The Straight Path

Is he who walks grovelling upon his face better guided, or he who walks upright upon a straight path? Say, ‘It is He who brought you into being, and made ears and eyes and hearts for you, yet you are seldom grateful.’

—The Quran, 67:22-23

WHAT IS THE STRAIGHT PATH?

We learn from the Quran that God has laid down a fixed path for the entire universe. A path which the entire universe is following strictly, even the honeybee (16:68-69). Just as for the proper functioning of everything in the universe it is essential that they follow the divine path appointed by God in total submission, similarly the secret of success for man also lies in following the same.

But since man is in a state of trial, he has only been told the right path and he has been given the chance to follow this path or reject it. (76:3). Once God has shown man the straight path, man ought to follow it with total trust and adopt it with total conviction, as being the only path that leads to success (14:12). If man, under the influence of some temporary temptations strays in some other direction, he will lose his foothold on God’s path and when he loses that he will meet with nothing but failure in this world (6:153).

A true human being in the eyes of God is one who keeps to this straight path. One who deviates from it descends to the level of animals: “Is he who walks groveling upon his face better guided, or he who walks upright upon a straight path? Say: it is He who brought you into being, and made ears and eyes and hearts for you, yet you are seldom grateful” (67:22-23)

Thus we learn from the Quran, that adhering to the straight path means, that man makes proper use of the powers of hearing, sight and heart. Now what are these powers? These are the things which distinguish man from other creatures. It is these powers which raise man from a level of a mere creature to that of a human being. The animals on the contrary—though they too are living beings—but lack these powers of feeling and reasoning which man has been specially endowed with. Humans who misuse these God-given capabilities degrade themselves to the level of animals. Such men have therefore been likened to dogs (7:176); to donkeys (62:5); to cattle (25:44). The most degraded among them are referred to as monkeys and pigs (5:60) and even worse. “The worst creatures in God’s eyes are those who are deaf and dumb, and who possess no understanding.” (8:22)

Things that can be easily understood by reason, yet treating that subject as if it was beyond the powers of human intellect and understanding, such response makes one blind and dumb in the eyes of God.

According to the 95th chapter of the Quran, God created man in the best of mould, then he cast him down to the lowest of the low. Only those are exceptions who believe and do good deeds (95:4-6). By the former is meant the human level and by the latter is meant the animal level. God created man with the status of humans, but cast them to the animal state. This is the trial that man must go through; he must raise himself from the lowly state of an animal to the heights of humanity.

“If it had been Our Will, We could have used these signs to exalt him, but instead he clung to the earth and followed his own desires—he was like a dog that pants whether you chase it away or leave it alone. Such are those who reject Our Signs. Tell them this story so they may reflect.” (7:176)

Such verses as have termed people blind, deaf and dumb are not meant in the physical sense. Neither they were lying in some abysmal state of insanity. These people who are called deaf, dumb and blind were actually men of great learning and wisdom of their times. They built great houses and forts and were experts in business, agriculture and the cultivation of orchards. They were leading their nations.

In connection with the above verse (7:176) the name of Arabia’s Umayyah bin Abi al-Salt is referred to. He was famous not only for his leadership and generosity but also for his poetry and wisdom. Similarly, a man of the later days of Moses, Bala’am, Son of Beor, is described in such terms, although he was one of the most distinguished men in Iraq, in learning and piety. According to Ubadah ibn As-Samit, this verse was also applied to the leaders of Quraysh, who were, in effect, leaders of the whole of Arabia, being custodians of the Kabah.

