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“Do you know? Your religion is excellent more than the ornament. There is no other religion better than yours. If there are thousand diamonds and ornaments of invaluable prices, even then these are matchless before the hair of your path. Your religion is so precious, therefore, do not become reckless with your religion.” (Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, Dar-es-Salaam, 27th September, 1899). Mawlana Hazar Imam said, “I give you blessings to remain strong on Sirat al-Mustaqim.” (Texas, 13th April, 2008)

The word sirat means path, occurring 45 times in the Koran. The word sirat is said to be a loan word from Latin, strata. The word mustaqim means straight, is more frequent in the Koran, being used either with sirat for 21 times or with tariq means path. The way of God is also termed as sirat sawiyy (19:43, 20:135) or in the genitive phrase, sawa al-sirat (38:22) or sawa al-sabil (28:22, 60:1). It connotes the path of the true believers, of the righteous or the blessed: “And (know) that this is My path, the right one (sirat al-mustaqim), therefore follow it, and follow not (other) ways, for they will lead you away from His way” (6:153), “Hold fast therefore to that which has been revealed to you; surely you are on the right path” (43:43), “Have We not given him two eyes, and a tongue and two lips, and shown him the two highways. But he has made not haste on the path that is steep. And what will explain to you the path that is steep?” (90:8-12), and “And who holds fast to God he indeed is guided unto a right path” (3:101). According to Tafsir al-Muttaqim (p. 3), Imam Jafar Sadik said, “The Straight Path is the belief in Ali and his Imamate.” The Prophet also said, “O’Ali! If, through you, God leads a soul along the right path, you will like it more than anyone who likes to have the sun rise for him” (Bukhari, 5:22).

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 Koran refers to Islam. Man needs guidance not only to have knowledge of the theory and practice of the doctrine he believes in, but also to perceive the extraordinary truths which open up spiritual horizon. The straight path is Islam, the two walls are God’s set limits, while the doors resemble what God has prohibited. The caller on the gate of the Sirat is the Book of God, while the caller above the Sirat is God’s admonishment in the heart of every Muslim. If someone asks, “Why does the believer ask God 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, God would not have directed him to invoke Him to acquire the guidance. The servant needs God 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 God’s permission. Therefore, God 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 God guides to ask of Him.

The significance of fast will be realized during a much more critical time: when the souls are to pass on al-Sirat al-Mustaqim, the Straight Path, the path regarding which the believers pray God to keep their feet firm as they pass on it, the one mentioned in Surat al-Fatiha and regarding which they plead to the Almighty at least three times a day, saying:
Ihadinas-Siratal Mustaqim (1:5) (Guide us to the right path),

It may be noted that the Right Path does not mean path devised by any particular religion or race but the path on which all righteous people of all ages have had privilege to tread upon and not the path which wayward people have pursued. According to Tafsir-i Ayashi, a man asked to Imam Jafar Sadik, “Mawla! We embraced Islam, which means we have come to right path, then why we recite, Ihadinas-Siratal Mustaqim (Guide us to the right path)?” The Imam said, “Verily, We are the right path (Nehanu wallahi as-siratal mustaqim)” According to Kitab al-Mubin (1:156), Imam Jafar Sadik said, “The one who is sinless (ma’sum) is the one who is prevented by God from doing anything that God has forbidden. For God has said: He who cleaves to God is guided to the Straight Path. (Koran, 3:100)”

The hidayat does not mean only showing the path, but also leading on right path till one reaches the realm. Through help man seeks to be guided in the right path until he reaches his goal of perfection. Imam Mustansir billah II said, “O’believers! The path of God is the Siratal Mustaqim (straight path). This means the recognition of the Imam of the time. His leadership is the right path. So far as you can try by every means to follow that right path in order to attain the goal of Truth, which is the recognition of the Imam of time.” (Pandiyat-e-Jawanmardi, p. 9.)

