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We are told that Islam is the Deen of Allaah. It is the straight path that leads to Allaah’s pleasure, success in the Hereafter and admission into the Paradise. However, when new Muslims or young Muslims want to practice Islam and follow the straight path, they encounter such a variety of opinion, practices, approaches, differences of opinions, sectarianism, that they become bewildered, lost and confused as to which way to go, which opinion to follow and which is the ‘straight path’.

In an effort to get out of this quandary, some people take extremist approaches. One extremist approach is to accept all traditions, customs and rites practiced by any people claiming to be Muslims, without challenging even unacceptable practices. Their motto is “all roads lead to the same destination”. The other side excludes from their Islam everything “old” including the traditions of the Prophet Sall-Allaahu 'Alayhi Wa Sallam. The result of both approaches is extremely dangerous. Both end up regarding anything a Muslims says or does as “Islamic”. Both approaches are extremely dangerous because both defeat the essence and purpose for which Islam was prescribed and which make Islam the ‘straight path’. 

As well, even many of those who are in the middle and understand that we must practice only the pure Islam as revealed by Allaah and practiced by His messenger, are confused by Salafi’s, Sufi’s and Shia’s claims, not being able to discern as to whose path is ‘straight.’

This article describes what is Islam’s straight path, how the differences of opinion arise and how I personally sort out this confusion created by sectarianism.

The Destination

As a general rule, before we can identify a straight path, we need to know the starting point and the destination. Once we have a clear concept of where we are and where we need to go, a straight path to that destination becomes easier to determine.

In our case, our starting point is our life on this earth. When we reflect on the reality of the creation and operation of the universe around us, our own life and the systems that sustain our life, we are overwhelmed by the power, the authority, the grace and the mercy of our Lord who is sustaining all the systems on which our life depends. We also realize that He must have created us and the universe for a purpose and that He must hold us accountable if we fulfill that purpose or not. Appreciating the kindness of our Lord, we praise Him and want to fulfill the goals for which He has given us life on this earth. Realizing that we have been created to serve Him like slaves, we commit to be such slaves and seek His help in fulfilling that goal. We submit to Him so that we succeed in pleasing Him with our servitude and consequently being admitted into Paradise. For this purpose, we want to spend our time in the activities He approves, to acquire the qualities He likes and to establish the kind of society He wants.

As this is not an easy task, we realize that we need all the help we can get from our Lord not only in identifying the best way to reach tha goal - “the straight path” -- but also in continuously staying on course, in protecting us from the fatigue and disillusionment and in saving us from getting off course.

These are the sentiments that are expressed in Soorah Fatihah that we recite and reflect upon many times a day. It reminds us in a very concise manner our destination, the path and the dangers in our way.

In return, to help us reach our desired destination, Allaah being so kind and merciful clearly identifies the straight path in the Qur-aan as well as gives us vivid descriptions of that destination. He also sent His messenger to teach us the Qur-aan and to serve as the model of living by it.

Accordingly, the ultimate destination we want to reach is that we depart from this world such that Allaah is pleased with us and He redeems us from punishment and admits us into the eternal bliss of Paradise.  

The Straight Path

The straight path, also the only way, to that destination is to live by the Deen of Islam -- the Islamic way of life.

Islam is the Deen of every creation of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa (SWT). Being from the Creator Himself, it ensures the best operation, optimal results, balance and sustainability. Other creations are pre-programmed in Islam (people call them laws of nature), but human beings have been given freedom in their social life to choose if they want to live by Islam ordained by the Creator or to live by other rules.

Consistent with all laws of Allaah for other creations, Islam for human beings is also designed to bring out the best of humanity, if followed purely and properly. It is designed to make an individual the best a human being can be, and a society the best a human society can be. Hence, Islam’s goal for individuals is that they should excel in their morals, ethics, conduct, behaviour and dealings. This is called purity of self (Tazkiyah).

Islam’s goal for the Muslim community is to establish a well-organized, disciplined, structured and cohesive society that establishes justice, fairness, equity, peace and security for all; ensures human dignity, equality and respect for everyone; and, is characterized by a loving, caring, sharing, gracious and kind environment. This is called establishment of Deen.

These are the two rails of the straight path that must be treaded simultaneously to remain on course.

The four wheels that take us on the journey are given in the Soorah Al-‘Asr: Eemaan, Good Deeds, promoting Haqq and promoting Sabr.