That being so, why were they called blind and deaf. To understand this one should study the difference between man and animal. Apparently, animal has all that a man has and can do all that a man does. He moves about, eats and drinks, sees and hears, and feels pain and happiness. Wherein lies the difference? Biologists tell us what differentiates man from animal is his capacity for conceptual thought. That is to say that animals don’t possess this capability. This explains the difference between the human and the animal level. The animal state is to remain unmoved except by material realities, that is material loss and material gain. On the contrary, human level is that once the truth of something is established at the intellectual level, that should be accepted and life should be planned accordingly. The Quran says: This is the Book: There is no doubt in it. It is a guide for those who are mindful of God, who believe in the unseen’ (2:2-3)

That is, the Quran cannot be a guide for those who are never moved by anything other than material reality, material utility and the avoidance of harm. The Divine Book will guide only those who are ready to accept such truths as have no force of external reality to back them, their importance existing wholly in the mind. In other words, the state of animality is characterized by belief in the seen while the state of humanity is characterized by belief in the unseen.

According to a tradition, the Prophet said of Abu Bakr’s acceptance of Islam: “Whenever I invited someone to Islam, he would show some doubt or hesitation. The only one who did not do so was Abu Bakr, who accepted the faith without hesitation or second thoughts as soon as I talked to him of Islam.” (Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, Vol. III, p. 27)

In his evaluation of a thing purely on its merits, Abu Bakr attained to the highest point of humanity. There were some who accepted Islam because of the Prophet’s charisma, or the miracles, or the ineffable style of the Quran, or the conquest of Makkah, or the material gains brought by Islam; but Abu Bakr Siddiq had reached such heights of conceptual thought that he could accept or reject a thing purely on merit.

When, at the time of his death, Abu Bakr nominated Umar Faruq to the Caliphate, there was a general feeling of unrest. Talha ibn Ubaidullah came to him and said: “The people have sent me to you as their messenger. They say that you have seen all along how strict Umar has been with us. When you pass on your office to him, what then will become of us? And then, if God questions you about this choice, what answer will you give Him?” But one who has attained to such a high state of humanity could see beyond appearances: he knew that Umar’s strictness was not for his self but for religion. He knew that his God-fearing heart was the greatest surety of his firm stand on matters of truth. Uthman ibn Affan pointed out that they should not look at what was on the surface, but should consider what lay beneath, for what was inside him far surpassed his exterior. Abu Bakr also held the same opinion about Umar.

The man on the straight path develops the highest capacity for acceptance. When the Quraysh heard the Prophet recite the Quran, they exclaimed: “This is the work of a poet!” They did not of course, use the word poet in any derogatory sense; yet, even so, to God this conveyed only underestimation, not total faith. (69:41). If they called it the work of a poet, it was merely to indicate their assessment of it as a literary achievement in which the teachings of the ancient Abrahamites were presented in a novel way. Interpreted as such, they thought that the Quran merely deserved to be acknowledged as a literary masterpiece. But the Quran ought rather be regarded as an expression of the Higher Truth and should be accepted with total conviction.

Just one day before the entry into Makkah, when the Prophet asked Abu Sufyan to bear witness to the Islamic faith, the latter said, “By my parents, you are undoubtedly very forbearing, very tolerant, nobler and of higher derivation than others, yet I still have some qualms about your prophethood.” Later, the Prophet’s uncle Abbas apprised Abu Sufyan of the critical situation, whereupon he recited the article of faith and became a Muslim. It had been easier for Abu Sufyan to acknowledge the Prophet’s nobility and perseverance than to concede that he was a genuine Prophet; because in accepting his moral worth he had the psychological satisfaction that the difference between him and the Prophet was one of personal worth, and not that his beliefs had been wrong  vis-à-vis the Prophet’s. No doubt acceptance of moral worth is far easier than the recognition of the superiority of another’s ideology.

THE STRAIGHT PATH OF THE INDIVIDUAL

The Quran has very explicitly indicated the straight path of God, both for the individual and for society, as against the paths of deviation which human beings are faced with at all times.

A section of the sixth chapter of the Quran reads: say: ‘Come, I will tell you what your Lord has made binding on you: that you shall serve no other gods besides Him; that you shall show kindness to your parents; that you shall not kill your children because you cannot support them; We provide for you and for them; that you shall not commit foul sins, whether openly or in secret; and that you shall not kill—for that is forbidden by Allah—except for a just cause. Thus Allah exhorts you, that you may discern.

