Ever feel you are on a long and arduous road – sometimes narrow, sometimes wide, sometimes steep, sometimes level, sometimes lonely, sometimes in company and sometimes with tempting detours?
That is the path of Islam – The well-trodden and straight path that is the shortest and surest way to Ultimate salvation and happiness.
This is the analogy that RasūlAllāh, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, makes of the path of Islam …
ما خرجه الإمام أحمد و الترمذي و النسائ من حديث العرباض بن سارية رضي الله عنهم عن النبي قال : ضرب الله مثلاً : صراطاً مستقيماً و على جنبتي الصراط سوران فيهما أبواب مفتحة, و على الأبواب ستور مرخاة، وعلى باب الصراط داع يقول : يا أيها الناس ادخلوا الصراط جميعاً و لا تعوجوا، وداع يدعو من جوف الصراط، فإذا أراد أحد أن يفتح شيئاً من تلك الأبواب قال : ويحك لا تفتحه فإنك إن فتحته تلجه. و الصراط: الإسلام، و السوران : حدود الله عز و جل، و الأبواب المفتحه : محارم الله، و ذلك الداعي على رأس الصراط: كتاب الله، و الداعي من جوف الصراط : واعظ الله في قلب كل مسلم.
On the authority of al Arbāḍ bin Sāriyah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him said : “Allāh strikes a similitude : a straight path and on its two sides are two walls in which there are open doors and over the doors are loose curtains. At the door of the path there is a crier saying: “People! Enter the Path, all of you! And do not deviate”. There is a crier calling out above the path. Whenever anyone intends to open any of those doors, he says, “Woe to you! Do not open it, for if you open it you will enter it.” The path is Islām, the two walls are the limits of Allāh, the open doors are what Allāh has forbidden, that crier at the beginning of the path is the Book of Allāh, and the crier above the path is the admonisher of Allāh in the heart of every Muslim”.
Narrated by Imām Aḥmad(4:182), at Tirmidhi (2859) and an Nasāi(11,233).
At Tirmidhi added to it:
وَاللّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى دَارِ السَّلاَمِ وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
10:25 But Allāh calls to the Home of Peace: and He guides whom He wills to a way that is straight.
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
1 - #Straight Path = Islām
The straight path is the shortest and surest way for us to reach Jannah, and the path to take to Jannah is Islām.
2 - #Two walls/fences on either side of the path = Ḥudūd (Boundaries/limits of Allāh)
The Path is protected by the two walls/fences. As long as we do not encroach them, we stay on the path.
3 - #Open doors on the walls = Maḥārim (Forbidden things)
The doors to the forbidden are Open – choice open to us to stay on the path or leave it through the Forbidden.
4 - #Loose curtains covering the doors = Some ‘Ulamāa’ describe them as one’s Taqwā
Taqwā is the shield that protects us from entering the forbidden and incurring the displeasure of Allāh.
5 - #Caller at the entrance to the path = The Book of Allāh (Al Qur’ān)
The Qur’ān invites one and all to enter the path of Islām and constantly protects one from deviating from It. The ones who pay heed to this call, enter Islām and head towards Dār us Salām(Abode of peace) – al Jannah.
6 - #Caller over the doors of the path = Admonisher/Adviser in the heart of every Muslim.
Every Muslim knows in his/her heart when he/she is encroaching the forbidden. The ones who pay heed to this caller, protect themselves by staying away from temptations and therefore stay on the path.
May Allāh, The Exalted, make the Qur’ān the Entrance, the Guide, The Compass, the Helper and the Facilitator in our journey to Jannah. Ameen.
That is the path of Islam – The well-trodden and straight path that is the shortest and surest way to Ultimate salvation and happiness.
This is the analogy that RasūlAllāh, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, makes of the path of Islam …
ما خرجه الإمام أحمد و الترمذي و النسائ من حديث العرباض بن سارية رضي الله عنهم عن النبي قال : ضرب الله مثلاً : صراطاً مستقيماً و على جنبتي الصراط سوران فيهما أبواب مفتحة, و على الأبواب ستور مرخاة، وعلى باب الصراط داع يقول : يا أيها الناس ادخلوا الصراط جميعاً و لا تعوجوا، وداع يدعو من جوف الصراط، فإذا أراد أحد أن يفتح شيئاً من تلك الأبواب قال : ويحك لا تفتحه فإنك إن فتحته تلجه. و الصراط: الإسلام، و السوران : حدود الله عز و جل، و الأبواب المفتحه : محارم الله، و ذلك الداعي على رأس الصراط: كتاب الله، و الداعي من جوف الصراط : واعظ الله في قلب كل مسلم.
On the authority of al Arbāḍ bin Sāriyah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him said : “Allāh strikes a similitude : a straight path and on its two sides are two walls in which there are open doors and over the doors are loose curtains. At the door of the path there is a crier saying: “People! Enter the Path, all of you! And do not deviate”. There is a crier calling out above the path. Whenever anyone intends to open any of those doors, he says, “Woe to you! Do not open it, for if you open it you will enter it.” The path is Islām, the two walls are the limits of Allāh, the open doors are what Allāh has forbidden, that crier at the beginning of the path is the Book of Allāh, and the crier above the path is the admonisher of Allāh in the heart of every Muslim”.
Narrated by Imām Aḥmad(4:182), at Tirmidhi (2859) and an Nasāi(11,233).
At Tirmidhi added to it:
وَاللّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى دَارِ السَّلاَمِ وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
10:25 But Allāh calls to the Home of Peace: and He guides whom He wills to a way that is straight.
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
1 - #Straight Path = Islām
The straight path is the shortest and surest way for us to reach Jannah, and the path to take to Jannah is Islām.
2 - #Two walls/fences on either side of the path = Ḥudūd (Boundaries/limits of Allāh)
The Path is protected by the two walls/fences. As long as we do not encroach them, we stay on the path.
3 - #Open doors on the walls = Maḥārim (Forbidden things)
The doors to the forbidden are Open – choice open to us to stay on the path or leave it through the Forbidden.
4 - #Loose curtains covering the doors = Some ‘Ulamāa’ describe them as one’s Taqwā
Taqwā is the shield that protects us from entering the forbidden and incurring the displeasure of Allāh.
5 - #Caller at the entrance to the path = The Book of Allāh (Al Qur’ān)
The Qur’ān invites one and all to enter the path of Islām and constantly protects one from deviating from It. The ones who pay heed to this call, enter Islām and head towards Dār us Salām(Abode of peace) – al Jannah.
6 - #Caller over the doors of the path = Admonisher/Adviser in the heart of every Muslim.
Every Muslim knows in his/her heart when he/she is encroaching the forbidden. The ones who pay heed to this caller, protect themselves by staying away from temptations and therefore stay on the path.
May Allāh, The Exalted, make the Qur’ān the Entrance, the Guide, The Compass, the Helper and the Facilitator in our journey to Jannah. Ameen.