1. Eemaan is the foundation on which the edifice of Islam is built. A person has Eemaan if his or her heart and mind both

    sincerely believe in:

When this faith takes solid footings in the heart, mind and soul of a person, it shows in a believer’s attitude in the following manner:

        The person becomes Allaah-centred, thinking about Him throughout the day (Dzikr) and striving to do the things that

        will please Him and avoiding everything that will be disliked by Him (Taqwa). His intentions for all of his actions 

        become purely for Allaah and he becomes sincere in his dealings and behaviour (Ihklaas and Naseehah). He is

        liberated from all other worries and fears and becomes fully reliant on Allaah in terms of doing his best and leaving the

        results to Allaah (Tawakkul). He also formally joins the community of believers in a structured and organized manner

        (Jamaa’ah).

This showing of faith in attitude and behaviour is called “Shahaadah” – the witness of faith and first pillar of Islam. This is the foundation for the development of Islamic personality and good behaviour. 

2.    While the Shahaadah of faith becomes the foundation for good behaviour, the other four pillars of Islam (Salaah,

        Zakaah, Sowm and Hajj) provide the structure around which the Islamic personality is built and the pleasure of

        Allaah is attained. They also act as the practical and active forms of Dzikr (rememberance) of Allaah through which

        Taqwa and Eemaan are further nourished, strengthened and reinforced respectively. But most importantly, they (the

        pillars) also provide the structure for the establishment of political, social and economic system of Islam for the

        community of the Believers (Jamaa’ah). The pillars of Islam are not mere rituals like the rites of other religions but are

        tools for personal Tazkiyah and provide the framework for the development of the community (Jamaa’ah). The pillars

        cannot be called “established” or “practised” unless their collective role for the political and financial system is also

        fully implemented in the form of an Islamic society based on Salaah and Zakaah.

Within the structure provided by the pillars, attainment of excellence is aided by six values that govern Islamic behaviour: practice of justice, grace, charity, and avoidance of indecent, bad and transgressive behaviour, as the Holy Qur-aan declares:

Verily, Allaah commands ‘Adl (fairness, equity, justice) Ihsaan (excellence in servitude to Allaah, benevolence towards people, graciousness in dealings) and giving to those close to you, while He forbids Fahshaa (lewdness, indecency, licentiousness, immorality), Munkar (bad actions, undesirable activities, generally unaccepted behaviour, not fulfilling one’s obligations), and Baghy (rebellion, transgressing limits, exploiting or violating others’ rights, Abuse of authority or freedom). He admonishes you so that you heed the advice.  An-Nahl 16:90

These values (further explained and detailed in Banee Israaeel 17:22-39) are the determinants of all Islamic injunctions and teachings and must govern the individual and collective (community) behaviour. Practised faithfully they lead to personal and government excellence.

Hence, the good deeds are all those actions that are conducted in accordance with the teachings of the Qur-aan and Sunnah within the framework provided by the pillars of Islam and values dictated by An-Nahl 16:90.

3.    Promoting Haqq – working to develop an environment where Haqq is cherished. The love for the faith and good

       actions makes the person promote them in the society to see them appreciated, practised and respected everywhere.

Promoting Sabr – promoting, encouraging and nourishing steadfastness, constancy, consistency and perseverance in living by faith, practising good deeds and promoting the right behaviour.  Staying constantly and consistently on the abovementioned path is not easy without Sabr and an environment that promotes Sabr.

Promoting Haqq and Sabr are also called Jihaad which represents continuous efforts and hard work undertaken to stay on course on the straight path of Islam -- striving to attain, establish and maintain personal excellence and an ideal Islamic society.

This is the Deen of Islam – the straight path in brief.

The Prophet Sall-Allaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam was asked to invite people of the Book towards this common Deen in the following words:

Say, “Come, I will recite to you what your Lord has forbidden to you: That you do not ascribe anything as a partner with Him; be extremely nice to parents; do not kill your children because of poverty, we provide sustenance for you and for them; do not go near immoralities, whether open or hidden; and do not take a life that Allaah has sanctified except under a legal right; This Allaah commands you so that you attain wisdom. Also, do not approach an orphan’s assets except in the best manner, until he fully matures; measure and weigh accurately and fairly, We do not trouble anyone beyond his capacity; Be just when you say something, even if it concerns people close to you; and fulfil Allaah’s covenant; This He enjoins you so that you are mindful. And verily this is my straight path, so follow it. Do not follow variant paths lest you are separated from His way. This He ordains for you so that you can be righteous.” Al-An’aam 6:151-153

To practise this Deen, many detailed teachings, rules and regulations are needed. Those rules and regulation are called Sharee’ah.