‘Do not touch the property of orphans, but strive to improve their lot until they reach maturity. Give just weight and full measure; we never charge a soul with more than it can bear. Speak for justice, even if it affects your own kinsmen. Be true to the covenant of Allah. Thus He exhorts you so that you may take heed.

‘This path of Mine is straight. Follow it and do not follow other paths, for they will lead you away from Him. Thus Allah commands you, so that you may guard yourselves against evil.’ (6:152-53)

This is the one straight path for the individual’s life. It can be summed up in these words: belief in the oneness of God, good behaviour towards others, reliance on God, avoidance of evil, respect for life, avoidance of oppression, honesty in social dealings, adhering to justice regardless of circumstances, fulfilling as God’s creatures the pledge of obedience to Him, adopting the path of taqwa (fear of God) in all matters.

Those on the straight path are the people blessed by God (Chapter 1) and brought from darkness, into light (14:1) They have a special share in the mercy and bounty of God (4:175), (48:2). Obviously, people with such divine endowments cannot lead the lives of ordinary men. These blessings will surely be made manifest in various forms in their lives.

1. First of all, they are in a higher state of realization. It is said that Abdullah ibn Rawaha once suggested to his hearers that they should ‘bring (revive) faith in God for a while.’ At this they became indignant and said, ‘Aren’t we the faithful?’ Ibn Rawaha replied that they were, no doubt, the faithful, but that every time they remembered God, their faith increased. Then one of them went to the Prophet and complained against Ibn Rawaha, saying, “Ibn Rawaha is a strange person: he is inclined to momentary faith as opposed to the faith received from you.” The Prophet replied, “God bless Ibn Rawaha! He likes sittings of which even angels envy!” In fact, what Ibn Rawaha suggested was an expression of a deeper realization which they failed to understand.
2. Faith to such as Ibn Rawaha means total surrender to God. The apprehension of life away from the path of God is agony to them. On the revelation of the verse, ‘…They who hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in the way of God, unto them give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom,’ (9:34). The Prophet said, “Woe to gold! Woe to silver!” This proved hard on the companions and they said among themselves, “What then should we keep?” Then Omar went to the Prophet and laid this matter before him. The Prophet then said, ‘Let each one of you take a tongue that remembers God, a thankful heart and a wife who helps one to faith!” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 2, p. 351).
3. Such people have a perfect capability of acknowledging the worth of others. The following incident illustrates this. A companion of the Prophet, by the name of Jabir Ibn Azraq Ghaziri, once came on his she-camel to join the Prophet on one of his journeys. On the way the Prophet halted at a certain point and went inside his leather tent. A crowd gathered at the tent door. A man tried to push Jabir aside, but the latter said: “If you push me now, I shall beat you.” At this, the other said, “O worst of men!” Jabir replied, “By God, you are worse than I!” The man said, “How can you say such a thing? I have come from Yemen to hear the words of the Prophet and to convey them to my people on my return, and you are barring my way!” At this Jabir’s anger cooled, and he exclaimed, “Yes, you are right. By God, I am worse than you!” (Kanzul Ummal)
4. They are more interested in their duties than in their rights. Imam Ahmad quotes the Prophet’s wife, Umme Salma’s story of how two men once brought a case regarding some inherited property before the Prophet. Both claimed it as their rightful property, but neither had any concrete proof. The Prophet said, ‘You bring your cases to me; but I am only a human being and may give my verdict in favour of the one who impresses me with his greater eloquence. Just remember that if I were to give anyone his brother’s share, that share will prove to be a flame of fire on the day of judgement. Hearing this, they both wept and said, “Give my share to my brother! Give my share to my brother.” (Musnad Imam Ahmad)
5. Following the straight path creates such breadth of vision in an individual that he even looks upon his juniors as if they were his seniors. During his reign as the first Umayyad Caliph of a vast empire, Amir Muawiya once sent five hundred dinars to an Ansari (Madinan Muslim). The latter, taking this to be a trifling amount, asked his son to take the money, throw it at Muawiya and say, “O leader of the believers, my father has thus commanded me, and I dare not disobey him.” When the young man told this to Mu’awiya he said, “Do as your father has commanded you, but be lenient to your uncle.” The boy felt ashamed and, throwing the dinars away, he took his leave. (Al-Fakhri).
6. True faith develops such a sense of realism in an individual that even an ordinary man may surprise those in high places with high confidence. During the war in Iran under the caliphate of Umar, there was an exchange of messengers between Saad ibn abi Waqqas, the Muslim commander, and Rustam, the Persian commander. When the Arab messenger, with his very plain, ordinary accoutrements, reached the splendid court of Rustam, he appeared quite insignificant to the Persian commander. Pointing to the messenger’s spear, Rustam said, “What is this spindle-like thing in your hand.” The messenger replied with confidence, “A flame is a flame, howsoever small it may be.” (Al-Fakhri).

