Explanation of the author's statement: "The path of those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor, from among the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous"
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The Shaykh :: "The path of those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor" means: their path. He attributed it to them because they are the ones who walk it, so it is their path, for it is a straight road for them, and they are the ones who walk in it. Just as Allah sometimes attributed it to Himself [Ash-Shuraa 42:52-53] on the basis that He is the One who legislated it and established it for His servants, and that it leads to Him. It is like saying, "This is the road to Makkah," because it leads to Makkah. So it is the path of Allah the Exalted in two respects, and the path of the believers in one respect. The path of Allah is in two respects: that He established it for His servants, and that it leads to Him. And the path of those who walk it, the path of the believers, is in one respect: that they are the ones who walk it exclusively.
And His saying: "Those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor" — the favor: every benefit and kindness from Allah upon His servants is a favor. And every favor we have is from Allah. The favors of Allah are of two types: general and specific. And the specific ones are also of two types: the most specific and the more general specific.
The general ones: those that are for the believers and the non-believers alike. So if someone asked us: Does Allah have any favor upon the disbeliever? We would say: Yes, but it is a general favor. It is the favor by which bodies are sustained, not that by which religions are rectified. It is a general favor, namely that by which bodies are sustained, such as food, drink, clothing, and shelter, and the like. Who is included in this? The believer and the disbeliever; everyone is included in it.
The specific favor: that by which religions are rectified, such as faith, knowledge, and righteous deeds. Faith, beneficial knowledge, and righteous deeds. This is specific to whom? To the believers.
Then this favor is divided into: the most specific, and the less specific. The favor of Allah upon the prophets and messengers is the most specific favor in this regard. Listen to His saying, the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:113] This favor, which is the most specific, is one in which the believers do not catch up to the prophets; rather, they are below them.
Now, the author's saying: "The path of those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor" is like His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Fatihah 1:6-7] So who are they? The Qur'an is not explained by something like the explanation of the Qur'an. [An-Nisa 4:69] The prophets here: everyone to whom Allah revealed and sent them is included in this verse regarding the prophets. It includes the messengers. And the messengers are the resolute ones and the non-resolute ones, according to the majority. So here we have prophets and messengers and the resolute ones. The resolute ones among the messengers, all of them, are included in His saying, the Exalted: [An-Nisa 4:69] Because every messenger is a prophet, but not every prophet is a messenger. And on this basis, the prophets include whom? The resolute messengers and others, and also the prophets who were not sent as messengers. And these are the highest ranks of creation.
Second: the truthful (siddeeqin). Sidiq is on the pattern of fa'il, like saqir and saqit, and the like of these forms. So it is a form of what? A form of exaggeration. So who is the truthful one? The best explanation of the truthful one is His saying, the Exalted:[Az-Zumar 39:33] And He said, the Exalted: [Al-Hadid 57:19] So whoever actualizes faith, and faith is not actualized except through truthfulness and belief. Truthfulness with what? With creed and sincerity. And this is among the most difficult things for us. Truthfulness in creed and sincerity is difficult, to the extent that some of the Salaf said: "I have not striven against my soul for anything as I have striven against it for sincerity" Many people work and are truthful in following, but sincerity is weak. So one must be truthful in the purpose, which is creed and sincerity for Allah Mighty and Majestic. Truthful in speech: he does not say except what matches reality, whether about himself or about others. So he is upright in justice regarding himself and others, regarding his father, his mother, his brother, and his sister. He does not say except the truth. Truthful in actions: his actions match what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) brought. And among the truthfulness in actions is that they spring from sincerity. If they do not spring from sincerity, they are not truthful, because his action contradicts his word. So the truthful one is the one who is truthful in his belief, his sincerity, his intention, his speech, and his actions. And the best of the truthful ones, absolutely, is Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He is the best of the truthful ones because the best of nations is this nation, and the best of this nation is Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). So he is the best of the truthful ones.
Truthfulness (siddeeqiyyah) is a rank that is not for men only? Is it for men and women? It is for men and women. Allah the Exalted said regarding Isa ibn Maryam: And it is said: the truthful woman (siddeeqah), the daughter of the truthful one, Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). And Allah the Exalted bestows upon whom He wills of His servants. I ask Allah to make me and you among them.
As for the martyrs, who are the martyrs? Are they those who were killed in the cause of Allah? Due to His saying[Al-Hadid 57:19] Or are they the martyrs, meaning: the scholars? Due to His saying, the Exalted: [Ali 'Imran 3:18] So He made the people of knowledge witnesses to what Allah witnessed for Himself. And because the scholars testify to the messengers regarding the conveyance, and to the nation regarding the delivery. Meaning, they testify to the messengers that they conveyed, and to the nation that they were delivered to. So they have two testimonies: a testimony for the messengers and a testimony against the nations. And this is not attained except through knowledge. For this reason, it is necessary for us to study the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) so that we know how he conveyed to the nation, peace and blessings be upon him, the clear conveyance.