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said, “An unusual certitudes are in Satpanth to acquire fairest reward. There are such fruits in my religion, the eater will never go outside to eat grass. For eating such fruits, you should become transparent hearted.” (Nagalpur, Kutchh, 25th November, 1903)
Man however indeed stands in need of guidance in his everyday life affairs. But he needs it in a greater degree for attaining great spiritual goal. What that goal is, is stated in the next verse.
Siratal-Lazeena an’amta alayhim (1:6)
(the path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed favors),

Ghairil Maghzoobi alayhim walaz zaal-leen (1:7)
(not of those cursed ones and nor of those who have gone astray)
The Muslims are warned here that even after receiving Divine favors they may incur Divine displeasure and go astray from the path which leads to the ultimate goal. The Koran speaks of the Jews as incurring Divine displeasure (vide 2:61, 90; 3:111; 5:60) and it speaks of the Christians as having gone astray (5:77). The Jews afford an example of a people failing in righteous deeds, in carrying out the spirit of the doctrine while retaining the doctrine, and the Christians as example of a people corrupting the doctrine itself. Both these are the pitfalls of a people to whom the right direction has been pointed out. In sum, it is a prayer to God to remain aloof from the wrong paths. Adi bin Habban related that the Prophet said, “Indeed! Ghayril-Maghzoobi refers to the Jews and zaa-leen is meant the Christians.” (Al-Itqan, part 2, p. 608).

Chaud lok’thi chali a’wiya, a’wiya te nar avatarji.
Eh nar meli’ne’ duja ne’ diyave’ te jiv narge’ ja’ve’ (ginan)
“It has come from the fourteen heavens the manifestation of the Imam. If one disregards this Lord and adores another, he will go to the hell.”
Hence, the religion of Islam is a right path. Many paths are radiated therewith, even the sub-paths (sects), its majority is orthodox, but the Ismailism is unorthodox. The path of the Ismailis is haqiqi, while others in majority are absolutely orthodox. The Koran says, “And whoever holds fast to God, he indeed is guided to a straight path.” (3:100)

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said, “You stay firmed in your religion. If you are well versed in ginans, if you know philosophy well, and are bold and skillful, then this Satpanth is so excellent that you will not be swindled and betrayed, never go to others religion.” (Mundra, Kutchh, 22nd November, 1903)

The Koran says, “And verily, you do guide to the Straight Path” (42:52). This is a divine command to the Prophet to show the Straight Path. Thus, the Prophet said, “The path of Hazrat Ali is real whom you keep clinging” (Sirat Aliyya haq tamsiqho).
Mawla Ali’no satpanth dhiyavo sa’ch su, ane’ chhodo maya’ni a’sh (ginan)
“Adore the straight path of Mawla Ali truthfully, and shun hope of material allurement.”
Rahi ke bayan kard khudavind dar al-hamd, a’n rehbaro a’n raha key bi namad Ali budd (Shams Tabriz)
“God has said for Sirat al-Mustaqim in Sura Fatiha, and shower of that path and himself is the path of Ali.”

Frequently paired terms (Sat and Panth = Satpanth) means the True Path. The Ismaili Pirs/Sayeds in the subcontinent composed ginans, in which the term Satpanth is widely used for the Sirat al-Mustaqim.

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said, “You beseech gratitude that your birth took place in this Satpanth, upon which you have a conclusive attention.” (Vadvan Camp, 19th October, 1903), and also “The men must reflect, how excellent is this Satpanth Ismaili religion? Whoever behaves with clean heart becomingly in this Satpanth, he will become an angel.” (Mundra, Kutchh, 17th November, 1903)
Sarve’ mahe’n thi sacho satpanth kido, kido te sada utam (ginan)

“The Satpanth is genuine among all other (paths), which is superior forever.”
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said, “You have been given a straight path, you protect it. You run hither and thither and approach others to acquire a path, which is wrongdoing. Come to me and will indicate all about straight path and its explanation.” (Hyderabad, Sind, 26th February, 1900), “It is enjoined upon human to keep walking only on a true and straight path. You determine one path, you will eventually earn its gains. Make one path and keep going. You remain steadfast on this Satpanth.” (Mundra, Kutchh, 21st November, 1903) and “Thanks God that you all are on spiritual path, which you have obtained. The body is in need to tread on spiritual course” (Poona, 28th June, 1908).

Eji Satpanth lai’ne’ alaga thaya, te to pa’ki handi ne’ tolre,’
Tene’ tankan mari tukada thaya, tenu kai na upaje’ mul. (ginan)
“Those who embraced Satpanth and became isolated, their simile is like the ripen metallic vessels, which were repaired by stitching and broken, none values its price.”

Hi panth meli ne duja panth’ne dhiyave’, duja pir mane’,
Te jive shah’ni jot jugat thi alaga. (ginan)

“Whoever abjures this path and follows another path and adores another Pir, that person goes far from the Lord’s Light and Wisdom.”
Imam Jafar Sadik, as recorded in Tabatabai's Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an (1st vol., p. 41), was asked once about the meaning of this verse (1:6); he said, "It means: Guide us to upholding the path that leads to Your pleasure, that ends at Your Paradise, that prohibits us from following our own desires and thus deviate, or follow our own views and thus perish."