It is people who follow the straight path who are promised the ‘greatest reward’ (65:5) and for whom evil will be turned into good (25:70). The fact is that all believers and non-believers alike—are liable to err. But the man who has attained real state of obedience to God, will turn with a redoubled intensity of feeling towards God if he ever commits a mistake. Thus his misdemeanour becomes the means of his attaining to a state of greater faith. On the contrary, the unbelievers remain engulfed in the darkness of their own misconduct. And, instead, their wrongdoing simply renders them even more hard-hearted instead of providing them with fresh food for faith.

“When any evil suggestion from Satan touches those who fear God, they are instantly alerted and become watchful; but the followers of devils are led relentlessly into error by them. They never desist.” (7:201-202)

THE STRAIGHT PATH OF SOCIETY

Just as the Prophet taught us the way of worship and fasting so also did he teach us how to launch an Islamic mission, how to face the challenges, and how to convey the message of Islam to the world. In other words, just as there is a straight path for the individual, so also is there a straight path for society. The treaty of Hudaybiyyah (628 a.d.), the most important happening in the collective Islamic struggle has been referred to in the Quran in these words: “So that He may make it a sign to true believers and guide you along a straight path.” (48:20).

The revelation of the above verse in the context of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah makes it clear that just as there is a straight path in worship and ethics, so is there a straight path in matters of peace and conflict resolution.

One who is on the straight path, who has attained to a state of humanity in which decisions are made according to the powers of the ear, the eye and the heart, uninfluenced by obstinacy or reaction, acquires great depth of vision, which takes him beyond all emotional incentive and superficial considerations, and penetrates the heart of the matter. With this sense of realism, his planning is far-reaching and definitive. He becomes invincible, his aim never being off the mark. There is a saying of the Prophet: “Beware of the wisdom of the believer, for he sees by the light of God.” (At Tirmizi, Hadith No. 3419)

The signing of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah is one such important instance. Clearly this treaty was accepted under duress: one of the ‘animal’ level, however, would never agree that in spite of the presence of fifteen hundred valiant companions of the Prophet, a treaty could be signed which accepted all the demands of his opponents. But one at the ‘human’ level, capable of seeing reality in its unadulterated form, would see that it was truly a ‘signal victory’ (48:1).

Thus a straight path (or God’s way) has been shown for all the problems of the Here and the Hereafter. The universe follows this straight path without the slightest deviation from its course, the path of man’s success and salvation is also the same. The only difference being that while the universe has no choice but to follow God’s path, man must of his own free will make this choice of treading this straight path.

Just as the Quran has marked out the course for the individual to follow, so also has it laid down a straight path for society. To provide examples it has cited actual happenings. After describing the wisdom behind the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Quran states: “And He shows you the straight path.” (48:2). Certain basic principles which encompass most practical matters have also been described. Man has only to rise from the state of animality to that of humanity, and then he can never err in taking the right path in social matters—the path destined to lead him to earn divine succour and success as a result.

