St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology (Aug 2024)
The Straight Path (al-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm)
Abstract
Al-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm (the Straight Path) is a central concept within the Islamic tradition. It is loosely understood as the path that leads to God, often being employed as a reference to the Qur’an, the Prophet Muḥammad, or Islam in general. Throughout the history of Islam, many scholars and schools of thought have attempted to define the nature of this Path while endeavouring to identify who its true followers are. With the diversity of views that exist concerning this concept, the primary aim of this entry is to consolidate prior discussions with a view to providing an overview of how the Islamic tradition has grappled with the concept and how it has impacted the practice of the Muslim community. The article divides the discussion into three key reflections: exegetical, theological, and mystical. In the exegetical section, the entry examines how various mufassirūn (Qur’an exegetes) have understood the concept. In the theological section, it similarly analyses how various Muslim theologians (mutakallimūn) have grappled with the same concept but under the rubric of al-firqa al-nājīya (the saved group). In the mystical section, the entry attends to the Sufi tradition, highlighting how several key mystics have addressed this question and how doing so influenced their practise of Islam. While the article is not exhaustive in its treatment of the subject, it attempts to be representative of the key voices that have engaged with the concept and ends with a brief overview of some more contemporary thinkers.
