وَهَـٰذَا صِرَٰطُ رَبِّكَ مُسْتَقِيمًا ۗ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَذَّكَّرُونَ 126
Translations
And this is the path of your Lord, [leading] straight. We have detailed the verses for a people who remember.
Transliteration
Wa-hādhā sirātu rabbika mustaqīmā; qad faṣṣalnā al-āyāti liqawmin yadhdhakkarūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that the straight path (sirāt al-mustaqīm) is the path of Allah, and that the signs and verses have been detailed and clarified for those who reflect and take heed. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this refers to the complete guidance provided through the Qur'an, emphasizing that Allah has made the way to Him clear and unambiguous for those possessed of reason and reflection. The emphasis on detailed explanation (tafsīl) indicates that guidance is not hidden or obscure, but plainly laid out for the discerning believer.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-An'am, which discusses monotheism, the characteristics of idolaters, and the clarity of divine guidance. The surah addresses the polytheists of Mecca who rejected the clear signs of Allah, and this particular verse reinforces that the straight path has been made manifest through detailed divine communications.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad' (Jāmi' at-Tirmidhī). Additionally, 'Whoever seeks to follow a path other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him' (Sunan Ibn Mājah 3057), which relates to the concept of the one straight path emphasized here.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Allah has made His guidance abundantly clear through the Qur'an for those willing to reflect and listen; the responsibility rests upon us to consciously engage with these signs rather than dismissing them due to negligence or obstinacy. In our modern context, this reminds us that authentic guidance is readily accessible, and our spiritual blindness stems not from obscurity of the message but from our own unwillingness to contemplate and heed.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ مَالَ ٱلْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ ۖ وَأَوْفُوا۟ ٱلْكَيْلَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۖ وَإِذَا قُلْتُمْ فَٱعْدِلُوا۟ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَىٰ ۖ وَبِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْفُوا۟ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّىٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
And do not approach the orphan's property except in a way that is best [i.e., intending improvement] until he reaches maturity. And give full measure and weight in justice. We do not charge any soul except [with that within] its capacity. And when you speak [i.e., testify], be just, even if [it concerns] a near relative. And the covenant of Allāh fulfill. This has He instructed you that you may remember.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُوَلِّى بَعْضَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَعْضًۢا بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ
And thus will We make some of the wrongdoers allies of others for what they used to earn.
ذَٰلِكَ أَن لَّمْ يَكُن رَّبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ ٱلْقُرَىٰ بِظُلْمٍ وَأَهْلُهَا غَـٰفِلُونَ
That is because your Lord would not destroy the cities for wrongdoing while their people were unaware.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَـٰٓئِفَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَـٰتٍ لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِى مَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌۢ
And it is He who has made you successors upon the earth and has raised some of you above others in degrees [of rank] that He may try you through what He has given you. Indeed, your Lord is swift in penalty; but indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful.