Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part IV — Page 240
BarĀhĪn-e-a H madiyya — Part Four 240 he should supplicate, 1 اَنِدْهِا َطاَرِّصلا َمْيِقَتْسُمْلا [ Ihdina s-s ir at al-mustaq i m — ‘Guide us along the straight path’]. For, this is the only means open to man to attain every goal; namely, that he should tread steadfastly along the paths that lead to that goal, and adopt only the way that takes him straight to the desired objective and abandon untrustworthy paths. It is obvious that God has appointed in His law of nature only one path which may be called the straight path. Unless that path is fully adopted, it is not possible that the desired objective can be achieved. As all of God’s laws have been fixed and determined since the beginning, so is there a special way, straight and direct, that has been appointed for attaining salvation and good fortune in the Hereafter. Therefore, the steadfastness in prayer consists of begging from God for the same straight path. The eighth, ninth, and tenth verities that are mentioned in S u rah al-F a ti h ah are, 2 َطاَرِص َنْيِذَّلا َتْمَعْنَا ْمِهْيَلَع ِرْيَغ ِبْوُضْغَمْلا ْمِهْيَلَع َو اَل َنْيِّلٓاَّضلا. Meaning that, guide us along the path of those devotees who followed such paths through which they were bestowed Your favours and safeguard us against the ways of those who, out of indifference, did not try to follow the right path and were, therefore, deprived of Your support and remained misguided. These are the three verities. Their detail is that the children of A dam fall into three categories in respect of their sayings, activities, conduct, and motives. Some seek God with a sincere heart and turn to God with sincerity and humility. Then God also seeks them and turns towards them with mercy and favours. This state is called in‘ a m-e-il a h i [divine favours], which is conveyed in this blessed verse, as He has stated: 3 َطاَرِص َنْيِذَّلا َتْمَعْنَا ْمِهْيَلَع. Meaning that, these people follow such a pure and straight path that qualifies them for the grace of divine mercy, and since there remains no barrier between them and God and they 1. S u rah al-F a ti h ah, 1:5 [Publisher] 2. S u rah al-F a ti h ah, 1:7 [Publisher] 3. S u rah al-F a ti h ah, 1:7 [Publisher]