Al-Fatihah 1:6
ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ
Guide us to the straight path.
English - Tafsir Ibn Kathir
Guide us to the straight path.
The guidance mentioned in the Surah implies being directed and guided to success.
Allah said,
اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيم
(Guide us to the straight path),
meaning guide, direct, lead and grant us the correct guidance.
Also,
وَهَدَيْنَـهُ النَّجْدَينِ
And shown him the two ways (good and evil), (90:10),
means, `We explained to him the paths of good and evil.'
Also, Allah said,
اجْتَبَـهُ وَهَدَاهُ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
He (Allah) chose him (as an intimate friend) and guided him to a straight path, (16:121)
and,
فَاهْدُوهُمْ إِلَى صِرَطِ الْجَحِيمِ
And lead them on to the way of flaming Fire (Hell). (37:23)
Similarly, Allah said,
وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
And verily, you (O Muhammad) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the straight path. (42:52)
and,
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِى هَدَانَا لِهَـذَا
All praise and thanks be to Allah, Who has guided us to this. (7:43)
meaning, guided us and directed us and qualified us for this end - Paradise.
The Meaning of As-Sirat Al-Mustaqim, the Straight Path
As for the meaning of As-Sirat Al-Mustaqim, Imam Abu Jafar At-Tabari said,
"The Ummah agreed that Sirat Al-Mustaqim, is the clear path without branches, according to the language of the Arabs. For instance, Jarir bin `Atiyah Al-Khatafi said in a poem,
`The Leader of the faithful is on a path that will remain straight even though the other paths are crooked."
At-Tabari also stated that, "There are many evidences to this fact."
At-Tabari then proceeded,
"The Arabs use the term, Sirat in reference to every deed and statement whether righteous or wicked. Hence the Arabs would describe the honest person as being straight and the wicked person as being crooked.
The straight path mentioned in the Qur'an refers to Islam."
Imam Ahmad recorded in his Musnad that An-Nawwas bin Sam`an said that the Prophet said,
ضَرَبَ اللهُ مَثَلً
صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا وَعَلَى جَنْبَتَيِ الصِّرَاطِ سُورَانِ فِيهِمَا أَبْوَابٌ مُفَتَّحَةٌ وَعَلَى الاَْبْوَابِ سُتُورٌ مُرْخَاةٌ وَعَلَى بَابِ الصِّرَاطِ دَاعٍ يَقُولُ
يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ادْخُلُوا الصِّرَاطَ جَمِيعًا وَلَاا تَعْوَجُّوا
وَدَاعٍ يَدْعُو مِنْ فَوْقِ الصِّرَاطِ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ الاِْنْسَانُ أَنْ يَفْتَحَ شَيْيًا مِنْ تِلْكَ الاَْبْوَابِ
قَالَ وَيْحَكَ لَاا تَفْتَحْهُ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ فَتَحْتَهُ تَلِجْهُ
فَالصِّرَاطُ الاْاِسْلَامُ
وَالسُّورَانِ حُدُودُ اللهِ وَالاْاَبْوَابُ الْمُفَتَّحَةُ مَحَارِمُ اللهِ
وَذَلِكَ الدَّاعِي عَلَى رَأْسِ الصِّرَاطِ كِتَابُ اللهِ وَالدَّاعِي مِنْ فَوْقِ الصِّرَاطِ وَاعِظُ اللهِ فِي قَلْبِ كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ
Allah has set an example:
a Sirat (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 Sirat who heralds,
'O people! Stay on the path 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 straight path is Islam,
- the two walls are Allah's set limits,
- while the doors resemble what Allah has prohibited.
- The caller on the gate of the Sirat is the Book of Allah,
- while the caller above the Sirat is Allah's admonishment in the heart of every Muslim.
The Faithful ask for and abide by Guidance
If someone asks,
"Why does the believer ask Allah for guidance during every prayer and at other times, while he is already properly guided Has he not already acquired guidance?"
The answer to these questions is that if it were not a fact that the believer needs to keep asking for guidance day and night, Allah would not have directed him to invoke Him to acquire the guidance. The servant needs Allah the Exalted every hour of his life to help him remain firm on the path of guidance and to make him even more firm and persistent on it. The servant does not have the power to benefit or harm himself, except by Allah's permission. Therefore, Allah directed the servant to invoke Him constantly, so that He provides him with His aid and with firmness and success.
Indeed, the happy person is he whom Allah guides to ask of Him. This is especially the case if a person urgently needs Allah's help day or night.
Allah said,
يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ءَامِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَـبِ الَّذِى نَزَّلَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَـبِ الَّذِى أَنَزلَ مِن قَبْلُ
O you who believe!