Deen and Sharee'ah

Deen is the paradigm, the principle, the outlook and the approach that sets the attitude, the goals, the direction and destination. The Deen of Islam is what we have introduced so far. It is like a constitution. This has been Deen of Allaah since Adam and it has been consistently the Deen of Islam throughout human society. This is the message conveyed in the following verses:

“Certainly, the only Deen acceptable to Allaah is Islam.” Aali-‘Imraan 3:19

“He has ordained the same Deen for you (O Muslims) as that was enjoined on Nooh, and that has been revealed to you (O Muhammad) and that was enjoined on Ibraaheem, Moosa and Eesa: Namely implement (establish and maintain) the Deen and do not be divided therein."  Shoora 42:13

Accordingly, no variation in this Deen is allowed. Any deviation or variation from this Deen is apostasy.

“Whoever seeks a Deen other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him and he will be a loser in the Hereafter.” Aali-‘Imraan 3:85

A Muslim is only the one who believes in this Deen purely and strictly. Any disagreement or deviation from Deen is unacceptable to Allaah SWT, angers Him and will invite His punishment.

The examples of those who disbelief in the essence of Deen, hence divide themselves away from Islam, are the people who: 

Even within our Ummah, while there can be no difference in opinion in the principles of Deen, different people may have honest, genuine difference of opinion in the matters of Sharee'ah.

Difference of opinions is a natural phenomenon among intelligent, thinking people. It is the handling of differences of opinions that makes or breaks a community.  In Islamic practices, valid differences may happen in the following two situations:

• The differences may also arise in extrapolating rules from a certain set of verses of the Qur-aan and/or Sunnah of the Prophet in applying those to new circumstances that may be encountered. 

 These are the differences that we find among various schools of Fiqh or among Fiqh schools and Salafis/Ahlul-Hadeeth.

For the first kind of differences, we should show the same flexibility and adopt the variety of practices as adopted by the Prophet. For the second kind of differences, we should weigh the arguments of the different opinions and practise what seems to be closer to the essence of the Deen. It is a great mercy of Allaah, that He will reward everyone for their efforts to fulfill the objectives of Deen according to their sincerity and purity of intentions, even if their practices differed in some details.

Other differences are caused by some groups of Muslims not maintaining the balance among various parts of the Deen. For example, both personal purification and establishment of a society of Islamic excellence are equally important requirements of Deen. Some groups tend to concentrate on one to the detriment of the other. Likewise, many Muslims may concentrate on ritual aspect of the Pillars, overlooking their roles in the personal purification as well as the establishment of the Islamic society. Others may just talk about being kind and generous while disregarding the Pillars altogether. These difference need to be addressed by bringing back the balance and moderation of Islam in practising all part of the Deen with equal attention and care.

Unfortunately, the problems happen when people take these differences to heart and start thinking in sectarian terms instead of looking from Deen’s paradigm. Many confusion and sectarian problems are actually caused by not differentiating between Deen and Sharee’ah.

Why the Distinction?

Although Sharee'ah is the natural corollary and the day-to-day practical side of the Deen, the distinction is necessary to adopt a moderate, balanced and correct attitude and understanding towards matters of Deen and Sharee'ah.

Properly understanding this distinction also helps us avoid extremist, unbalanced tendencies towards differences of opinion in Islamic matters. For example, one kind of extremists are those who create sects on the basis of just minor difference in matters of Sharee'ah. They are intolerant of even a slightly different opinion or practice. They are responsible for the majority of infighting, discord and friction among Muslims.

Then there are the extremists who comfortably swallow even the violations of the essence of Deen. They harbour, support, applaud and honour even those who attack the very basic tenets of Islam. In essence, they aid in the demolishing of the Deen.

What to do then?

The moderate, balanced approach is that:

• We must clearly understand the Deen of Islam which constitutes the straight path, which has been always the Deen of Allaah and which has been briefly described above[1];
• We must not compromise on the matters of Deen and we must maintain a healthy balance among all components of Deen;
• We should respect and accept the differences of opinion and practices in Sharee'ah, while trying our best on personal level to  remain in compliance with the Qur-aan and Sunnah, and not accepting anything or practising anything that is not clearly supported by the Qur-aan and Sunnah.

[1] The Deen and its components have been described in detail, fully supported by the Qur-aan and Hadeeth, in my forthcoming book on Islam.