Sura Al-Fatiha(The Opening)
Verse 6: Show* us the straight way**.
Verse 7: The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, ***
not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger(such as the Jews), nor of those who went astray**** (such as the Christians).*****
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* If we translate by the English word “guide,” we shall have to say: Guide us to and in the straight Way.” For we may be wandering aimlessly, and the first step is to find the Way; and is often the narrow Way, or the steep Way, which many people shun. By the world’s perversity the straight Way is sometimes stigmatized and the crooked Way praised. How are we to judge? We must ask for God’s guidance. With a little spiritual insight we shall see which are the people who walk in the light of God’s grace, and which are those that walk in the darkness of Wrath. This also would help our judgement.
** Guidance is of two kinds:
a) Guidance of Taufiq i.e. totally from Allah, i.e. Allah opens one’s heart to receive the truth (from disbelief to Belief in Islamic Monotheism).
b) Guidance of Irshad i.e. through preaching by Allah’s Messengers and pious preachers who preach the truth i.e. Islamic Monotheism.
*** [(i.e. the way of the Prophets, the Siddiqun (i.e. those followers of the Prophet, who were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr As-Siddiq), the martyrs and righteous, [as Allah SWT said: “ And whoso obeys Allah and the Messenger Muhammad PBUH), then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddiquin, the martyrs, and the righteousness. And how excellent these companions are!]
**** Are these two categories?----those who are in the darkness of Wrath and those who stray? The first are those who deliberately break God’s law; the second those who stray out of carelessness or negligence. Both are responsible for their own acts or omissions. In opposition to both are the people who are in the light of God’s Grace: for His Grace not only protects them from active wrong( if they will only submit their will to Him) but also from straying into paths of temptation or carelessness. The negative gair should be construed as applying not to the way, but as describing men protected from two dangers by God’s Grace.
*****Narrated Ubadah bin As-Samit (Radhi Allah unh Taalah): Allah’s Messenger PBUH said, “Whoever does not recite Surat Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid.” (Sahih Al- Bukhari, Vol.1, Hadith No. 723)
Narrated Abu Hurairah (R.A.Taalah): Allah’s Messenger PBUH said, “When the Imam says: Ghairil- maghdubi alaihim walad-daillin. [i.e. not the way of those who earned Your Anger, nor the way of those who went astray(1:7)], then you must say, Amin coincides with that of the angels, then his past sins will be forgiven.” (Sahih Al- Bukhari, Vol.6, Hadith No.2).
End of Surat Al-Fatiha
Verse 6: Show* us the straight way**.
Verse 7: The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, ***
not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger(such as the Jews), nor of those who went astray**** (such as the Christians).*****
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* If we translate by the English word “guide,” we shall have to say: Guide us to and in the straight Way.” For we may be wandering aimlessly, and the first step is to find the Way; and is often the narrow Way, or the steep Way, which many people shun. By the world’s perversity the straight Way is sometimes stigmatized and the crooked Way praised. How are we to judge? We must ask for God’s guidance. With a little spiritual insight we shall see which are the people who walk in the light of God’s grace, and which are those that walk in the darkness of Wrath. This also would help our judgement.
** Guidance is of two kinds:
a) Guidance of Taufiq i.e. totally from Allah, i.e. Allah opens one’s heart to receive the truth (from disbelief to Belief in Islamic Monotheism).
b) Guidance of Irshad i.e. through preaching by Allah’s Messengers and pious preachers who preach the truth i.e. Islamic Monotheism.
*** [(i.e. the way of the Prophets, the Siddiqun (i.e. those followers of the Prophet, who were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr As-Siddiq), the martyrs and righteous, [as Allah SWT said: “ And whoso obeys Allah and the Messenger Muhammad PBUH), then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddiquin, the martyrs, and the righteousness. And how excellent these companions are!]
**** Are these two categories?----those who are in the darkness of Wrath and those who stray? The first are those who deliberately break God’s law; the second those who stray out of carelessness or negligence. Both are responsible for their own acts or omissions. In opposition to both are the people who are in the light of God’s Grace: for His Grace not only protects them from active wrong( if they will only submit their will to Him) but also from straying into paths of temptation or carelessness. The negative gair should be construed as applying not to the way, but as describing men protected from two dangers by God’s Grace.
*****Narrated Ubadah bin As-Samit (Radhi Allah unh Taalah): Allah’s Messenger PBUH said, “Whoever does not recite Surat Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid.” (Sahih Al- Bukhari, Vol.1, Hadith No. 723)
Narrated Abu Hurairah (R.A.Taalah): Allah’s Messenger PBUH said, “When the Imam says: Ghairil- maghdubi alaihim walad-daillin. [i.e. not the way of those who earned Your Anger, nor the way of those who went astray(1:7)], then you must say, Amin coincides with that of the angels, then his past sins will be forgiven.” (Sahih Al- Bukhari, Vol.6, Hadith No.2).
End of Surat Al-Fatiha
