The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 21
AL-FATIHAH search after things pertaining to the life of this world (18:105). Again: Sui. e. and He (God) found thee engrossed in search (after Him), so He showed thee the way (93:8). Commentary: In the last verse, God taught us to pray for guidance to the right path. In the present verse the idea has been further advanced by adding the words, the path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings. This has been done with a twofold purpose: 1. That a true believer should not be satisfied with only being guided to the right path or with performing certain acts of righteousness. He should set his goal higher, and try to attain to a position in which God begins to bestow His special favours on His servants. He should not merely pass the test but excel in it. 2. That a true believer should look up to the historical examples of divine favours and receive en- couragement from them. But he is not to stop at that particular point. He should try to join the favoured company and become one of them. And as the topmost in a class is still one of the class, the goal set before a believer is very high indeed. the favoured ones, we read elsewhere CH. 1 Here the favoured ones have been divided into four classes, the topmost being the Prophets and the lowermost the righteous. Thus a Muslim has been enjoined to pray to God for the bestowal of such spiritual favours upon him as may enable him to belong to one of these favoured classes. Even the highest favours, pertaining to prophethood are not denied to Muslims. This indeed is a lofty goal! The point needs further elaboration. The verse, as hinted above, beautifully points out that a Muslim should not only desire mere virtue but should aim at inclusion in the class of men who have won the special favours of God. One who loves God does not remain content with an inferior state. Love of the Supreme Being engenders in the heart of man such a burning aspiration that he is not satisfied with an ordinary stage of Indeed, one who progress. understands God cannot look upon any stage of progress as final. Not only is the desire for unending progress found in the heart of the true believer, but God Himself wishes man not to remain content with a low stage, but to pray for ever-increasing righteousness; the righteousness of those who have won special prizes. As already pointed out, the word (favour) is not confined to any. i. e الذين انعمت عليهم For a description of particular gift but includes everything | فأولئك مع الذين انعم الله عليهم من :in the Quran i those who | which is given to a person as a token النبيين والصديقين والشهداء والصالحين believe in God and follow the Prophet are among the favoured ones the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous (4:70). 21 of pleasure, be it worldly or spiritual. Again, though every favour is a divine blessing, it cannot be denied that there are certain favours which