guidance involves maintaining the middle course. Scholars explain that every moral quality has two extremes: deficiency (neglect) and excess (exaggeration), both of which are blameworthy. The truth lies in the middle, as confirmed by the verse: "And thus We have made you a just community (Ummatan Wasatan)" [Al-Baqarah: 143]. This middle path is justice and correctness. After a believer knows God through proof, he becomes a guided believer. However, after attaining this state, he still needs knowledge of the balance—the middle line between excess and deficiency in sensual desires, in anger, and in spending wealth. The believer asks God to guide him to the Straight Path, which is the mean between the extremes in all morals and actions. With this interpretation, the question is resolved.

3. Guidance to know all proofs. If a believer knows God through one proof, there are still countless proofs of God's existence, attributes, power, knowledge, mercy, and wisdom in every possible thing. A person might establish his faith through one proof yet remain heedless of all others. Thus, the meaning of "Guide us to the Straight Path" is: "O our God, make us know the manner in which everything testifies to Your Essence, Your Attributes, Your Power, Your Knowledge." Under this understanding, the question is also resolved.

4. Guidance to attain the state of complete submission. God says: "And indeed, you guide to a straight path, the path of Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth" [Ash-Shura: 53-54]. He also said to Muhammad (PBUH): "And that this is My path, leading straight, so follow it" [Al-An'am: 153]. This Straight Path is for a person to turn away from everything other than God and face God with his entire heart, thought, and remembrance. Therefore, "Guide us to the Straight Path" means God guides him to the path described by this complete turning toward Him. An example is becoming obedient enough that if commanded to slaughter his son, he would obey, as Abraham (PBUH) did; or if commanded to submit to being slaughtered by another, he would obey, as Ishmael (PBUH) did; or if commanded to throw himself into the sea, he would obey, as Jonah (PBUH) did; or if commanded to learn from someone more knowledgeable after reaching the highest station, he would obey, as Moses did with Khidr (peace be upon them both); or if commanded to endure being killed and cut in half for enjoining good and forbidding evil, he would obey, as John and Zechariah (peace be upon them) did. Thus, the meaning of "Guide us to the Straight Path" is to emulate the Prophets of God in patience during hardships and steadfastness during affliction. This is undoubtedly a tremendous and daunting station, as most people lack the capacity for it. However, we say: O people, do not fear or grieve, for no matter becomes difficult in God's religion except that it becomes easier, because this verse indicates ease. God did not say, "The path of those who were struck and killed," but rather: "The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor" [Al-Fatiha: 7]. Therefore, when reciting this verse, let your intention be to say: "O my God! I saw my father commit major sins, just as I have committed them and engaged in disobedience as I have. Then I saw that when his death approached, he repented and turned back, and You judged him saved from the Fire and granted him Paradise. He is one upon whom You bestowed favor by granting him success in repentance, and then You bestowed favor by accepting his repentance. So I ask: Guide us to such a Straight Path, seeking the rank of the repentant. Once you attain that, then seek to emulate the ranks of the Prophets (peace be upon them)." This is the interpretation of "Guide us to the Straight Path."

5. Guidance amidst conflicting calls. It is as if a person says: "My loved ones pull me toward one path, my enemies toward a second, and Satan toward a third. The same applies to desire, anger, envy, and malice. Likewise, there are conflicting views regarding atheism, anthropomorphism, fatalism, free will, Irja' (a theological sect), warning (of punishment), rejection (of companions), and extremism. My intellect is weak, my life is short, my craft (of seeking truth) is long, experimentation is perilous, and judgment is severe. I am bewildered by all of this. So guide me to a path that leads me out to Paradise. And Al-Mustaqim (the Straight) is the level path that has no roughness." It is narrated about Ibrahim ibn Adham that while traveling toward the House of God, he met a Bedouin on a she-camel who asked, "O Sheikh! Where are you going?" Ibrahim replied, "To the House of God." The Bedouin said, "You seem mad! I see no mount for you, nor provisions, and the journey is long." Ibrahim replied, "I have many mounts, but you do not see them." The Bedouin asked, "What are they?" Ibrahim said: "When a calamity befalls me, I ride the mount of patience. When a blessing descends, I ride the mount of gratitude. When fate decrees something, I ride the mount of acceptance. And when my soul calls me to something, I realize that what remains of my life is less than what has passed." The Bedouin then said, "Go forth by God's permission; you are the rider, and I am the pedestrian."

