Who should be our mentors and guides?

🌱 Someone who has become a #StraightPath themselves can help us grow.
This means…:

In the Holy Quran, it is stated for us that who is it that can put us on the straight path?
Who can raise us?
Well, someone can put us on the straight path if he is also on the straight path, and above all, if he himself is on the straight path. That is, all his existence, from his beliefs, his morals, his actions, should be on the straight path.

The straight path is also mentioned in some of the verses that God said,

أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَا بَنِي آدَمَ أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
(Did I not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you not worship Satan – [for] indeed, he is to you a clear enemy)
وَأَنِ اعْبُدُونِي ۚ هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ
(And that you worship [only] Me? This is a straight path.)
Surah YaSin 60-61

…That no one should be a servant of Satan, and not to obey the evil spirits in him.

In another verse, God said,
أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ
Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge …
Surah Al-Jathiya 23

Those who are worship their desires and whom Satan provokes their desires they will be worshipped by their own selves.

These two things should not be for those who are on the straight path of God. We are ordered to do this.

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ
(And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion)
Surah Al Bayinah 5

And as the Prophet SAWA said,
قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّينَ
(Say, [O Muhammad], “Indeed, I have been commanded to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion.)
Surah Az Zummar 11

Sincerity in religion, meaning all the beliefs in the first place, moral and practical issues, should be in the way that God wants.

Without any doubt, God wants to connect us to God. This is called sincerity in religion. Of course, in the continuation of that verse:

وَأُمِرْتُ لِأَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
Say, [O Muhammad], “Indeed, I have been commanded to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion.
Surah Az Zummar 12

I have been commanded to be the first to submit to God. That means the highest level of submission and worship was that of the Prophets SAWA and thereafter that of his Purified Household peace be upon them.

The way of the Prophets in this holy verse, is to that of
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor.

The way of those who are under the special blessing of God. The blessing that no devil can influence.

The devil himself said,
وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
‎ إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ
(and I will mislead them all – Except, among them, Your chosen servants.)
Surah Alhijr 39-40

So, we can deduce that the one who is on the straight path, is a person who is under the absolute influence of God. He is under the control of God. In this verse, God says:

وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُولَٰئِكَ رَفِيقًا
(And 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. And excellent are those as companions.)
Surah Al-Nisa 69

Those who obey God and His Messenger, will be with them. They are under the blessing of God. What does require – it requires pure obedience.

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🆔 Farsi Eitaa @seratemostaghim_ir

🆔English Website: Tahriri.org

Translated by: Samer Hakim

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