The meaning of the path of Allah, and reconciling the attribution of the path to Allah with His saying, Exalted is He: "the path of the believers."
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The Shaykh : And His saying: What is the path of Allah? The path of Allah, the Exalted, is His Shari'ah, because it is a road that leads to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and because Allah, the Exalted, is the One who legislated it, so it is attributed to Him. Thus, the Shari'ah is attributed to Allah for two reasons:
The first reason: What is it? It is that which leads to Allah.
And the second reason: It is that He is the One who legislated it for His servants and explained it to them so that they may reach Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
Here, if we reflect on the word "path," we find that it is sometimes attributed to Allah, as in this verse, and sometimes attributed to the believers, as in His saying, Exalted is He: [An-Nisa 4:115] So here, the path is attributed to the believers. How do we reconcile the two verses? Sometimes it is attributed to Allah, and sometimes to the believers. We say: Reconciling them is easy. It is attributed to the believers because they are the ones who walk upon it, and it is attributed to Allah because He legislated it and it leads to Him. Similarly, the word "Sirat" (straight path): [Ash-Shuraa 42:52-53] [Al-Fatihah 1:6-7] So sometimes the Sirat is attributed to Allah, and sometimes the Sirat is attributed to the believers upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor. How do we reconcile this? Is this a specific question?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Okay, take a break, please?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is attributed to the believers upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor because they are the ones who walked upon it, and it is attributed to Allah because He legislated it and it leads to Him.
to the path of your Lord
إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَThe first reason: What is it? It is that which leads to Allah.
And the second reason: It is that He is the One who legislated it for His servants and explained it to them so that they may reach Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
Call to the way of your Lord.
ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَAnd whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers - We will give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell, and evil it is as a destination.
وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيراًAnd indeed, [O Muhammad], you guide to a straight path - (53) The path of Allah
وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ صِرَاطِ اللَّهِ(6) Guide us to the straight path - (7) The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : Okay, take a break, please?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is attributed to the believers upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor because they are the ones who walked upon it, and it is attributed to Allah because He legislated it and it leads to Him.