The Straight Way to God

“Alif laam ra. A Book We have revealed

to you that you may bring forth mankind

from darkness into light by the leave of

                                    their Lord to the WAY OF THE ALMIGHTY,

THE PRAISED, GOD, to Whom belongs all

that is in the heavens and all that is on

earth. And woe to the disbelievers from a

terrible chastisement” (14:1-2).

Human being who was bestowed with multiple faculties, can have great ideas, unlimited vision and imagination. At the same time she/he is imbued with an innate sense of moral failings as well as with a consciousness of God (see: Qur’an, 91:8). She/he is inadequate, hasty and easy to be deceived by glittering materials and false delights. But she/he has been given God’s guidance through His messengers, which can guide him/her to the Straight Way of God and drive away all obstacles she/he may face.

Being given the mastership among all inhabitants of the planet (31:20 and 45:12-13), human being is ordered by his/her Creator to live peacefully and harmonious with the environment, thus be able to initiate and develop civilization by following God’s guidance. God says in the Qur’an: “And that if they stand firm on the STRAIGHT WAY, We shall certainly shower them with blessings abundant” (72:16).

To trace a material way is easy if one takes all necessary means, by investigation. But because of the complexity of the human self, it is not easy to remain steadfast tracing the Straight Way to God, even after one has found it through the Messenger’s guidelines, except with deep cautiousness. Beside mankind, there are other inhabitants on this earth, the invisible Jinn. Some of them are submitted to God’s ordinances, but many are the followers of Iblis, the Satan, whom God has warned mankind to be cautious of.

God says: “O children of Adam! Indeed We have bestowed upon you from on high (the knowledge of making) garments to cover your nakedness, and as a thing of beauty: and the garment of taqwa (= God-consciousness) that is best; herein lies one of God’s signs, so that they might take it to heart. O children of Adam! Let not Satan tempt you, as he caused your parents to go forth from the garden, stripping them of their garments to manifest to them their shameful parts. Surely he (= Satan) sees you, he and his tribe from where you do not see them. Verily, We have placed (all manner of) satanic forces near to those who do not (truly) believe” (7:26-27).

Among the most grievous problems for mankind, in all times, is the indecency in clothing, or near-nakedness, through which usually lust flames among young men or women, thus encouraging immorality.

Islam encourages decency and modesty, as it prevents human beings from indulging into indecency and obscenity. If one lacks modesty, desires will lay complete hold of him/her and he/she will not hesitate to indulge into sin. Modesty is a strong moral deterrent against all evil inclinations.

Abu Hurairah reported : The Prophet (peace and God’s blessings be upon him) said: “Al-Imaan (= the Faith) has over seventy branches –or over sixty branches- the uppermost of which is the declaration that none has the right to be worshipped but God (alone); and the least of which is the removal of harmful object from the road, and MODESTY is a branch of faith” (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim in both their Collections of Hadith).

If MODESTY is the outward side of Muslim characteristics, the taqwa (= God-consciousness) is the inward and the motivating power for them to keep following the STRAIGHT WAY, and following the examples of the blessed Prophet.

God said to the Prophet in the Qur’an (and to all its Muslim readers): “Say: Behold, my Lord has guided me onto a STRAIGHT WAY through an ever-true faith, the way of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false, and was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him. Say: Behold, my prayer, and (all) my acts of worship, and my living and my dying are for God (alone), the Sustainer of all worlds, in whose divinity none has a share: for thus have I been bidden – and I shall (always) be foremost among those who surrender themselves unto Him”  (6:161-163).

Human beings cannot steadfastly continue tracing this STRAIGHT WAY without helping themselves with regular prayer to God at given times. This is why every Muslim has to observe and “utilize” this “vehicle”, saying at least seventeen times a day: “(O God) guide us the STRAIGHT WAY, the Way of those upon whom You have bestowed Your blessings, not of those who have been condemned (by You), nor of those who go astray!”

If such supplication is made earnestly, it will impact upon the supplicant and will enable him/her to hinder the satanic forces and influence on him/her.

