Allah has given a parable: a straight path
Authenticعَنْ النَّوَّاسِ بْنِ سَمْعَانَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ رضي الله عنه عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «ضَرَبَ اللهُ مَثَلًا صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا، وَعَلَى جَنْبَتَيْ الصِّرَاطِ سُورَانِ، فِيهِمَا أَبْوَابٌ مُفَتَّحَةٌ، وَعَلَى الْأَبْوَابِ سُتُورٌ مُرْخَاةٌ، وَعَلَى بَابِ الصِّرَاطِ دَاعٍ يَقُولُ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، ادْخُلُوا الصِّرَاطَ جَمِيعًا، وَلَا تَتَعَرَّجُوا، وَدَاعٍ يَدْعُو مِنْ فَوْقِ الصِّرَاطِ، فَإِذَا أَرَادَ يَفْتَحُ شَيْئًا مِنْ تِلْكَ الْأَبْوَابِ، قَالَ: وَيْحَكَ لَا تَفْتَحْهُ، فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ تَفْتَحْهُ تَلِجْهُ، وَالصِّرَاطُ الْإِسْلَامُ، وَالسُّورَانِ: حُدُودُ اللهِ، وَالْأَبْوَابُ الْمُفَتَّحَةُ: مَحَارِمُ اللهِ، وَذَلِكَ الدَّاعِي عَلَى رَأْسِ الصِّرَاطِ: كِتَابُ اللهِ، وَالدَّاعِي مِنِ فَوْقَ الصِّرَاطِ: وَاعِظُ اللهِ فِي قَلْبِ كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ».
An-Nawwās ibn Sam‘ān al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah has given a parable: a straight path that is surrounded by two walls on both sides, with several open doors within the walls covered with curtains. There is a caller on the gate of the path who says: 'O people, enter the path, all of you, and do not deviate from it.' Meanwhile, a caller from above the path is also warning any person who wants to open any of these doors: 'Woe unto you! Do not open it, for if you open it, you will pass through.' The path is Islam, the two walls are the limits set by Allah, and the open doors are Allah's prohibitions. The caller on the gate of the path is the Book of Allah, while the caller above the path is Allah's admonishment in the heart of every Muslim."
Explanation
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out that Allah Almighty gave a parable likening Islam to a straight extended path that has no crookedness. On the two sides of this path there are two walls surrounding it. These two walls are the limits set by Allah, and within them there are open doors, which are Allah's prohibitions. On these doors, there are curtains that do not allow passersby to see who is inside. There is a caller at the beginning of this path who directs people and says to them: Walk on this path and do not deviate from it towards the sides. This caller is the Book of Allah. There is another caller above the path. When anyone walking on the path wants to open any of the curtains above these doors a little bit, he forbids him saying: Woe unto you; do not open it! If you open it, you will pass through, and you will not be able to prevent yourself from entering. This caller is Allah's admonishment in the heart of every Muslim.
Benefits
- Islam is the true religion, and it is the straight path that leads us to Paradise.
- We must abide by the limits set by Allah and observe what He declared lawful and unlawful. Whoever takes these things lightly will be ruined.
- The Hadīth points out the great merit of the Qur’an and urges us to act upon it, which yields guidance, light, and success.
- It is Allah's mercy towards His servants and the sense of admonition He has put within their hearts that prevent them from falling into ruinous sins.
- Out of His mercy, Allah put barriers that prevent His servants from falling into sins.
- Giving parables is a method of education, which is intended to make the meaning clearer and easier to understand.
Source · Narrated by At-Tirmidhi and Ahmad
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).