The first basic principle in this regard is never to take a step under the influence of negative mentality: Social planning should always be made with a positive approach to matters: “O believers, be dutiful to God and bearer of just witness. Do not allow your hatred for other men to turn away from justice. Deal justly! Justice is nearer to true piety. (5:8).

History shows us that most failures were due to reactionary steps goaded on by obstinacy, jealousy, irritation and opposition. Whenever individuals or groups allow their actions to be coloured by such negative emotions, they will surely drift on to the wrong path. If, however, God’s fundamental guidance were kept in view, so that man succeeded in raising his thinking from the ‘animal’ to the ‘human’ level, it would not be possible for such negative emotions to gain the upper hand: men would then surely base their planning on positive foundations—a sure formula for success.

The above basic principle of the straight path in social matters is very clearly mentioned in connection with the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah: “And while bigotry—the bigotry of ignorance (jahiliyya) reigned in the heart of the unbelievers, God sent down His tranquillity on His Messenger and the faithful and made the word of piety binding on them, for they were most worthy and deserving of it. God has knowledge of all things” (48:26).

That is to say that the way to keep Islam’s social activity on the straight path is to hold to piety in spite of the very blatant expression of bigotry on the part of the opponents. In other words, no step ought to be taken as a result of, or in reaction to the behaviour of the opponents. Instead, our social programme should be based on positive psychology and carried out in the light of specific principles with permanent aims in view. We should always keep our eyes on the future rather than on the present.

Another vital principle of social guidance is to follow the path of God. (16:69). In this regard the Quran gives us the example of the tree. The tree first establishes its roots deep below the surface of the soil. Then it slowly raises its head towards the skies. Similarly, in the making of a community, their inner strengthening and consideration must be given first preference. No outward step should be taken before the work of consolidation has been completed. The Quran advises us to build our nations as nature builds its trees:

“Do you not see how God sets forth a parable that the good work is like a good tree whose root is firm and its branches are in the sky, yielding its fruit every season by Allah’s leave? Allah gives parables to men so that they become mindful. And the parable of an evil word is like an evil tree torn out of the earth and has no stability. God will strengthen the faithful with (His) steadfast word, both in the life and the Hereafter. He leaves the wrongdoers in error. God accomplishes what He pleases.” (14:24-27)

On reflection, it becomes obvious that wherever one is holding another responsible for one’s failures, it is a clear indication that he had cultivated an evil tree. If the work of social construction had been patterned on the ‘good tree,’ the need for lamentations would not have arisen at all that his ‘tree’ had been pulled out by someone.

THE PRINCIPLE OF DIVINE SUCCOUR

The man who is on the right path has been promised divine help: “That He may guide you to the right path and bestow on you His mighty help.” (48:2)

Just as divine succour is certain, it is also certain that God’s help does not come to one who does not deserve it. It is the way of God and the way of God does not change. (35:43).

If a man is in a state of helplessness, a call to God is enough to draw divine help:

“Who answers the oppressed when they cry out to Him and relieves affliction.” (27:62)

That is, if a man is in a state of utter helplessness he becomes entitled to divine help: he need only say words of prayer and he receives it. This is the only condition for him. But for individuals or groups who are not similarly afflicted, besides prayer there is one more condition that his actions should be consistent with his prayers: That is, if a man prays that the wisdom of the Quran be made known to him, it will befit him to exert himself in pondering upon the Book of God (38:29). The Quran has this to say: “To Him ascend good words, and He exalts righteous deeds.” (35:10). If a man asks for help in earning his living, he shall have to make every possible effort himself to do so.

The other pre-condition for deserving divine help is patience, even in the face of stiff opposition from those against whom divine aid is sought (14:12). Patience is a positive reaction to negative acts. This means that no impatient step should be taken against the opponent. There should be no retaliation against his opponents. They should simply be borne; instead of making complaints about the suffering inflicted, the latter should be met with silent self-restraint and endurance.

No doubt the kind of patience and tolerance shown by the companions of the Prophet towards their opponents would ensure God’s help to any group who possessed these qualities to the same degree. Divine help, in fact, is just another name for success.