If someone said: Make the verse general for those who were killed in the cause of Allah and those whom Allah guided to knowledge. Do we agree with him? We agree with him. Why? Because the wording is suitable for both aspects, and they do not contradict each other. So if it is suitable for both and they do not contradict, let it be for both. So it includes those who were killed in the cause of Allah and the scholars who testified to Allah with oneness, testified to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the conveyance, and testified to the nation that it was delivered to.
As for the righteous, it is the most general. The righteous include all three previous types and those below them in rank. We have four ranks now. So are the prophets righteous or not? And are the truthful ones righteous? And are the martyrs righteous? But the last rank, which is below the three, we say they are righteous, but we do not say they are martyrs or truthful ones. Rather, they are righteous. Who are the righteous?
They are those who established the right of Allah and the right of His servants, but not on the previous rank of truthfulness and martyrdom. So they are below them in rank. Now, this path that the messengers brought is the path of these four types. Their opposites do not walk on what the messengers brought, but they stand where...
And indeed, [O Muhammad], you guide to a straight path - (53) The path of Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth.
وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ صِرَاطِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِAnd His saying: "Those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor" — the favor: every benefit and kindness from Allah upon His servants is a favor. And every favor we have is from Allah. The favors of Allah are of two types: general and specific. And the specific ones are also of two types: the most specific and the more general specific.
The general ones: those that are for the believers and the non-believers alike. So if someone asked us: Does Allah have any favor upon the disbeliever? We would say: Yes, but it is a general favor. It is the favor by which bodies are sustained, not that by which religions are rectified. It is a general favor, namely that by which bodies are sustained, such as food, drink, clothing, and shelter, and the like. Who is included in this? The believer and the disbeliever; everyone is included in it.
The specific favor: that by which religions are rectified, such as faith, knowledge, and righteous deeds. Faith, beneficial knowledge, and righteous deeds. This is specific to whom? To the believers.
Then this favor is divided into: the most specific, and the less specific. The favor of Allah upon the prophets and messengers is the most specific favor in this regard. Listen to His saying, the Exalted:
And Allah has revealed to you the Book and wisdom and has taught you that which you did not know. And ever has the favor of Allah upon you been great.
وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ وَكَانَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيماًNow, the author's saying: "The path of those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor" is like His saying, the Exalted:
(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 عَلَيْهِمْAnd whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous
وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَthose will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets
فَأُولَئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَSecond: the truthful (siddeeqin). Sidiq is on the pattern of fa'il, like saqir and saqit, and the like of these forms. So it is a form of what? A form of exaggeration. So who is the truthful one? The best explanation of the truthful one is His saying, the Exalted:
And the one who has brought the truth and [they who] believed in it
وَالَّذِي جَاءَ بِالصِّدْقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِAnd those who have believed in Allah and His messengers - those are [in the ranks of] the supporters of truth
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَTruthfulness (siddeeqiyyah) is a rank that is not for men only? Is it for men and women? It is for men and women. Allah the Exalted said regarding Isa ibn Maryam:
And his mother was a truthful woman
وَأُمُّهُ صِدِّيقَةٌAs for the martyrs, who are the martyrs? Are they those who were killed in the cause of Allah? Due to His saying
and the martyrs, with their Lord. For them is their reward and their light.
وَالشُّهَدَاءُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ وَنُورُهُمْAllah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge
شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَهَ إِلاّ هُوَ وَالْمَلائِكَةُ وَأُولُو الْعِلْمِIf someone said: Make the verse general for those who were killed in the cause of Allah and those whom Allah guided to knowledge. Do we agree with him? We agree with him. Why? Because the wording is suitable for both aspects, and they do not contradict each other. So if it is suitable for both and they do not contradict, let it be for both. So it includes those who were killed in the cause of Allah and the scholars who testified to Allah with oneness, testified to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the conveyance, and testified to the nation that it was delivered to.
As for the righteous, it is the most general. The righteous include all three previous types and those below them in rank. We have four ranks now. So are the prophets righteous or not? And are the truthful ones righteous? And are the martyrs righteous? But the last rank, which is below the three, we say they are righteous, but we do not say they are martyrs or truthful ones. Rather, they are righteous. Who are the righteous?
They are those who established the right of Allah and the right of His servants, but not on the previous rank of truthfulness and martyrdom. So they are below them in rank. Now, this path that the messengers brought is the path of these four types. Their opposites do not walk on what the messengers brought, but they stand where...