In his Tafsir, al-Ayashi quotes Imam Jafar al-Sadik saying that al-Sirat al-Mustaqim is the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali. The term Sirat al-Mustaqim is referred to in verse 61 of Surat Ya-Sin (Ch. 36), in verse 52 of Surat al-Shura (Ch. 42), in verse 16 of Surat al-Maaida (Ch. 5), in verses 126 and 161 of Surat al-An’am (Ch. 6), in verses 70 and 174 of Surat al-Nisaa (Ch4), in verse 42 of Surat al-Hijr (Ch. 15), and in other verses where it is described as the Sabeel, another word for path, leading to the Almighty.

Abdul-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Hassani quotes Ahmed ibn Eisa ibn Abu Maryam quoting Muhammad ibn Ahmed al-Arjami quoting Ali ibn Hatim al-Minqari quoting al-Mufaddal ibn Umar saying, "I asked Imam Jafar Sadik about the Sirat,” and he said, “It is the Path to knowing God, the most Exalted, the most Great, and there are two such paths: one in the life of this world, and one in the life hereafter.”
The Sirat in this life is the Imam whose obedience is incumbent; whoever knows him in this life and follows his guidance will be able to pass on the (other) Sirat which is a path over hell in the hereafter, and whoever does not know him in this life, his feet will slip away from the Sirat in the hereafter so he falls into the fire of hell.'" This is recorded in Ma’ani al-Akhbar (pp. 13-14), also Bihar al-Anwar (8th vol., p. 66).

73 SECTS OF ISLAM

Among the indicative of divisions or distinctions, the words used in the Koran are hizb (pl. ahzab), ta’ifa, shi’a and the derivatives of f-q-r. All can be understood with the general meaning of party, group or faction. The word hizb in its singular, plural and dual forms appears 19 times and the word shi’a and shi’ya occurs 11 times in the Koran. The word ta’ifa and its dual forms appears 23 times, used more or less randomly to refer to groups or parties among the Ahl al-Kitab.

The word firaq (sing. firqa) is a noun from the Arabic verbal stem furaqa means split, divide or differentiate. In his book al-Farq bain al-firaq, al-Baghdadi used the word firqa means sect. So does al-Shahristani in his al-milal wa al-nihal when he used the word milla to mean nation, he used the word nihla to mean religious order.

According to the famous tradition of the Prophet, “The Jews are divided into 71 sects, the Christians into 72 sects, and my people will be divided into 73 sects, but only one would be saved (naji).” This tradition is endorsed with some variations in wording in many sources, namely Masnad (2:332, 3:120 & 4:102) by Ahmad bin Hanbal, Sahih (5:25-26) by Tirmizi, Sunan (2:503) by Abu Daud, Sunan (2:1321-2) by Ibn Majah, Sunan (2:241) by Darimi, Mustadrak (4:430) by Hakim, Mishkat (1:61) by Khatib Tabrizi, Majma’az Zawa’id (7:157, 159) by al-Hathami, al-Kafi (8:224) by Kulaini, etc. Once Imam Jafar Sadik was asked, “Why Muslims are disunited?” The Imam asked, “Were they disunited in the period of the Prophet?” The man said, “No.” The Imam said, “Because they were obeying a single order of the Prophet and not going hither and thither in the matter of religion, and therefore, the unity of religion is possible only under the divine guidance of the Prophet and the Imam of the time after him.”

A few of the recognized authorities on the sects of Islam are:- Al-Maqalat wal firaq by al-Qummi (d. 914), Kitab Firaq al-Shi’a by Nawbakhti (d. 922), Maqalat al-Islamiyyin by al-Ashari (d. 935), Kitab al-tanbih wal-radd by al-Malati (d. 987), Al-Farq bain al-Firaq by al-Baghdadi (d.1037), Kitab al-milal wal nihal by Ibn Hazm (d. 1064), Kitab al-milal wal nihal by Shahristani (d. 1153), Dabistan al-Madhahib by Mohsin Fani (d. 1670), etc.