Believe in Allah, and His Messenger (Muhammad), and the Book (the Qur'an) which He has sent down to His Messenger, and the Scripture which He sent down to those before (him). (4:16)
Therefore, in this Ayah Allah commanded the believers to believe, and this command is not redundant since what is sought here is firmness and continuity of performing the deeds that help one remain on the path of faith.
Also, Allah commanded His believing servants to proclaim,
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ
Our Lord!
Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower. (3:8)
Hence,
اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيم
(Guide us to the straight way) means,
"Make us firm on the path of guidance and do not allow us to deviate from it."
Allah then guides,
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ
Guidance is of two kinds:
a) Guidance of Taufiq and it is totally from Allah, i.e. Allah opens one's heart to receive the truth (from disbelief to belief in Islamic Monotheism).
b) Guidance of Irshad through preaching by Allah's Messengers and pious preachers who preach the truth, i.e. Islamic Monotheism.
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Food culture of Lahore:
Traditions, cultures, ethnicity, and foods are the things which define a city. Talking about Lahore, being Punjab's oldest cities has the most vintage heritage and traditions. It is the second-largest city that hosts a large number of different service providers, restaurants, and wedding halls. The people of Lahore, a.k.a ''Lahoris'' are always eager to try new things, whether it is related to fashion, weddings, or restaurants. Speaking of which, the city of Lahore hosts one of the best restaurants in Pakistan.
The best restaurants in Lahore cater to their clients' taste buds and keep hygiene their topmost priority.
Variation of restaurants in Lahore:
If we talk about the best pizza restaurants in Lahore, dozens of them provide different categories of pizza. Moreover, when we talk about the best desi restaurants in Lahore, they offer a wide variety of desi and continental, Chinese, and Thai foods. Food has always been a weakness of the Lahoris. They love all kinds of food and are always eager to try a new taste. Luckily, Lahore hosts one of Pakistan's best restaurants with a wide range of dishes and flavors. The best restaurants in Lahore provide the yummiest food and cater to the hygiene of food.
Types of pizzas:
Pizzas are considered to be one of the best-selling food products in Lahore. Owing to this, the best pizza restaurants in Lahore deliver all kinds of pizzas one could imagine. The main categories of pizzas that are loved by Lahoris are pan-pizza, wood-fired artisan pizza, thin-crust pizza, stuffed pizza slice, New York-style pizza, and pizza cake. There are many other categories of pizzas, but the pizzas mentioned above are worth mentioning.
Pan pizza:
The pan pizza is made up of a greasy and fluffy crust, and this pizza was introduced in Pakistan in the early 1990s.
Wood-fired artisan pizza:
The wood-fired artisan pizza is an Italian pizza made of a thin crust baked in a wooden oven.
Thin-crust pizza :
Talking about thin-crust pizza, the crust is kept as light as possible, whereas the remaining ingredients are the same as the pan pizza. The stuffed pizza slice comes in a 40-inch variant, only available at Lahore's best pizza restaurants.
New York-style pizza:
The New York-style pizza has a crispy crisp and thick on the sides but is soft from the center. It is one of the most loved pizzas in Lahore.
Upside-down pizza:
As the name suggests, the upside-down pizza is a pizza with the crust on top, and the toppings, as well as tomato sauce and cheese, are oozing out. This pizza is baked in a bowl, and then it is placed upside down on a plate.
Calzone:
The calzone is a pocket pizza folded over and is one of the unique pizzas that are served in Lahore.
Fried chicken pizza:
In a fried chicken pizza, the crust is replaced with fried chicken, making it one of the most delicious pizzas in town. This pizza is so famous that it is even available at some best desi restaurants in Lahore.
Deep dish:
The deep dish is a Chicago specialty with loads of cheese in it and a stuffed crust. As the name suggests, the chocolate cake is a cake that is layered with brownies, chocolate sauce, and various candies, whereas the pizza cake is a variant of deep dish pizza with loads of cheese and toppings layered with the crust. These were some of the significant
pizzas which are served at the best pizza restaurants in Lahore.
Desi food:
Apart from pizzas, desi foods are also loved by every Lahori. The best desi restaurants in Lahore provide a wide variety of desi and Thai, Chinese and continental foods. Some of the best desi foods served in Lahore are halwa puri, bong paye, naan khatati, bun sheermal, maalpura, pulao variations, and tandoori chargha, variations of biryani, chikkar cholay, gurday kapooray, ojri curry, rohu fish, etc. These were some of the honorable mentions of the desi foods in Lahore. People worldwide come to Lahore to eat the best pizzas and exceptionally unique desi foods.
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