Quran Blogger

Click here to read Part I of The Straight Path.

After we pray for guidance regarding the Straight Path, the ayah continues with some further identifying descriptions: The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, Those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.

I have seen two common ways in which this language is interpreted.  The first implies that the two identifying descriptions that appear at the end of the ayah (“those whose portion is not wrath” and “those who go not astray”) are counterpoints to and elucidate the meaning and identification of the path. The second (A.Y. Ali’s view) is that those two identifying descriptions are counterpoints to and elucidate the meaning and identification of God’s ni’mah (translated above as “Grace,” but which can also be translated as Blessing/Favor/Tenderness).

If we take the first interpretation, we could deduce that the Straight Path is hard to define and recognize, as made evident by the fact that we identify it by defining both what it is (the path on of those on whom God has bestowed his Grace) and what it is not (the path of those who have incurred God’s wrath or the path of those who are misguided).

Under the second interpretation, the last two groups are examples of people who did not receive God’s grace/ blessings/ favor/ tenderness because, through their own actions, they either incurred God’s wrath or remained in a state of misguidance and confusion regarding the purpose of their lives and how it should be lived. We could take from this interpretation that, in order to receive God’s grace/ blessing/ favor/ tenderness, we should strive not to be among those who incur God’s wrath through arrogant obstinacy or among those who deliberately obfuscate God’s Truth by mixing it with man’s falsehood to remain in a state of misguidance.

I don't know which of the interpretations is better, but I incline to favor the second.  I don't think it makes much of a difference in the end, but you should draw your own conclusions.

It is interesting to note here how those last two identifying descriptions serve as prologue to the next two surahs of the Quran. The second surah describes situations where people have incurred God’s wrath by deliberately disobeying His commands and arrogantly trying to negotiate lesser obligations, and the third surah describes situations where people have deliberately changed the message of God’s guidance to suit their own selfish interests—to soothe their consciences through constructed justifications while still allowing themselves to satisfy their worldly whims and desires.

A note here should be made that, in some translations of the Quran, the final two identifying categories are followed with somewhat presumptuous parenthetical elaborations to the effect that those who have incurred God’s wrath are the people who follow the Jewish tradition and that those who are misguided and have gone astray are the people who follow the Christian tradition. While that may be the interpretation of many scholars (supported, quite fairly, by the fact that the second surah seems to include an appeal to people who follow the Jewish tradition and the third an appeal to people who follow the Christian tradition), I don't think those specific parenthetical elaborations should be included in translations of the ayahs. If God wanted specifically to name those groups He would have done so. The words say what they say. We should not add anything to them.

We said earlier that part of the miracle of the Quran lies in how things are said.  It is interesting here to note, as A.Y. Ali and many commentators on the Quran have pointed out, that in the final ayah of The Opening, “the words relating to Grace are connection actively with Allah [“those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy grace”]; those relating to Wrath are impersonal [“those whose (portion) is not wrath and who go not astray”]. In one case Allah’s Mercy encompasses us beyond our deserts. In the other case our own actions are responsible for the Wrath – the negative of Grace, Peace, or Harmony.”

In The Opening, we pray for guidance.  The response to that prayer lies in the rest of the Quran, and the start of that response begins at the very top of the very next surah.