The following 73 sects emerged in the mainstream of ummah:-
Sunni : Hanafi, Shafi, Maliki and Hanbali. (4)
Shi’ite : Ithna Asharis, Ismailis, Bohra, Alwi, Abadia, Abbasia, Kaisaniya, Zaidia,
Matnasakhia, Mut’razia, Tania, Razia and Ishaqia. (13)
Kharji : A’zarkia, Abardia, Salabia, Kharzamia, Khalafia, Karzia, Mut’zilla, Maimunia,
Mahokamia, Shamrakhia, Naoshia and La’amina. (12)
Jabaria : Muztaria, Magfiria, Jebia, Sabakia, Kaslia, Khofia, Fakaria, Hasabia, Mairamia,
A’haiyya, Mo’haiyyia and Afalia. (12)
Qadaria : Ahmadia, Sanavia, Kisania, Setania, Sharkia, Abadia, Nakasia, Tabaria, Kastia,
Lazamia, Manzamiya and Wahemia. (12)
Murjia : Tehmia, Almia, Rajia, Tarkia, Mashaikhia, Sakia, Manshia, Murtrawia, Ashrabia and
Baduwia. (9)
Jahamia : Moaltia, Marabandia, Mutrafia, Varidia, Hurufia, Makhlukia, Gairia, Fatiyya,
Zanvakia, Lafzia and Waqifia. (11)

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said, “Al-Hamduli’llah! You are now in Satpanth. There are 72 sects, and all these are not legitimates, but there is one above all, which is a true. You are in true faith, that too in Satpanth. You now make valor with such fortitude to become angels.” (Manjewadi, 3rd November, 1903)
Nasir Khusaro said:-

Agar pursi ke’ naji kist dar rah, dar i’hi raha kist az asrare’ a’gaha
“If you may ask, who is the naji (saved one) on this path? And who is knower of the secret of this path?”
Bagoyam bato ki naji tamamast, kase’ ke’ wake’fe’ sire’ imamast

“I tell you that the perfect naji (saved one) in this path is that who knows secret of the Imam.”
The Prophet said, “Those are the saved ones (naji) who recognize the Imam of the Time from my progeny.” (an naji’ye’ min Imam Zaman’hi min itrati)

Admiring the devoted services of the workers in the honorary capacity to the community, Mawlana Hazar Imam said, “Those spiritual children are setting a magnificent example of work in the true path of Islam; they are giving of their time, of their energy, and I hope and pray that this example will continue forever in my jamat, not only in Pakistan but all over the world.” (Karachi, 15th March, 1976).

WHAT IS TAKFIR?

Takfir is an Arabic word used to describe a Muslim as infidel or non-believer, an act which precipitates. This word is not used in the Koran and Hadith. It is baseless ruling to declare someone as an apostate. The Prophet however said, “One who wrongly declares a Muslim an unbeliever is himself an apostate.” (Salafi – Jihadism (London, 2017, p. 75) by Shiraz Maher). Karawan Ibrahim writes, “A Muslim who declares another Muslim to be an unbeliever or apostate is a takfiri.” (Cf. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World (London, 1995)

The Koran says, “And say not to anyone “You are not a believer” who offers you salutation.” (4:94)
Maulana Muhammad Ali writes in the Holy Quran (Lahore, 1965, p. 216) that, “It lays down the principle that no Muslim can be called a Kafir; not even the man whose claim to Islam is borne out only by offering the Muslim salutation. The general tendency among the Muslims to declare each other Kafir is, however, so strong the even the plain injunction of this verse is set at naught.”

It is a general tendency of the Muslims to find out the fault of other Muslims and draw conclusion, who are on the Straight Path? To them, only those are true Muslims who follow their interpretation in Islam.

The Koran also says, “And the Jews say, the Christians follow nothing (good), and the Christians say, the Jews follow nothing (good), yet both are reciters of the Scripture. Even thus speak those who know not. God will judge between them on the day of Resurrection in that wherein they differ.” (2:113)
The Jews and Christians are here blamed for denying all good in each other like ignorant men, notwithstanding that they were both followers of the revealed Book, by which here is meant the Old Testament, which both accepted.

The Koran further says, “And argue not with the People of the Book (ahl al-kitab) except by what is best, save such of them as act unjustly. But say: We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and to Him we submit.” (29:46)
It must be noted that above passage deals only with the mode of controversy to be adopted in inviting those already had Scriptures in their hands. The religion is not an instrument of argument, which cannot reasonably be criticized by anyone who admits a belief in Supreme Being.

In addition, the Koran also says, “Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the best manner. Surely your Lord knows best him who strays from His path, and He knows best of those who guided alright.” (16:125)
The principle laid down for preaching and religious controversy by the unlearned has yet to be learned, whose controversies are carried on with no other object than that of fault; whose preaching only aims at carping at others.

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Karachi: Dec., 2022