To be firm on the STRAIGHT WAY, one should always be careful in following God’s ordinances, for example: “Behold, God enjoins JUSTICE, and THE DOING OF GOOD, and GENEROSITY towards (one’s) fellow-men; and He forbids all that is shameful, and all that runs counter to reason, as well as envy; (and) He exhorts you (repeatedly) so that you might bear (all this) in mind. And be true to your bond with God whenever you bind yourselves by a pledge, and do not break (your) oaths after having (freely) confirmed them and having called upon God to be witness to your good faith: behold, God knows all that you do” (16:90-91).

That is the STRAIGHT WAY which has been traced by all messengers of God to guide people to the right path and to build human civilization of justice, and we have the obligation to follow their steps: “Say (o Prophet): This is my WAY: Resting upon conscious insight accessible to reason, I am calling unto God – I and they who follow me. And (say:) Limitless is God in His glory, and I am not one of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him” (12:108).

To people ascribing another divinity beside God, as they used to follow the doctrines of “great philosophers” even if those doctrines are contradictory to God’s ordinances, God says clearly: “Follow what has been sent down unto you by your Lord, and follow no masters other than Him. How seldom do you keep this in mind!” (7:3). This is the STRAIGHT WAY TO GOD.

               

Sincerity in Faith

                                 “And they were not enjoined aught but

                                   that they should worship God, sincere

                                   in their (commitment to) Religion to                                             

                                  Him, turning away from all that is false,

                                  And that they should be constant in

                                  prayer, and that they should pay the

                                  purifying alms (zakat), for this is the

                                  upright Religion”

                                                        (Qur’an, 98:5)

“Deen” in Arabic can mean “Religion” or “Creed”, but it can also mean “the commitment of a person to a religion”.

God asks mankind to perform their duty (the terminology used in the Qur’an says “ibadah”, which means “devotion”) (2:21; 51:56).

Every creation of God has its duty or obligation which cannot be denied, except Mankind and Jinn who have the option to obey or disobey, for which they get their due reward in the hereafter, good or bad:

“Have you not seen that to God prostrate (= perform its duty) all whoever is in the heavens and whoever in the earth, and the sun and the moon, and the stars and the mountains, and the trees and the animals, as well as many of mankind? And for many (of human beings) the chastisement has become due. And he whom God abases, there is none to give him honor. Indeed God does whatever He will” (22:18).

For these two kinds of creation, Mankind and Jinn, which have the option to obey or disobey God, there is guidance, a criterion to measure their deeds. And this is the “Deen” (= the Religion), which was revealed to all Messengers of God. Each human being has a commitment with God to do the best possible in performing his/her duty. A part of mankind’s devotion to God is to stimulate and motivate this commitment, by using his/her intellect, reason and insight to be able to discover some “mysteries” and subdue forces of nature, which are given to him/her by God: “Are you not aware that God has made subservient to you all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and has lavished upon you His blessings, both outward and inward? “ (31:20).

If we dig deeper into that guidance of God for Mankind, we will find out that most of those ordinances are moral codes to guide people on how to manage their interactions in personal, familial, social, economic and political matters:

“We have verily sent our messengers with clear signs, and We revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance, so that mankind may uphold justice..” (57:25).  

Beside many indications on how God is favoring them with the most important material sources, which enable them to increase their skills to make tools and anything that can enrich their mode of life, God has mentioned specifically the iron: “.. And We sent down Iron, wherein is great might and (many) uses for mankind, and so that God might mark out those who would stand up for Him and His messengers, even though He (Himself) is beyond the reach of human perception. Verily, God is Powerful, Almighty” (57:25).

“Iron is biologically significant, because it is a component of hemoglobin, a red oxygen-carrying pigment of the red blood cells of vertebrates; iron compounds are important in nutrition; one cause of anemia is iron deficiency. Iron is an abundant element in the universe; it is found in many stars, including the sun. Iron is the fourth most abundant element in the earth’s crust, which it constitutes about 5% by weight. Iron forms such compounds as oxides, hydroxides, halides, acetates, carbonates, sulfides, nitrates, sulfates, and a number of complex ions” (www.encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com).

This indicates that for a Muslim, to be devout to God by only performing prescribed ritual activities is not enough, he/she should rather also be active in different domains, which can be profitable for the society and help develop human civilization: “All shall have degrees according to what they have done. Your Lord is not heedless of what they do” (6:132).

All good initiatives and words, provided they are used within the lawful sphere and done by the believers for God’s sake, could bring them glory in this worldly life and in the life to come: “Whoever desires glory (should know that) all glory belongs to God. To Him ascends good words; and as for righteous action, He exalts it; but those who plot evil, their plotting shall come to nothing” (35:10).        

