What are the essential qualities of As-Sirat-ul-Mustaqeem? The Way leads to Paradise, the true Abode of peace and bliss. Allah describes Paradise as Jannati (89:30) (My Paradise) and the Way as SiratiMustaqeema (6:153) (This is My Way – that which is Straight). Both the passage and the destination are claimed by God as His personal property and so we are obliged to seek His permission and guidance to secure the rite of passage. Access to the passage is possible only through His grace. He is right there on the spot. (11:56) This is the reason why the Way is described as Sirat-ul-Hameed, the Way of the Praiseworthy. (22:24) We have to thank and praise Allah for showing us the Way to Him. The Way is described as Siratullah (42:53) – the Way of Allah. (The phrase, the way of God, occurs in St.Matthew, 22:16)
When the Way belongs to Allah, and when Paradise belongs to Allah too, all have to approach Him only for admission to the Way and to Paradise. There is no other recourse open. “It rests with Allah alone to show you the Right Way, even when there are crooked ways,” (16:9) Allah is aware of His obligation. ”Surely it is for Us to show the Right Way”. (92:12)
He is on the Straight Way,(11:56) and calls: “Follow Me. This is the Straight Way”. (43:61) This call reaches humanity through the holy Books and Prophets. Allah says, “This is My Way – that which is Straight; follow it and do not follow other paths”. (6:153) “Worship and serve Me alone. This is the Straight Way.” (36:61) Allah’s Prophets convey this call to humanity.
“Allah calls you to the Abode of Peace and guides whomsoever He wills to the Straight Way”. (10:25) Allah Says too, “Let them listen to My call and believe in Me; perhaps they will be guided aright”. (2:186)
To know how they are guided aright, one has to read the following verse: “So whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam…This Way is the Straight Way of your Lord.” (6:125,126)
Thus, the Straight Way makes us conscious of the proximity of God who leads us to Himself.
THE STRAIGHT WAY AND THE BELIEVERS
Allah loves and wants to save all but only those who repent and believe in Him get the opportunity to be saved from the fire of hell. Though He reserves the right to guide whomsoever He wills onto the Straight Way, “Allah will surely admit those who believe in Him and hold fast to Him to his mercy and bounty, and will guide on to the Straight Way to Himself.” (4:175)
The Straight Way is meant for the believers. “Verily Allah always directs those that believe to the Straight Way”. (22:54)
Allah has opened the hearts of the Muslims to Islam as an indication of His guidance. “He has prescribed for you (Muslims) the religion which He enjoined upon Noah and which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad), and which We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus…Allah chooses for Himself whomsoever He pleases and guides to Himself whoever penitently turns to Him.” (42:13)
Allah asks the believers, “Vie with one another inseeking to attain your Lord’s forgiveness and the Garden whose width is as the width of the heaven and theearth, one which has been prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers.” (57:21)One can catch a glimpse of the Straight Way in this verse. Muslims believe in all the Messengers of Allah without discrimination. Belief in God and His Prophets is stressed in the Bible too as a key to salvation. (!! Chronicles, 20: 20)
Satan will have no power on those devotees who pursue the Straight Way most sincerely as they will be under God’s protection. (15:42)
THE STRAIGHT WAY AND PROPHET MUHAMMAD
Allah calls us to the Abode of Peace through His Books and Prophets. Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless and greet him) is ordered, “Callthem to your Lord. You are certainly on the Straight Way.” (22:67)This order is found in 16:125 and 28:87 too. He is ordered to tell people, “Direct yourselves to Him and seek His forgiveness.” (41:6) He is described as one who calls people to Allah by His leave. (33:46)
Allah certifies that Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless and greet him)truly belongs to the group of Messengers and is on the Straight Way. (36:3,4) “So hold fast to what has been revealed to you. Verily you are on the Straight Way.” (43:43) Allah tells him, “You are on the manifest Truth.” (27:79) “Surely you are directing people to the Straight Way, the Way of Allah, to whom belongs the dominion of all that is in the heavens and the earth.” (42:53) “You are calling them to the Straight Way but those who do not believe in the hereafter are ever prone to deviate from the Straight Way.” (22:73,74)
Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless and greet him) is ordered to introduce himself, “As for me, my Lord has guided me onto the Straight Way, the Right Religion, the Way of Abraham, who adopted it in the exclusive devotion to Allah.” (6:161)
Jesus Christ (unto him be peace) was on the Straight Way and he identified himself with the Way so perfectly that he declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (St. John 14:6) To his contemporaries, he says that he alone can escort them to God as His Messenger. Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless and greet him) is also identified with the Straight Way by AbulAaliya, who says, “As-Siratul-MustaqeemhuwanNabi.”
