Ibn Taymiyyah said:
أنفع الدّعاء وأعظمه وأحكمه دعاء الفاتحة: "ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ ٦صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ ٧
the most beneficial, greatest and most comprehensive of all du'aa is this du'aa of Al-Fatihah:
“Guide us to the straight path - The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have earned [Your] anger or of those who are astray.”
The greatest du’aa is one that we make 17 times a day, every day: in our obligatory 5-daily prayers.
One might wonder: Why ask for guidance? So much and so frequently?
Sometimes we may know the truth but we are not able to act upon it - either because we lack ability, or simply that we are lazy and lack in motivation.
Or we may act upon it, but we may lack sincerity in our actions.
Or maybe we act upon, but it isn’t done correctly in accordance to the sunnah.
And more importantly, today we might be upon ‘guidance’, but what about tomorrow?
Every time we ask Allah to grant us Hidayah to the Straight Path, it’s a deep, comprehensive du’aa with many layers underneath. Here are at least seven of those layers of guidance:
1. Islam - we ask Allah to guide us to the Path of Islam, the religion chosen by the One True Creator: “Veril, religion with Allah is Islam.” (3:19)
2. Knowledge - teach me beneficial knowledge. What are the ways - the quickest, shortest, most optimal path - in which we can best attain Allah’s Mercy and forgiveness to attain success in this world and the next
3. Ability - to act upon that guidance and put that knowledge into action and practice.
4. Motivation - to open up our hearts, and grant us the tawfiq (inspiration) to act upon the knowledge and walk the talk.
5. Sincerity - to act with pure intentions, only for His Sake, and not for praise and validation from others, neither to be recompensed in any material, wordly way.
6. Ittiba (conformity & correctness) - to act in accordance to the sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ, conforming to the standards which He Revealed his Guidance: the Qur’an and Sunnah.
7. Steadfastness - to keep our hearts firm, to remain consistent on that Path, and to die in the state of submission, and to meet Him while He is Pleased with us.
By default, every single human being - including you and I - are in a state of misguidance: whether it’s in one or several of these different aspects. In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah says:
يَا عِبَادِي! كُلُّكُمْ ضَالٌّ إلَّا مَنْ هَدَيْته، فَاسْتَهْدُونِي أَهْدِكُم
“O My servants, all of you are astray except those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from Me and I shall guide you.” (Muslim)
Because we are always in a state of need for all these seven aspects of hidayah (guidance), that is why this recitation from Al-Fatihah makes it the most beneficial and comprehensive du’aa - and the only compulsory supplication that a Muslim must make every day, as the mandatory rukun (pillar) in our 5-daily prayers.
So let’s make it a point to remember: Every time we recite ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ in our prayers, try to plant in our hearts that we are asking for these seven things all at once - Islam, Knowledge, Ability, Motivation, Sincerity, Correctness, and Steadfastness.
May Allah guide us all to the Straight Path
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