Pattern For A Moderate Nation

                              “And thus have We willed you to be

                               a Moderate Nation (justly balanced),

                               so that (with your lives) you might

                               bear witness (to the truth) before

                               Mankind, and that the Messenger

                               might bear witness to it before you..”

                                                               (Qur’an, 2:143).

Genuine Muslim individuals are collectively the best nation, a Moderate Nation, which should become a pattern for all other nations, at any time, as God wanted them to be. This can only happen, when they achieve a justly balanced standard in their conducts, like what took place at the time of the Last Prophet (peace and God’s blessings be upon him), and a few centuries after him. And God described it in the Qur’an as follows: “You have become the best nation ever brought forth to men, (as long as you are firmly) bidding to honor, and forbidding dishonor, and believing in God. And had the people of the Scripture believed (in this last message) it would have been better for them; some of them are believers, but the most of them are wicked” (3:110).

The best nation are people who:

1.   firmly have faith in God, in the Resurrection Day, in the Angels, in the Prophets, in the messengers of God and in the messages they brought.

2.    spend out of what have been provided to them for the orphans, the needy, to free people from bondage etc.

3.   constantly observe the obligatory prayers.

4.   pay the purifying alms for people in need.

5.   fulfill their covenant when they have engaged in a covenant.

6.   endure with fortitude misfortune, hardship and peril (2:177).

7.   pay special esteem to their parents (even if they are not of the same religion) (31:14-15).

8.   are upright before God, are witnesses in equity, have no hatred towards people, which might cause them not to be just (5:8); are upright in justice, are witnesses for God, even though it be against themselves or parents and kinsmen (4:135).

9.   should treat people of other religions kindly, as long as they are not enemies and cause no peril (60:8).

God warns Muslims not to say one thing and do another “it is greatly loathsome to God that you say what you do not do”. Muslims are ordered to have their deeds correspond to their assertions of faith (61:2-4). The brotherhood of Muslims should eliminate any tribal or ethnical ardent zeal toward one another (49:10-11).

To be given the opportunity to become the Pattern of a Moderate Nation is indeed a great grace from God, and at the same time it is a great task and responsibility.

Shamefully, the Muslim “Ummah” (= Nation) has been absent from the world scene since centuries now. They are no more the pattern, they are no more the example to follow. They are just a marginalized nation, because they do not fulfill their duties. They are heedless of God’s warning: “…and if you turn away (from God’s guidance), He will replace you with another people, and they will not be the likes of you” (47:38).

God wants to show Muslims that they must strive and fulfill all duties correctly and use all their power (intellectually and materially) to deserve God’s help. If they disobey God’s orders and reject His discipline, they must attribute the defect and humiliation to themselves and not to God (3:165).

God has given many examples of various nations in ancient times, of their conducts, of the result of their actions and of what happened to them: “Ways of life have passed away before you; so travel in the land (study the history of nations) and behold how was the end of those who denied (God’s guidance)! (3:137).

The Qur’an urges its readers to the necessity of learning from man’s past experiences: “Verily there is in their stories a lesson for people of understanding” (12:111).

“Light” & “Manifold Darkness”

                             “All praise is due to God, who has created

                              the heavens and the earth, and brought

                              into being the manifold darkness and the

                              light; and yet those who are bent on

                              denying the truth regard others as their

                              Sustainer’s equals”

                                                            (Qur’an, 6:1).

Light is necessary for all the beings in the universe. Limited time of darkness is necessary too, but without light there is absence, wickedness, evil.

Darkness means “the partial or total absence of light”, but it could also mean “the wickedness or evil”, or “lack of spiritual or intellectual enlightenment”.

In the Qur’an “darkness” is always used in plural, and “light” in singular. Perhaps because there are so many kinds of evil, but only one enlightenment, which could dissolve any of them. As God says: “And (know) that this is the way leading straight unto Me (= God): follow it, then, and follow not other ways, lest they cause you to deviate from His way. (All) this has He enjoined upon you, so that you might remain conscious of Him” (6:153).