6. The meaning is Islam or the Qur'an (Refuted). Some said the Straight Path is Islam, and others said it is the Qur'an. This is incorrect because the phrase "The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor" is an apposition (badal) to the Straight Path. If so, the meaning would be: "Guide us to the path of those upon whom You bestowed favor." But the earlier nations did not have the Qur'an or Islam (in their current form). Since this is invalidated, it is established that the meaning is: "Guide us to the path of the truthful ones deserving of Paradise." Furthermore, He said Al-Sirat (the Path) and not As-Sabil (the Way) or At-Tariq (the Road), even though they are synonymous, so that the word Sirat serves as a reminder of the Sirat (bridge) over Hellfire, keeping the person in greater fear and awe.

The Second View on the meaning of Ihdinā (Guide us): It means: "Make us firm upon the guidance You have already granted us." This is analogous to the verse: "Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us" [Al 'Imran: 8], meaning, "Make us firm upon guidance." For how many scholars have had a weak doubt cross their minds, causing them to stray, stumble, and deviate from the sound religion and the straight methodology.

Second Benefit:

Someone might ask: Why did He say "Guide us" (Ihdinā) and not "Guide me" (Ihdinī)?

The answer has several aspects:

1. The more general the supplication, the closer it is to acceptance. Some scholars used to tell their students: When you read in the sermon of the predecessor: "May God be pleased with you and with the community of Muslims," if you intend for yourself in "May God be pleased with you," that is good, and there is no blame. But beware of omitting me in "and with the community of Muslims," because "May God be pleased with you" is a specific supplication, and it is possible it might not be accepted. However, in "and with the community of Muslims," there must be someone among the Muslims deserving of acceptance. If God accepts the supplication for some, it is too generous of Him to reject the rest. For this reason, the Sunnah, when mentioning a supplication, is to first send blessings upon the Prophet (PBUH), then supplicate, and then conclude by sending blessings upon the Prophet (PBUH) again. This is because God answers the supplicant when he sends blessings upon the Prophet (PBUH), and if He answers at the beginning and end of the supplication, it is impossible for Him to reject the middle part.

2. Supplicate with the tongues you used in disobedience. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Supplicate to God with the tongues with which you have disobeyed Him." They asked, "O Messenger of God, who among us has such tongues?" He replied, "Let some of you supplicate for others," because you did not disobey with his tongue, and he did not disobey with your tongue.

3. Consistency with the preceding verses. It is as if the servant says: "Did you not say at the beginning of the Surah, 'Praise be to God' (Alhamdulillah), and not 'I praise God' (Ahmadu-llah)? You first mentioned the praise of all praisers. Similarly, at the time of supplication, include them and say, 'Guide us.'"

4. Following the pattern of the Surah. It is as if the servant says: "I heard Your Messenger say: 'Congregation is mercy, and separation is torment.' When I mentioned praise, I mentioned the praise of all, so I said, 'Praise be to God.' When I mentioned worship, I mentioned the worship of all, so I said, 'You alone we worship.' When I mentioned seeking help, I mentioned the seeking of help of all, so I said, 'And You alone we ask for help.' Consequently, when I asked for guidance, I asked for it for all, so I said, 'Guide us to the Straight Path.' When I asked to emulate the righteous, I asked to emulate all, so I said, 'The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor.' And when I asked to flee from those who incur wrath, I fled from all, so I said, 'Nor of those who go astray.' Since I did not separate myself from the Prophets and the righteous in this world, I hope not to be separated from them in the Hereafter, as God says: 'And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favor, from the prophets...' [An-Nisa: 69]."

Third Benefit:

Know that the geometers say the straight line is the shortest line connecting two points. Thus, the straight line is shorter than all curved lines. It is as if the servant says, "Guide us to the Straight Path" for several reasons:

1. It is the shortest and quickest path. I am weak, and only the straight path is suitable for my weakness.
2. The straight path is singular, while others are crooked. Some crooked paths resemble each other in their crookedness, causing confusion, but the straight path has no resemblance to others, making it safer from fear and harm, and closer to security.
3. The straight path leads to the destination, while the crooked one does not.
4. The straight path does not change, while the crooked one does. For these reasons, one asks for the Straight Path. And God knows best.

Chapter Eight

On the Exegesis of His Saying: "The Path of Those Upon Whom You Have Bestowed Favor," and in it are Benefits.