Ibn Majah

Commentary:

➊
This narration is also found in Musnad Ahmad from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud radi Allahu anhu with slight variation in wording. Its researchers have graded it as hasan.
For details, see: (al-Mawsu‘ah al-Hadithiyyah: 7/208, 436).
Also, Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah has included it in Sahih Ibn Majah. In this regard, despite being considered weak by some scholars, this narration is acceptable as evidence.

➋
The straight path that leads to Allah is only one, whereas the paths of misguidance are many.

➌
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam drew lines on both sides of the straight line to illustrate misguidance.
In this, there was likely an indication that misguidance sometimes appears in the form of excess and extremism (ghuluw and ifrat), and sometimes in the form of negligence and deficiency (tafrit and qasr). Due to excess, innovations (bid‘ah) are invented and polytheistic (shirk) actions and beliefs are adopted, while due to negligence, there is shortcoming in fulfilling obligations (fara’id) and sunnahs, and boldness in committing sins develops, eventually leading to disbelief (kufr).

➍
The straight path is between excess and deficiency.
Whether it pertains to beliefs (such as the way of Ahl al-Sunnah between the Mu‘attilah and the Mushabbihah)
or to actions (such as the method of spending at a permissible level between extravagance and miserliness).

➎
It is permissible to use diagrams and the like to clarify scholarly issues.
In today’s era, using a blackboard in class or modern audio-visual aids is not contrary to the Shari‘ah, unless the use of a particular form or thing is clearly against the teachings of the Shari‘ah.

➏
The Prophetic statements are based on the clarification of the Noble Qur’an; therefore, sometimes the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would mention the relevant verse regarding an issue, and sometimes he would not.
In any case, no authentic hadith is contrary to the Noble Qur’an. If any hadith apparently seems to contradict a verse, the hadith scholars clarify the verse and hadith in such a way that the confusion is removed.
Examples of this kind are also found from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself and the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum.

➐
The path of Allah is only one.
It is not four, five, or six.
And that one path is the very one which Allah the Exalted has described in the Noble Qur’an, and which the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has clarified through his statements and practical example.
The differences of the noble Imams in subsidiary (furu‘i) matters are merely ijtihadi differences; on their basis, it is not correct for the Ummah to divide into separate groups.
Unfortunately, many scholars have given so much importance to the ijtihads of the noble Imams that they have been considered even above the texts of the Qur’an and Hadith.
Due to this rigidity and imitative approach, the Ummah has been divided into various sects.
Now, considering this division as a divine division, it is said that all are upon the truth, whereas the truth can only be one, not all at the same time.
This hadith also makes it clear that the truth is only one, not multiple.
The path of Allah is only one, not four or five.