Actually we see people who adjust (or try to adjust) their life according to the guidance of God, and others who do not care about God’s ordinances. The Qur’an considers the one who does not take God’s light (= guidance) as “dead” metaphorically, and the one who adjusts his life to God’s guidance as the living one: “Is then he who was dead (in spirit) and whom We thereupon gave life, and for whom We set up a light whereby he might see his way among men – (as then he) like one (who is lost) in darkness deep, out of which he cannot emerge? That is how to those people without faith their own deeds seem pleasing” (6:122).

In the terminology of the Qur’an, God’s revelation is called also “Rouh of God’s Order” (= a spiritual element as a source for human spiritual life), (42:51-52), and as “A Manifest Light” (4:174), and God’s messenger Muhammad as “A Summoner to God by His leave, and an Illuminating Lamp” (33:46).

The last messenger of God, by receiving this Light-Revelation, became the Radiant point of the Mercy of God for all mankind (21:107). And this Light-Guidance whenever taken seriously to be followed by the believer, causes God’s help to increase his/her ability to fairly follow His guidance and causes him/her to grow in God-consciousness (47:17).

Mu’adh bin Jabal reported that the Messenger of God (peace and God’s blessings be upon him) caught his hand, one day and said to him: “By God, I love you Mu’adh! So I recommend to you for never leave to recite this supplication after every prescribed prayer: O God, help me in remembering You, in thanking You, and in worshiping You well!” (Sunan Abu Dawood).

According to the earlier commentators of the Qur’an, when this verse was revealed: “And your Lord has said: Call on Me and I will respond to you. Surely those who disdain to worship Me shall enter Hell (utterly) humiliated” (40:60), some people asked the Prophet “at what time should we call on Him?” then God revealed: “And when My servants ask you about Me, then (tell them that) I am so near (to them): I respond to the call of anyone when he prays to Me; so let them, then, respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might go aright” (2:186).

To go aright one will need light, and that light is God’s guidance, the Qur’an and its “Radiant Point”, the Prophet (peace and God’s blessings be upon him). “God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The likeness of His Light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star kindled from a Blessed Tree, an olive neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself), though no fire touched it. Light upon light. God guides to His Light whom He will. And God strikes similitudes for men, and God is Knower of all things” (24:35).

Abdullah bin Abbas reported: I stayed overnight with my maternal aunt Maimunah while the Messenger of God was there. I saw him get up to relieve himself then he went to the water-skin and undid its string, then he performed wudhu’ (purifying wash) – he did not use a lot of water. Then he went to his bed and slept. Then he got up again and went to the water-skin, undid its string and performed wudhu’ again, like the first time. Then he stood and prayed. When he prostrated

(during the prayer) I heard him supplicating: O God, put light in my heart, and put light in my hearing, and put light in my seeing, and put light beneath me, and put light above me, and put light on my right, and put light on my left, and put light before me, and put light behind me, and make the light greater for me. Then he slept until he started to snore, then Bilal came and woke him up for the Morning Prayer (Sunan An-Nasaie).

But not all people see things correctly, many don’t know why they exist, what is their role in this worldly life, what will happen after death, etc. They consider life without purpose, and so they are free to do whatever they like.

Then comes the selfishness, the lack of respect for others; they even have no shame in harming and destroying lands, and killing and torturing people. The industrious countries produce tremendous quantities of arms, very sophisticated arms. What interests them is the material benefit, they don’t care about others’ sufferings. According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the combined arms sales of the top 100 largest arms producing companies (in 2012 only) amounted to an estimated US$395 billion (and it was increasing in the last few years). The five biggest exporters in 2010-2014 were the USA, Russia, China, Germany and France. And the five biggest importers were India, Saudi Arabia, China, UA Emirates and Pakistan. This means that we are living in nearly a manifold darkness.

Most people in the world do not care anymore to get God’s light, because they do not really believe in God and in the Hereafter. God says: “Or (their deeds) is like the depths of darkness upon an abysmal sea, made yet more dark by wave billowing over wave, with (black) clouds above it all: depths of darkness, layer upon layer, (so that) when one holds up his hand, he can hardly see it: for he to whom God gives no light, no light whatever has he!” (24:40).

As for those who follow God’s Light and the guidance of the Prophet during their life time in this world, even in the Hereafter they will get “light” with them: “In the Day when you will see the believing men and believing women with their light shining forth before them and on their right: Good tidings for you on this day” (56:12).