The
Straight Way
"Lead us the straight way"
Surah of the Opening 1:6
Dear Muslim Friend,
Every day, whenever you pray to God, you repeat Al-Fatiha (Surah of the Opening);
and therefore, you reiterate the above phrase several times per day.
However, as a Muslim, you should know and understand what that phrase really
means.
"Lead us the Straight Way":
The straight way is the real and only way that leads to God, wherein there
is a wonderful meaning that every good Muslim should know and understand.
The word "to Lead" simply means to guide, to show the way, and to
pilot. When a person prays to be led, that means that he is still lost
and is gone astray away from God, his creator. If man was not lost,
he would not have repeatedly prayed asking to be led and guided. This
is one fact that every Muslim should realize. Every man in this existence
is separated from God and is lost because he/she has violated God's laws.
This fact is also acknowledged by the Qur'an in Surah of Al-Asr 102:2, saying:
"Verily man is in loss." This word, "loss" means
that man is weak, imperfect, and pershing because of his fallen, sinful nature
in which he was born, and most importantly, man cannot save himself.
In the Surah of Joseph 12:53, the Qur'an says: "The human soul is certainly
prone to evil." This means that man's soul is inclined to sin and
his passions are corrupt. The surah of Women IV:28 continues to say:
"For man was created weak." That was another proof that man's
nature !
is incapable of obeying God's commandments.
The question here is, can man who has fallen, defective nature, with a soul
that is assuredly prone to evil, for his weakness, do the good works that
may please God, so He would open for him the gates of paradise? It is,
therefore, sure that the one who prays that prayer, "Lead us the straight
Way", is lost and needs to find that Way; for obviously he acknowledges
that he is in the way of evil-doing and disobedience to God; otherwise, why
is he asking repeatedly to be led into the straight way? Man finds that
his fallen nature forces him to commit sins and iniquities. Consequently,
it becomes impossible for man to really find, on his own, the true way, except
by a special arrangement of God.
Man has attempted, throughout all times and generations, to find the straight
Way, but his powerlessness and failure, has made him unable to reach it; and
thus, he has continued to live in his sins and evil-doing. Therefore,
his good deeds cannot wipe out all his bad ones. However, God has prepared
a plan for delivering man and saving him from his sins and his corrupt nature.
If we believe that there is God that created this universe, then that God
should reveal to man the way that would give him the rest that he needs because
of the burden that sin puts on him. It is not reasonable nor logical
that God would let man grope in this world without guidance. Therefore,
we understand that God desires to guide man to the Way of Truth. Thus,
God sent the prophets and the Apostles to help humans be directed towards
the straight Way. It is important here to understand that the prophet
is not he way, but he is the one that is supposed to point people to the Way.
God does send His prophets to help people find the straight Way, because He
cares for us, and He loves us.
The question we have here is, What is the goal that man is trying to reach?
Humans always try to have goals in this life, such as wealth, education, and
fame, to name a few. However, the supreme goal that God wants us to
reach is the harmony and the fellowship that we should have with Him.
For this, man that God made from clay and breathed in him the breath of life,
will never be satisfied until he comes back to the true fellowship with God.
Many people have sincerely attempted struggling to know God by doing good
works, but they fail because the problem is with man's nature which is corrupt.Consequently,
it was necessary for God to reveal Himself to man in a direct way that He
may lead man to the Straight Way. For that, it was a necessity for God
to become incarnate, to lead us the Straight Way. For this reason, God
could say that He is the Way [the Straight Way], the Truth, and the Life,
and no one can come to God but by Him [by the True Way.] (John 14:6).
Therefore, God Himself is the Straight Way and the real goal that every man
should seek. If you personally desire to reach the real goal which is
knowing God, on personal basis, I should tell you that there is one way by
which you can do that; and that is through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the incarnate God.
This will be your greatest discovery, for whoever discovers the meaning of
Christ's saying, when He said, "I am the Way", will definitely discover
the meaning of the mystery of life. For God is the first and the last,
the One and the only One God who has no partner or equal. That Great
God came to our world in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
to save us from our sins. For this, He is the Way where we should start
and where we should end. It is obvious that any other way, leads to
nothing but deception and destruction. Those who tried to make up their
own way in life, ended in nothingness, and always lack peace. Why then
do you waste your efforts in seeking the truth in other than Christ who loves
you. You will never find the way, and you will never have God's peace,
without Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the Way
that leads to a better life and a blissful eternity. Why don't you begin
by asking Him to be a part of your life.
In order to do that, please pray this prayer:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the Way, and I ask you to enter
my heart. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me from my sins. Make me your
child. Amen."
Monthir Abdullatif
P.O. Box 283
Hazel Park, MI 48030