THE STRAIGHT WAY AND THE PROPHETS
The elitist group, adorning the Straight Way, is the group of the Prophets. They lead. Prophet Abraham (unto him be peace) told his father, “Follow me that I may guide you to the Straight way.” (19:43) Jesus Christ told Peter and Andrew, “Follow me.” (St. Matthew, 4:19) He told Levi, “Follow me.” (St. Luke, 5:27) Jesus’ words in the Qur’ān, “Fear Allah and follow me.” (43:64) Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless and greet him) is ordered by Allah, “Tell people: If you indeed love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you and will forgive you your sins.” (3:31) The Prophets follow Allah, and the believers follow them.
Allah proclaims, “Worship and serve Me alone.” (36:31) His Messengers echo the call. Prophet Hud said, “Allah is my Lord and your Lord…My Lord is on the Straight Path.” (11:56) Jesus said, “Certainly Allah is my Lord and your Lord; so worship and serve Him alone. This is the Straight Way.” (3:51) The same idea occurs in 5:117, 19:36 and 43:64. The phrase, “My God and your God, “occurs in St. John, 20:17.
Repentance brought exaltation to Adam. “His Lord exalted him, accepted his repentance and bestowed guidance on him.” (20:122) Gratitude brought favours to Prophet Abraham. “He rendered thanks to Allah for His bounties andso Allah chose him (for His favours) and directed him to the Straight Way.” (16:121) Prophets were selected from the seed of Adam, the seed of those who were carried in Noah’s Ark, and the seed of Abraham and Israel. (Vide 19:58)
People, saved through the influence if the Prophets, will acknowledge their gratitude in Paradise thus: “All praise be to Allah, who has guided us onto this. Had it not been for Allah, who granted us right guidance, we would not have been on the Straight Way. Certainly the Messengers of our Lord came down with the Truth.” (7:43)
Allah says, “I am indeed Most Forgiving to him who repents and believes and performs righteous deeds and Keeps to the Straight Way.” (20:82) The Straight Way is meant for endeavourسعئ))mobility, progression and activity. Jesus says, “Strive to enter.” (St. Luke, 13:24) However, this endeavour with or without vigour should be an exertion permeated with intense love for God and supervised by supreme knowledge. The fruit of such action will be Paradise in which it will be announced, “Behold, this is your recompense and your endeavour has been appreciated.” (76:22)
THE STRAIGHT WAY AND THE HOLY BOOKS
Allah says, “We granted them (Moses and Aaron) a clear Book and showed them the Straight Way.” (37:117,118) The Holy Books and guidance are inter-related. A part of guidance is to indicate the truth hidden in controversies and resolve disputes, and establish justice. The Prophets come with the Book and the Balance(Meezan). (57:25) “Allah directed the believers to the Right Way in the matters on which they disagreed”. (2:213)
Two litigants met David and said, “So judge rightly between us and be not unjust; and guide us to the Straight Way.” (38:22) Jesus says in the Qur’ān, “I have brought wisdom to you that I may make plain to you some of the things you differ about.” (43:63)
Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless and grant him) is ordered, “(O Messenger) We have revealed to you this Book with the Truth so that you may judge between people in accordance with what Allah has shown you.” (4:105)See also 5:49 and 42:15.
“The judgment on whatever you differ rests with Allah.” (42:10) The Qur’ān was revealed by Allah and it gives a foretaste of that judgment.
Thus the Straight Way is the Way of the highest values like Truth, Peace, Wisdom, and Justice as explained by the Holy Books and exemplified by the Prophets. It establishes immediate connectivity between man on the one hand and Allah and His exalted devotees on the other.
SYNONYMS OF THE STRAIGHT WAY
There are several names for Sirat-e-Mustaqeem. Some of them are given below. SiratulHameed, (22:24) Sirathullah (42:53), Tareeq-e-Mustaqeem (46:30), DeenunQayyima, (6:161,98:5), SawausSirat, (38:22),SiratanSawiyya (19:43), Al-HaqqulMubeen (27:79), HudamMustaqeem (22:67), Sawaus – Sabeel (5:12), QasdusSabeel (16:9), Sabeel-ur-Rashaad (40:38).