God the Almighty has appointed Imams and guides as the path lights to guide human beings and His creatures to the straight path that ultimately leads to human salvation and reaches man to eternal paradise; the path that all the prophets of God have held fast to. This is the path that we pray God ten times a day in our prayers in Surat al-Fatiha to guide us.
But what is this path?
Here are some beautiful hadiths from the Prophet (s) and Imams (a) in this regard.
Several meanings have been suggested for that straight path.
One of the meanings of the straight path is the religion of Islam in a hadith of the Prophet (s), who said:
“The straight path means the religion of Islam.”
Because there is no religion as direct and straight as Islam, and none of them holds monotheism but Islam.
From this hadith, we can see that true monotheism is only in Islam, and Islam is the last divine religion and the most perfect religion until the Day of Judgment.
Another meaning mentioned is the Twelve Imams from the progeny of the Prophet of Islam (s).
Here are some hadiths in this regard.
Imam Ali (a) said:
“I am the straight path of God and His strongest grasp which is unbreakable.”
In another hadith, Imam al-Sajjad (a) says:
“We are the straight path of God and we are the treasure of His knowledge.”
There is another hadith from the Prophet (s), who in the eulogy of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a) said:
“O Ali, you are the proof of God and the gate to approach God; and you are the way towards God, and the great news, and you are the straight path of truth.”
The other meaning of the straight path is the bridge over the hell that leads to the paradise, and anyone who crosses this bridge or the straight path (Sirat) will enter the eternal heaven.
But who crosses the Sirat bridge?
We refer to it in the following hadith.
The Prophet (pbuh) said:
“O Ali! When the Day of Judgment comes, you and Gabriel and I will sit on the Sirat, and no one will pass through the Sirat unless he has the license of your wilayah.”
That is with wilayat of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) and Imams from his progeny one can enter paradise, because they are Imams, and the proofs of God and the guides for all creatures and humans.
In this regard, here is a hadith in a sermon praising the Prophet (s) from Imam Ali (a), who said:
“We are the lights of heavens and earth, and the arks of salvation. Knowledge is hidden in us and we are its treasure, and the end of all affairs is towards us, and our Mahdi (ajl) is the last proof of God. He is the last infallible Imam, the savior of all nations, the last light of the mission and the imamate, and the complicated mystery of creation. Fortunate are those who cling to our love and wilayah, and are enamored with our love.”
With hope for the coming of the Twelfth Imam (a) who is the savior, the straight path of God and the guide for the mankind.
Reference:
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 74, p. 30.
Al-Durr al-Manthur, vol. 1, p. 25.
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 8, p. 70.
Ma’ani al-Akhbar, vol. 5, p. 35.
‘Uyun Akhbar al-Riza (a), vol. 2, p. 6.
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 8, p. 70.
